Moving to NJ-working in Manhattan (Edison, Union: houses, to buy, elementary schools)

[wiwi]

Hi, we are planning to move to NJ in August (wife and 2 kids, one will be 3 in july and the other one 1 also in July). My wife will stay at home and I will be commuting to Mahattan every day (around Grand Central Station).

We need advice on good places to raise a family. We are planning to buy a house (600,000-650,000), and the following has to be taking in consideration: 1. we are going to need good schools 2. I do not mind a 1 hour commute but not more than that. 3. Does anyone know about the best way to get to 42 st? Probably a train. Is there a express train t manhattan?

A friend on mine told us that Morris County was a good place to look. Is there a particular area in Morris county considering our money limitation?

Please any advice will be gladly accepted. Time is running and we have no idea where to move.

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by wiwi

Hi, we are planning to move to NJ in August (wife and 2 kids, one will be 3 in july and the other one 1 also in July). My wife will stay at home and I will be commuting to Mahattan every day (around Grand Central Station).

We need advice on good places to raise a family. We are planning to buy a house (600,000-650,000), and the following has to be taking in consideration: 1. we are going to need good schools 2. I do not mind a 1 hour commute but not more than that. 3. Does anyone know about the best way to get to 42 st? Probably a train. Is there a express train t manhattan?

A friend on mine told us that Morris County was a good place to look. Is there a particular area in Morris county considering our money limitation?

Please any advice will be gladly accepted. Time is running and we have no idea where to move.

Westfield,Cranford,Clark,Rahway in union county are all under an hour commute to penn st. Woodbride,Edison,Metuchan in middlesex county are all
under an hour ..you could walk or take the train to 42nd

[KC101]

if you are looking in bergen county, you can catch a bus into 42nd street port authority terminal (and get there under an hour):
Wood-Ridge
Rutherford
Hasbrouck Heights
Paramus
Maywood
Rochelle Park
Fairview
Ridgefield
Ridgefield Park
Secaucus
Washington Twp
Ridgewood


Hope this helps!

[mead]

There is a major problem here which I think you are overlooking. The trains from NJ dont' go anywhere near Grand Central. Getting between Penn Station and the Grand Central Station area can take quite a while, depending on what area you are talking about.

Have you looked into Westchester and areas of conneticut around Stamford? The train lines north of the city go directly into Grand Central.

Check out this commuting time map: http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/20...N_GRAPHIC.html

[wiwi]

Originally Posted by mead

There is a major problem here which I think you are overlooking. The trains from NJ dont' go anywhere near Grand Central. Getting between Penn Station and the Grand Central Station area can take quite a while, depending on what area you are talking about.

Have you looked into Westchester and areas of conneticut around Stamford? The train lines north of the city go directly into Grand Central.

Check out this commuting time map: http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/20...N_GRAPHIC.html

Thank you very much for all the info. The map helps a lot. I guess we have to visit Westchester and CT to take a look at some of the areas.

[jstar41]

Cranford has some nice houses for that price range..

[JerseyGirl3624]

Suggest towns in Union County
Westfield excellent schools
Cranford

Cranford might have more houses in your price range.
May have to settle for a fixer upper in Westfield.
Westfield has a wonderful downtown with restaurants and stores.
Good luck!

[iagirl]

Hello there,
You migh consider Nutley. When we moved out of the city 4 years ago, we looked in Morris county, Westfield and Montclair and couldn't afford anything, or rather, refused to pay the ridiculous asking prices. We could afford Nutley so that's where we landed, but have been very happy here since. My husband commutes via DeCamp express bus that he picks up just down the street. Takes him between 50-60 min. door-to-door to get to 86th/Broadway on MOST days. Also, from what we hear, the Yantacaw and Spring Garden elementary schools are very nice. I dont know much about the middle and high schools. As a stay at home mom of two young ones myself, I can say I've met a lot of people with kids our age, and its been fairly easy to make new friends and finds things to do to fill those long days. :-)

You could get a very nice house here in the $600,00 range.