Best town in north Jersey

[302w 83]

Denville always came off as snooty to me. Also, there are a lot of... Interesting students at Knolls.

[Malsua 1,422]

Uhm. Yeah. No.

 

Malsua, can you please explain?

 

Weekend- I used to live on 1st & willow.... Wish Hob was better- I loved that apartment.

 

I used to live across from Nishuane park.     The neighborhood isn't that great and gets worse the further south you go towards West Orange.  The upside was free rap music!   It was also a thriving marketplace.  You could buy anything you wanted there!  Guns, drugs, whores, you name it all at bargain prices. 

[DeerSlayer 241]

Denville always came off as snooty to me. Also, there are a lot of... Interesting students at Knolls.

The People in Shongum possibly, same for the Shongum section of Randolph. Many of the people that live there think they're from Mendham or Morris Twp. But they're not lol... Knolls is a good school. Definitely better then Hills since half of Dover goes there. My mom works there at Hills & Knolls. I work for Morris Tec. All three schools are pretty decent.

[Grendel327 0]

Thanks all! I really appreciate the info.

 

How's about Verona? Anyone have any experience or advice?

 

Thanks again

[Luke_WO 11]

Thanks all! I really appreciate the info.

 

How's about Verona? Anyone have any experience or advice?

 

Thanks again

I don't know anything about their 2A mentality or P2P process, but Verona is a very nice and very small town. Group 1 school, the type where it seems everyone knows everyone, which could be good or bad I suppose. There's no area of Verona that's noticeably subpar compared to the rest, in my opinion. It's pretty much all middle class to upper middle class in my experience. Doesn't have the top end wealth of a Montclair, but doesn't approach the bottom end that Montclair has either. Bloomfield Ave. runs through the main stretch of it, with lots of good restaurants and some bars. (Verona Inn, Frank Anthony's, Bella Gente to name a few), and keep going along Bloomfield Ave. and you'll head into Caldwell where's there's plenty of stuff too.

 

I don't know about commute as far as bus service (obviously there's some, I just don't know where), but I know there's several train stations that run to NY Penn all within a 10 minute local drive.

 

Right next to Verona is Cedar Grove, which shares many similar characteristics (very small, no bad areas), and I know property taxes in CG are very reasonable given what people I know have shared with me. Cedar Grove does boast a police force that seems to lead the state in traffic stops, though. Not sure how that reflects on their 2A process.

[Kevin125 4,772]

Franklin Lakes does permits in about a week... It has been 15 years since I got my. FID so I don't recall how long but I don't recall it being an issue.

HoHo-Kus is a nice town. Lived there for a year. 1 hour door to door to midtown via bus. Walked to bus stop. Near Saddle River ($$$$) so maybe decent permit times. Nearby towns nice as well. Ridgewood, etc.

 

I work in NYC and am considering move to PA. 2 hr commute now so it won't be any worse most days.

[Kevin125 4,772]

Thanks all! I really appreciate the info.

How's about Verona? Anyone have any experience or advice?

Thanks again

Worked there on Bloomfield Ave for 4 yrs in 90's. Really nice town. Schools top notch. No idea what 2A situation is but it's getting into D territory, so maybe not great.

[Luke_WO 11]

Keep in mind also that Verona and Cedar Grove are in Essex County, which is as "blue" as blue can get. Some towns obviously much more than others, but the county as a whole is very liberal. Both towns I are within 10 minutes of Newark & Irvington, also. I'd hardly say Newark interferes with the daily life of a Verona citizen, but it could be something to consider.

 

Like I said, I'm 25 and have lived in West Orange my whole life, and while I feel secure where I live, sometimes it's impossible to ignore how close you are to the war zone. And I've also had to come to terms with the fact that as long as I'm here, I'll never see a conservative mayor or town council. Lol.

[DeerSlayer 241]

Thanks all! I really appreciate the info.

 

How's about Verona? Anyone have any experience or advice?

 

Thanks again

I know when I go there to work on someone's home I can't park my van in the street in front of the house because there's an ordnance against commercial vehicles being parked on the street. I have to make the homeowner move their car into the road so I can park in the driveway. If they don't have a driveway they don't get, water, hot water, heat, or air conditioning from me. It's kinda silly if you ask me.

[Rob0115 1,105]

Thanks all! I really appreciate the info.

 

How's about Verona? Anyone have any experience or advice?

 

Thanks again

It is one of the best school districts in NJ

[Grendel327 0]

Hey guys. We looked at a few houses this weekend in Montclair and Verona. I now lnow what you guy were saying about Montclair... super nice to and then not so much.

 

And info on Rutherford?

 

Thanks again

[AVB-AMG 530]

Grendel327:

 

As one forum member's observation and opinion, I believe you have now received quite a few opinions from this forum and maybe it is now time for you to make some decisions on your own....

At what point do you decide for yourself what towns appeal to you, based on what you have heard from others, but more importantly, what you have learned and seen on your own, using your own list of priorities....? 
If you have not figured it out yet, everybody has an opinion, good and/or bad, about the town where they currently reside, as well as may have previously lived.  As the old saying goes:  "If you ask 10 people their opinion about something you will most likely get 10 different opinions....".

 

Otherwise, if you are still not sure how to narrow down your search for a new home in some town in NJ, you may want to consider another option:
That option is for each and all of us in this fourm, whom so desires to, will cast our "vote" as to what town in NJ you should move to. 

We can tally the votes and you will then be obliged to focus your house search in that community, ultimately taking away from you what is appearing to become a very challenging choice for you and making a final decision for you.

 

Good luck!

[Malsua 1,422]

I'll reiterate what I believe to be the #1 criteria for working in Manhattan and living in NJ.   Make sure you're within walking distance of the train, OR a short driving distance and they have adequate parking.   Taking the bus blows.  Driving is insane.  All of the other considerations won't make a bit of a difference if you have a variable 60-150 minute commute each way, every day.

[Luke_WO 11]

I'll reiterate what I believe to be the #1 criteria for working in Manhattan and living in NJ. Make sure you're within walking distance of the train, OR a short driving distance and they have adequate parking. Taking the bus blows. Driving is insane. All of the other considerations won't make a bit of a difference if you have a variable 60-150 minute commute each way, every day.

This.

 

The bus is pretty easy and doesn't generally fall victim to traffic due to bus lanes into the city, but taking the bus just sucks, there's no way around that.

 

To drive into NYC every day makes you certifiable, as far as I'm concerned. The train is by far the best way. And having a station either within walking distance or inside a 10 minute drive with adequate parking is an absolute gold mine as far as commute. How you manage your NYC commute really is the aspect that will determine just how miserable (or stress free) your day to day life will be living in Northern NJ.

[mikeyjones 88]

Last set of permits in Montville took 6 days.

 

Good schools,mreasonable taxes for NJ and CNN rates it in the top 20 places in the U.S to live. I'll sell you my house I'm moving to Florida.

You must be friends with the chief. Never had permits processed faster than 2 months there.

 

 

Western Morris county (Chester, Mendham, mt olive, etc ) are awesome from a 2a perspective but suck in terms of a commute. When I switch jobs and am forced to take another one in the city, I'm moving much closer.

[Malsua 1,422]

This.

 

The bus is pretty easy and doesn't generally fall victim to traffic due to bus lanes into the city, but taking the bus just sucks, there's no way around that.

 

To drive into NYC every day makes you certifiable, as far as I'm concerned. The train is by far the best way. And having a station either within walking distance or inside a 10 minute drive with adequate parking is an absolute gold mine as far as commute. How you manage your NYC commute really is the aspect that will determine just how miserable (or stress free) your day to day life will be living in Northern NJ.

 

I rarely had to drive into the city during the weekday rush.   Perhaps 6 times a year.   Nothing makes you want to take the bus more than driving the car into the city.   I worked at 3rd and 40th so I could basically follow 40th across town the entire way and park in the garage behind the building.   Once out of the tunnel that mile would sometimes take upwards of 30 minutes and this after sitting on the helix for 20 minutes after spending 45 minutes to get to the helix.   If some numbnutz cracked up, you may as well go home and come back 2 hours later.

[Handyman 5,682]

Asking about the best town in NJ is like asking about the cleanest restroom stall in a Turnpike rest stop.

[Springfield1911 22]

Do NOT move to Montclair. The town tried to ban leaf blowers.

[Handyman 5,682]

Do NOT move to Montclair. The town tried to ban leaf blowers.

Don't worry they won't ban them outright. They'll just make and elaborate, expensive permitting system.

[T Bill 649]

Asking about the best town in NJ is like asking about the cleanest restroom stall in a Turnpike rest stop.

LOL, very good, I like that analogy. Is Essex county's nuthouse check still screwed up? Was a time that was taking forever due to flooded/damaged records.  Montclair is in Essex County. 

[mipafox 438]

Asking about the best town in NJ is like asking about the cleanest restroom stall in a Turnpike rest stop.

I would check with McGreevey on that.

[CageFighter 236]

screw Bergen Co, come to MORRIS CO.   too much ego in BC!

[mipafox 438]

 

screw Bergen Co, come to MORRIS CO.   too much ego in BC!

 

 

Nice train in Morris with many stops in good neighborhoods. I had an employee that walked there from work to meet his GF in NY at night.

[BullzeyeNJ 104]

I was in Towaco last weekend at a BBQ. Nice little town with a train station built in for nyc commuting. I know its a part of Montville and is in Morris County. Property taxes are more reasonable then what I pay in Passaic County and their schools are good.

[Rob0115 1,105]

And the train is next to the new Rails steakhouse so when you get off it can be Martini time.

[Rob0115 1,105]

BTW, you speak of the commute to NYC.  Is that Midtown or Downtown?  It would impact your decision.