family move to NJ--please help (Newark, Jersey City: real estate, how much, houses)

[giesdorf2002]

I will be working in Newark, and I would like some input in "where" to live at a reasonable commuting distance (ca 60 minutes).
We would like a smaller town or community even if that means driving to the nearest subway station and then taking the tube.We need a good HS--or at least non-gang/non-violent highschool. We are moving from a relatively low cost area in the Midwest in NJ--which is a bit scary, but we would like to buy.

Any suggestions?

[NancyC]

How much are you willing to spend per month?

[BobKovacs]

The only "subway tube" into Newark is the PATH train, and it comes in from either NYC, Hoboken, or Jersey City- none of which are even remotely close to the "smaller town/community" you're looking for.

Your best bet would be to look along one of the train lines, assuming that your job is near the Newark Penn Station or Broad Street stations. Some possibilities to keep the commute under an hour are Fanwood, Cranford, Woodbridge, Metuchen, and Edison, but a lot is going to depend on what kind of money you're looking to spend and what type of home you'd like.

Bob

[giesdorf2002]

I just finished grad school, so finances are a bit tight. You said in another post that you really liked your neighborhood. Could you elaborate on that a little and point me into the right direction please?

[irontank]

Originally Posted by giesdorf2002

I will be working in Newark, and I would like some input in "where" to live at a reasonable commuting distance (ca 60 minutes).
We would like a smaller town or community even if that means driving to the nearest subway station and then taking the tube.We need a good HS--or at least non-gang/non-violent highschool. We are moving from a relatively low cost area in the Midwest in NJ--which is a bit scary, but we would like to buy.

Any suggestions?

Depends on how much you're looking to spend on housing. The further west you go into NJ (and away from Newark), the less expensive it gets but the longer your commute will take.

If you want to avoid dealing with driving and traffic and prefer to take a train (NJ Transit), you would probably have to look in Morris county to keep the commute time under an hour. Look at towns like Madison, Morristown, Morris Plains.

If you don't mind driving to work...you can get better deals on housing, smaller quieter towns and still keep your commute under an hour by looking at towns in Sussex county which is just west of Morris county. Look at towns in the south part of Sussex as those will be closer to Newark and probably (just) within your 60 minute commute window. Towns like Byram or Sparta. Sparta is a little more money than Byram but less than towns in Morris county but, if you have a family, Sparta is beautiful and very family and kid-oriented....Sussex county is politically pretty conservative, quiet, safe, homogenous and has no gang issues. I grew up on Lake Mohawk in Sparta and now raise my family here. You would find a decent mix of Sparta lifers and newly arrived families in town

Good luck and feel free to post with more specific questions

[mariamcfep]

You may want to consider Somerset County. You have easy access to trains or buses also all major hwys. It should take you about 45-1hr w/traffic to get to Newark. Houses range depending on where your live in Somerset County. Basking Ridge are high while Bridgewater are decent and have lower taxes.
I currently live in Bridgewater and like it. There is something for everyone here and many people commute to NYC or Nwk. I also would like to disclose to you that I am a liscensed real estate agent, am willing to help you look for any homes in this area or direct you to web sights that can give you some great information.

[Finski]

These are my 5 favorite towns (if only I could afford them):

1. Madison (cute historical little town, nice houses)
2. Morristown (bigger town, nice houses)
3. Chatham (like Madison)
4. Summit (good train connections, nice houses)
5. Short Hills (very expensive, snobbish?)

They are all very good with excellent schools. If you check the map, they are all along I-24 which is a good highway (? as far as I know). That's why even Morristown is not too far away. Driving from Morristown to I-78 takes only about 15-20 minutes outside rush hour. But, all those towns are very expensive. You might get lucky, and find a house cheaper, but I would also check the property tax rate, since it is very high in NJ.

If you can't afford the ones above (sigh), I would look along I-78. It is a good commute highway, and normally pretty fast. They are very clean and safe, and with excellent school systems:

Union County:
-New Providence
-Berkeley Heights

They are very similar and right next to eachother, you don't even know when you change the town.

Further westward on I-78
Morris County:
-Gillette
-Stirling

They come right after Berkeley Heights. Smaller and more rural, but nice. Not sure about their schools, personally.

-Basking Ridge etc. further along the I-78.

You might also hear people suggesting Maplewood and Millburn. They are both very nice, although I have heard that Maplewood already has some parts less desirable (?). Both Have a little downtown area, which is cute. They are closer to the east though, which is good and bad...

If you like more town feeling then Summit is a "bigger town", and Morristown of course is even bigger. Madison and Chatham have nice downtown areas, but the I-124 that runs through them is very busy... Gillette, Stirling, Basking Ridge are pretty rural, if that is what you like. New Providence and Berk. Heights are small towns with no real downtown area, but it is nice and quiet. Gillette and Stirling are probably less expensive.

Hope that helped.

[PLPD333]

I would have to Say Edison, but its very very expensive.
S.Plainfield Is A good thought if you dont have kids but it is also a safe-heaven for all of the gangs from Plainfield and the traffic can be very vexing on the southside and the schools arent the best either,,,, to get to the point i wouldnt pick any of the Plainfields

Maby you can try Woodbridge South Orange or Maplewood or Bloomfield

[Dolfan]

Sussex County has some very nice areas. If you want something closer, you can also consider Morris County (although it is more expensive) or parts of Passaic County. The Little Falls/Cedar Grove area is nice, but stay away from Paterson/Passaic.

[emab]

look into Millburn close to newark and great school system.