I have a potential job opportunity in New Jersey- most likely Princeton. My husband and I are from Minneapolis- what are thoughts on life there? It sounds like NJ gets a bad rap- but what are communities like there? How are schools? Is it possible to live between Philly/Princeton and commute to either, or not? I'm heading out there next week, just wanted to get some general thoughts. I realize cost of living would be higher, but love the idea of being within a couple hours of the ocean and having some more diversity.

Princeton proper is a beautiful town that predates the American Revolution. Trenton is the capital of NJ, while the governor lives in Princeton, which tells you something. Can't tell you about the schools, though I suspect the public schools are good. In any event, Lawrenceville Academy, which has a fair reputation, is just up the road.

Princeton is a lovely area with good schools. Extremely expensive housing. Many people commute into NYC from there. Also not far from some very nice Philadelphia suburbs in Bucks County.

NJ is great in so many ways.

I live a bit west of Princeton near the Delaware River and every day on my drive to work I am amazed by the scenery and landscape around me.(OK but at this time of year its a bit grey and not that great)

If you take the time to get off the State Highways (like Route 1 and 206) you will find a charming state full of history, sophistication and beauty.

My brother and his wife live in Minneapolis. They come out to NJ about 3 times a year. They usually spend a week at the beach and love the fact that there are NO MOSQUITOS in places like Ocean Grove and we can hangout in the back yard all evening.

They particularly like coming out here around Christmas because even in December and January you can get a 55 degree day and you can walk through town or walk on the boardwalk or take a hike. Plus ski resorts are not far away.
They have commented that there are more arts, culture, clubs and activities in our county than in the whole state of Minnesota.

Schools vary from town to town but are generally very good.

And finally, you can live between Philly and Princeton and commute via rail. May want to check out quaint little Bordentown City which is on the light rail line and would be a reasonable commute both ways.

While you are here, you may want to take a drive out to Lambertville... take a drive west on Route 514, or check out Plainsboro and Cranbury.
Good luck.

I live north just north of Princeton in Flemington. Princeton is not only a lovely town but the home of world famous Princeton University so you know there will be much offered culturally. The downside is it is sooo expensive. Many people who work in NJ live in PA (lower taxes) and so the commute is a nightmare. There are still some towns that surround Princeton that are not too pricey, Hillsborough and Montgomery, while not inexpensive are cheaper then Princeton.

NJ always gets a bad rap in the media. People really do think it stinks and is nothing but pavement. The truth is very different. There is a reason we are named The Garden State. We have both lovely rolling hills and the ocean. And Princeton is almost halfway between NYC and Philly. Come visit, you'll most likely be surprised at how lovely NJ is.

I grew up in NW NJ and had a wonderful childhood. Princeton is a great town and a pretty one. It is very expensive to live almost anywhere in NJ. Every town growing up had their own school system. So choose wisely where you live. I grew up in a great town with good schools, two miles away, the schools were awful. NJ does get a bad rap. We have some of the nicest ocean beaches on the east coast. The area you are looking to reside in is very pretty. The mountains are not that far. And of course you have new york city just a short distance away. Your weather will be warmer than where you are coming from (you will still get snow, but it comes usually starting in Dec., not Oct.!!) It is a great place to live. Good luck.

I grew up in NYC and now live in New Jersey.

As previously stated, New Jersey gets a bad rap. Some of the downside that you'll hear is true, too much traffic in certain parts and congestion. In terms of taxation, NJ isn't at the top in terms of total tax burden, but we are at the bottom in terms of what we receive back from the Federal government (about $0.62 for ever dollar sent to Washington.)

But, NJ also has some of the best public schools in the country and some fantastic suburban areas. (For that, you should expect to pay at least $400,000 for a home that might be a fixer upper in a nice suburb like Princeton. But, you should also be prepared to pay $700,000 or more for something like a newer 4 or 5 bedroom.)

While property taxes can be high in some towns, in other the tax rates are much less.

In terms of thinking about where you want to live, I suggest you check the following two websites.

www.prunj.com will list all of Prudentials NJ listings by county or town. Weichert is also a large broker for the area.

NJ has great school reporting data that will easily allow you to see detailed data on every public school and school system in the state.

http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc03/index.html

Princeton certainly is a lovely town! Another great town nearby to check in to housing is West Windsor, NJ. It has been rated # 1 in public schools for the state. There is a private school in East Windsor called The Peddie School, which is very expensive and very well known. As someone else said, Trenton is not nice. It is the capital, but I assume most State's capital cities are probabaly the same. Have a great trip! Great restaurants in Princeton!

I too was born in NY but have lived most of my adult life in NJ. We presently reside in northern NJ and love it, aside from the very high real estate taxes and traffic nightmares. You could also consider Monroe Township or Cranbury, which is a stone's throw from Princeton, with much more reasonable real estate and taxes.

Good luck.

My parents live in New Jersey right outside NYC part of the year and I cannot begin to tell you how much I love visiting but would be in hell living there.

Property taxes are a nightmare. I'm not talking about huge mansions but your every day 1500 foot ranch house.

Traffic is always a beast. I've never seen light traffic anywhere.

Towns just run into each other. Town after town after town.

Some of the pluses are there are just gorgeous parts of New Jersey. Stunning vistas and coastline.

Terrific public schools.

Excellent mass transportation.

In reply to GoTravel- outside of the cities is a nightmare no matter what state you live in. Having moved to central NJ from 15 miles outside of NYC I can tell you it is really different. Not just the traffic but the mentality of the people living in the country. It is quieter, slower, and more laid back. For how long, no one knows as urban sprawl is encroaching everywhere.

Really, I wouldn't want to move to NJ just because of the taxes alone. But since I both live and work here (and I was raised for most of my life in NJ) I have to state it isn't anywhere near as awful as we are reported to be. JMHO.

Best bet is to come for a visit.

jersey, please understand I am not trashing New Jersey at all. There are some wonderful things about it and I love visiting.

In my situation, I would hate to live there. Remember, I'm miserable when the temps fall below 75 degrees and have not seen snow outside a ski resort in years.

Remember, south and north Jersey are two very different areas. One option for you is to check out the Cherry Hill area in south Jersey. The commute between there and Princeton would be about an hour (?) each way, but the plus side is that the housing prices would be lower than Princeton, and Cherry Hill has an excellent school district. Plus you'd only be 15 minutes from Philly, and the traffic between the two is not the nightmare that it is between NY and north Jersey.

The only other potential downside to Jersey that I haven't seen others mention yet is the car insurance! Prepare to be gouged. However GEICO just moved back to the state which is a great alternative to the other price hikers.

I visited NJ last spring for the first time and was pleasantly surprised. It's a pretty nice place. I'd never been there and just heard all the negative things people say. It has it's drawbacks as people have mentioned, but it's a nice place overall.

Another nearby town to consider is South Brunswick (which is where I live). You're about 10 minutes from downtown Princeton via Route 1 or Route 27. Excellent school system! Not sure if you have kids, but there are a great many inexpensive activities for kids (ie, $20 for recreation basketball, $55 for recreation soccer, etc.). I've been living in this town for 12 years, and think it's great. Housing prices can be a bit steep, but not as much as other surrounding towns and our property taxes are among the lowest in Middlesex County.