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We also are considering a NJ home purchase, with similar desire for a walkable downtown suburb (we've lived in the big box, no thanks)... also with a $600-$800K target. Of the towns you all have mentioned, which would you say hold the easiest downtown NYC commute? Which hold the best schools?
I looked @ the crime rates in Morristown thinking they were horrible, I couldn't beleive a city could be so bad. Then for comparison sake I checked my current city (grand rapids MI), and found out that morristown is freekin mayberry compared to where I already live. I'm used to hearing about people getting shot almost daily, I hear gunshots and car alarms now and then too. I thought moving to the east coast was going to mean much more crime, but in my case things are looking up.
People exaggerate about Morristown crime. I have family there and went to college over there. I would walk around south street at night in my teens and early 20s and never felt unsafe. A lot of bars and restaurunts I really like there.
There are a couple of blocks in Morristown that one may name seedy, but over all it is no big deal.
My husband and I just moved to Westfield after searching for a home with very similar characteristics - easy access to a walking town, good schools, etc. We landed on Westfield and are very happy there. A typical commute into Penn Station takes 45 minutes, but you can also transfer to the PATH to quickly get to the Financial District, Union Square, or Jersey City. The downtown is just great, and we are delighted to be able to walk downtown on these warm nights to indulge in some gelato or italian ices. The town is EXTREMELY child friendly, making us dog owners feel like we're behind all of our neighbors!
We also considered Madison, which has a great walking town, but was a bit longer of a commute. Summit is also great, as is Millburn and Cranford. Cranford was actually our first choice in towns, as it is probably a bit less "pretentious" than Westfield, but we fell in love with a home in Westfield and are so happy that we did so. GREAT GREAT Place!! Good luck to you.
Would anyone consider Rutherford as having a "walkable downtown"...and if so can you compare it to Washington Street in Hoboken...just because i am most familiar with Hoboken and that's where my husband wishes we could afford to own a home...poor guy can't afford to live in his hometown!
He is very reluctant to move to Rutherford or other surrounding towns off of Route 3 because of traffic getting into Hoboken/JC...but i think it might be an easier transition if it kind of feels like his hometown!
I do know Rutherford is a dry town...and wonder how residents feel about that...good/bad?
Is there any walkable downtown like Hoboken...but not too far from Hoboken/JC???
My husband and I just moved to Westfield after searching for a home with very similar characteristics - easy access to a walking town, good schools, etc. We landed on Westfield and are very happy there. A typical commute into Penn Station takes 45 minutes, but you can also transfer to the PATH to quickly get to the Financial District, Union Square, or Jersey City. The downtown is just great, and we are delighted to be able to walk downtown on these warm nights to indulge in some gelato or italian ices. The town is EXTREMELY child friendly, making us dog owners feel like we're behind all of our neighbors!
We also considered Madison, which has a great walking town, but was a bit longer of a commute. Summit is also great, as is Millburn and Cranford. Cranford was actually our first choice in towns, as it is probably a bit less "pretentious" than Westfield, but we fell in love with a home in Westfield and are so happy that we did so. GREAT GREAT Place!! Good luck to you.
I graduated from Westfield High School in 2000. The only reason my family moved back to Essex County was the cost. Believe me, if the funds at the time were right, we would NOT BE HERE now. I loved everything about Westfield. There is a little disagreement about which side is better, the north or the south, but overall the town is a great place to live, work, and raise children. The police seem to be pretty friendly as well. We lived on Lenox Ave. right in front of the post office so we usually parked with a meter. But the police new we lived there and didn't even bother most of the time with a ticket. A few times believe it or not, the traffic cop would ring the bell and ask us to move the car! And as a minority, I found nothing but friendly people all around. Racial issues seem to be non-existent, or at least we didn't encounter any. If anything, it was more of a, "you're a Westfield'er now," type attitude, hehe.
The downtown is great. Since I lived right near the post office, you can imagine I spent many 3 am mornings in the Westfield Diner lol. And I can remember us heading to Hersheys Deli almost EVERYDAY during lunch. Ahh, good times. If anyone wants a great place to shop, dine, and spend a day in the sun in, check out Westfield.
Madison NJ has a beautiful, walkable downtown. A really nice walk is to go from downtown Madison near the train station over to Drew University, then down to Loantaka Park and back again. I live in California now but do that walk with my sister whenever I visit--it's very relaxing.
Tiggywink, that site was great... my location's score was 65 out of 100.
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Just Moved to Westfield
