Need help where to buy house in NJ (Red Bank, Matawan: renting, neighborhoods)

[jersey2010]

I've been living in Red Bank, NJ for 2 years. I love the area (Rumson, Little Silver...) but we are renting now and we want to buy a house. We are thinking about moving a little bit north (Matawan, Aberdeen..) but we don't know the area....
Can anyone recommend me any special area? we're looking for a family friendly place, good schools are a must (I have a 3 year old child).
Any town/area to avoid?
thank you very much!!

[lkb0714]

I used to teach in the Matawan Aberdeen School District. It is a very diverse school district and the kids are mixed together early in middle school, which I liked alot. It has a preschool which maybe of use to you, and decent elementary schools. To be honest it just does not have the same reputation of RFH but its better than say Middletown North. If I were going to move to northern Monmouth Co, I would pick one of the neighborhoods in Aberdeen.

[JACKIE27]

Have you considered central nj\monmouth county...Manalapan\Marlboro area? Kid friendly area,great schools and you can get a very nice home for around 500,000 (even less if you sacrifice something like a basement, live on a main road )etc.