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Hi- We have been searching for a home in lower Westchester for a while and not having too much luck. Taxes are incredibly high in good and bad school districts. Our families are in Westchester and the city, so wanted to stay close- but are opening our search to NJ. It is hard looking when you don't know anything about the various towns. My husband works on Wall Street- so would like to stay within an hour commute. We have two small children- good schools a must. Our price range is up to 650-700k, but we may rent first. We just want a family friendly town where kids play outside, nothing rural and easy access to Tappan Zee/GWB. People have mentioned Glen Rock??? Wyckoff??? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Also- would like a town that is not dominated by one nationality or religion. In westchester many towns are either- all Italian, all Irish, all Jewish, etc, etc-a little mix would be nice. Thanks!!!!
If you need good access to Westchester/NYC, then I would stay towards the northern end of Bergen County in New Jersey. Anywhere in Morris or Passaic Counties to Wall St is going to be more like 90 minutes during the morning rush.
For your price range, some possibilities would include Northvale, Norwood, River Vale, Park Ridge, Montvale, Hillsdale, Westwood, Washington Twp, Emerson, Demarest, Harrington Park, Haworth, and Cresskill. Very suburban, great schools, easy shopping and services, etc.
If you want a sample pack of closed sales from these towns to see how far your money will go, PM me.
You will get a lot of recommendations here for many different towns in northern NJ, but if you REALLY want to keep that commuting time at an hour, your going to have to stay really close to the GWB/TZ. And in NJ that means the suburban towns of northeastern Bergen County, or the more urban towns in southern Bergen and northern Hudson counties.
You sound quite uncertain, so renting for a year might be a good idea, then you can search for a home at a more leisurely pace and do more thorough research.
Good luck and if you have more questions ask away!
-Marc
Last edited by Marc Paolella; 04-01-2008 at 10:31 AM..
Thanks so much for suggestions, but we would only be going to Westchester on weekends/ non-rush hours. My husband would be commuting to NYC/Wall Street- so are these towns easy commutes to city? He drives and takes train occasionally, but leaves early- before 6am. Thanks again!
i don't know about Bergen or Morris Cnty if your husband works on Wall Street and you need a 1 hr commute. Maybe you can look in Monmouth County and take the (expensive) ferry? I'll let the more experienced Mom. Cnty folks here give suggestions.
I live in Ridgewood...great town and schools, train station right in town. Many wall street people live here. The house prices range from around 500,000 to 2,0000,000+ and the taxes are HIGH but it is a wonderful community that offers tons for families. Glen Rock and Wyckoff are also wonderful towns with good schools and lower taxes. You might want to check out HoHoKus as well.....all offer commuter options. About 20-30 minutes to TZ Bridge and the same GW Bridge...it always depends on traffic.
Thanks so much for suggestions, but we would only be going to Westchester on weekends/ non-rush hours. My husband would be commuting to NYC/Wall Street- so are these towns easy commutes to city? He drives and takes train occasionally, but leaves early- before 6am. Thanks again!
If he leaves before 6AM, and you don't need the daily proximity to Westchester, that definitely opens up some more possibilities. Now you can select from a whole host of towns along Route 80 and 78.
Along Route 78 you could check out Scotch Plains, New Providence, Berkeley Heights, Fanwood, Cranford, Summit, and especially Westfield. Westfield has exceptional schools, a fantastic downtown area, and it's just plain nice. Yes it's pricey, but you can definitely get something decent in your price range. Great feel to it. It also has excellent train access to NYC, and if your husband leaves before 6 AM, he could also drive to Wall St in about an hour.
Moving up to Route 80, you could include Wayne, Fairfield, the Hanovers, Parisppany, Boonton, Montville, Denville, Rockaway, and Roxbury. Along Route 280, you could look at Livingston, the Caldwells, and Roseland.
Then back in Bergen County, Wyckoff and Glen Rock are possibilities, as is Ridgewood. Ridgewood is fantastic, but quite pricey. Overpricey in my opinion.
I think you should start with the Route 78 corridor and take a drive through Westfield, Cranford, and Scotch Plains/Fanwood. If you want a closed sale sample pack e-mail me. Maybe you can hit some open houses on a Sunday to get a feel. I would however, tell any agents in the open houses that you are represented. You do not want to fall into a dual agency should you decide you like one of the homes a lot. Google "dual agency" and make sure you avoid it. It's a terrible deal for you.
Any other questions just ask.
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