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Old 03-14-2010, 01:08 PM
 
12 posts, read 24,210 times
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Looking to move to Matawan or surrounding areas like Sayreville, Parlin, etc. I know that the towns are quiet and amicable to a point. What are the race relations like in matawan? Have their been any race related crimes or hostilities aimed at non-whites? I ask this because I would like a little diversity, and I would like to move to a pace where people are tolerant! I especially want to know about the schools. I have heard some disturbing things about Matawan and I would like to know if their true. Please be honest in your response.
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Old 03-14-2010, 01:34 PM
 
Location: New Jersey
11,286 posts, read 16,559,740 times
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...and here I thought you were talking about a 5k race.

Matawan's a nice town with very little crime and it is diverse.

Lets hear about the disturbing things you heard.
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Old 03-14-2010, 07:46 PM
 
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Just that in some neighborhoods minorities were not very welcome. I understand that most predjudices arise out of fear of not knowing someone. I get along with just about everyone, and from what I have seen of Matawan, It is a place that I can see living out my years. I do have a young daughter, and I just want to make sure that she is safe.
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Old 03-14-2010, 11:13 PM
 
Location: North Brunswick
877 posts, read 2,826,303 times
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Originally Posted by samson1576 View Post
Just that in some neighborhoods minorities were not very welcome. I understand that most predjudices arise out of fear of not knowing someone. I get along with just about everyone, and from what I have seen of Matawan, It is a place that I can see living out my years. I do have a young daughter, and I just want to make sure that she is safe.
I never thought Matawan was a bad area, in fact my girlfriend (who grew up in Florida and lived in South Brunswick for the past five years) has an aunt who lives in Matawan and calls it a snobby area. I never thought of it as snobby as the place I grew up (Manalapan) has a way more deserved reputation for being snobby. But I have heard that Matawan has a lot of older people living there, there was someone on this forum saying they didn't like the area to raise a family in as there were hardly any young families with children around.
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Old 03-15-2010, 07:41 AM
 
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Thank you for your honesty. I am looking in and around Matawan, sayreville, woodbridge, etc. I am looking to escape from New York for a better atmosphere with less hustle and bustle, so I am primarily looking at areas that are close to transportation to NY. Does anyone know about the Broad st area of Matawan? I saw a couple of places that were appealing and am considering.
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Old 03-15-2010, 12:48 PM
 
Location: North Brunswick
877 posts, read 2,826,303 times
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Originally Posted by samson1576 View Post
Thank you for your honesty. I am looking in and around Matawan, sayreville, woodbridge, etc. I am looking to escape from New York for a better atmosphere with less hustle and bustle, so I am primarily looking at areas that are close to transportation to NY. Does anyone know about the Broad st area of Matawan? I saw a couple of places that were appealing and am considering.
Look in Woodbridge, it's a crowded area, but probably suits your needs although you'll run into many Staten Islanders at the mall there since they like to avoid sales tax on clothing.

In my experience, you get less of a New York vibe in the towns in Middlesex County than the towns in Monmouth County, since Monmouth is newer and up-and-coming there's a lot of new money low-lives there, esp Manalapan and Marlboro. I should know I grew up in the area. Middlesex meanwhile has matured for the most part. It also has way more business thus your taxes will be lower. I think it is better overall, there's better amenities, the roads are in better shape with easier access to major highways and services are much better as well.
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Old 03-15-2010, 05:33 PM
 
Location: New Jersey
11,286 posts, read 16,559,740 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by samson1576 View Post
Thank you for your honesty. I am looking in and around Matawan, sayreville, woodbridge, etc. I am looking to escape from New York for a better atmosphere with less hustle and bustle, so I am primarily looking at areas that are close to transportation to NY. Does anyone know about the Broad st area of Matawan? I saw a couple of places that were appealing and am considering.
Without getting to personal, how much are we looking to spend?
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Old 03-16-2010, 12:14 AM
 
Location: North Brunswick
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Originally Posted by BeatTheTraffic View Post
Except Middlesex County is a lot more densely populated, has more traffic and there's no easy beach/water access. Taxes are town-by-town and mostly driven by your school district rather than your individual town anyway, so you have to look at each town individually, not the county as a whole.

Middlesex might be more convenient for some people, but Monmouth is an overall nicer place to live. I can't comment on "diversity" or anything like that since it's not a concern of mine, but Monmouth is a much more relaxed place to live. Plus, the size of an average lot on which a single family home is built is larger in most Monmouth towns, on average. Can't comment on Matawan specifically, though.
Middlesex County is more densely populated in certain areas, specifically above the Raritan River (Edison, Woodbridge etc). Below the river it is quieter. Matawan is small in comparison, but it is crowded as well and has small lots comparatively. What exactly do you mean by relaxed? I find it way more relaxed here in North Brunswick than I ever did in Manalapan, which was a much more keeping-up-with-the-Joneses type of place. The materialism around there is prevalent while here it doesn't seem to be an issue. Everyone kinda does their own thing and people here overall have alot more class and are friendlier and more down to earth. You have significant business areas here in North and South Brunswick (exit 8A off the turnpike is very industrial), Centennial Blvd and Hoes Ln in Piscataway, as well as the Raritan Center in Edison.

Honestly I don't like Monmouth County at all. For someone who lived there for 15 years it is the most extreme for every negative NJ stereotype: rudeness, snobbyness, materialism, high cost of living etc. I grew up in Manalapan which used to be a nice place 15 years ago, now it's a new money snot-filled mcmansion-laid cesspool. For the beach areas, I've mostly gone down to Seaside, LBI or Wildwood. The only good one in Monmouth County with anything to do at all that isn't a prestegious wealth enclave is Belmar. And that's right on the Ocean County border so does it really count?

Traffic is horrible in Monmouth County. It may not be as crowded overall, but the roads are all in poor condition and all look as though they haven't been paved over in twenty years. And anytime you do see work done on them they make them even worse. Every road there is functionally obsolete with constant gridlock. It takes like three cars to create a traffic jam unless you're on a major highway, and even the major highways don't take long to get clogged. During rush hour it's one big parking lot.

The area is continuing to be developed with ever more pretentious names and mega-million dollar houses built on multiple acres of property trying to pass off as a rural area that new money millionares live in. It's all owned. I used to get a kick out of middle-aged women driving their SUV's while talking on their cell phones. Middlesex County on the other hand, has many sections below the river that are still really rural, not multiple acreage occupied by a millionare. Even sections of East Brunswick have significant rural farmland.

Look, Monmouth County is a fine place to live and a very desirable area, I just can't stand it. If Middlesex County is more convenient for some people then I'm definitely one of those people. Its inner-city areas are also light years ahead in terms of safety.
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