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

[Jesse_C]

Thanks for all the helpful replies, guys. I'm going to start going through and correlating the most interesting sounding places against real estate listing this weekend to get a feel for the pricing in the different areas. Good point made on the whole express bus to NYC thing. Growing up in Metuchen going to the city was always a train thing, but a good bus line should be just as easy. Also really liked RU to the Core's suggestion of looking at the towns around the towns with train access.

 

[Caliknight]

Retiring in NJ...there can't be too many of those people in the state.

 

[RUPartisan]

Ok is being very generous for Matawan's downtown. It offers next to nothing and is basically devoid of foot traffic.

Solid town but the downtown is a nonentity.

Yeah matawan has pretty weak downtown. We live within walking distance of both downtown matawan and downtown Keyport and we always go Keyport. I suggest Keyport.

 

[RUaMoose]

South Amboy has all that. One seat train to NYC. A vibrant downtown with plenty of bars. We even have a Dunkin Donuts

 

[RU'70]

Not to beat a dead horse, but an additional embellishment on express bus service. Coach has an express service starting in Princeton going through New Brunswick that runs every half hour to the Port Authority terminal. There is a big free parking lot just outside New Brunswick. In my youth, when it was a Suburban bus, it stopped in NB and then was 1 hour into NYC. Very reliable. The other point I would make re train service is weekend service on NJ Transit is limited. The lines other than the Northeast corridor (Trenton to NYC) have sparse service IMHO. I think even the Northeast Corridor only has trains every hour and they stop at ALL the stations between Trenton and NYC.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

NJ is very expensive so unless they have a few million, retiring here may not be a good idea.

 

[Local Shill]

any where in Monmouth County - not only the train line but there are ferries out of Highlands and Belford that are less than an hur to Manhattan.

Along the Shore? Yeah, it's very nice there. Western Monmouth? Hells, no. Place is a wasteland. Far from the city, not particularly close to the Shore. Terrible access to highways. Endless strip malls. And it's Staten Island South. Pass.

 

[RC1991]

I would second Westfield but it is expensive and although has weekend train service you need to change trains in Newark to get into NYC. I live in Woodbridge Twp (Colonia section) which is nice but less expensive then Westfield. I think taxes in Woodbridge are actually more expensive relative to home values then Westfield but we are about 5 minutes from the Metropark station which is on the NE corridor and probably has the most frequent service into NYC (I commute into the city and it is an easier ride from here IMO than any of the other lines). There are usually 2 trains per hour on weekends and many more on weekdays. Metuchen and Edison are also nearby and would be options too - Metuchen is nicer IMO then Woodbridge as is North Edison. Others on the NEC train line to consider are Highland Park and/or Princeton/West Windsor area though the ride becomes a bit longer then and home prices go up as well.

 

[albanyknight]

I would add a lot depends on where you and your wife live. If you are above 42nd street, I would have them look into some of the New York northern suburbs that go into Grand Central as opposed to Penn Station. If they don't mind a longer ride to see you, I would highly recommend Rhinebeck. Great walking town and much cheaper than a Westfield or Metuchen and just as nice. The added bonus is you and your family would have a nice upstate retreat on weekends. If they want to be closer to the city, Goshen, Middletown and some others in Orange and Rockland County are nice communities.

 

[RUBigFrank]

I have an hour loop that I ride from Rumson over the Oceanic Bridge, through Naveskink section of MIddletown, over Claypit Creek, through Claypit creek extension of Hartshorne and then uphill through Hartshorne Woods to the Battery parking area, then down Portand Road, over the Sandy Hoook bridge (spectacular Ocean and NYC views), and then along the seawall back home. I don't know where you can get a ride in that includes a river, a creeks, woods, beach and Ocean. The ride through Hartshorne Woods up to the Battery parking lot is brutal, but a great and fun workout.
They also just installed a 16" diameter gun at one of the Battery structures. Fantastic area. I am blessed to live where I do.

I do that exact ride got it down to 45 minutes on a hybrid

 

[Knight Shift]

I do that exact ride got it down to 45 minutes on a hybrid

You go through the woods in 45 minutes or are you on the road?. My route begins/ends at the Fromagerie.
I think I may have run into you in Hartshorne. I was riding an old, beat up Gary Fisher. I was with my 13 year old son. Maybe not. The woods is full of Rutgers people!!!

 

[retired711]

Haddonfield

A beautiful town with a great business district, but it's too far from NYC for the OP's purposes and there are virtually no rentals. I was thinking Montclair -- where there are rentals -- but which is awful pricy.

 

[mikefla]

Another excellent choice. Great restaurants, nice downtown, and near the ferry. Views from several areas of bay and NYC are spectacular. Excellent trails for hiking and mountain biking in Hartshorne Woods. Near Sandy Hook and Sea Bright for beaches. Housing is fairly reasonable.

I am looking for an area to spend the month of Sept yearly in NJ now that i am retired
I will take a close look at Atlantic Highlands....sounds great

 

[Knight Shift]

I am looking for an area to spend the month of Sept yearly in NJ now that i am retired
I will take a close look at Atlantic Highlands....sounds great

Consider the Highlands too. Closer to Sandy Hook than Atlantic Highlands. There are a lot of condos in the higher part of the Highlands off Portland Road. Spectacular views. Good restaurants on the water in the lower part of the Highlands. And walking distance to Hartshorne woods.

 

[GSGS]

Cape May. Do you really want your in-laws any closer than that?

 

[RU848789]

Thanks for all the helpful replies, guys. I'm going to start going through and correlating the most interesting sounding places against real estate listing this weekend to get a feel for the pricing in the different areas. Good point made on the whole express bus to NYC thing. Growing up in Metuchen going to the city was always a train thing, but a good bus line should be just as easy. Also really liked RU to the Core's suggestion of looking at the towns around the towns with train access.

Jesse - some good info in this thread, but I'd highly recommend the City-Data NJ forum for more detailed info on various locations - it's a whole board devoted to living in NJ, with tons of threads on real estate, transportation, quality of life, etc.

Also, surprised you didn't convince the in-laws to live in Metuchen, where your parents live. :>)

Or would that upset the balance of the universe?

http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-jersey/

 

[SkilletHead2]

Lived in HP and Cranford when I lived in Jersey. Both very nice towns. Cranford is a lot cheaper than Westfield and a bit closer to NYC. The downtown isn't as nice as Westfield, but it's very nice, and has a nice community atmosphere. South side is cheaper than the North side. We lived on Thomas Street and really liked it. Walkable to train station.

HP is a great community, and there is some really inexpensive housing, but the train station is NB, and that could cause problems for older folks.

If it were me, I'd consider leaving your parents in Seattle and you moving out to them.

 

[Jesse_C]

Jesse - some good info in this thread, but I'd highly recommend the City-Data NJ forum for more detailed info on various locations - it's a whole board devoted to living in NJ, with tons of threads on real estate, transportation, quality of life, etc.

Also, surprised you didn't convince the in-laws to live in Metuchen, where your parents live. :>)

Or would that upset the balance of the universe?

http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-jersey/

Thanks for the forum recommendation. We are considering Metuchen, since her parents have been there before and really like the feel of the town. Also makes it way easier for us in terms of visiting. The problem with Metuchen is the property taxes are insane and increase above the rate of inflation, which makes it harder to financially plan around with a fixed income. Of course, that is true for many of the towns in NJ as well. We're actually looking at potentially buying something on the lower end of the market and then renting it to her parents as a way of helping to fix the costs and giving them a guaranteed place to live.

 

[RBS05]

Thanks for the forum recommendation. We are considering Metuchen, since her parents have been there before and really like the feel of the town. Also makes it way easier for us in terms of visiting. The problem with Metuchen is the property taxes are insane and increase above the rate of inflation, which makes it harder to financially plan around with a fixed income. Of course, that is true for many of the towns in NJ as well. We're actually looking at potentially buying something on the lower end of the market and then renting it to her parents as a way of helping to fix the costs and giving them a guaranteed place to live.

As someone whose parents and in laws are in the same town...tread carefully unless your relationship with both sides is really that great. There's no such thing as a quick trip to one anymore, as you'll feel an obligation to hit both houses whenever you're there. Or you'll be forced to do what I usually have to...not tell my parents that I'm 5 minutes from their house because I don't want to spend another couple hours over there.

I know there were a lot of posts but as I mentioned earlier, if your in laws are only expecting to make a trip to the city every other week or so, living in a town with a train is really unnecessary. What's the big deal about a 10-20 minute drive to a train on the weekend when they'll be parking in a lot that's mostly empty without the commuters? It will open up so much more to them and keep prices much lower.

 

[garyrc70]

Spring Lake or Sea Girt

ditto to Sea Girt/Spring lake/Manasquan...my parents retired to SG..

 

[Knight Shift]

ditto to Sea Girt/Spring lake/Manasquan...my parents retired to SG..

That's great, but the lowest priced houses in Sea Girt/Spring Lake run about $750, 000. Taxes are low in both towns, but who spends $750K for a retirement home?

 

[RUBigFrank]

You go through the woods in 45 minutes or are you on the road?. My route begins/ends at the Fromagerie.
I think I may have run into you in Hartshorne. I was riding an old, beat up Gary Fisher. I was with my 13 year old son. Maybe not. The woods is full of Rutgers people!!!

I just do the road - n woods

 

[Jesse_C]

That's great, but the lowest priced houses in Sea Girt/Spring Lake run about $750, 000. Taxes are low in both towns, but who spends $750K for a retirement home?

It is also over 2 hours from NYC. It is a lovely little town, but the only way being that far away makes sense is if it is significantly cheaper than being close.

 

[Cruising Route 66]

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?

Tarrytown, NY

 

[willisneverrana43]

Unless money is no restraint, over time reality will start to shape what your in-laws will be willing to do, and they may be looking for a retirement community from which they can drive to a train station that will have something like an hour long ride. An hour long train ride, by the way, means something much longer than an hour long commute to the city. There will be the drive to the station, the buffer time for getting there earlier, the time to get out of Penn Station, and then the additional time to travel to wherever you are.

But, with that reality, there will be lots of options.