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Looking for advice on a possible move to Northern NJ to be closer to my aging parents. Fairly familiar with the area, as I was born and raised in Bergen County (Ridgewood). That said I didn't spend much time outside of Bergen County. Schools are also a huge benefit as we have a toddler and another on the way. When we return to work, I travel a lot (2-3 weeks/month) but when in town, will need to be 3-4 days a week in our satellite office in Bridgewater. So, in other words, I'm ok with a commute since its not every day. Proximity to EWR is a huge and necessary plus. Housing budget is fairly flexible in the $800k-$1.2M range depending on what we decide to do with our current property in CA.
Obvious choice (I think?) is Ridgewood/Glenrock/Allendale/HoHokus area but again, I feel like I'm missing a lot of good places south, in between Bergen and Bridgewater. I.e Morristown?
i hope i checked all the boxed and thanks in advance for your insight.
Where are you coming from? Currently riding out Cocid at our place in Southern ID, normally full time in SoCal. Have lived all over the US..
Why are you moving? Closer to family, schools.
Where will you be working ? If NYC, what part of NYC? Central NJ... no NYC commute but access to NYC is a plus w/ family living in manhattan.
Will you buy or rent? Buy
What is your budget ?
What kind of place are you looking for ? house
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ? wife, kid, dog
Do you need/want good public schools? yes. major factor
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in ... walkable downtown is a big factor for us.
(examples: families with young children, young, mature, artsy, diverse, safe, close-knit, block parties, etc)
List three things that are important to you in order of importance.(examples: nightlife, outdoor activities, rural/urban, safety, downtown area, charming, new construction, proximity to XYZ, family oriented, easy parking, short commute, etc)
There’s plenty of good options outside of Bergen County and you can definitely afford all of them. But if your parents are in Bergen County and you’re coming to be close to them.. wouldn’t it make sense to look there primarily?
You listed a lot of great towns in Bergen that you could easily buy into. If proximity to EWR is a factor, also consider towns along Route 24 like the Chathams, Millburn, and Summit. Westfield could also be an option.
You listed a lot of great towns in Bergen that you could easily buy into. If proximity to EWR is a factor, also consider towns along Route 24 like the Chathams, Millburn, and Summit. Westfield could also be an option.
It will be a blended mix of all 3. During "normal times", I'll be 2-3 weeks on the road (so EWR), with Mondays and Fridays likely in the office. Spending time with parents on weekends, holidays, etc. Based on my traditional schedule, its rare that I'll work a full 5 day week in the office, so commute from Bergen isn't as much of a concern (maybe I'm wrong?).
My only question at this point is what am I missing out on in Morris County? I dont know as much about the area and know there are some nice towns, good schools, etc.
It will be a blended mix of all 3. During "normal times", I'll be 2-3 weeks on the road (so EWR), with Mondays and Fridays likely in the office. Spending time with parents on weekends, holidays, etc. Based on my traditional schedule, its rare that I'll work a full 5 day week in the office, so commute from Bergen isn't as much of a concern (maybe I'm wrong?).
My only question at this point is what am I missing out on in Morris County? I dont know as much about the area and know there are some nice towns, good schools, etc.
I discount the rest of Morris County for you mostly because you said walkable downtowns were important. Most of Morris County consists of low density suburban developments. Nice towns, nice amenities, nice schools, but every destination is a drive. Morristown is a GREAT downtown area, but in your budget you can buy into a town with a far better school system. Denville kinda has a nice downtown, and the schools are good, but again, if you can afford the top schools in the state (maybe even country) I would focus on those. Maybe check Mountain Lakes. It is in a top school district, and is close to Denville, close to Parsippany and the millions of big box stores in that town, and pretty close to Morristown too.
Last edited by midnight_thunder; 02-26-2021 at 11:05 AM..
Reason: Expand on answer.
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