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.
I am moving from Los Angeles to NJ. I heard Madison, NJ is a great town for families and is close to the train for commuting into the city. Can anyone tell me more about Madison on surrounding towns.
My family lived in Madison for 65 years, so I have some familiarity. There are none of us left there now (I live in Northern Virginia, my sister in San Francisco) but Madison is going to be hard to beat as a safe, comfortable, convenient, and probably most importantly, very pleasant place to live. The school system has rated as among the best in the state for decades, and the presence of Drew and Fairleigh-Dickinson Universities, along with the College of St. Elizabeth, has an impact as well. The big money families (Dodge's, Twombly's, Moore's etc.) that basically put the town on the map in the early 20th century are all gone now, and the town did go through some tougher times in the 1980's, but it's reinvented itself very nicely. The downtown area is as pretty as the pictures, and there are at least half a dozen really good restaurants there, as well as shops and services of many sorts. (One thing to get used to -- virtually none of the restaurants has a liquor license, so you'll need to stop at the store and BYO if you want a bottle of wine or two with a meal. Not surprisingly, there are plenty of liquor stores, they're all open late, and they have vast stocks that are pre-chilled if called for.) There are a lot more jobs in the local area now than there used to be, but many still do commute into the city, and all-day regular train service on NJ Transit makes that surprisingly easy. There is also easy access to I-78, I-280, and I-287. The town has always in some sense been divided by the train tracks, with the hill to the south being more the upscale (and we're talking pretty upscale here) area, and the ridge and plain stretching north toward Florham Park being more the prosperous blue-collar area, but it's hard to go too far wrong anywhere. There are excellent medical and cultural facilities in the area. It's a safe, quiet, family-oriented place, with generally friendly and helpful people who tend to take some actual pride in where they live. The borough council has heated debates over the best ways to maintain the town's very large tree population, which might tell you something. There are many churches that are active in the community as well, so getting involved will not be a problem if you've a mind for that. All in all, there's just not much bad to say except that it can be expensive to buy a place there. Still, now is about the best time in a long time to be a buyer. Things have been slow for sellers for almost a year, so there are a number of quite attractive properties available at relatively reasonable prices. The surrounding towns are all a plus. Along the railroad, Chatham and Summit to the east, and Convent Station and Morristown to the west offer something of the same while providing substantial retail and other resources. Florham Park and Hanover to the north aren't really that much of a factor unless you were on the far north side of Madsion already, and to the south are teensy Green Village and Chatham Township (which do have two good local grocery and miscellany malls), and then the 7,600-acre Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, which among other things, helps keep the meaning of 'undeveloped' in the local mindset. So, I don't know...maybe others can think of bad things to say about Madison, but I can't come up with much. It's mostly all the plusses of a well-run, upscale-oriented community that's within easy reach of NYC without any of the usual minuses that the larger area is sometimes known for. Pretty tough to beat that, all in all...
I don't live in Madison, but have been working there for almost 11 years. Pretty involved in non-profits and service organizations, so I know the town very well. Madison is def young family friendly and your wife shouldn't have any problems. The Madison Area YMCA has many programs for young children to get involved as well as moms. The parking lot around 9am is loaded with mini-vans and suv's. Guess the moms are working out or attending classes with younger children.
You should be able to buy something for $650, but knowing Morris County, prices are not coming down. It's one of the wealthest counties in the country and homes and schools there are in demand. BTW, Madison has an excellent school system. If you need a realtor to work with, I can recommend someone highly (even for rentals) and if you need a new bank to work with I can do that also. Anything else, let me know. Good luck.
Would agree with all of that, including that $650 will get you into what you want. Rental may be more of a problem than it might be elsewhere because state law so much favors the rights of renters over those of landlords. Mostly, it's only corporates that can stand the hassle of renting properties, and single-family homes aren't their big moneymakers. People who might otherwise be inclined to rent a place out for a few years while working abroad or whatever, or to invest through buy-and-rent of an attractive property with appreciation potential just don't do it because of the legal situation. Not at all to say that SFH-rental is impossible, just that the stock may be smaller than what might be the typical case in other markets with other circumstances...
My family lived in Madison for 65 years, so I have some familiarity. There are none of us left there now (I live in Northern Virginia, my sister in San Francisco) but Madison is going to be hard to beat as a safe, comfortable, convenient, and probably most importantly, very pleasant place to live. The school system has rated as among the best in the state for decades, and the presence of Drew and Fairleigh-Dickinson Universities, along with the College of St. Elizabeth, has an impact as well. The big money families (Dodge's, Twombly's, Moore's etc.) that basically put the town on the map in the early 20th century are all gone now, and the town did go through some tougher times in the 1980's, but it's reinvented itself very nicely. The downtown area is as pretty as the pictures, and there are at least half a dozen really good restaurants there, as well as shops and services of many sorts. (One thing to get used to -- virtually none of the restaurants has a liquor license, so you'll need to stop at the store and BYO if you want a bottle of wine or two with a meal. Not surprisingly, there are plenty of liquor stores, they're all open late, and they have vast stocks that are pre-chilled if called for.) There are a lot more jobs in the local area now than there used to be, but many still do commute into the city, and all-day regular train service on NJ Transit makes that surprisingly easy. There is also easy access to I-78, I-280, and I-287. The town has always in some sense been divided by the train tracks, with the hill to the south being more the upscale (and we're talking pretty upscale here) area, and the ridge and plain stretching north toward Florham Park being more the prosperous blue-collar area, but it's hard to go too far wrong anywhere. There are excellent medical and cultural facilities in the area. It's a safe, quiet, family-oriented place, with generally friendly and helpful people who tend to take some actual pride in where they live. The borough council has heated debates over the best ways to maintain the town's very large tree population, which might tell you something. There are many churches that are active in the community as well, so getting involved will not be a problem if you've a mind for that. All in all, there's just not much bad to say except that it can be expensive to buy a place there. Still, now is about the best time in a long time to be a buyer. Things have been slow for sellers for almost a year, so there are a number of quite attractive properties available at relatively reasonable prices. The surrounding towns are all a plus. Along the railroad, Chatham and Summit to the east, and Convent Station and Morristown to the west offer something of the same while providing substantial retail and other resources. Florham Park and Hanover to the north aren't really that much of a factor unless you were on the far north side of Madsion already, and to the south are teensy Green Village and Chatham Township (which do have two good local grocery and miscellany malls), and then the 7,600-acre Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, which among other things, helps keep the meaning of 'undeveloped' in the local mindset. So, I don't know...maybe others can think of bad things to say about Madison, but I can't come up with much. It's mostly all the plusses of a well-run, upscale-oriented community that's within easy reach of NYC without any of the usual minuses that the larger area is sometimes known for. Pretty tough to beat that, all in all...
Thanks everyone! I appreciate your comments about Madison and the surrounding towns. It makes me feel more comfortable about my move. I'll be in NJ checking out the Madison area (and Ridgewood area) next week so I'll let you know what I think.
Thanks everyone! I appreciate your comments about Madison and the surrounding towns. It makes me feel more comfortable about my move. I'll be in NJ checking out the Madison area (and Ridgewood area) next week so I'll let you know what I think.
If you're looking for a new bank also? Check out the one in Madison Plaza. I hear it's really a community minded bank.
So we visited the Madison area last week and liked it very much. After our search my wife and I decided to go with Summit. Another great town with a nice downtown area, closer commute ot the city and (i've been told) slightly better schools. We liked Madison but Summit worked for us a little better.
Can anyone give us some tips on Summit. Preschools, restaurants, family activities?
I'd throw in that Summit, New Providence, and Berkeley Heights are just south of Madison, and can be cheaper, though that is a relative term. All very nice places to live.
Congratulations! There are some superb areas in Summit, you do save about ten minutes on the commute, and you can always just pop over to Madison for dinner anytime you want. If not, you could try Fiorino's. I've only eaten there the one time, and it was crowded and a bit noisy, but the food was very good indeed. Brix 67 was recommended to me when I was up there last year, but I ended in not going. Upscale bistro-ish place, I gather. But each of these would of course pale in comparison to the Summit Diner, assuming it's still there, but I think it is. Right next to the railroad station...get a Taylor ham, egg, and cheese sandwich on the way to the train! Can't be beat! The other stuff, people who spend more time there really ought to fill you in on. Meanwhile, best of luck in Summit...I'm sure you'll enjoy it...
So we visited the Madison area last week and liked it very much. After our search my wife and I decided to go with Summit. Another great town with a nice downtown area, closer commute ot the city and (i've been told) slightly better schools. We liked Madison but Summit worked for us a little better.
Can anyone give us some tips on Summit. Preschools, restaurants, family activities?
Congrats on the move. Summit or Madison are both great towns.
If you're still looking for a bank (Summit), right on Springfield Ave is Union Center. Tell them Mark from Madison sent you.
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.
