ga9497

I currently live in NJ and have been thinking lately of moving to a different state.

For those of you that have moved just because you wanted to how do you start looking at where you want to go.

The things I do know is that I want to stay on the East Coast and need a place that has good schools for the kids and prefer a city vs a rural area

This is in the very beginning stages of thinking about the move and I am looking for direction on how to start a process like this

Any direction, suggestions, advice?

HonestAbe

You'll get this very advice from alot of people, but you gotta see the place. While you can do research on paper, you can't make these decisions without seeing a place first hand.

I need a place that grabs me a bit.. that speaks to me. That is how I've always decided to live where I did.

I'd recommend a road trip. If you want the east coast, Start in Maine and cruise all the down to Georgia. Do a little research on the good schools before hand so you know what detours to take.

You'll know it when you see it. Believe me.

ga9497

Thanks

Any advice where I can start a research on schools? As you can tell I am very green at moving. Never have

I do realize I have to go to a place and see it for myself and spend some time there. I just don't know what places to even start looking to spend time at.

One other thing is that I do want to move south of NJ and not north.

ga9497

I should say I have never moved out of state in my adult life. My parents moved a couple of time to different cities of NJ but still in the same county

Fodorite018

I agree, road trips are the best way to get started. Keep notes of what you want in a town.

A couple web sites for after you have narrowed it down a bit include www.greatschools.net and www.city-data.com. The first one is obviously about schools...shows their report card, demographics, etc. It is a great resource, but do not rely on that alone. Go talk to the school principals. Not just at one school in a district...but at each level...elementary, middle and high schools. The City Data website has great forums where you can a ton of information.

Enjoy Moving can be a lot of fun! We have done it a lot thanks to the military, but also moved after my husband retired. It is always an adventure

LoveItaly

Hi ga, may I suggest that you also check out the health facilities also, hospitals, doctors etc. Best wishes.

Dukey

You might also want to consider the local tax rates to include the real estate tax rate, whether or not the state has a state income tax and the overall cost of living.

But I think the place has to physically/visually APPEAL for it to be a viable option. You should be able to get up EVERY DAY and be happy you moved there for at least several good reasons.

You can also get "good schools" without moving but, of course, it might mean sending the children away somewhere which many prefer not to do.

I also think you really need to ask yourself WHY you want to move and what is it about your current location that you no longer like andcan that be changed without moving?

ga9497

Dukey
We do not want to send the children away to school. We actually want to be involved in their every day school life and enjoy watching them grow

There are a few reasons we want to move, some are personal, some are just because our area is so congested and everything from taxes to housing, etc is through the roof. Basically to get from one end of town to the other it can take 30 minutes or more, this is only for a distance of about 7-10 miles

diann

I totally agree with HonestAbe. He is honestly hitting the nail of the head. When you "see it you will know it." I had that experience many years ago. I was living in the state, but I drove up to a community that I didn't know existed. A cute shopping center, many trees, scenic, and something just clicked with me. I knew I wanted to live there for a very long time. I did just that. I think also you don't mention, your career goals. I would think the availablity of work would play an important role in your decision. I know NJ well and I would not be at all shocked to want to move away from NJ. When you want the East Coast well there are only so many places on the East Coast. That narrows down the decision. Atlanta seems to be a popular place these days. I would certainly want to go south if it were myself.

rhrd

NJ has all of the things you mention. Congestion is much less in Hunterdon and Warren counties, as well as some areas in the south of the state. South Jersey also gets a lot less snow.

Personally, I may end up moving to Virginia at some point, or more generally vaguely near D.C. There are jobs there for me and my spouse, and there are good schools to be found.

I don't understand the comment about 30 minutes to go 7-10 miles. Don't you think this would be the case in most cities and crowded suburbs? I do agree that NJ within 30 minutes of NYC is horribly congested (much more so than 20 years ago, when it was just congested), and you basically have to stick with interstates in some areas and travel twice as far to avoid traffic.

Also remember that the further south you get, the more afraid people are of snow. Went on a business trip to Virginia, and people were driving 10 mph in four by fours while me and my colleague were zipping by them in a compact car when there was less than an inch of snow on the ground.

You might want to start by ruling out states. If you want south of NJ, but still near the coast, think MD, DE, VA, NC, SC, GA. There are only so many cities in the last three, the first three are more like NJ.

HonestAbe

I've heard that some of the cities lying outside of Atlanta, such as Macon, provide good quality of life. I'd be hesitant of Atlanta if one of your goals is to try to get away from traffic. Studies show that Atlanta traffic is only getting worse.

Other places south of Jersey that I personnaly like are the far reaches of the DC metro in northern Virginia, such as Loudoun county (as long as you don't have to commute into the city!!).

I've always enjoyed the Raleigh Durham area, including Chapel Hill and Cary. Very comfortable area for me.

Some of the North Carolina resorty places around Asheville or Pinehurst would be a neat place to live, but don't know anything about their schools.

And I've always heard great things about the Charlotte area.

You need to do an I-95 road trip in the near future.

suze

How do you feel about weather? Will that be a primary consideration?

If you don't mind a more harsh winter... How about taking a vacation up into Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire to look around?

I have moved state to state a number of times. The most recently was when I was on a vacation to Seattle, and it felt like home, so I moved here (from back east).

Hazelmn

For me, the job situation would be a big deal. Is your work the type where you could compare several different offers, or more the type where you move to a place first and then find a job second?

I'm with Suze.... for me, I'd prefer the northest. There are some beautiful places up there. I was very very close to moving to Hanover, NH at one time. Decided not too, but I'm still in love with that town.

placeu2

Couple of on line resources for you. I do not have exact addresses here but:

places rated
money magazine
findyourspot.com

your local library (mine has online access to research such as this)

Finally the good old US government is chock full of data via the census pages.

JJ5

Really consider what you have described yourself. Think about what you said and keep saying.

Nearly every near city, or near urban centered environment has traffic. Near me in burbs Chicago it is literally 45 minutes for a 3 mile stretch in best Western and Southern burbs with all you mention. I don't think you have what you think you want, WITHOUT traffic, congestion and taxes.

It will be a much less urban environment that you are looking for if you want less of the mentioned above.

Good luck, because it is definitely worth the seeking and doing. And have fun doing it. Take the drives and look. I totally agree with the "it will find you" and "you'll know it" crowd.

I also would note state tax structures, walkability, public services considered a "given" (these widely, widely differ between states- I could not live without excellent libraries) and how much your job REALLY pays you re the living standards of the location.

It sounds complex, but it really isn't if you roam and look after a few eliminations.

jersey

I live in Hunterdon county and have for the past nine years. Before that I lived in Essex county for fifteen years. When we moved to Hunterdon County is was rural and we called five cars at a light a traffic jam. Now the congestion is crazy and the reason we left Essex County is now the reason we are leaving NJ this summer. (OK, also my youngest is graduating from high school and we want to down size.) The real estate taxes are beyond ridiculous. My daughters high school graduating class is over eight hundred. Every where you look there are larger and larger new homes being built and more and more traffic. The cow and horse farms are becoming a thing of the past.

So were going to Virginia. Our two youngest will be in college in Fredericksburg. And we love the Chesapeake Bay area. The taxes are almost nonexistant compared to NJ. And I'll still be within an hour of an airport (we love to travel).

I agree that you should do some research on line and then get in your car. My youngest daughter's friend moved to Charlottesville last year and loves it. Our neighbors are also moving to Virginia this year but in the Lake Anna region.

Good luck, there's a lot to choose from but when you see it you'll know.

Carpetbagger

I'm a NJ resident who has lived elsewhere (Northern VA, Western MA & New Orleans) before returning to Essex County.
If I was to recommend one area to look at, it would be Alexandria or Arlington, VA. Real Estate prices will be the same as Jersey, but you will see significant savings in income tax, property tax and car insurance while your wages would likely stay the same.
As other posters mentioned, all urban areas have traffic problems but in my experience, you will reduce the a**hole quotient - that is the number of people who will sit on their horns, or who think their time is more valuable than everyone else's and try to ride on the shoulder and squeeze in at the last moment (anyone who has experienced Rt.3 just before the Lincoln tunnel will know exactly what I mean).

You'll have to lower your expectations on what is considered good pizza or Italian bread, but you can't have everything.
Good luck with your search!

Dukey

I never said you HAD to send your kids away to school; just that it is an option.

Believe me when I tell you that I live in Arlington, Virginia, and you will NOT have to lower any expectations about good bread or pizza. There are just as many real Italians down here as there are up there; perhaps they're a bit more refined down here, who knows?

Hazelmn

Glad I'm not the only one who likes the DC area. Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax.... all great places to live, in my book.

nytraveler

It sounds like you're looking for something that doesn;t exist.

You want to live near a city and you want good schools.

But you don;t want traffic or high texes or high living expenses.

These don;t go together.

Living near a city mean traffic. And good schools are always expensive (either more expensive communities, or higher school taxes or sending kids to private schools).

Naturally the farther you are froma city the lower the cost of living - but the more time sepent on commute (unless you can work from home). And tpically in areas that are developing school costs are high - since the infrastructure for educating more kids isn;t therre yet.

The main thing I believe you've left out of the equation is work. Don;t know what sort of jobs/careers you have - but unless you work at home you need to consider not just cost of living but cost of living versus salaries. (Living costs in nearby NJ are high - but so are salaries. If you go to a much smaller city/town it will be cheper - but how much will you be able to earn?)