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Old 03-28-2018, 04:18 AM
 
860 posts, read 968,066 times
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Closest town to Midtown that is not city like and is safe would be Rutherford. Otherwise you would be in Hudson county which is city and congested and not somewhere I would raise a child. Unless your looking for diverse then I would suggest Hudson county.
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Old 03-28-2018, 06:08 AM
 
Location: Savannah GA/Lk Hopatcong NJ
13,384 posts, read 28,663,137 times
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I agree with Miamilife and Lamminus. I was born and raised in Jersey City and you have the budget to rent in a decent area, lets face it Charlotte has some dicey areas, it goes with being a city.
Coming from Charlotte I would stay in the urban area until you acclimate yourself and have time to check out the various suburbs. When you get to that point I'd also throw Morristown in the loop as it has an urban feel all though small compared to Jersey City. The commute to NYC isn't that bad and there is the train or bus.

If you like Jersey City when your child hits that point and if your budget can withstand you have private schools as an option. There are many, all though not as many as when I was in school, Catholic schools, you don't have to be Catholic to attend but they do teach religion.

Also right next to Jersey City check out Hoboken and Weehawken as well. Good luck

P.S If I could afford those good neighborhoods in Jersey City, I'd return in a heartbeat, but the hit would put a major cramp in my style, like traveling

Last edited by njkate; 03-28-2018 at 07:28 AM..
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Old 03-28-2018, 07:18 AM
 
Location: Charleston, SC
455 posts, read 666,149 times
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Forget Clifton. Grew up there. Moved out in 1987 for better schools in Bergen County for our kids. Clifton has not improved. Why move north? Winters are long and it’s very congested in the NY/NJ area. Not to mention expensive. That being said, our daughter and husband live in a tiny and expensive NYC apartment. Both love their jobs, the cold weather and the city. You need to decide what fits your lifestyle best.
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Old 03-28-2018, 08:05 AM
 
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See link.


//www.city-data.com/forum/new-y...ig-family.html
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Old 03-28-2018, 08:30 AM
 
595 posts, read 674,780 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NCtoNJ26 View Post
... I will be working in midtown Manhattan and my wife plans to find a job either in NJ or NYC...a short commute is preferable...
I moved to the Triangle 4 years ago from NJ. Before that, I did the NYC commute for over 10 years. While I am not very familiar with Charlotte, I have a pretty good idea of the comparisons between the two areas. A few things I think you should consider.

Where in midtown? East side or West side? Will your office be walkable from either Port Authority (buses) or Penn Station (trains)? Or will you need to take the subway to complete your commute? If you need to take the subway, will you be required to transfer? The PATH train may be an option, but it will only take you as far north as 33rd St (near Penn Station).

What do you consider a "short commute"? What is your commute now? The true commute, as in time it takes to walk out your front door and then sit down at your desk. If your initial reaction is "under an hour", be prepared for a shock. Once you add up the time it takes to drive to the train station or bus stop, get out of the car, walk to track/stop (adding in time to ensure you don't miss your bus/train), sit on the train/bus, deal with delays (very common), walk out of Penn/PA, then either walk or take a subway to your office, then make your way through the building, up the elevator and finally get to your desk, you may find yourself surprised. Reducing the number of connections you have to make will go a long way, as any disruption to one of those connections can throw everything out of whack. If you have a job with flexible hours and you can go in early and leave early, you can alleviate some of the time. But if you're working standard 9-5 hours, you'll be caught up in the rush hour with everyone else. I lived 11 miles away from NYC and my commute could take anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hrs, depending on the day and weather. If I stayed in the city after work, met friends for drinks or something another, then after 7p, I could be home in 30-45 minutes. But there is little chance of that during rush hour. In general, trains are more reliable than buses, but as a result, train towns are more expensive. If you research commute times, be aware that the times listed on NJTransit are quite optimistic and often much longer than advertised. One other thing that you absolutely must be aware of. Many of the desirable towns have long wait lists for parking permits at the train stations or park n rides. The wait can be several years or more.

Jersey City or Hoboken will provide the shortest commutes, but might be more urban than you're looking for. If you don't mind urban, living in NYC might be worth considering.

It can be challenging to have both parents working in the city. The bus and train schedules are designed to primary accommodate rush hour. If your child gets sick during the day and someone needs to come home, it might take longer than expected. I once had to rush home for an emergency around 10 am and it took me nearly 2 hours because the bus schedule in midmorning from NYC to NJ was very infrequent. It might make sense for your wife to secure employment in NJ and then look for housing closer to her job so both of you are not dealing with undesirable commutes.

Best of luck!

Last edited by JustMeEC; 03-28-2018 at 08:43 AM..
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Old 03-28-2018, 09:06 AM
 
Location: Jersey City, NJ
638 posts, read 2,238,869 times
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Please get ready for a complete quality of life change. My family lives in Wilmington NC and its just two different worlds in terms of the people you will be interacting with and overall lifestyle.

You may have the budget for a place in Jersey City, but I get the feeling like Hoboken may be more family friendly. Jersey City certainly has a more diversified housing stock, however.

You may want to check out Secaucus. The biggest thing is to decide if you want suburban or city living. You can have either in New Jersey on your budget.
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Old 03-28-2018, 09:12 AM
 
2,499 posts, read 2,621,382 times
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How much is the move going to improve your career
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Old 03-28-2018, 10:32 AM
 
Location: NYC area
565 posts, read 719,749 times
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OP,

Don't panic. While it's true that a move to the NYC area is going to be difference from NC, it doesn't mean that it won't be a good move for you. We moved 6 years ago from Dallas to Jersey city, and then eventually bought a place in Hoboken. My husband works in finance, and just didn't get the opportunities in Dallas that he knew would be possible here. It also depends on your family--some people value an enormous house with a big back yard, but I spent my whole childhood in that type of situation and was ready to try something new--I really wanted an urban, walkable area. Long story short, we're still here 6 years later and love it.

Cornelia Bradford is the best elementary school in Jersey City---it's in the Exchange place section of the waterfront area of JC. There are also specialized programs for middle school and HS that are some of the best programs in the state, but yes, they are somewhat competitive for your kiddo to get into--but that doesn't mean it's out of reach. A lot of kids from Cornelia Bradford get into those schools.

You may want to decide your priorities. Hoboken and JC offer an amazing commute to midtown, and it's an urban environment. Some people like it, others don't.

If you do not want an urban environment, and prefer a single family house with a backyard, you can check out Maplewood/South Orange, Montclair, Rutherford, Millburn, etc. But from any of those places, your commute will be more like an hour+.

Have you been to this area at all? Are you planning a trip to do some apartment/rental house hunting? I highly recommend it, so you can get a feel for different neighborhoods. Some schools will even give you a tour if you call and schedule in advance.
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Old 03-28-2018, 12:44 PM
 
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Thank you @Annikan. Very reassuring. We are the same - having been in the suburbs throughout. I love walkable areas/towns though and it is good to know you have a positive experience. It feels like we are doing the opposite of what everybody else is doing, moving from the South to NJ, so it is great to hear from others who have made a similar move. I thought we would have to entirely rule out public elementary schools in JC - it is good to know there is a viable option. Thank you!
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Old 03-28-2018, 12:48 PM
 
6 posts, read 8,417 times
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Thank you for the detailed response @JustMeEC - the commute and being there for any emergency is a real concern we have. When I meant short commute, I meant an hour or less. Very valuable inputs in your response!
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