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My husband and I are moving to NJ in July and we're really in need of some good advice. Our plan is for me to rent a room in the city (I'm attending Columbia U in the fall) and for my husband to rent us a place in NJ (he's taking a job in Edison). We're already considering options in Metuchen, which fits much of our criteria: I need an uncomplicated commute to the city for those handful of days/nights I stay in NJ or when my husband wants to visit me in the city, but also - we're really looking for green, quaint NJ, a Main Street, farmer's market, friendly neighbors, eclectic and ethnic restaurants.. a tip: we weren't all that keen on Jersey City. .. SO, anywhere else besides Metuchen where we should be looking? A friend recommended Ridgewood, which sounds really nice, but I'm wondering about the commute to NYC..? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
We are relocating from Orange County as well. We chose Maplewood - diverse, quaint, midtown direct to NY Penn. Want to know more you can email me directly.
Well Metuchen has the direct train which Westfield does not. You would have to switch in Newark. New Jersey Transit - Home
Metuchen's downtown is mainly restaurants and coffee houses. They do have a Farmer's Market and an antique car show once a month in the summer. Something good is usually going on there.
Here are some links I gave to a previous poster with Metuchen questions:
Home - Welcome to Franklin Square, Metuchen ! (broken link)
I don't think Bayonne would fit her "green, quaint NJ" criteria...I'd get she's looking for something more suburban and Bayonne is more on the urban side.
I would still say Metuchen is your best bet...I live here and love it. The downtown is one of the bests in the area with a lot of great restaurants, the neighbors are very friendly, and the commute to NYC is easy. There's a farmers market on Rt. 1 by Menlo Park Mall and there's also a small produce store by A&P on Amboy Ave.
Ridgewood is a nice town. It has train service, but you have to switch trains in Secaucus to get into NY Penn Station. There are express buses that run directly from Ridgewood to NYC, though. Check NJTRANSIT.com if you wanna look into it. It would be a long commute to Edison for your husband, though. Why deal with that when you don't have to?
Metuchen is a good choice for your situation. I think few people on City-Data inquire about it. It has a little village center, coffee shops. It's close to the Oak Tree Road area, where there are tons of Indian restaurants and shops. I'm sure Metuchen has a farmers market, and also there are Korean and Pan-Asian markets in Edison, the township that surrounds Metuchen.
I'd recommend Metuchen, but if you want to check out some other towns just for due dilligence, look into:
Red Bank (live music/nightlife scene and near the shore),
Highland Park (it's tiny but enough conveniences in walking distance, schlep to the train though),
Rahway (a bit gritty but showing promising signs with redevelopment).
I'll also say take a look at South Amboy. I bet people on this forum will yell at me for saying that, but I've heard about a lot of waterfront redevelopment which is making it a very nice town and destination for commuters.
All those are worth a look, but IMO Metuchen comes out the winner.
Hah! I moved out here from the OC to be with my Jersey native husband..it's been about 2 1/2 years I have been out here. We currently rent in Edison. But when we buy something, definitely Westfield or Metuchen. Both are really cute and quaint. Westfield has a Trader Joes and a really cute outdoor shopping area with some super classy stores. And at least a few farmers markets. And then Metuchen is a little more low key...with a cute main street area with some cafes and little stores. Smaller than Westfield, but equally as cute... Best of luck and have a safe trip here...
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Orange County to Maplewood
