Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
In the not too distant future, my wife and I (both in our late 20s) will be moving to central NJ -- Monmouth, Northern Ocean or Middlesex county. We're looking to find a town that has large stores (Target, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc..), restaurants, movie theaters, churches, maybe a mall nearby...but that is not completely overdeveloped/overcrowded (i.e. Rt.9 in Lakewood/Howell). My wife also works at a fairly high-end hair salon and was hoping have at least a few to choose from around our new home. Good schools, low crime and home prices/taxes that aren't outrageous are also a plus, of course .
Thanks SO much in advance to anyone who can offer some insight!!!
I think there are a ton of towns that meet your criteria, but you need to give a price range that you're looking to spend before anyone can name a town.
In the not too distant future, my wife and I (both in our late 20s) will be moving to central NJ -- Monmouth, Northern Ocean or Middlesex county. We're looking to find a town that has large stores (Target, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc..), restaurants, movie theaters, churches, maybe a mall nearby...but that is not completely overdeveloped/overcrowded (i.e. Rt.9 in Lakewood/Howell). My wife also works at a fairly high-end hair salon and was hoping have at least a few to choose from around our new home. Good schools, low crime and home prices/taxes that aren't outrageous are also a plus, of course .
Thanks SO much in advance to anyone who can offer some insight!!!
You want big box stores in your town,you can't just drive 5 or 10 mins to one?
I think there are a ton of towns that meet your criteria, but you need to give a price range that you're looking to spend before anyone can name a town.
We're not looking to spend much more than $500K. Hoping to get at least 4 BR/3 baths.
You want big box stores in your town,you can't just drive 5 or 10 mins to one?
5 to 10 mins is fine. I'll admit we've been spoiled a bit from where we live now. We have a Target, supermarket, clothing store, few restaurants etc.. walking distance from our house. We're in a suburban neighborhood that's just 2 mins. off a main state route (but far enough that you would have no idea it was there from our house). I know some people would hate this due to traffic, etc.. but we're having a hard time imaging living without it.
I know we're not going to find this exact set up, but I've seen a good amount of towns that have a local convenience store and then 15 mins or more before you see anything else...hoping to avoid that if possible. Also, these towns don't tend to have many hair salons close by for my wife to work at.
You can try Old Bridge. You can definitely find a house in your price range, and the taxes are not as high as many other places in Jersey. (We pay $6k on a 3br 2bath, not new construction) Right now there is a lot to choose from due to the slow market.
It's not a walkable town, but if you drive a little, you have all the stores you mentioned. There are hair salons around too, and if you look at the local papers, they often have help wanted at salons, not sure if they're fancy though.
Crime is low, most of it is around apartment complexes. Schools are just average, not really a selling point in any way.
You can also look at Freehold Township and Howell. Both are in Monmouth County. They both have route 9 running through them, but there are quiet areas and back roads. Both have very nice family-oriented neighborhoods and have access to large stores (Target, WalMart, Best Buy), restaurants, churches, as well as the Freehold Raceway Mall. As far as salons go, there are nice salons in both towns and if you travel up route 9 into Manalapan and Marlboro there are definitely some higher-end places. Another option is Jackson in Ocean County. There are no stores like WalMart, but it has all of the basic conveniences (ShopRite, Stop and Shop, Wawas galore, video stores, small restaurants). It also has some nice, quiet neighborhoods. It is HUGE in terms of square mileage. Some areas are suburban, some very rural. Route 9 does not run through it, though from some areas of Jackson, you can reach route 9 and all of its stores in a matter of minutes. Good luck in your search!
Last edited by Jerseyjenn; 08-24-2008 at 12:06 PM..
Reason: added info
3 towns in Northern Ocean fit your criteria for price range and good schools. Point Pleasant Borough, Brick and Toms River. Box stores galore on Rt.70, but the downside is traffic on Rt.70 and summer shore people. You are close to the ocean and close to all the stores. We avoid the traffic because we know when it builds. You don't want to go out on Rt. 70 to Target on a Saturday in the summer at 12 in the afternoon. But if you went at 9 or 915 in the morning you would be fine. I sent 4 kids thru one of these school systems and was extremely happy. If you need further info on the best schools in the area I would be happy to share thru a DM. Crime in the area is petty stuff, kids drinking and lighting off fireworks, or a car break in once in a while(usually the victim left the car door open).
I would recommend South Brunswick. Good schools, decent taxes. You can get something nice in the 500K neighborhood.
There's a Target and Best Buy that was just built on Rt. 1 in South Brunswick, and there's a Home Depot about a 1/2 mile up the road from there. There's a Wal-Mart in North Brunswick, but it's really trashy and depressing. It appears they are building a Lowe's in North Brunswick, and there is a FANTASTIC movie theatre in North Brunswick (Regal) with great seats and calm, quiet audiences.
We just moved to Hazlet in Monmouth County and I can't believe how convenient and close everything is. Supermarkets, big stores and parks (wow Holmdel park is great). I haven't been here long enough to recommend a lot of areas but you could check out Middletown and Hazlet. Route 35 has just about everything you can imagine.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
.
5 to 10 mins is fine. I'll admit we've been spoiled a bit from where we live now. We have a Target, supermarket, clothing store, few restaurants etc.. walking distance from our house. We're in a suburban neighborhood that's just 2 mins. off a main state route (but far enough that you would have no idea it was there from our house). I know some people would hate this due to traffic, etc.. but we're having a hard time imaging living without it.
