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Lazy_Osprey t1_j5hxits wrote

Just move to Hackettstown.

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njhelpplease OP t1_j5jdaec wrote

Yeah probably the easiest solution. Are you from that area?

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ItchyK t1_j5otnw9 wrote

I love Hackettstown, cool little downtown with a bunch of restaurants and breweries. Everything you might need is close by. Neighborhoods seem pretty nice, even if some are a little too McMashion'y for my liking.

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njhelpplease OP t1_j5p0nen wrote

Thanks! Yeah I think I’ll check it out also. It would just be nicest not to have to drive far at all

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Lazy_Osprey t1_j5jjy2t wrote

Yep, moved here years ago after getting a job at Mars. No longer work there but ended up stealing down in the area.

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doyouneedacookie t1_j5i1y6z wrote

Mendham, Chester, Long Valley…basically anywhere fanning east will be good options. Morris County has great schools.

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njhelpplease OP t1_j5i2bld wrote

Thanks!! I’ll take a look!

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-no-one-important- t1_j5kxy64 wrote

Long valley to hackettstown is over an hour commute, my dad did it for years. If you’re thinking of going west down 80 I wouldn’t go farther than denville. Any other commute will be too long

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-no-one-important- t1_j5ky1eb wrote

Ignore this comment I thought you meant Hackensack. I won’t delete so people can laugh at me.

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njhelpplease OP t1_j5kzbmg wrote

Haha I gotcha now. I used to drive from tenafly to morristown. That was far enough for me. Don’t plan on driving more than 40 min

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Paladin936 t1_j5hlnnj wrote

If you’re looking for upscale look at Mountain Lakes. A little less pricey, look at Denville, Rockaway or Randolph.

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njhelpplease OP t1_j5ho2c9 wrote

Not looking for upscale look at all, just the best school districts. Thanks for the suggestions!

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fun_mak21 t1_j5i1r0k wrote

Mount Olive. It's right down route 46 from Hackettstown. My sister lives there and chose to have her son go to that school district because it's good. You also have Turkey Brook Park and ITC Crossings for shopping. I know there is a Walmart and Old Navy up there. Going to Target and other stores in Hackettstown isn't too bad either.

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JustSomeGuy_56 t1_j5id1u7 wrote

Pretty much anything in the northern part of Hunterdon County. Clinton, Clinton Twsp, Califon, High Bridge, Oldwick

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njhelpplease OP t1_j5jd2wt wrote

Thanks! My friends suggested Clinton also. I’ll take another look at it!

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alissa2579 t1_j5jbx2v wrote

You need to provide more specifics on what you can afford. Mendham is very pricey. Without knowing any information I would say long valley.

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njhelpplease OP t1_j5jcwp7 wrote

750-800k is our budget. Ill check out long valley. Thanks for the recommendation!

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low_effort_shit-post t1_j5ltvx1 wrote

Near by, Roxbury, mount olive, Randolph, chester, and Rockaway.

Don't forget a lot of small towns piggie back on the larger towns for schools so Wharton goes to Morris Knowles or something and mount Arlington/landing goes to Roxbury

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njhelpplease OP t1_j5lyaqc wrote

Yes! The small towns that piggy back are harder to find so I wanted to make sure I got everything covered in this area by asking you guys

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whodisacct t1_j5hg4u3 wrote

Nothing wrong with Mendham but it is pricey. What’s your house price range and how much house are you hoping that would get you ?

Edit: Mendham is known as a great town. Median house price is $775,000 but if that’s in your budget go for it.

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njhelpplease OP t1_j5hj3h1 wrote

750-800k is our budget. Yeah we really don’t want to move to such a pricey area but we’re just trying to find the best school districts for the kids. Originally from NJ actually, moved to pa for fellowship, then pandemic hit and really messed up job market in nj and we’re finally looking into moving back to be closer to family.

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jarofpickles89 t1_j5jhk3a wrote

What’s your budget? I live in the area and can make some recommendations but they would vary greatly depending on what your budget is. FWIW Mendham is an excellent town but has always had low inventory and you will pay more for less house for sure.

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njhelpplease OP t1_j5jjjz7 wrote

750-800k. Yeah that’s what I was afraid of (paying more for less house). Other people have suggested long valley as well. Just wanted to make sure it’s a great school district. Any other recommendations?

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jarofpickles89 t1_j5jqg1d wrote

If you’re unable to find anything in Mendham I would consider Chester and Long Valley. Both have excellent schools, with Long Valley being closer in commuting distance to Hackettstown (5-15 minutes depending on if you’re on the mountain side or the valley side). I’ve lived here about 3 years and love it- very peaceful, safe town close to outdoor activities, farms and fresh food, etc. Don’t have kids but the schools are rated excellent and you get a bit more house for your budget. That being said it is definitely more rural than some other towns.

If you would prefer more options in terms of activities/restaurants/more people, I would recommend going as far south as Readington/Bridgewater areas which would put you at approx. a 40 minute commute. Bridgewater has a ton going on (shopping, restaurants, Life Time gym, hotels, Wegmans/Whole Foods, great schools, etc) as well as lots of companies headquartered there. It’s always been a competitive housing market there and you’ll still get less house for your money, but the upside is there is a ton more in the area than, in my opinion, a town like Mendham. I grew up in Bridgewater and still work in the area and would highly recommend it to raise a family. Readington, Clinton and surrounding towns are also very nice, however more rural than Bridgewater and less diverse, and still about a 40 min commuting distance to Hackettstown. Upside is you get a little more house for your money than Bridgewater.

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njhelpplease OP t1_j5jrj9t wrote

Thanks for the thoughtful response! Yeah we were looking into Chester as well and others here have suggested Long Valley. We have friends who live in Bridgewater and they love it. Clinton was suggested as well but I wasn’t sure how much it floods in that area close to the water. I really appreciate your help! We’re originally from Bergen county so I had never heard of Mendham and some of these morris county towns so it’s nice to get a good perspective from you. Thanks!

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whodisacct t1_j5jw4td wrote

I’m in Bridgewater. Multiple kids through the school district and we have been very happy here. I do wish at times it was more woodsy/remote (like Long Valley) but everything by is a trade off. You can get a very lovely house in your price range, and the schools are solid.

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njhelpplease OP t1_j5krnso wrote

Actually my friends house in bridgewater has a nice woodsy area behind the backyard but that comes with its cons also (worrying about ticks when the kids play too close to that area). But yeah great neighborhood and schools.

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whodisacct t1_j5l2e4c wrote

I mean the general area … hiking etc. much more persevered space or at least open space for that sort of thing west of me. yeah up off Washington valley road is wooded. That’s where I am too.

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Groovydogg t1_j627i4y wrote

The southern tip of sussex is just north on Allamuchy (is in warren county)...andover, stan hope, byram, newton, mansfield

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jarena009 t1_j5hqn2x wrote

Check out towns in and around Pascack Valley. Pricey in most towns but great suburbs. Note we moved to the area with a family just three years ago.

  • Montvale
  • Park Ridge
  • River Vale
  • Woodcliff Lake
  • Hillsdale
  • Westwood
  • Township of Washington
  • Emerson
  • Oradell

Slightly less expensive but also good in the area:

  • Old Tappan
  • Norwood
  • Northvale
  • Warwick
  • Ramsey
  • Mahwah

Saddle River / Upper Saddle River, Ridgewood, Ho Ho Kus, and Allendale are also nice but super pricey.

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njhelpplease OP t1_j5hts0h wrote

Thanks!! We’re from Bergen county originally so I know that area well. Nice place to move just more of a commute from Hackettstown. I’ll take a look though!

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jarena009 t1_j5m2j01 wrote

Oh sorry I misread the title as Hackensack. My bad. My suggestions are way too far from Hackettstown.

Good luck in your search. The other posters on here gave you good recommendations

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