Central NJ DISers: Need relocation advice please.

[emcb123]

Hello,
My daughter just accepted a position at Ft. Monmouth, NJ. She will be relocating from Georgia with her husband and 6 month old son. Can anyone recommend a nice, safe family-friendly area to concentrate on for an apartment search. We have been looking online and have checked Craigslist but have no point of reference. My husband and I are from Massachusetts and her husband has never been north of the Mason-Dixon line. TIA for any pointers or recommendations.

 

[java]

Apartments are few and far between around here. Some towns I know with condos for rent and are cute and family friendly= And good schools

Clinton
(if they are loaded- check out Basking Ridge for townhome rentals)
Oh and a good school system with apts in the area is New Providence.
I would be thinking in the Somerset or Hunterdon area.

But Fort Monmouth is not really Central More Jersey Shore type area. So the places I listed New Providence is probably the closest but a good 40 minutes away.
I think it is close to Edison?

I don't know where the good shore family living places are- we like Long Beach Island for vacation I don't think it is much in the off season for schools ect.

 

[NewJersey]

Plainsboro/west windsor has great schools but would be about an hour or more commute each way (It's near Princeton) How far of a commute does she want?

I know they are rebuilding Long Branch which is about 10/15 minutes from Ft. Monmouth...it's beautiful now and right on the beach. Not sure about those schools though, although if he is 6 months old that isn't too important now I guess?

Basking Ridge/Clinton are in Morris county which would be an even longer commute than plainsboro which is in Middlesex County (it borders Monmouth County where the Fort is).

I used to live in in Central Jersey (still have my family there and all my friends), Middlesex County to be exact and like Java said, Ft. Monmouth is more of Central Jersey Shore.

I think Howell is fairly close as well. Monmouth county has a ton of really nice areas but it all depends on the commute they are looking for.

 

[emcb123]

Thank you for your replies. She was hoping to keep the commute under 30 minutes, though 40 minutes for the right location would be ok as well.

 

[golfgal]

This is a good website for relocation information http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-jersey/

You should be able to get more info on this site.

 

[MM27]

I thought Fort Monmouth was on the list to be closed?

I live in Long Branch which is pretty close to the Fort. We have some very nice areas, but when looking for apartments, there are some sections of town that are totally undesirable. Beachfront houses/apartments/condos are pricey, but they have added tons of them lately.

Some neighboring towns are West Long Branch, Eatontown, Little Silver, Middletown.

Stay away from Asbury Park.

 

[dddisrunner]

I am from the Jersey Shore as well... would not consider Long Branch. Middletown is an excellent choice literally a 15-20 minute drive down Rt.35 south. Shrewsbury, Little Silver are more expensive areas. Tinton Fall just south of Eatontown is another great place to look. Good Luck!

 

[java]

Basking Ridge/Clinton are in Morris county which would be an even longer commute than plainsboro which is in Middlesex County (it borders Monmouth County where the Fort is).

Nope Basking is in Somerset and Clinton is in Hunterdon.(we live in the area)
Somerset might not be a bad place to look too-Good luck and there are plenty of nice areas- if she has a few in mind post back and we can try to give the

 

[NewJersey]

Nope Basking is in Somerset and Clinton is in Hunterdon.(we live in the area)
Somerset might not be a bad place to look too-Good luck and there are plenty of nice areas- if she has a few in mind post back and we can try to give the

Oh okay, thanks for the clarification.

Middletown is a GREAT town. I would suggest that too, along with Holmdel and Red Bank.

 

[java]

Oh okay, thanks for the clarification.

Middletown is a GREAT town. I would suggest that too, along with Holmdel and Red Bank.

I am just still pissy about the game.

 

[NewJersey]

I am just still pissy about the game.

For the sake of your sanity and in case you are PMSing I will congratulate you on a great season.

 

[GJM]

There are apartments in Eatontown. Ft. Monmouth is in Eatontown. Is she going to be working on the base?

We loved living in Eatontown, close to everything and about 10 minutes from the beach.

 

[Kathi OD]

I second or is it third the Middletown being great sentiment and also agree with Tinton Falls. While West Windsor/Plainsboro is nice, that's a long ride to Ft. Monmouth. Little Silver, Rumson, & Shrewsbury are very expensive. I'd stay as far away from Asbury Park as possible.

 

[ducklite]

I'd also suggest Middletown, and I know that there are a couple of apartment complexes there.

I *think* part of Middletown goes to one high school and part goes to another--I *think* that the North part is supposed to have the better HS, but it's been years since I knew anyone with kids there, so that might have changed.

You might want to look at renting a condo, there are plenty of them in the area, and they are often a better bet.

 

[Princess89]

Fort Monmouth is in Monmouth County, but the ride from Northern parts of Ocean is not that bad. Closest to Fort Monmouth....Tinton Falls, Shrewsbury, and Ocean Township. You can find affordable in all of the towns nearby, including Rumson.

 

[SeeDisney]

When my husband was stationed at Earle, NJ, we used to live in Thousand Oaks apartments in Atlantic Highlands, NJ. When we first pulled up that apartment complex, it had instant "curb appeal" to us. Which most others did not.

A bonus about that apartment complex --- it's only two minutes to the beaches nearby, Sandy Hook and another one??? I used to shop at the commissary at Fort Monmouth and it was only about a 25 minute ride to it.

This was about 9 and 10 years ago then when we lived there and it was pretty nice place (hoping it's still that way). The kids went to the school district in Middletown.

 

[kacaju]

Somerset County is too far if she wants to keep her commute short.
I also agree on Middletown. I grew up in Somerset County and dh grew up in Middletown right near Middletown North High School. His Mom still lives ther. It is a great town!!
Don't get me wrong, Somerset County is great too, but it is too far to commute to everyday.

 

[nja33]

Middletown is a great place. As is Holmdel and even Hazlet. If she's willing to go a little farther north Old Bridge isn't a bad place to live and depending on where in Old Bridge she'd be the commute wouldn't be bad. She should avoid Keansburg though.

 

[dani0622]

I'm going to agree with a lot of what the other posters said about towns in Monmouth Co. I live in Monmouth Co. myself and would definitely suggest Middletown or Hazlet. If they are more financially secure Holmdel and Red Bank are great towns too, but much much more expensive. Atlantic Highlands is great as well, but I think the prices are getting high over there. But my top two picks would be Middletown or Hazlet for the schools, property taxes, and cost of homes.

 

[ducklite]

Middletown is a great place. As is Holmdel and even Hazlet. If she's willing to go a little farther north Old Bridge isn't a bad place to live and depending on where in Old Bridge she'd be the commute wouldn't be bad. She should avoid Keansburg though.

IIR, Old Bridge taxes are out of control, and rents there are considerably higher as a result. Also the traffic in Old Bridge is terrible. It's a nice area, but I'm not sure it would be my first choice for the above reasons.