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We need to move around summer from Collegeville, PA to Northern NJ or NYC suburbs for work (Tarrytown)
Places that I hear people recommending: Bergen county probably north Bergen country: I heard Park ridge, HoHokus, Englewood, Woodcliff lake and also heard that East Rutherford at the south is good area with strip of restaurants etc…
Also heard of upper westchester NY: Irvington, Dobbs Ferry, etc.. what is the difference in terms of taxes, finances, lifestyle (we kinda incline towards northern NJ but would want to hear from experts here)
Where are you coming from? Greater Philly area suburb
Why are you moving? Work / upgrade to lifestyle, schools etc..
Where will you be working ? If NYC, what part of NYC? Tarrytown
Will you buy or rent? Buy
What is your budget ? 700-800 or close to 900K
What kind of place are you looking for ? Diverse, young families, suburb with a vibrant feeling; walkable, access to the city (presume this is NYC within 30 mins drive, close to gyms, shops, good restaurants (we are foodies), new construction and preferably a community
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ? Yes, we are a family 4 and a dog
Do you need/want good public schools? Ofcourse: middle and elementary
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in as mentioned above, safe and please less rural
(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) safety, outdoor activities, new construction, downtown or close; basically suburb with urban feel.
I'm far from an expert, but have done some 'cross shopping' of NJ and Westchester over the past few years. Since the job is in Tarrytown, I would personally focus on Westchester rather than Northern Bergen. The trip into NYC will be much faster as well, as the Metro North Hudson Line may be the best in the region (and it drops you into a much nicer part of NYC vs. the NJ lines which go into Penn, which you may care about if you're going in for a quick dinner or drink).
Tarrytown itself is actually a cool little village (some restaurants, some bars, I think even a live music venue). If I recall though, schools are not the best, so more research required there. Irvington will not be in your budget, though it's lovely. But I think you could probably find something in Dobbs Ferry, which also has some stuff downtown. Keep in mind, taxes in this part of Westchester are completely insane, even by NJ standards, so you need to factor that into your calculus. Going further north, Croton-on-Hudson is definitely more affordable by every measure, and while farther as the crow flies from Manhattan than the equivalent Bergen town, in NYC you ain't no crow and Croton happens to be a train hub so will get you there pretty quickly. You could also look at Nyack, right across the Hudson from Tarrytown, which has an awesome downtown.
I'm not as familiar with far north Bergen as we deemed the commute a non-starter, but "closer in" I love Ridgewood and Glen Rock. You could probably find something small 'ish with your budget, but not sure on the commute to Tarrytown. I would defer to the (many) Bergen county experts here.
I'd check recent transactions on Zillow for each town you're interested in, which will give you an idea on a) what to expect from a sales price and how much above asking it went for, and b) annual taxes.
I would always favor the shortest/easiest/cheapest commute when relocating to a new area where you do not have any established ties or inclination towards one spot verses another. That would mean living in Westchester. The places you have identified as being upper Westchester are not upper Westchester. More like mid-Westchester. Upper Westchester would be places like Yorktown, Somers, Cortlandt, etc. These would be good areas for you as they will be cheaper and you will get more house and land - in exchange for just a bit more highway driving to work.
I know you have mentioned access to the city as a want/need, but in reality you are never really going to go there other than the odd pop in every now and then. I would not make that a priority. As such, I would look in Westchester north of Tarrytown to cut down, significantly, on housing costs, not to mention traffic. No need to pay insane prices and taxes for mid to lower Westchester. All those people are paying that premium for the great commute into Manhattan. There are a lot of choices for you.
Keep in mind that in NY, you pick your home by school district. Ignore mailing address. The first step is to identify what school districts you like, then work from there. This is true even if you plan on using private schools, as your choice may change over time, and school district is far and away the biggest factor in determining long term housing values and quality of community. I don't think we are allowed to link stuff here, but if you google map of Westchester County School Districts that will get you started. And ignore the so-called ratings - they are all excellent except for a small few.
I am kinda inclined towards northern NJ though because I wouldn’t want to move again once settled given that NJ is far more of a hub for for work than NYC not to mention finances plus schools.
Schools are very important to us. Access to the city as mentioned will be once in a while but we want to be able to go for a walk, go try closeby restaurants to where we are going to be. Worst thing would be to be in a dead, very quiet rural area like we are at now (I completely want to avoid this)
A couple of things regarding Bergen County… you’ve probably heard good things about Rutherford, not East Rutherford. Not that there’s anything wrong with East Rutherford. But it’s a blue collar town with more renters than homeowners and the schools aren’t ranked as well as Rutherford. If you want to prioritize your commute to Tarrytown, maybe just stick with Northern Bergen County (Rutherford and East Rutherford are southern Bergen County).
Englewood is mostly ok and has nice houses in certain areas and a decent downtown but they also have some tougher parts. The last few times I’ve been to W Palisade Ave I’ve seen some homeless people wandering around. Schools aren’t ranked well compared to most of Bergen County.
All other towns you mentioned are fine. You can almost pick any town in Northern Bergen County at random and they would all probably be solid choices. I can’t speak much to the commute, I’ve only been to Tarrytown once for a wedding. My favorite Bergen County town is Glen Rock.
A couple of things regarding Bergen County… you’ve probably heard good things about Rutherford, not East Rutherford. Not that there’s anything wrong with East Rutherford. But it’s a blue collar town with more renters than homeowners and the schools aren’t ranked as well as Rutherford. If you want to prioritize your commute to Tarrytown, maybe just stick with Northern Bergen County (Rutherford and East Rutherford are southern Bergen County).
Englewood is mostly ok and has nice houses in certain areas and a decent downtown but they also have some tougher parts. The last few times I’ve been to W Palisade Ave I’ve seen some homeless people wandering around. Schools aren’t ranked well compared to most of Bergen County.
All other towns you mentioned are fine. You can almost pick any town in Northern Bergen County at random and they would all probably be solid choices. I can’t speak much to the commute, I’ve only been to Tarrytown once for a wedding. My favorite Bergen County town is Glen Rock.
Thanks!!
I am not interested in blue collar or areas that has rough parts. It is North Bergen then. Can you please suggest some of the towns that fit the bill: great school districts, new constructions, diverse culture and good restaurants
I am not interested in blue collar or areas that has rough parts. It is North Bergen then. Can you please suggest some of the towns that fit the bill: great school districts, new constructions, diverse culture and good restaurants
I'd strongly recommend living in Westchester if you're going to work in Westchester. Unless there's a reason you *must* live in NJ, why sign yourself up for a longer/more expensive commute?
How far is the commute? Again, I am looking for good schools with suburb feeling where we won’t have to MOVE again as moving is such a hassle. NYC isn’t a hub.
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