OT: The best place to live in NJ . . .

[Jesse_C]

for my wife's parents.

My wife's parents are retiring at the end of August and looking to move from their Seattle suburb to the East Coast so they can be closer to us. My wife and I live in NYC, which they do not consider an acceptable destination due to the cost and lifestyle change it would entail. But they do want to be somewhere fairly close to the city because they enjoy visiting NYC and seeing us. So they are looking for a New Jersey (or possibly New York) town to settle down in. While I grew up in New Jersey, I'm definitely not an expert on the towns, so I figured I'd ask the board for their input.

Here are their primary criteria

• A hour or less commute into Manhattan, on a train line that has "reliable" service (for a given value of reliable) and weekend trains
• Small town feel with friendly, walkable downtown (not too "crowded")
• Safe area (comfortable walking dog at night, houses kept up, etc.)
• Bonus: Good community or senior center nearby

I grew up in Metuchen and my parents still live there; my wife's parents have visited there a few times and really like that town, but it can be pricey. Since they'll be retired, they're looking for somewhere that is going to be reasonably priced; this also means they also don't care about the school district, which can be one of the biggest drivers of cost of living in NJ. They have a preference towards renting vs buying, since my wife and I don't know what our long-term residency plans are.

So, what do people think?

 

[Upstream]

for my wife's parents.

My wife's parents are retiring at the end of August and looking to move from their Seattle suburb to the East Coast so they can be closer to us. My wife and I live in NYC, which they do not consider an acceptable destination due to the cost and lifestyle change it would entail. But they do want to be somewhere fairly close to the city because they enjoy visiting NYC and seeing us. So they are looking for a New Jersey (or possibly New York) town to settle down in. While I grew up in New Jersey, I'm definitely not an expert on the towns, so I figured I'd ask the board for their input.

Here are their primary criteria

• A hour or less commute into Manhattan, on a train line that has "reliable" service (for a given value of reliable) and weekend trains
• Small town feel with friendly, walkable downtown (not too "crowded")
• Safe area (comfortable walking dog at night, houses kept up, etc.)
• Bonus: Good community or senior center nearby

I grew up in Metuchen and my parents still live there; my wife's parents have visited there a few times and really like that town, but it can be pricey. Since they'll be retired, they're looking for somewhere that is going to be reasonably priced; this also means they also don't care about the school district, which can be one of the biggest drivers of cost of living in NJ. They have a preference towards renting vs buying, since my wife and I don't know what our long-term residency plans are.

So, what do people think?

I was going to suggest Metuchen or Highland Park. But any town that meets the criteria you listed can be pricey.

 

[njknightsfan]

for my wife's parents.

My wife's parents are retiring at the end of August and looking to move from their Seattle suburb to the East Coast so they can be closer to us. My wife and I live in NYC, which they do not consider an acceptable destination due to the cost and lifestyle change it would entail. But they do want to be somewhere fairly close to the city because they enjoy visiting NYC and seeing us. So they are looking for a New Jersey (or possibly New York) town to settle down in. While I grew up in New Jersey, I'm definitely not an expert on the towns, so I figured I'd ask the board for their input.

Here are their primary criteria

• A hour or less commute into Manhattan, on a train line that has "reliable" service (for a given value of reliable) and weekend trains
• Small town feel with friendly, walkable downtown (not too "crowded")
• Safe area (comfortable walking dog at night, houses kept up, etc.)
• Bonus: Good community or senior center nearby

I grew up in Metuchen and my parents still live there; my wife's parents have visited there a few times and really like that town, but it can be pricey. Since they'll be retired, they're looking for somewhere that is going to be reasonably priced; this also means they also don't care about the school district, which can be one of the biggest drivers of cost of living in NJ. They have a preference towards renting vs buying, since my wife and I don't know what our long-term residency plans are.

So, what do people think?

Morristown seems to fit all your requirements.

 

[GimmeSomeMore]

Westfield

 

[RU4Real]

A downtown community within an hour of the city that is "reasonably priced" isn't something that really exists.

Best option would be Westfield - and it's damned expensive. Metuchen would be "Plan B", but frankly I don't think the two are comparable. Metuchen's downtown has a very subtle "Last Picture Show" quality to it.

 

[ru109]

Not sure what they are looking to spend but Ramsey, Mahwah, Allendale all see to meet their needs.

 

[RUevolution36]

Madison?

 

[RU205]

Fanwood

 

[RU205]

Or Cranford.

 

[Knight Shift]

Red Bank or Little Silver. Down the Shore, everything's all right. . . . Red Bank has a great downtown, you are on the beautiful Navesink River, 10-15 minutes from the beach, and prices are reasonable. There are a few areas to avoid, but this would be my strong recommendation. Further south on the same train line, consider Manasquan, but it's more than 1 hour to NYC.

 

[jerzeyguy]

Haddonfield

 

[RC1978]

Look at the stops on the Jersey Shore line and pick almost any town in Monmouth County.

 

[RUJohnny99]

Lakewood

 

[Divine Providence]

Spring Lake or Sea Girt

 

[Knight Shift]

Spring Lake or Sea Girt

Pretty expensive. South of Long Branch, you are looking at 1.5 hours by train.

 

[RU1993]

Newark

 

[NickyNewark51]

for my wife's parents.

My wife's parents are retiring at the end of August and looking to move from their Seattle suburb to the East Coast so they can be closer to us. My wife and I live in NYC, which they do not consider an acceptable destination due to the cost and lifestyle change it would entail. But they do want to be somewhere fairly close to the city because they enjoy visiting NYC and seeing us. So they are looking for a New Jersey (or possibly New York) town to settle down in. While I grew up in New Jersey, I'm definitely not an expert on the towns, so I figured I'd ask the board for their input.

Here are their primary criteria

• A hour or less commute into Manhattan, on a train line that has "reliable" service (for a given value of reliable) and weekend trains
• Small town feel with friendly, walkable downtown (not too "crowded")
• Safe area (comfortable walking dog at night, houses kept up, etc.)
• Bonus: Good community or senior center nearby

I grew up in Metuchen and my parents still live there; my wife's parents have visited there a few times and really like that town, but it can be pricey. Since they'll be retired, they're looking for somewhere that is going to be reasonably priced; this also means they also don't care about the school district, which can be one of the biggest drivers of cost of living in NJ. They have a preference towards renting vs buying, since my wife and I don't know what our long-term residency plans are.

So, what do people think?

I grew up in Belleville but its changed but Nutley or Rutherford esp have a peaceful smallish town feel with easy public transportation fifteen minutes from Manhatten...I'm personally preferential to Nutley with its Italian American flavor though I'm Scots Irish and complete absence or VERY low incidence of inner city problems..to this city boy its Brigadoon.

 

[Local Shill]

No brainer choice is Rutherford. Probably the quickest NYC train ride of any suburban municipality with a downtown.

 

[NickyNewark51]

Newark

Lol...my old stomping grounds and birth place...North Ward...Summer Ave and Verona Ave.

 

[NickyNewark51]

No brainer choice is Rutherford. Probably the quickest NYC train ride of any suburban municipality with a downtown.

My mom and Dad lived there for twenty some yrs. Nice town.

 

[knightfan7]

Pretty expensive. South of Long Branch, you are looking at 1.5 hours by train.

Spring Lake may be the most overpriced town this side of Hoboken but I'd love to live there. The downtown took an economic beating after Sandy. Still some empty storefronts last time I was thru.

Sea Girt doesn't have a "downtown" to speak of. Manasquan does but it's limited. Manasquan is going thru a reevaluation. Don't think Taxes will drop.

 

[NickyNewark51]

Madison?

Florham Park....if you can afford it.

 

[RU'70]

I live in Hamilton and there are several senior developments in the area. We have a spacious train station on NJ Transit northeast corridor, also a senior citizen center. The taxes are not as high as north Jersey and should be reflected as such in rental costs. I think there might be rentals in the senior communities, but you would have to research that. If a retirement community lifestyle is interesting to them, I suggest researching rentals in places such as Rossmoor and a multitude of places like that in Monroe Twp. Downside is proximity to rail service--closest station would be in Princeton Jct.

 

[Local Shill]

Why is everyone suggesting towns so far outside of Manhattan? I dont know where in NYC the op lives, but his in laws may very well have to also take a subway on top of the train ride. I doubt they're looking to spend half the day in transit.

 

[NickyNewark51]

Why is everyone suggesting towns so far outside of Manhattan? I dont know where in NYC the op lives, but his in laws may very well have to also take a subway on top of the train ride. I doubt they're looking to spend half the day in transit.

Thats why I figured Rutherford or Nutley...no more than twenty minutes out of Manhatten.

 

[RUinHouston59]

Cranbury

 

[RutgersRaRa]

Westfield

Came here to post this, but it is expensive to buy there, though rentals might be more doable. OP, if your parents are okay with renting, Montclair is another option.

 

[Knight Shift]

Spring Lake may be the most overpriced town this side of Hoboken but I'd love to live there. The downtown took an economic beating after Sandy. Still some empty storefronts last time I was thru.

Sea Girt doesn't have a "downtown" to speak of. Manasquan does but it's limited. Manasquan is going thru a reevaluation. Don't think Taxes will drop.

Spring Lake's downtown blows. Half the shops are real estate agencies. Overpriced is putting it kindly. Taxes are low, however.

 

[Crazed_RU]

Very few of the towns listed are within an hour of NYC. Rutherford is a good choice but something tells me people coming from the NW are going to be ill prepared for the congestion of Betgen County.

My recommendation is to ask your In laws which condition they are willing to be flexible on (cost, downtown area, 1 hour of NYC) and then start narrowing down from there. There is no NJ town that meets all the listed conditions that I am awre of.

 

[ddsmugs]

Sommerville might work train station,downtown resturants, building new senior center near TD Bank ball park

 

[RUJohnny99]

Why is everyone suggesting towns so far outside of Manhattan? I dont know where in NYC the op lives, but his in laws may very well have to also take a subway on top of the train ride. I doubt they're looking to spend half the day in transit.

Did you ask the guy? Maybe they just love the train, he is a retired conductor, and they enjoy spending every single free moment outside of babysitting their grandkids riding the rails. With the information given, anywhere from Trenton to New Haven, CT is within reasonable distance to NYC.

He asked a vague question, which is why I recommended Lakewood. Sounds perfect for the mental image he gave of his in-laws.

 

[rutexan84]

Newark

Plus one.

 

[SC1221]

Outside of not being too costly, Montclair fits everything they want perfectly. It's just not exactly the cheapest place to live.

 

[FastMJ]

Outside of not being too costly, Montclair fits everything they want perfectly. It's just not exactly the cheapest place to live.

That's an understatement. The reason that people are suggesting further away towns is the cost of living. I think anywhere in close proximity to Manhattan and a nice downtown is going to cost some $$$ to live there.

 

[James_Bond]

Newark or Camden I think are optimal locations. You'll be pleased with either of them. [banana]

 

[Beancounter88]

Westfield is a nice town with a good size downtown area. Another great town is Millburn. Smaller village downtown with great restaurants and a closer train ride to NYC. Also has Short Hills Mall.

 

[Scarlet4Shore]

Tinton Falls
http://www.tintonfalls.com/content/99/12030.aspx

 

[BeKnighted]

Red Bank or Little Silver. Down the Shore, everything's all right. . . . Red Bank has a great downtown, you are on the beautiful Navesink River, 10-15 minutes from the beach, and prices are reasonable. There are a few areas to avoid, but this would be my strong recommendation. Further south on the same train line, consider Manasquan, but it's more than 1 hour to NYC.

I'd second Red Bank. Matawan is a bit closer, on the Shore Line but with an okay but not great downtown.

 

[jtung230]

New Brunswick

 

[RutgersRaRa]

Outside of not being too costly, Montclair fits everything they want perfectly. It's just not exactly the cheapest place to live.

There are some decent apartments that would run around $2k-$2.5k/month, so not sure if that's in OP's parents' budget. But it is a great little community. Not that Zap would know anything about it or anything. ;-)