Union or Essex County - Which is better? (Montclair, Orange: house prices, school district)

[kimchee]

Ok, I'm just starting to look at homes and have narrowed it down to the areas around Montclair and Westfield for good schools, walkable downtown and proximity to NYC.

I like both those towns but they are in separate counties. Which do you recommend as the better county for commuting, school district and walkable downtowns?

What are the Good vs. Bad for each county?

TIA!

[kaday]

Off the top of my head, I think Union taxes are much less than Essex. I like both towns, I think schools are better in Westfield as is the downtown (it seems more condensed, better for walkability). Westfield feels more suburban....Montclair more artsy. I am not sure but I think the commute is similar for both towns. Maybe someone else can chime in on this one.

Both are great towns. Just my 2 cents.

[veuvegirl]

If you are commuting in to NYC, Montclair is easier, there is the Midtown Direct. Westfield doesn't have a direct trainline, so you have to switch trains or take the bus. Both are great areas, like Kaday said the taxes are less in Union County.

[kimchee]

Thanks both, sounds like I won't go wrong with either county.

I also heard that Union will have its own midtown direct train sometime in 2016. It sounds like it's far away but we can probably swing the change for the right house in Union county.

[veuvegirl]

And the property value will increase tremendously! We moved to Maplewood/South Orange years ago, when the train line became the Midtown Direct, the house prices trippled.