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We are planning to move to Morris County this spring and trying to narrow down some good towns to move into with a growing family. I have a 4 year old and one on the way and most likely another after that. So here is my criteria for a town.. Any help is greatly appreciated.. Looking to spend around 400, within approximately an hour or so from the NY. Need to have good schools, good communities, Family friendly, kid friendly A Downtown area is Preferably, Safe, low crime rates.. pretty much the same things everyone is looking for..
We have been looking into Rockaway and Roxbury.. But Neither really have a Downtown Area to talk of..
So Any and All suggestions will be taken into consideration.. Please Give your me your thoughts and suggestions as time is running out.
Look at Denville, it fits all of your criteria except perhaps the distance from NYC (although its closer than Roxbury and Rockaway). Morristown is the other obvious option with better commuting to NYC, though you'd probably get a little less house for your money there. People on this board will try to talk you into Madison or Chatham and those are great towns but if you want to live in them for 400k be prepared to take on a small house that needs alot of work. Lastly, Whippany is a great town that meets all your criteria and has solid 400k houses but you'd need to travel 5-10 minutes to Morristown center for the downtown experience.
Morristown is, once again, a vibrant community with a true city center and "green" with rail to NYC. It's got homes in the $400,000 range. Morris Twp. which wraps around the town, is more expensive. If top schools are important, Madison, Montville, the Hanovers and Denville are all good. However, real estate prices tend to be relevant to good schools as far as pricing. You won't get much in Madison (which used to be very affordable until the school rankings went up) or Montville (which is hillside country, larger lots but will be on main roads at your price) but Denville and Roxbury will be. Lower taxes are enjoyed in Morris county-especially East Hanover. Essex and Somerset counties have some of the best schools but real estate taxes there are higher. All in all, Denville may be one of your best choices. It has several lovely lake communities and a hip down-town area with boutique-style stores and unique restaurants plus rail. Even though rail towns can be more expensive, the further you get away from NY, the better the prices are of course.
Contact me if you need comprehesive demographic reports on any towns you may be interested in. I'll be happy to assist.
Can you define this a little better? Is someone commuting into Manhattan? (and what part since that makes a difference). For example the train from Morristown to Penn station basically takes an hour, so need to understand if towns like Roxbury fit your criteria.
Also, see "sticky" post in the main page for NJ for other relevant info that could help posters.
We don't actually commute to NYC for work.. It is mainly for family as I don't want to feel disconnected from everyone. I know the further out Rt. 80 I go the more house I get for my money.. I'm reading that Denville might be the town to choose.. But the flooding concerns me.
If you don't need the train, I'd add Florham Park to your list. Not so much a walkable downtown but right next door to Madison and Morristown, which both have great downtowns. Also try Chester - since you aren't commuting to NYC. It's near highways, and very charming - more "country" feel to it.
Not morris county, but Basking Ridge is also a great town that fits your criteria. Taxes aren't bad either. Great schools!
I am in your same boat OP. I work in Manhattan. Rockaway, Denville, Boonton, Montville, Morris Twp & Morris Plains are all on my list. Roxbury is nice too as is Mt. Olive but that is too far for me. As for flooding in Denville, the downtown area floods, so as long as you don't have a house in that area you will be okay. Downtown Denville is beautiful. Stay away from Madison and Chatham. You'll pay up the nose for your house, your groceries, your gas, everything. Not to mention if you don't drive a BMW your neighbors will turn their nose up at you. The towns I mentioned are all good areas with top 100 schools in NJ (except Boonton which is #109 big deal).
I live in Denville, and love it. My house does not flood, so just pick your neighborhood wisely, much of Denville does not flood, and I'm within walking distance to the town. I can be in the city in 30-45 minutes without traffic.
We are a family of 4 with children ranging from 6 years old down to two months old.
Madison was boring for my wife when we lived there, as there were no real young mothers around, only nannies being at the local parks during the day. Food for thought.
I disagree about not a lot of young moms around in Madison. I am one, and can't go to the park or downtown or the pool without meeting several. Also tons of parent child classes to choose from, so almost hard not to make friends. I also find it incredibly friendly and welcoming. Yes, it's an affluent town and your money doesn't go far in sq footage, so not for everyone. If you want a fast commute and top schools in nj (Madison is ranked #6) you are going to have to pay for it. Not to say there aren't plenty of other great towns with good schools, and since OP isn't commuting to NYC, no need to pay a premium for an easy commute!
I know that everyone is always looking for good schools when searching for a new house and everyone emphasizes that this town or that town has one of the best schools.. But my son is only 4 years old and the one on the way in a few days so i'm thinking that those school grades are most likely going to change by the time they are ready for middle/high school. That's a good 10 years from now!. I'm thinking that there are only a few towns out there that has a "great walkable" downtown so i'm willing to expand my search criteria. Maybe a town that is actually growing instead of dying.. Still want to stay in Morris county and pretty close to the highways. Any thoughts on Dover, Wharton, Mine hill, Flanders and so on? I ask because I don't know.. I can do a drive by through those towns and see what I see, so it's a one sided view. Please give me the Highs and Lows of the towns that you are suggesting. Looking at the current market, I might have to wait till spring to see if more houses pop up for sale in the near future. Besides my son is currently in school and I don't really want to yank him out before it is over. But that shouldn't be a problem.. Anyway, again thanks for your thoughts and suggestions as everything is very much appreciated and considered.
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