dhera

We are looking to relocate due to work. Initially I was going to work in Parsippany and my husband in Manhattan. We looked at couple of neighborhoods further west of Parsippany and based on the feedback and research and high travel times, we are rethinking our options. I found out that I can also possibly transfer to Secaucus or Manhattan as well (as out company has offices there).
What are the good suburbs to move where there are good elementary schools and good neighborhoods? What areas should I narrow down our search ? prefer to be closer to train station
I am overwhelmed with the options that are out there. The reviews overall for NJ seems scary . the houses seems old and run down . can afford a house upto 800-850k.

vjpblovesitaly

Scary in what respect? It is one of the most expensive states to live in. Do you really think the houses in the entire state are old and run-down?

capxxx

Here is a list of NJ cities ordered by per-capita income, including which public transit lines they are on.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jer..._capita_income

You might also want to consider living in Connecticut.

dhera

i have no doubt there are really good houses out there. Most of which we may not be able to afford. I am looking at site such as zillow for what's in the market right now so my comment was based on what i see that's available in the market to sell.
if the area is really good and travel is convenient i am open to get a fixer-upper.

capxxx

Sorry, it doesn't have the public transit info.

HappyTrvlr

NJ towns with good schools, upscale: Ridgewood, Tenafly, Wyckoff, Woodcliff Lake, Upper Saddle River, HoHoKus, Rumson, Alpine, Summit, Chatham now that you don't have to go to Parsippany.
You can also look in Fairfield County, Connecticut, (Westport, Wilton, Easton, Fairfield, Darien, Weston)and take the train to Manhattan. This is a much nicer commute via Grand Central Station.

dhera

HappyTrvlr - thank you!!

nytraveler

Upscale suburbs in NY are VERY expensive. Your budget would be a modest house in some of them.

So you need to make some decisions.

In the most expensive suburbs a large fully updated house will be more than $1 million. You can go for an upscale - but not THE most upscale areas.

Or you can go for a house that is not so large or perhaps not freshly updated.

I seem to remember that you have a 4 yaar old - so you won't both want to be getting home at 8 pm - unless you will have a live-in nanny. (Yes, several of my colleagues with both partners having a career in Manhattan and living in the suburbs have a live-in nanny. Nanny receives a nice salary, own suite in the house - at least BR and bath preferably with own sitting room - car and upscale electronics.)

Don;t know what your options are, where you are coming from and what prices may be there and what extra compensation your company will be providing for living in a very expensive area.

If I were you I would start by looking at the best school districts within a reasonable commute - no more than 40 minutes by train from Penn Station - and then look at the real estate in that area.

Many older neighborhoods have a broad variety of real estate. My mom lives in LI clost to teh city in a top school district. And the starter houses (she has a 7 room Cape Cod from 1948) start at about $500K. Those houses that have been built out into a full second story - so 8 rooms but still on a 60X 100 plot - are about $800K. Larger homes - splits built in the 60s with 10 rooms and slightly larger plots are about $1.1 million. And a larger recently redone house (McMansion) will be $1.5M and up. (This area has convenient commute, great schools and reasonable taxes since it's all older/established. But it's not cheap. And there are other neighborhoods nearby that are truly upscale - with prices double this.)

So you may need to run your numbers very carefully, pick what it most important (IMHO top schools) and then either up your budget (high proportion of income to housing) or just go for a smaller, simpler house.

Also, if you take a job in Manhattan - they should offer you a significantly higher salary then they would in Parsippany. (Interveiwing for my last job the salary offers were $40K/$50K more a year in Manhattan than similar jobs in NJ.)

NJriverchick

Any chance you can rent for a while and take some time to get the know NJ before you buy? The commuter-shed to NYC is quite large and there are so many great communities with different characteristics.

NJriverchick

Any chance you can rent for a while and take some time to get the know NJ before you buy? The commuter-shed to NYC is quite large and there are so many great communities with different characteristics.

Fra_Diavolo

Compare property taxes between NJ and CT.

Ackislander

You would be out of your mind to buy in any of these communities -- and they are all very nice -- without renting first. Schools, train schedules, traffic, taxes, ambience are highly variable, and what if it turns out you hate the job and have to get rid of a house to transfer?

It is hard to plunk down $3000-$4000 a month to rent but it may be cheap compared to making a mistake.

SusieQQ

Agree 100% about renting first.
Many people commute into Manhattan from CT, NY (Long Island) and NJ...all three areas have their own personalities and pluses and minuses. I live in New Jersey and have family on Long Island...big differences culturally between the two.

Good areas in NJ within easy reach of The City will have homes well over a million.
There are goodareas of LOng Island near train stations which are more reasonable (Rockville Centre, for example)...but living on the Island means certain headaches, being that it is an island.
Therefore best to rent first!

msteacher

Westfield, NJ. Excellent schools, walk to train station, lovely community.

HappyTrvlr

The OP asked for "upscale suburbs" but many towns that don't have that label also have good schools and a nice community feel. The prices will be upscale but the properties may not fit their image of what that means. It used to be said for every extra minute on the train the home prices werpnt down a certain amount. And nytraveler is eight about when you may get home at night, long hours with commute time added. OP, have considered renting in the city?

nytraveler

I wold not reco people with kids moving to NY to rent in the city. First - rents are increbily high for family apts in upscale buildings. Second private schools (necessary IMHO) start at $20K per year.

Plus it is a totally different life style versus the suburbs. (Yes, our DDs lived in the city - but from the time they were 10 and 13 - not as little kids - and we had already bought into real estate - so didn't have to buy a nice. large apt at current incredible prices).

But if you want suburbs and both work in the city I would make a location decision (NJ, CT or LI) based on where your jobs will be and therefore which train station will be the best access.

Then I would draw a circle of about a 30/35 minute commute and start looking at school districts in that area. Then find something to rent nearby - so you can have a chance to get to know the area - and find a place you love to live (can take a while to find the right property).

gail

Harrington Park, NJ. Home of Cory Booker (new US Senator from NJ). Population about 4,000. No crime. Good schools with regional HS. No train but bus service to NYC Port Authority.

RoamsAround

As pointed out in this and your other thread, commuting time to NYC from New Jersery can vary greatly and at best is usually a chore. I know, I did it for over 20 years. Now that I moved away I can tell you there is not enough money to make me want to do it again.

But since you probably still have to work you won't have too many options. Best advice I can give you is DO NOT buy right away. Rent for a year or so while you explore the different towns and you get some idea of what the commute is like from those towns. Even close in towns can have difficult commutes.

You really need to see and experience things first hand. Most of the towns mentioned are quite nice but commutes to NYC can be taxing. Not all towns are convenient to the train, those that are may not be to your liking or outside your price range.

Do your self a favor, rent first then discuss housing and commuting options with your co-workers and new friends so you can make an informed home purchase.

nytraveler

Also do understand that very few houses are actually near the train stations and you will need a station car and a local permit to be allowed to park in the local station lot. And that sometimes parking is limited and there may be wait for obtaining a permit.

HappyTrvlr

The last post of nytraveler is very important; it may take years to get a parking sticker near the train.