Buying a home in NJ - need advice from locals :) thank you!
Jan 2nd, 2015, 08:50 AM
#21
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A friend lives Metuchen and loves it. Good community feeling. On the NE Corridor line of Nj transit but much closer to the city than the more rural/suburban towns I recommended earlier.
The NE corridor line goes to Penn Station on 33rd, so it's accessible to both midtown and downtown.
The NE corridor line goes to Penn Station on 33rd, so it's accessible to both midtown and downtown.
Jan 2nd, 2015, 09:10 AM
#22
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Which area you live in depends partially on where you work in Manhattan - but east side and west side is important as well as downtown or midtown.
CT is generally more expensive than NJ and while a good commute to the east side it is not very convenient to the west side.
NJ trains come into the west side and are better for those there - either midtown or downtown.
LI is also a possibility - and those trains also come into the west side.
Not sure why anyone would think NJ is bad for midtown. And if the OP wants NJ no reason to move to CT.
CT is generally more expensive than NJ and while a good commute to the east side it is not very convenient to the west side.
NJ trains come into the west side and are better for those there - either midtown or downtown.
LI is also a possibility - and those trains also come into the west side.
Not sure why anyone would think NJ is bad for midtown. And if the OP wants NJ no reason to move to CT.
Jan 6th, 2015, 09:20 AM
#24
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I hesitated to respond as we live in Lambertville, right next to the Delaware River and Pennsylvania. I take either the train (from Hamilton) or the bus (from Lambertville or nearby Flemington) to NYC generally once a week. A daily commute would be a grind. But it is true you can start getting more for your money in places near Hamilton (like Lawrenceville or the charming but rural above mentioned Hopewell areas). And even Flemington itself isn't a bad place to live with some great bargains around and frequent 90 minute Trans Bridge bus service. Otherwise, I'd really be happy living around New Brunswick, a surprisingly cultural and hip city (well it does have Rutgers) and very convenient for commuting. And there is a new station going in on the train line from Trenton (Northwest Corridor) to NYC near North Brunswick, with some wonderful development going on there.
Coming from Florida, the biggest issue to consider for me would be the property taxes. Maybe it depends on where you buy in NJ, but around here taxes on a $600,000 house would be around $10,000 a year -- not an insignificant piece of change.
Coming from Florida, the biggest issue to consider for me would be the property taxes. Maybe it depends on where you buy in NJ, but around here taxes on a $600,000 house would be around $10,000 a year -- not an insignificant piece of change.
Jan 6th, 2015, 09:35 AM
#25
Yes, it's the property taxes I was going to mention. They're generally much lower in CT, although the initial house price may be higher. A friend of mine in Upper Montclair NJ paid more than three times the taxes I paid in Darien, for essentially the same house.
