If your wife's parents can forego the immediate downtown requirements. They should consider Canal Walk an active adult community in Somerset. It has all the amenities and activities a person over 55 would want. Beautifully landscaped and maintained by a common charge. My wife and I moved there seven years ago at 56years old. We love it and our neighbors. I am still working. I commute out of New Brunswick. Many trains less than an hour to Penn Station in NYC.
OT: The best place to live in NJ . . .
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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.
Madison meets all your requirements. It's a fabulous town. And there are, IMO, very reasonably priced rentals here, both houses and apartments.
Who retires to NJ? They could probably get the state to pay for a psyche ward or housing while they get evaluated.
Princeton is great - I live in the area, but cheap it is not. Rentals suitable for non-college kids actually in town are obscenely priced.
Lot of great places but price is the issue. Do the want to a house rental or an apartment? Ridgewood, Glen Rock and Ho-Ho-Kus fit the description but might be too expensive. To give you an idea of price, 2 BR apartments run from $1800-3000 per month. A house rental can run from $2750 per month all the way up to $6000 per month, though the high end means a large 4-5BR house that is likely way more than they would need.
Agree. There are some nice higher end rentals in Somerville. There is a brand new Shop Rite. Most importanly, only twenty minutes from Rutgers Stadium. $$$$
Does it have to be a train? What about buses? I live in Belmar with my fiance and she commutes via bus even though there's a train station five blocks from our house. WAY faster and shockingly sometimes more reliable (plus if you miss one, the next one isn't an hour+ later)
That being said, I'm biased, but I would agree with other people that said somewhere on the shore line. Why wouldn't you want your retirement to feel like a vacation?
That being said, I'm biased, but I would agree with other people that said somewhere on the shore line. Why wouldn't you want your retirement to feel like a vacation?
I would also vote for Atlantic Highlands, you can take the ferry right into NYC
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.
The factors listed are basically the top factors for every single person/family who is trying to rent or buy in NJ.
What they should relax on is the hour into NYC. It's just unnecessary for retirees compared to the enormous majority of commuters who are making that round trip 5x a week for years. How often are they legitimately going to come into the city? Weekly? Every other week? So is taking an extra hour to get in and out two times a month worth spending 50% more on housing or getting 50% less house for the money?
What they should relax on is the hour into NYC. It's just unnecessary for retirees compared to the enormous majority of commuters who are making that round trip 5x a week for years. How often are they legitimately going to come into the city? Weekly? Every other week? So is taking an extra hour to get in and out two times a month worth spending 50% more on housing or getting 50% less house for the money?
Canal Walk is very nice, but I would prefer the Hillsborough area. It is a bit long to NYC, but it is halfway between Philadelphia and NYC. You are 10 minutes from Princeton which would check the downtown area box.
http://time.com/money/2791426/16-hillsborough-nj/
#16 place to live in US
Closer to NYC....Summit?
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Depends on how much they are willing to pay for rent.
If being on a train is not a must, then I think Milltown should be a consideration. There is reliable bus service in Milltown and more frequent service in East Brunswick or New Brunswick (as well as a train station) if you need it. The rent will be low as well.
If being on a train is not a must, then I think Milltown should be a consideration. There is reliable bus service in Milltown and more frequent service in East Brunswick or New Brunswick (as well as a train station) if you need it. The rent will be low as well.
I can't believe some of the responses since the OP specifically stated that his wife's parents are retirees and are looking for something reasonably priced. There's nothing reasonably priced in Ridgewood and Ho Ho Kus for retirees. Montclair real estate prices are high and its taxes are ridiculously high.
I would suggest Boonton. It has a nice artsy downtown area, affordable home prices and taxes are not a killer. Plus, a lot of the Soprano episodes were shot there.
I would suggest Boonton. It has a nice artsy downtown area, affordable home prices and taxes are not a killer. Plus, a lot of the Soprano episodes were shot there.
If the quick train ride is at the top of the list of priorities, Summit and Madison are very commutable with nice down towns. Livingston would give you access to a bunch of train lines - fails on the downtown criteria. Maplewood and South Orange are towns with great neighborhoods - i prefer Maplewood's downtown.
None of these places are cheap - the property taxes alone may cause heart palpitations. and your in-laws would be the first West Coast couple to retire in any of them.
The train criteria is the issue with this request. I also wanted to buy a house in a train town and couldn't afford it and I commute to NY (take the bus). The most affordable "charming" train town probably is Metuchen and if that is too expensive (per your original post) then every single other suggestion here will not work.
I would suggest a town adjacent to a town with a train and a downtown and the good thing is you don't care about schools so there will be some winners out there near train towns.
For Montclair, the best option out there is the area of Clifton that borders Montclair. You get the benefit of the downtown in Upper Montclair (which if they like Metuchen's downtown they'll really like Upper Montclair's downtown) and also if they drive 2 more miles into Montcliar you have the much bigger downtown of Montclair with the art museum and dozens of restaurants. Also in Clifton, the Parkway, Route 3 and Route 46 all cross right in that section so you can get pretty much anywhere quickly.
Brookdale section of Bloomfield. Bloomfield is crap with crap schools but this section of Bloomfield is really nice and is adjacent to Brookdale park. Again you can benefit from using the trains and downtown of Montclair. There will also be some rentals around here as well.
Other options are Cedar Grove, Verona and Little Falls. All are very close to the Montclair trains and downtown. All are very safe and leafy / suburban.
These "cheaper" adjacent type towns do not exist around Summit or Madison reallly. I don't think the Amboys is the vibe you are going for. The other option which you already know are the towns adjacent to Metuchen. You can have them rent in Edison or a town near there and be near New Brunswick and Metuchen.
Personally I like my suggestions b/c Montclair has that city / artsy vibe with some NYC spillover happening with culture but I also like the Red Bank suggestion. Why not try and live down by the shore. Red Bank has a great downtown and the river is beautiful.
I would suggest a town adjacent to a town with a train and a downtown and the good thing is you don't care about schools so there will be some winners out there near train towns.
For Montclair, the best option out there is the area of Clifton that borders Montclair. You get the benefit of the downtown in Upper Montclair (which if they like Metuchen's downtown they'll really like Upper Montclair's downtown) and also if they drive 2 more miles into Montcliar you have the much bigger downtown of Montclair with the art museum and dozens of restaurants. Also in Clifton, the Parkway, Route 3 and Route 46 all cross right in that section so you can get pretty much anywhere quickly.
Brookdale section of Bloomfield. Bloomfield is crap with crap schools but this section of Bloomfield is really nice and is adjacent to Brookdale park. Again you can benefit from using the trains and downtown of Montclair. There will also be some rentals around here as well.
Other options are Cedar Grove, Verona and Little Falls. All are very close to the Montclair trains and downtown. All are very safe and leafy / suburban.
These "cheaper" adjacent type towns do not exist around Summit or Madison reallly. I don't think the Amboys is the vibe you are going for. The other option which you already know are the towns adjacent to Metuchen. You can have them rent in Edison or a town near there and be near New Brunswick and Metuchen.
Personally I like my suggestions b/c Montclair has that city / artsy vibe with some NYC spillover happening with culture but I also like the Red Bank suggestion. Why not try and live down by the shore. Red Bank has a great downtown and the river is beautiful.
+1 Mountain biking in Hartshorne is some of the best in NJ. Hartshorne, and Atlantic Highlands in general, also has the best views in the whole state - mix of ocean and NYC. Kind of nice to be on the shore without being at the beach, I would think.
Would really be smart of the OP to list a specific rent budget. Otherwise he's just going to be wading through every walkable downtown within 1.5 to 2 hours of NYC. Kind of a silly exercise.
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.
They should definitely go the Age 55+ apt/condo/townhouse route. Don't forget Westchester county: Pelham, Mamaroneck, Larchmont, even White Plains. Also consider RedBank, Hudson Cty: West New York, Gutenberg, Weehawken, Edgewater, up to Ft Lee. They should be looking for a place with no to minimal upkeep and good access where someone else shovels the snow. Have to consider a place that will meet their needs 10-15 years down the line.
Also, consider when you grow up and have that second and/or third kid and can no longer fit in a 800sqft apt, where will you want to move to? Grandparents are a great childcare resource and they wont want to be in NJ if you're in Suffolk Cty.
http://www.livingplaces.com/NJ/active-adult-communities-in-new-jersey.html
http://www.northernwestchestercondos.com/active-adult-condos.php
Also, consider when you grow up and have that second and/or third kid and can no longer fit in a 800sqft apt, where will you want to move to? Grandparents are a great childcare resource and they wont want to be in NJ if you're in Suffolk Cty.
http://www.livingplaces.com/NJ/active-adult-communities-in-new-jersey.html
http://www.northernwestchestercondos.com/active-adult-condos.php
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.
Is that on the trail or paved path through Hartshorne? Sounds like a great ride.
What's the name of the other park with MTB in the area? I want to say it started with an H too. Never made it to that one, but rode Hartshorne a couple times. Great riding and nothing like a dip in the ocean after a ride.
What's the name of the other park with MTB in the area? I want to say it started with an H too. Never made it to that one, but rode Hartshorne a couple times. Great riding and nothing like a dip in the ocean after a ride.
If you are going to the city during non-peak hours, then would they be willing to drive to the Harrison path station and park there for the evening? Then it's only 20 minutes to downtown Manhattan. Wouldn't recommend the driving part during rush hour though.
The responses are that way because the criteria is literally what almost everyone moving to this area is looking for (except a good school system, which they don't care about at this point).
No, it is not the paved trail. Some of it is single track, with a lot of rocks and roots, and some of it appears to be fire road, gravel and sand. It is a strenuous uphill ride. Only recently could I ride the whole uphill trek on my bike without walking the bike. Funny story-I literally ran into Mike Rice on my ride not too long after he was fired. I was startled, and he was walking with his wife. I asked if he was Mike Rice, and he was startled and said yes--and I said "Good luck to you" and he said thanks. Thankfully there were no basketballs on the trail.
The other park is Huber Woods. I pass it on my ride into Claypit Creek extension. I have not explored those trails, only because I enjoy the Hartshorne ride so much.
I like the Morristown idea, but anywhere from Madison to Dover is OK. Northwest NJ is just different from all the other places named. Coming from the NW US I think they would feel most at home in NW NJ (and I don't mean just because of the geographic similarity).
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