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OT: Fair Haven, NJ

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gmay8

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Nov 29, 2005
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Wife and I are close to offering on a house in Fair Haven, NJ. We live in Hoboken now, and are both from up north Jersey, (I-78 strip). Does anyone live in or around the area, and have any opinion?
Any pros or cons you can share on the town?

Obviously, as we're close to an offer we know enough about the town to be comfortable, but this board is always great for last minute advice, tips, or negatives overall.

For background, we have a 1 year old daughter, and I work in downtown NYC so would take the ferry up to Pier 11. The commute alone is worth it for me compared to out on I-78 somewhere.

Thanks

(Sorry for the OT during this busy recruiting time)
 
I live in Rumson. Fair Haven and Rumson share the same high school. I coach baseball and soccer, and I envy the programs they have in Fair Haven. I also like their downtown (Rumson does not really have one). Closer proximity to Red Bank is a plus too. Don't really see any negatives or downsides. Given the choice to do it again, we would have picked Fair Haven over Rumson. You will love the annual Fair Haven Fireman's fair which is the last week before Labor Day every summer.
Are you going to take the Ferry from Highlands or Atlantic Highlands?
A couple of local parks/sites that are worth checking out are:
1. Hartshorne Woods--go to the entrance at the top of Portland Road-- great views, and an old military battery on the top of the hill; Outstanding hiking and mountain biking trails.
2. Twin Lights in Highlands- you can go to the top of the lighthouse.
3. Mt Mitchill park in Atlantic Highlands/Highlands--spectacular views of Sandy Hook and NYC
4. Sandy Hook. Great paved trail for running, biking etc, and lots of interesting military buildings and artifacts.
5. Huber Woods in Middletown- nice wooded trails and a learning center and a cool reptile house.

Good luck with the move. If you need a local attorney, Brooks von Arx is a good real estate attorney.
 
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Agree totally with Knight Shift. I too live in Rumson since 1973. You will love the area, the schools, the shore etc.
 
Knight Shift said:
I live in Rumson. Fair Haven and Rumson share the same high school. I coach baseball and soccer, and I envy the programs they have in Fair Haven. I also like their downtown (Rumson does not really have one). Closer proximity to Red Bank is a plus too. Don't really see any negatives or downsides. Given the choice to do it again, we would have picked Fair Haven over Rumson. You will love the annual Fair Haven Fireman's fair which is the last week before Labor Day every summer.
Are you going to take the Ferry from Highlands or Atlantic Highlands?
A couple of local parks/sites that are worth checking out are:
1. Hartshorne Woods--go to the entrance at the top of Portland Road-- great views, and an old military battery on the top of the hill; Outstanding hiking and mountain biking trails.
2. Twin Lights in Highlands- you can go to the top of the lighthouse.
3. Mt Mitchill park in Atlantic Highlands/Highlands--spectacular views of Sandy Hook and NYC
4. Sandy Hook. Great paved trail for running, biking etc, and lots of interesting military buildings and artifacts.
5. Huber Woods in Middletown- nice wooded trails and a learning center and a cool reptile house.

Good luck with the move. If you need a local attorney, Brooks von Arx is a good real estate attorney.
Click to expand...


What he said. Next to Red Bank, beaches and commuting to NYC. The boat into NYC is about 45 min to Pier 11, the train is about 1:20 min from Red Bank to Penn Station. Boat will run you $655 per month. Rumson-Fair Haven high school is always ranked highly. A lot of older houses in the area are being bought up and knocked down and newer bigger homes are put up which is always good for property values.
 
Grew up in Middletown -- you can't go wrong in a town like Fair Haven. Excellent choice.
 
You're gonna be neighbors with bruuuuuuuce!

And you're gonna be within 15 minutes of a Whole Foods and a Trader Joes.....
 
good choice - good schools!

very good cultural area - with lots of good restaurants and bars! Red Bank has a nice night life and arts scene. Of course you are very close to the beach here.
 
Coming from Hoboken to Rumson/FH with one year old daughter set to commute to downtown NYC... may wife and I did that in 1997, no regrets... we ended up in Rumson - i see very little diff between the two towns, schools, etc... I grew in Middletown (South '86), as well (classof02) - hard to beat northern monmouth county, period... BTW: that daughter already graduated from RFH, we went public the whole way, great experience all around - she loved RFH, so does the daughter that is there now

good luck
 
Monmouth County has Soooo much to do and from where you are The Ocean is a stones throw
 
Dpgru said:
Agree totally with Knight Shift. I too live in Rumson since 1973. You will love the area, the schools, the shore etc.
Click to expand...
I guess you like Rumson if you have been there for over 40 years.
As I said, if I had to do it all over again, we would have picked Fair Haven or another town. Rumson's recreational programs/fields are not as good/nice as Fair Haven's. For a town of Rumson's wealth, I am surprised at the quality of a lot of things in Rumson, such as infrastructure, side walks, etc. Also, out of all places we have lived in, it's been a difficult town to make friends. There seems to be a banking/ferry in crowd that we are not part of. Also, many people belong to the beach clubs in Sea Bright, which I think are ridiculously expensive and not worth the $. Ironically, we moved to Rumson for the schools, and when they told us that our oldest son would be sitting in math class alone, we moved both of our kids to a private school. Now my oldest is in Biotech High School in Freehold. We've debated leaving town several times, but we like our house/yard, Sea Bright, and the parks I mentioned in my post above are fantastic.
 
Guys, Thanks so much for the overwhelmingly positive responses! As always when considering a move there is some nervousness and potential buyer's remorse, but you've really helped ease that a lot.

The house we're offering on, had an R magnet on the fridge in the garage, so it must have been in good hands prior!
 
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Grew up in Middletown (South, Class of '95) and agree with all of the above. You can't go very wrong in Fair Haven or Rumson. Close to a lot of stuff (Red Bank/Ocean/Nature) and very high quality of life. Close the house and make the move. You won't regret it.
 
Knight Shift said:
I guess you like Rumson if you have been there for over 40 years.
As I said, if I had to do it all over again, we would have picked Fair Haven or another town. Rumson's recreational programs/fields are not as good/nice as Fair Haven's. For a town of Rumson's wealth, I am surprised at the quality of a lot of things in Rumson, such as infrastructure, side walks, etc. Also, out of all places we have lived in, it's been a difficult town to make friends. There seems to be a banking/ferry in crowd that we are not part of. Also, many people belong to the beach clubs in Sea Bright, which I think are ridiculously expensive and not worth the $. Ironically, we moved to Rumson for the schools, and when
they told us that our oldest son would be sitting in math class alone, we moved both of our kids to a private school. Now my oldest is in Biotech High School in Freehold. We've debated leaving town several times, but we like our house/yard, Sea Bright, and the parks I mentioned in my post above are fantastic.
Click to expand...


When my kids went to RFH. All their friends were from fair haven. Great town. We love the peninsula. I taught science and coached several sports 40 years in Holmdel so I know the area well. It is a great place to live.
 
I live in Red Bank. Fair Haven is pretty. There are some great restaurants. Plus you are right near downtown Red Bank, which can't be beaten. Also, Sea Bright is a nice beach.

the cons is the cops. I love police, but the cops on River Road in this town are so bored. They will pull you over for going 36 in a 35.
 
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BaseballFan913 said:
I live in Red Bank. Fair Haven is pretty. There are some great restaurants. Plus you are right near downtown Red Bank, which can't be beaten. Also, Sea Bright is a nice beach.

the cons is the cops. I love police, but the cops on River Road in this town are so bored. They will pull you over for going 36 in a 35.
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True that. Especially in the early morning.
 
BaseballFan913 said:
I live in Red Bank. Fair Haven is pretty. There are some great restaurants. Plus you are right near downtown Red Bank, which can't be beaten. Also, Sea Bright is a nice beach.

the cons is the cops. I love police, but the cops on River Road in this town are so bored. They will pull you over for going 36 in a 35.
Click to expand...
My experience is that the police in Rumson and Fair Haven don't bother the residents. But then again, I am a firefighter, and most of them know who I am in Rumson. Never had a problem in Fair Haven or Red Bank--and I would never speed down River Road--it's a beautiful drive anyway, so I am never in a hurry.
 
Proud NJ Sports Fan said:
I don't think I've ever been in Fair Haven.
It's a small town.

Where is the downtown and are there any good eateries that also have a bar?
Click to expand...
Better off going into Red Bank for eateries with a bar. Too many to list.
Burger night at Nauvoo Grill Club is OK. Not a lively bar scene.
Raven and the Peach is supposed to be nice, never been there.
The main drag is River Road which takes you through Red Bank, Fair Haven, and Rumson.
The hot place in the area now is Tommy's in Sea Bright. Hard to get a table for dinner on any night.
 
Knight Shift said:
Better off going into Red Bank for eateries with a bar. Too many to list.
Burger night at Nauvoo Grill Club is OK. Not a lively bar scene.
Raven and the Peach is supposed to be nice, never been there.
The main drag is River Road which takes you through Red Bank, Fair Haven, and Rumson.
The hot place in the area now is Tommy's in Sea Bright. Hard to get a table for dinner on any night.
Click to expand...

Raven and the Peach is not very good IMO. Tommy's is nice, but very crowded and loud. Don't go to Beach Tavern in Monmouth Beach they don't know if they want to be a sports bar or a high end restaurant, which is a shame because Sallie Tee's use to be very good.
 
Methinks you already know the answer to this question. They call it a haven for many reasons and it IS a haven for sure. Enjoy..
 
Knight Shift said:
I live in Rumson. Fair Haven and Rumson share the same high school. I coach baseball and soccer, and I envy the programs they have in Fair Haven. I also like their downtown (Rumson does not really have one). Closer proximity to Red Bank is a plus too. Don't really see any negatives or downsides. Given the choice to do it again, we would have picked Fair Haven over Rumson. You will love the annual Fair Haven Fireman's fair which is the last week before Labor Day every summer.
Are you going to take the Ferry from Highlands or Atlantic Highlands?
A couple of local parks/sites that are worth checking out are:
1. Hartshorne Woods--go to the entrance at the top of Portland Road-- great views, and an old military battery on the top of the hill; Outstanding hiking and mountain biking trails.
2. Twin Lights in Highlands- you can go to the top of the lighthouse.
3. Mt Mitchill park in Atlantic Highlands/Highlands--spectacular views of Sandy Hook and NYC
4. Sandy Hook. Great paved trail for running, biking etc, and lots of interesting military buildings and artifacts.
5. Huber Woods in Middletown- nice wooded trails and a learning center and a cool reptile house.

Good luck with the move. If you need a local attorney, Brooks von Arx is a good real estate attorney.
Click to expand...

Fair Haven has a "downtown"? There is a downtown, but not nearly as vibrant as Red Bank's downtown area.

I'm 41 years old. Born in Red Bank. Raised in Fair Haven. I moved out of Fair Haven when I entered college, but still visit the town periodically to see family. Graduated from RFH High School.

I have family members who are/were in the FHFD. Many members of my extended family help run the annual Firemen's Fair.

I still agree with everything you posted Knight Shift. BTW - I delivered the Daily Register newspaper to the Von Arx's when I was a kid. Obviously that was many years ago. They were nice people.
 
personally - I have lived in Monmouth County for most of my life - I believe it is one of the best counties to live in in the USA. Enjoy your time in Fair Haven you will be close to many gems such as the Stone Pony, PNC and Monmouth Park.

join the WOW gym and you can see Bruce lifting next to you - yea he 's not a neighbor in Rumson - but the towns in eastern Monmouth are so close to each other it's not that far.
 
Dpgru said:
When my kids went to RFH. All their friends were from fair haven. Great town. We love the * peninsula. I taught science and coached several sports 40 years in Holmdel so I know the area well. It is a great place to live.
Click to expand...
Did you mean The Peninsula House @Dpgru?

My family were members up until the "fire". We then moved a little further south and closer to the ocean than Middletown where I grew up.

Had many great summers at the P House.

Good luck, gmay8. Hope it all works out.
 
e5fdny said:
Did you mean The Peninsula House @Dpgru?

My family were members up until the "fire". We then moved a little further south and closer to the ocean than Middletown where I grew up.

Had many great summers at the P House.

Good luck, gmay8. Hope it all works out.
Click to expand...
I think he meant "the peninsula", which some folks in the area call Rumson and Fair Haven since it is truly a peninsula.
 
D1ESEL44 said:
Fair Haven has a "downtown"? There is a downtown, but not nearly as vibrant as Red Bank's downtown area.

I'm 41 years old. Born in Red Bank. Raised in Fair Haven. I moved out of Fair Haven when I entered college, but still visit the town periodically to see family. Graduated from RFH High School.

I have family members who are/were in the FHFD. Many members of my extended family help run the annual Firemen's Fair.

I still agree with everything you posted Knight Shift. BTW - I delivered the Daily Register newspaper to the Von Arx's when I was a kid. Obviously that was many years ago. They were nice people.
Click to expand...
Small world.
Comparing Fair Haven to Rumson, Fair Haven has a killer downtown--LOL. Yeah, nothing great, but the essentials are there-a coffee shop, a hardware store, a bookstore, a bicycle shop, a supermarket, etc. Rumson's River Road has a gas station, realtors, restaurants, a liquor store and a pharmacy. There is no real feel to it. Years ago, Fair Haven did a wonderful job with their streetscape, did streetlights, crosswalks, etc. Rumson-meh. Don't mean to be so down on Rumson--we love the area, just not the town so much.
I am on Rumson Fire Department. Don't know too many of the firefighters from Fair Haven. We do a lot of cross training with Sea Bright, but with Fair Haven, it is rare. That's another thing that is a bit different in Rumson too.
I love combing through the Register archives. You can dowload pdfs of entire newspapers going back to 1878.
http://rbr.mtpl.org/rbr/
 
e5fdny said:
So did I. LOL

Had a lot of classmates from RBC who were from Rumson/Fair Haven.

I have heard the Fireman's Fair is one big reunion.
Click to expand...
If you have not hit it up recently, definitely go next year. Great food, great fun. Best Fireman's fair in the County, if not the whole State. From what I hear, they do really well on it too.
 
gmay8 said:
Wife and I are close to offering on a house in Fair Haven, NJ. We live in Hoboken now, and are both from up north Jersey, (I-78 strip). Does anyone live in or around the area, and have any opinion?
Any pros or cons you can share on the town?

Obviously, as we're close to an offer we know enough about the town to be comfortable, but this board is always great for last minute advice, tips, or negatives overall.

For background, we have a 1 year old daughter, and I work in downtown NYC so would take the ferry up to Pier 11. The commute alone is worth it for me compared to out on I-78 somewhere.

Thanks

(Sorry for the OT during this busy recruiting time)
Click to expand...

I'm a Red Bank real estate attorney, in case you want some help when the time comes. Greg Ginn is a mortgage rep. Highly recommend. Who's your realtor?
 
KingHigh said:
I'm a Red Bank real estate attorney, in case you want some help when the time comes. Greg Ginn is a mortgage rep. Highly recommend. Who's your realtor?
Click to expand...

If the OP wants to select a realtor from a "Who's Hot" lineup, he should definitely call this guy ^.
 
Grew up in Little Silver, a few miles from Fair Haven...always liked the area. There's a little deli/bakery called Brennan's (I think it's actually in Rumson, but very close to FH) that makes really good sandwiches, wraps, etc. And good crumb cake if you are a fan.
 
And when you want to impress the wife, the Fromagerie in Rumson is a nice high end restaraunt, I worked there in high school.
 
e5fdny said:
Did you mean The Peninsula House @Dpgru?

My family were members up until the "fire". We then moved a little further south and closer to the ocean than Middletown where I grew up.

Had many great summers at the P House.


Only enjoyed the P House once. I was referencing the Red Bank, Rumson, Fair Haven peninsula.

Good luck, gmay8. Hope it all works out.
Click to expand...
 
RutgersJoe said:
Grew up in Little Silver, a few miles from Fair Haven...always liked the area. There's a little deli/bakery called Brennan's (I think it's actually in Rumson, but very close to FH) that makes really good sandwiches, wraps, etc. And good crumb cake if you are a fan.
Click to expand...


I live down the block from Brennan's. Great place
 
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RUtix4me said:
And when you want to impress the wife, the Fromagerie in Rumson is a nice high end restaraunt, I worked there in high school.
Click to expand...


Fromagerie has closed. Very suddenly a short time ago. Overnight they locked the doors and left.
 
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