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Where are you coming from? I currently am staying in NYC
Why are you moving? We previously sold are home in (West Orange and Clifton) NJ because we needed help with out toddler but we miss the suburb life. we tried to buy a home in lower Westchester County and are priced out!
Where will you be working ? If NYC, what part of NYC? I will be working in Newark and my wife will be working in Tribeca NYC 2x a week.
Will you buy or rent? Buying
What is your budget ? Ideally under 600K we can stretch more or less depending on the taxes
What kind of place are you looking for ? As stated above we lived in Clifton and West Orange. We absolutely loved West Orange (Gregory Section) but we are afraid of the tax bill that come with the town. We absolutely disliked Clifton, it felt stuck in time for the most part.
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ? Wife and 1 child
Do you need/want good public schools? We want good public schools, they do not need to be the top tier schools of the state but good.
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in
(examples: families with young children, young, mature, artsy, diverse, safe, close-knit, block parties, etc)
Something we loved about West Orange is that it was a happy and welcoming town that frequently did block parties within the close knit community. It had diversity and culture. I have done some research in Northern NJ These are some of the towns we are considering.
Bergen: Most towns North of Route 4 and East of Rout 17. Westwood and River Edge but also towns like Hillsdale and Montvale are currently are favorites. but willing to listen to others and what they think.
Essex: West Orange, SoMa, Montclair, Glen Ridge, Verona, and West Caldwell. ( We love these tows just the high taxes have us considering all our options.
Morris: Parsipanny-troy hills, including other towns that send kids to the school district. ( Any help on which other towns use the schools will be great. and Morristown.
List three things that are important to you in order of importance.(examples: nightlife, outdoor activities, rural/urban, safety, downtown area, charming, new construction, proximity to XYZ, family oriented, easy parking, short commute, etc)
Schools
Family oriented/Friendly and accepting community
Charming
600K is gonna be tough for most of Northern Bergen County. Westwood is a possibility, River Edge and Hillsdale would be a stretch, and Montvale is probably out for anything decent. Westwood has good, but not quite top-tier schools. Check out Fair Lawn and Rutherford. Both have good schools, train access, and can work within your budget.
West Orange Up the Hill is very nice, but, as you mentioned, taxes are crazy even by Northern NJ standards and the high school isn’t great. SoMa is likely out on your budget, and you can almost definitely forget about Montclair, as well as Glen Ridge and West Caldwell. Verona may be possible, but is likely a stretch. Verona has very good schools.
Parsippany is possible. Nice town, good schools, lots of great places to eat and shopping options, but the commute during rush hour can be brutal. Most of the other eastern Morris County burbs will probably be out of the budget for you. Morristown may be an option too, if you’re open to a slightly more urbanesque environment.
Yes we are realizing 600k is a stretch and we can increase our budget as we both do well and have no debt we are choosing to stay conservative, But in comparison to Westchester which is non existent there is hope. I am not afraid of a little work and also understand the current market is inflated. I just don’t want to buy and sell a third home. We are looking for a long term home to raise our child. Fair lawn is also on the list as well as Ramsey and midland park. We are not narrowing it down to one area we are just eliminating the ones we know won’t fit our lifestyles in Bergen County. But thank you for the information I really appreciate it.
Yes we are realizing 600k is a stretch and we can increase our budget as we both do well and have no debt we are choosing to stay conservative, But in comparison to Westchester which is non existent there is hope. I am not afraid of a little work and also understand the current market is inflated. I just don’t want to buy and sell a third home. We are looking for a long term home to raise our child. Fair lawn is also on the list as well as Ramsey and midland park. We are not narrowing it down to one area we are just eliminating the ones we know won’t fit our lifestyles in Bergen County. But thank you for the information I really appreciate it.
Yup, it can be done, and you can find a nice town with good schools in the 600 range. Just don’t expect the absolute #1 ranking in everything for that price.
And yes, Westchester is more berserk than Northern NJ, but it always has been. Guess a bunch of super rich people are willing to pay even more of a premium to have a “New York” address.
But, let’s face it… Northeastern NJ, Rockland, Westchester, Long Island, and Fairfield County ‘burbs ain’t that different.
I agree New Yorkers are willing to pay a premium to be further away from NYC just to say they don’t live in NJ. I have friends near the border by Putnam County that pay a premium and I Have friend in Nassau county that pay insane numbers for sub par schools and homes. Thanks again I appreciate it I’m sure I’ll post again when we come across other towns for opinions. Any advice you can continue to give will be greatly appreciated!
Anyway you dice it commuting in NYC is miserable and just something you become used to, if you need to sit on a train for 20 more minutes to live in a better area twice a week, its worth it. I agree, Clifton is absolute pits of a place to live, especially for the price and taxes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheLastStopisHome
What kind of place are you looking for ? As stated above we lived in Clifton and West Orange. We absolutely loved West Orange (Gregory Section) but we are afraid of the tax bill that come with the town. We absolutely disliked Clifton, it felt stuck in time for the most part.
Bergen: Most towns North of Route 4 and East of Rout 17. Westwood and River Edge but also towns like Hillsdale and Montvale are currently are favorites. but willing to listen to others and what they think.
Essex: West Orange, SoMa, Montclair, Glen Ridge, Verona, and West Caldwell. ( We love these tows just the high taxes have us considering all our options.
Morris: Parsipanny-troy hills, including other towns that send kids to the school district. ( Any help on which other towns use the schools will be great. and Morristown.
~600k should get you into almost any town you want in NJ.
I haven't lived in Bergen enough to make a comment but for Essex and Morris:
Essex: Just about everywhere in Essex is high taxes. I'd also put Livingston, Fairfield and Roseland onto your maps. I lived in Essex county for 7 years and personally I never really felt like I fit into Essex county (or felt at home) based on the heavy cultural Italian roots, some parts are Jewish and when you get West Orange/Montclair its more diverse from influences from transient people and Newark. Schools in general are all very good.
Morris: Morris is the 7th wealthiest county in the entire Country and most of the county is commutable by train or bus to the City. Taxes are high because its NJ, but much less than Essex County. Morris County has some of the best school districts in the state (Madison, Chatham usually regarded as best in state) all the schools in the county are overall great except maybe Dover. Morristown itself is very small it consists of South Street and maybe a square mile around the downtown, most everything else referred to as Morristown is technically "Morris Township". Morris County has probably 40 towns, and couldn't possibly go through them all here but the towns which have what you're looking for are probably Morris Township, Parsippany, Denville, Morris Plains, Rockaway, Madison, Montville, Florham Park, East Hanover, Boonton and Chatham. Each town has their own lovely charm and have great neighborhoods and communities.
I’m glad you mentioned Denville and Rockaway as I was looking last night into these towns. I don’t know much about these towns but I see that you get much more house for your dollar and property taxes are much lower than Both Bergen and Essex. I loved the idea of Northern Bergen County because it grants me access to NY via the now Mario Cuomo bridge. But the more I am searching the more I am realizing Morris does have more to offer. I will visit the towns you mentioned. Thanks again
I’m glad you mentioned Denville and Rockaway as I was looking last night into these towns. I don’t know much about these towns but I see that you get much more house for your dollar and property taxes are much lower than Both Bergen and Essex. I loved the idea of Northern Bergen County because it grants me access to NY via the now Mario Cuomo bridge. But the more I am searching the more I am realizing Morris does have more to offer. I will visit the towns you mentioned. Thanks again
Denville and Rockaway are nice towns, but… one of the reasons they’re cheaper than towns further east is the horrific Route 80 commute during rush hours.
Denville does have a nice downtown area and a Trader Joe’s that opened about two years ago, so there’s that. Rockaway has a little less action, but they have an Aldi (Trader Joe’s less fancy brother). And an Arby’s. Now I’m in the mood for one of those delicious fake roast beef sandwiches!
You sold me at Trader Joe’s. Thanks for I-80 information I do have family in New York which will most likely commute via I-80 but most likely on the weekends. I will have to make a trip to these towns and feel the sense of community for myself.
I saw a home in Morris Plains but I was a little confused on the schooling do they use Parsippany Schools or Morristown/ Morris Township schools?
You sold me at Trader Joe’s. Thanks for I-80 information I do have family in New York which will most likely commute via I-80 but most likely on the weekends. I will have to make a trip to these towns and feel the sense of community for myself.
I saw a home in Morris Plains but I was a little confused on the schooling do they use Parsippany Schools or Morristown/ Morris Township schools?
Morristown schools. Morris Plains is very nice, but will likely put the squeeze on your budget.
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