Seeking advice on where to move to in Jersey...

If you're commuting to NYC erry day, and wife is going to BK, you need to be in a town that has a train line into NY Penn, or, drive to Secaucus/Jersey City/some other Park and Ride. The bus sucks. Port Authority if Hell on Earth. There is no other place worse in NYC, and that includes the cluster fuck that is known as NY Penn Station. I live in Madison, take the train in, and my office is a few blocks north of Grand Central. CitiBike/walk/subway are all about the same duration. My total door to door, that's ass in seat of my car to ass in seat at work is 90 minutes +-5. Dover? forget it. Add 20-30 minutes. If you want sub 60 minutes you need to be closer than Short Hills/Milburn as an example. I can't speak for other lines, just the Morris & Essex. Like you said, add another 30 or so to get to BK. That's all I got. Been here for 13+ years after living in Hoboken. Good luck.
 
Jmann said:
Thanks for all the replies. There's a lot of commuting data that I have to analyze, but the internets makes that easy-ish. I guess the input I am mostly hoping for is what I can't get from data, such as: "I live in town x and like it. There's a couple good bars and restaurant's and the locals don't seem to actively be trying to kill me when I ride my bike".
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that would be new providence/berkeley heights/gillette/stirling/liberty corner.
 
fidodie said:
that would be new providence/berkeley heights/gillette/stirling/liberty corner.
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Or Morristown.
Don't know about the commute part, but I know every once in a while I take the train to manhattan from Morristown, it seems to take about an hour ( just the train part ).
If you live anywhere in Morristown, you can ride your bike right to Lewis morris. The town itself has a lot of cool bars/restaurants. You can ride allamuchy, chimney rock, Dickerson mine, high mountain, Mahlon ringwood, round valley, wildcat all around 1/2hr by car. Jungle and Wawa, about another 15-20min. And probably a bunch of other places I don't even know about. Plus, if you golf, there are a bunch of decent courses all within a 1/2 hour from town. And if you have the cash there are about 10 great private courses within 10-15 min from morristowm.
I may be looking for a position in the chamber of commerce.
 
Just read the whole thread. Dover is your best bet. Trust me.

You can pick up Spanish as a second language no charge from your neighbors, and the Rockaway River runs through it if you are into kayaking.

Win, win.

Taxes fairly low.

Plus, at least one cool MTBer lives here...
 
Not to pry into your life but what do you and your wife do?
Any WFH opportunities?
Chances of transfers to NJ?
That Brooklyn commute is brutal.
I loathed when I was sent to metrotech for jobs.
27 years of commuting to NYC which started just over the boarder of Pa. And ended 20 miles closer in the allamuchy area. I had it good till the end which is why I left. Work hours were 7am-2:30 so driving was a breeze. It changed to 8am-4pm. That put the the nail in the coffin. It was glorious that i could live in boonies yet and work for a top dollar.

Now I just want to get away from the whole metro NY area.

Fingers crossed in 4 years it will be Colorado/Utah bound...
 
hotsauce said:
Throwing out an alternative option. What about the Bergen Lafayette neighborhood of Jersey City. If the "experts" are right, it could be the next Brooklyn and you can get in on the ground floor for cheap. Single family semi-detached homes are downright reasonable but most need some level of work.

It's close to the Holland Tunnel for Brooklyn commutes and near enough to the JSQ PATH line. Downsides are the PATH is stupid crowded and MTBing is still a drive.

Worth a look @qclabrat for your situation too.
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okay, I don't have that kind of money...
from your link:
The median price for 1-4 family homes has also gone up to $1.4 million, a 10% increase from 2016’s first quarter.
 
Jmann said:
I'm considering everything right now. I've heard good things about Jersey City, but don't know anyone who lives there personally. We are mostly looking for a more suburban experience but I'm not going to throw out other city areas. Thanks
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and Spike won't have a yard

tve79887-19501021-694.jpg
 
Also consider Woodbridge, there are a number of nice boroughs within the city, like Fords
between Rt 1 and 27 you'll find everything you'll need
 
fidodie said:
that would be new providence/berkeley heights/gillette/stirling/liberty corner.
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Gillete, Stirling, and Long Hill taxes are insane, like West Orange crazy

those others in Union County are actually great towns and close to Summit which is one of my favorite small cities in NJ.
 
qclabrat said:
geez, you think the market is a bit saturated?
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You have to consider the area population + proximity to city but still suburb feel + size of lots + amount of people in the area who r transient. We have many offers somewhat below asking price.

If u want to be close to nyc and don't care about mtb trails, people r looking Fort Lee, Edgewater, JC not central NJ. Go 10 min more north and u are talking Jay-z type houses where economy just revolves around real estate.

I have a bus coming through my bus stop every 5-10min going to PABT. No brainer if I work in midtown and cost of living matches.
 
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qclabrat said:
The median price for 1-4 family homes has also gone up to $1.4 million, a 10% increase from 2016’s first quarter.
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A quick Zillow search shows stuff from $150k-$650k for mostly single or 2 family buildings. Some need a lot of work but could easily turn 100% gains in a few years.
 
Population per Sq Mile. NJ has 35 cities in top 132 in all of US. Top 1-2-3-4 are all NJ right across the Hudson river from Manhattan. No wonder why there are so many houses for sale.

Manhattan by itself should be #1 at 69,467.5, but they count all the boros so it gets diluted by # of sq miles. NY, NY is #6 at 27,016.3.

1 Guttenberg 57,116.00
2 Union City 51,810.10
3 West New York 49,362.40
4 Hoboken 39,066.40
7 Cliffside Park 24,577.10
8 East Newark 24,060
10 Passaic 22,437.60
18 Irvington 18,218.20
20 Paterson 17,322.20
25 East Orange 16,377.10
28 Jersey City 16,093.70
31 Weehawken 15,891.30
34 Fairview 15,585.50
39 Orange 14,903.70
44 Palisades Park 14,112.40
45 Fort Lee 14,001.70
46 Garfield 13,976.00
57 Woodlynne 13,600.40
66 Edgewater 12,312.00
70 Prospect Park 12,043.70
76 Asbury Park 11,842.00
78 Harrison 11,811.10
84 Wallington 11,632.50
85 Shrewsbury 11,624.70
89 Newark 11,495.00
96 North Bergen 11,179.60
98 Trenton 11,153.60
102 Bayonne 10,992.20
107 Roselle Park 10,855.70
109 Bogota 10,841.30
111 Belleville 10,744.30
113 Lodi 10,590.60
114 Victory Gardens 10,582.60
120 Hackensack 10,358.30
128 Elizabeth 10,144.10

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population_density
 
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soundz said:
Population per Sq Mile. NJ has 35 cities in top 132 in all of US. Top 1-2-3-4 are all NJ right across the Hudson river from Manhattan. No wonder why there are so many houses for sale.

Manhattan by itself should be #1 at 69,467.5, but they count all the boros so it gets diluted by # of sq miles. NY, NY is #6 at 27,016.3.

1 Guttenberg 57,116.00
2 Union City 51,810.10
3 West New York 49,362.40
4 Hoboken 39,066.40
7 Cliffside Park 24,577.10
8 East Newark 24,060
10 Passaic 22,437.60
18 Irvington 18,218.20
20 Paterson 17,322.20
25 East Orange 16,377.10
28 Jersey City 16,093.70
31 Weehawken 15,891.30
34 Fairview 15,585.50
39 Orange 14,903.70
44 Palisades Park 14,112.40
45 Fort Lee 14,001.70
46 Garfield 13,976.00
57 Woodlynne 13,600.40
66 Edgewater 12,312.00
70 Prospect Park 12,043.70
76 Asbury Park 11,842.00
78 Harrison 11,811.10
84 Wallington 11,632.50
85 Shrewsbury 11,624.70
89 Newark 11,495.00
96 North Bergen 11,179.60
98 Trenton 11,153.60
102 Bayonne 10,992.20
107 Roselle Park 10,855.70
109 Bogota 10,841.30
111 Belleville 10,744.30
113 Lodi 10,590.60
114 Victory Gardens 10,582.60
120 Hackensack 10,358.30
128 Elizabeth 10,144.10

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population_density
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Looks like a list of where not to live - too crowded
 
Zaskar said:
Move to Essex! Taxes are high and mountain biking is illegal! What's not to love?

edit... I do know of a house going up for sale in Montclair which likes to think it's Brooklyn. Fenced yard, new bathrooms, yadda, yadda, yadda. LMK if you would like their contact info.
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What else matters to you besides bike & commute? Montclair is starting to feel like Brooklyn West.
Montclar area:
(+) direct train service to Penn is 35 minutes. <10 minute bike ride to local singletrack...not that anybody around here would ride dirt in Essex. Walk to restaurants, bars, farmers markets & concert venues. Lots of parks. Thriving local CX wednesday worlds scene.
(-) High taxes. car ride to most parks( 30 minutes to TOS, 40 to Mahlon, Mooch. 45 to Jungle, 1:00 to Stewart).

If MTB is what matters most, I'd look at Passaic or Morris. But if you want a good mix of commutability, community and outdoor potential, Essex isn't bad.
 
Delish said:
Essex isn't bad.
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Strange as it sounds I love Essex.

We've been in Caldwell for 12 years and have about another 10 to go. The proximity to Bloomfield Ave with its diverse restaurants choices and bars, a supermarket and a movie theater is great. There's a coffee shop, library, a community center, county park and even a National Park (Grover Cleveland was born here) all with in walking distance. The Decamp 33 line goes to PABT but I can't says it quick and most commuters I know take the train in Montclair or bus at Willowbrook park and ride. Quick to access to 280, 46 and 80 and it's 1.4 miles to Hilltop singletrack not that I would know anything about that.

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