Considering moving to either North Jersey or DC suburbs (Maryland/Virginia), anyone lived in both?

Submitted by Aflatune t3_y0egpk in newjersey

I am researching both areas, and currently live in Boston but the housing market is insane up here.

Jersey has more access to the jobs in my industry (biotech/pharma). DC has a bit of pharma in MoCo Maryland, but not nearly as much. However, DC seems more laid-back than the NYC suburban culture. And schools/crime are also a major consideration.

Cost of living wise, both are expensive but I am thinking North Jersey would be much more than the DC area, especially with NJ taxes?

In NJ, what would be some good, affordable towns with good schools?

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gsp137 t1_irretpm wrote

Moved from Midwest to NJ, to DC (lived in DC, Md, and Va) and back to NJ. Here goes

Traffic sucks everywhere. DC area has the worst drivers, and traffic in DC is bad even in non rush hour. Not so much in NJ Cost of living is high in both areas Food is MUCH better in NJ. More genuine, less homogenized, DC has ethnic cruise, but more showcase and less real ethic (think Ironbound, Portuguese or Edison, Indian) DC has good museums and nightlife, but NJ has access to NYC and Philly.
NJ has access to mountains, shore, metropolitan areas…DC has access to the Chesapeake The real win for NJ is small towns, built on the commuter rail lines. Each has its own vibe, pros and cons, but that’s what makes NJ. Most walkable with bars, restaurants, theaters…etc.

DC area is great and I enjoyed it….but after time the focus on Government and politics make it feel a bit like a political version of Disney World….a bit plastic and artificial.

Move to NJ

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Capable_Elk_3070 t1_irrbw0g wrote

I haven't lived in the DC area, but I work in pharma and live in north/central NJ. I considered the DC area but at least in my field, there were many more positions in Jersey and I felt like that would give me more mobility to move between companies if necessary. The part of NJ with the most pharma is actually not the part closest to NYC-- I currently live in an NYC commuter area for my spouse, but I drive an hour south to get to work. We are going to be moving closer to work and will be saving a ton on housing. Most of the pharma sites are between Princeton and Morristown-ish. There are many lovely towns in that area that spans the border between north and central NJ, and there are a lot of options in terms of style of town, level of rural-ness, walkability etc. People at my career level (entryish level with PhD) are living in Piscataway, Edison, Somerville, Somerset, Morristown, Highland Park and the bosses are living in Belle Mead, Princeton and similar. I hope this is helpful!

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Aflatune OP t1_irrdn8o wrote

Great to hear from a pharma professional, and I'm glad you mentioned that most of the companies are based farther from NYC. What I like about the towns you mentioned are that they're right in the deepest concentration of pharma jobs, seem to have good schools and safety, and just far away from the city to not be too crazy but close enough for weekend trips. Super helpful, thanks!

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Capable_Elk_3070 t1_irtl0ok wrote

I'm glad that was helpful! And yeah, it's hard to go wrong with the public schools in New Jersey!

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BckOffManImAScientst t1_irrfbo1 wrote

I’ve lived in both! You get more for your money in NJ, especially if you’re buying. Also, one thing to consider is that the DC suburbs are really transient. People move there for a few years for work and then very often move again. Also, the DC work environment is very intense. While NYC can be intense, it has less of the “work is life” culture. I think some things have changed due to the pandemic, but I have a better work-life balance in NJ than I did in Nova. Also, my friends have a better work-life balance as well, so there is lot more non-work stuff happening. I’m not sure if you have kids but daycare in Nova was almost twice what it is in NJ.

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wheresthehorse t1_irr9sbn wrote

Lived in both.

Went from NJ to DC/ VA suburbs back to NJ.

NYC suburban culture is much more laid back.

Less traffic, better food and more space in NYC suburbs.

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Aflatune OP t1_irra51w wrote

Thanks ! Of course I haven't lived in either, so my assumptions may be completely wrong.

What about schools and safe towns? I have a toddler, in a few years he'll be going to elementary school. What are some good towns in North Jersey that you can recommend?

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ts2981 t1_irrckxz wrote

There are tons of amazing towns and school districts in NJ especially NNJ . These are the top of the top:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:New_Jersey_District_Factor_Group_J

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:New_Jersey_District_Factor_Group_J

You have to figure out first where in NJ you want to live. Living in the Summit area (NNJ) for example is very different from living in the Tenafly area (also NNJ).

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wheresthehorse t1_irrdixl wrote

Can’t speak on that as I have not done research on schools. Sorry

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tduke65 t1_irrdrbn wrote

If schools and crime are a concern then Jersey would be better

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ShareComprehensive97 t1_irrae41 wrote

Most of the towns in NJ have good school systems. Some are better than others. You can look on Niche to see how they rate the towns to get an idea.

There are a lot of people in Northern NJ who work in the same biotech/pharma industry.

Affordable is another question altogether. A lot depends upon what you've got to spend. You can find decent homes in the high $500ks in to the millions. What's your budget?

Englewood/Tenafly/Cresskill (and other Bergen County towns) come to mind but, again, it depends upon what you want to spend.

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Aflatune OP t1_irrawg1 wrote

My budget is up to $650K. What always pushed me away from Jersey was the taxes - it seems like it's high on all fronts (income, sales, and property). But, perhaps the salaries make up for it, or does it vary a lot from town to town? Thanks!

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ShareComprehensive97 t1_irrb4z3 wrote

A good deal of property taxes goes to the public education system. In other places, other states, people who buy a $650K home send kids to private schools.

You can live in Northern Bergen County for that budget. Great properties, Excellent schools, Bucolic neighborhoods. You likely won't get a mansion for that but a decent home.

Happy hunting!

PS, Tenafly has one of the highest rated public school systems in the State. Also, Demarest. Prices are high there but they are softening somewhat.

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Aflatune OP t1_irrbsqz wrote

Thanks a lot! This is super helpful. I'll keep that in mind - will look into Tenafly and that area.

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burton614 t1_irrci6c wrote

I agree Bergen county is nice. I went to FDU and lived off campus. Easy access to NYC and awesome food. I’m a Cape May County native, so I ended up moving home. Much slower down here, great place to raise a family. Cheaper too.

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Capable_Elk_3070 t1_irtlh6k wrote

I'm the other pharma worker that commented previously. I grew up in Tenafly actually, but it would be about an hour to Merck, BMS, J and J etc. I would be looking further south! Tenafly is a beautiful town with fantastic public schools, but it's not in the right part of the state.

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Top_Ad5385 t1_irtzdgk wrote

Definitely look at Cranford and Westfield as well.

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ShareComprehensive97 t1_irrcb79 wrote

Well, don't feel bad if it's difficult to find something in Tenafly or Demarest. Because of the schools there, prices stay high & homes move fast.

But the schools are great all the way up to the NYS border. Look up towns in Northern Bergen County (ie, Cresskill, Haworth, Harrington Park, Northvale, Norwood, Wyckoff, Ridgewood, Emerson, Park Ridge, River Vale, Westwood, Hillsdale). They're all very commutable. Some towns have commuter trains & they all have buses if you don't want to drive (but most people commuting in-state do drive.)

Good luck.

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KeyBox6804 t1_irswoy5 wrote

So we went from college in CT, to the Jersey Shore (real shore not the horrible MTV show), to NOVA then back to the shore. We lived in NOVA for 6 years. Traffic is terrible almost all the time. Used to take me 30-45 minutes to go 6 miles. There was a great diversity of food around DC which we really liked but that was the best part. I worked in government relations but it felt like everything was political. It gets old fast. We have been back in NJ 10 years & I don’t think we will leave again.

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Rudeboy76 t1_irrf9ne wrote

My partner is in pharma and I grew up surrounded by pharma . Hunterdon county is quiet spread out area very pretty but also very white and trump country. I enjoy flemington for what it is and being close to lambertville and new hope is great . I work from home and have to Go Into nyc every once In awhile . It’s a crap commute if you take mass transit or drive . But it’s not so bad .

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Mosdefinately t1_irrssqt wrote

Lived in DC/Maryland suburb and now live in Northern NJ. Based on your post even without knowing other variables (family, etc…). I would say DC/Maryland is far superior. You will hear this all the time; your mileage my vary blah blah. NJ has the worst drivers I have experienced in my 21 years of driving (based on my time in Midwest, The South, and Middle East like Iraq). Of course this is all anecdotal, I don’t have the data to support. A sober driver drove their car thru my neighbors front door for example, and there are maybe 1,000 other examples.

You get more for your money in DC/Maryland suburbs. And the school systems are superior depending on where you look. We lived in blue ribbon area and had minimal taxes in Maryland.

The people are much nicer. In NJ my neighbor left her dogs out for 6 hours when it was cold and I went to check on her, she threatened to shoot me in my face if I ever knocked on her door again. Plus countless more examples.

Traffic sucks everywhere but Route 17 is a nightmare 24/7 compared to the major routes I drove in Maryland.

I work in healthcare, and the market is vastly superior in Maryland. Compensation is equal to NJ and with the 25% lower cost of living (depends where and how you live) your money goes further.

Maryland/DC suburbs have tons of trails and hiking places very close by. B&A trail is very popular and easy to access year round and very well maintained. NJ has some solid hikes too but they are very crowded and far to commute to depending on where you live.

NJ has a lot of corruption that affects you personally. The Maryland corruption is white collar stuff in my experience, unless you are super rich/poor you aren’t affected much.

The weather is far superior in DC/Maryland especially if you are coming from Boston. If you love really cold weather that’s the only aspect that north NJ has a leg up.

Good food is highly subjective. I had some of the best kabob, Italian, and other “fancy” cuisine in Maryland/DC. NJ has better pizza but that’s about it. All places have delis and the sort there is no real advantage.

This is just my own two cents. Access to museums and other fun stuff is significantly easier to access in Maryland/DC than NJ. I just went to Bronx zoo and it took 30 min to get there and 79 min to come back. Again your experience may vary.

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Aflatune OP t1_irvm9c3 wrote

Thanks ! I'm going to be visiting both DC and Jersey month, will spend a few days in both with daily just to get a feel for it. I'll keep your thoughts in mind. Weather In DC definitely is one of the reasons I'm considering it.

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