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Hello, all. I'm a Michigander who is watching for opportunities to leave Michigan. Not because I don't love MI, but because of the economic situation.
Anyway, I have an interview with a place in Branchville. I've searched the forum, but don't see this town mentioned very often, other than the Farm and Horse show. I'm wondering what this town and area is like. I have two children (and of course, my wife), who would be coming with me.
I live just outside of Branchville in a town called Sandyston. As far as this area things are very quiet up here with not a lot going on locally. All-in-all it's a very safe area....pretty much all you'll ever hear about in Branchville is Bear sightings. You would definetly be out in the country. A lot of people who visit areas around Branchville are suprised they are still in NJ. Unfortunatly most things you will want and need you will have to travel for. The nearest town to get groceries, etc would be Newton and it's probably only about a 10-15 minute ride from Branchville. I believe the schools in the area are rated pretty good and other City Data posters could probably provide links to show you the rankings.
Are you interviewing with Selective Insurance? They are probably the largest employer in the area.
Thanks for your quick response. The company is Admiral Filter. Do you know anything about them?
I'm glad to hear that it's rural. I'm not a very good city-dweller. Is it hilly? I see by the map that the Delaware Water Gap is nearby. What about taxes? I believe that is Sussex Co. right? I expect housing to be more expensive than here in MI, but I would lease for a while at first. The 10 - 15 minute drive to services doesn't seem bad to me. I drive that for just about anything here, anyway.
Sorry for all the questions crammed into one paragraph.
Yes Branchville is very rural. It is also very hilly as you mentioned. You could probably be at the Delaware Water Gap in about 15 minutes. If your an outdoorsy type of person (hunting, fishing, etc) this area has a lot to offer for you. You are correct in saying Branchville is in Sussex County. To get information about the area a good site to visit is New Jersey by the Numbers - NJ.com . You can search average taxes, crime, etc. It only goes up to 2007 as far as average taxes, but it looks like the average back then was $4018.00 per year. My guess is it probably averages almost $5000 a year now. I am not real familiar with average housing prices but I think it would be tough to find something under $200k for a small house in the area. I know there are a bunch of realtors who post on here so maybe they could supply data of average rental / purchase prices. If this is out of your budget you may want to look over the border into PA as well. You would probably get more house for your money with less taxes (although I hear some of the NJ bordering towns in PA are a little higher). Traffic really wouldn't be an issue if you were living in PA. There would be many cars on the road in the morning but you're not going to hit a traffic jam on your way into Branchville. Traffic builds probably 20 minutes east of Branchville so you would probably have a smooth sail to work in the morning. The only time it get's busy on the roads up here are on Friday nights when city people head into the Pocono's and Sunday night when they head home.
If it were me I think I would try to get somewhere in PA and deal with a little bit of a commute. I think you would find your money would go a little farther. NJ property taxes are high and we don't see any relief in sight!
Thanks! And thanks extra for the tips on taxes. I will investigate. First I have to see if I'm "their man" for the job. There aren't very many people around with my particular combination of qualifications and experience, so who knows? I will know more on Thurs.
Branchville is great! I grew up in Frankford (they share the same elementary schools). Perfect small town to grow up in. It is hilly. You have the Appalachian Trail that goes right through it, so yes it's hilly. Sunrise Mountain is a good place to check out.
Well, sorry for the delay in responding. Thank you all for your responses. I had a phone interview with this company, and now they want me to come out. So I guess I will be visiting your area in the very near future. Their initial "round figure" salary offer is good enough to get me there.
The town sounds very nice from what I can find out here and elsewhere. I appreciate that it's very rural, that's what I prefer. I am an avid backpacker, so the proximity of the Appalachian Trail is exciting.
Anyone got any idea how much it costs to take a cab from Newark or LaGuardia to Branchville? LOL not asking for much, am I?
I would fly into Newark if at all possible. I'm not sure what the fare would be but I would imagine it might be expensive. I would think if you jumped in a cab and asked to him or her to take you to Branchville they may say get out. It's kinda far I would think for the local airport cabs. It may be more cost effective to rent an economy car from the airport depending upon how long you will be here. Plus if you rent a car you can ride around and check out the area a bit more before your return trip. Once you are here in Branchville, there is really no public transportation. If you don't want to rent I would call "State Shuttle" at 800-427-3207 http://stateshuttle.com/index.html (broken link). We have used them before and their prices weren't that bad.....but we were in a large group of people. Just make sure you find out how they work. I think they try to group pickups together so you may not be the first stop coming up. I really think I would do the economy rental car from the airport.....I'm willing to bet you would save money!
I was thinking about you the other day as I was driving up 206 because I saw for the first time where you may be working. When you call for reservations for a cab I would say the company is located in Sandyston, not Branchville. They are a couple of miles north of Branchville. The company probably has a Branchville mailing address (mail service is a little screwy up here....like I said...it's rural).
Thank you! You have been very helpful. I am excited and nervous, since I've never relocated for work before. The area sounds great and the opportunity looks good, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
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