Feedback on NJ towns

Submitted by ringsandthings125 t3_125uc4e in newjersey

Hi everyone, hoping to get some thoughts and opinions from people here who know the area better than I do. My husband and I currently live in South Jersey close to Philly. We like the area but are looking to buy a home soon. Things are expensive here yes, but moreso just expensive for what you’d get. We recently started looking at more of the state and it seems like we could get a lot more property and a larger home for less money if we go a bit north and west. We’d love to have a little bit of land which isn’t really feasible where we currently are.

Does anyone here have any general feedback on areas such as Flemington, Clinton, Alexandria Twp, Lebanon, etc? I’m seeing a decent amount of listings there but neither of us grew up near there so don’t know much. For context we are in our mid/late 20s and will likely have children soon, so it would be great to be in an area with younger people and families if any of these towns fit that bill. Also open to any feedback on other towns that might fit these things too!

Thank you!

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JerseyWiseguy t1_je5zan9 wrote

Hunterdon county is one of the wealthiest counties in the entire nation, based on median household income. So, while it's not perfect, by any means, it is a generally nice place to live--nice schools, low crime, plenty of local amenities, etc. Personally, I don't like all of the traffic in Fleminton, itself, though there is a lot available there. I've lived in the Clinton/Annandale area, and it's very nice--I have never seen so many Porsche SUVs anywhere else. The area is picturesque, and there are a lot of little ritzy shops and restaurants there. It's not unusual to walk into downtown Clinton on a summer weekend to find live bands playing on the street and young couple taking their kids to trendy ice cream shops. Alexandria Twp. is more rural--lots more farms and bigger properties. Lebanon isn't quite as fancy, but there is a lot nearby, as it's close commuter routes (22 & I-78).

In sum, the Hunterdon area is nice--nicer than a lot of NJ--and a good place to live and raise kids. That is, if you can afford to live there.

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ringsandthings125 OP t1_je5znul wrote

Thank you, this is very helpful and I appreciate the info about the towns! I didn’t know that about Hunterdon and I’ve lived in NJ my whole life! I’m definitely seeing expensive homes, but I’m also seeing a larger amount of mid range options compared to where we currently are, so it actually seems more affordable to us haha.

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peter-doubt t1_je5zgo5 wrote

Rt31 corridor...

I'm from South Jersey originally.. I found a few key things to look at when picking a place up here....

  • Beware of topography... A deep snow + spring rain can truly flood the creeks and rivers... The Delaware north of Belvedere (I know, not your market) got it a few years ago. In the hills, rock nis near the surface, and the soil doesn't drain as fast as in the south (but your clay may be an exception) .. look for a basement sump pump.. then ask about interior water history. Combine that with avoiding lowlands.

  • most of that strip feels remote.. little easy transportation to any city, so you likely need your own. Near the Trenton or Clinton ends it's a bit better.

  • The last time I was frequently in the area, it looked like Pittstown to Clinton were growing.. look a bit there. Know that Clinton has that "desirable" tag that runs prices up.

  • you may want to rent until you find a school system to settle into... Taxes often vary wildly around that issue.

Best of luck. Bring the Panzarottis!

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ringsandthings125 OP t1_je9viku wrote

This was really helpful, thank you! Basement flooding is something I’m familiar with and hope to never experience again lol.

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GreatShazbot t1_je608mx wrote

Hunterdon is a very sleepy place, not much to do around here. Been here all my life, if you enjoy nature we’re smack in the middle of lots of it lol. Flemington and Phillipsburg are our major cities but I only go to them to shop, there’s not much in them either. You’ll find that most things are spread out including people, I wouldn’t say anyone is anti-social around here lol but you’ll definitely find most keep to themselves.

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PracticableSolution t1_je6o9vi wrote

How far north are you willing to go? I’m a huge fan of the Highlands area, particularly West Milford. Good schools, lakes, and hiking. Light in the pesky humans.

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ringsandthings125 OP t1_je9unlz wrote

Haha this made me laugh a lot but not because of anything you said! That’s actually where my husband was born and raised so we’re familiar! But that’s exactly why he isn’t interested either lol. Thank you, I appreciate the idea!

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Quiet_Ad_9718 t1_je76hqg wrote

Honestly can’t say enough good things about this area. I live just north of where you’re looking about 3 miles off of Route 78. I have 2 acres, an 1800s farm house, a barn, a small guest cabin, a pond, etc…all tucked quietly in the woods on a private lane. I’ve posted pictures of my property elsewhere on Reddit and people can’t even believe it’s New Jersey, yet I can get on Route 78 and be in Manhattan in 50 minutes with no traffic. My kids attend the public schools here which are extremely well funded with small class sizes, highly trained teachers and lots of individualized instruction. They will go to North Hunterdon High School which is excellent. The other towns you mention go to Voorhees and Del Val which are also very good but I’m partial to NHHS.

Despite what is sometimes said about this region of the state we have a lot of “cultural exchange” in this area in that you have a mix of middle to upper middle class professionals who come from elsewhere to make this their home, locals who have gone out and seen the world and come back bringing that perspective with them (restaurants, local live music) and folks from the NYC metro area who weekend or end up settling here. That makes for a pretty robust local restaurant/pub scene that has really come along since the end of COVID. Clustered around the Route 31/Route 78 corridor you have Pattenburg House, Inn at Glen Gardner, Muddy Waters, Circa, Little York Tavern, Cryan’s, Juniper Hill, etc…all of which are big on local food and local beer. Downtown Clinton is great just for walking around, outdoor music in the summer, probably the best independent coffee shop in NJ (Citispot).

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ringsandthings125 OP t1_je9vpyf wrote

Wow, your property sounds like my dream haha! Sounds incredible. Thanks for responding!

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pleuvonics t1_je86mv0 wrote

If you’re looking for beautiful, remote landscape that’s the area. Zero nightlife, incredibly conservative area. The scenery doesn’t make up for it for me.

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Quiet_Ad_9718 t1_je9ce9n wrote

Overly broad and unfair characterization-see my post above. It’s no secret that Hunterdon is a red county but perhaps more importantly it’s an educated county. More often than not you encounter people here who are professionals of one kind of another, highly educated and well traveled. I’ll take that any day regardless of their politics.

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pleuvonics t1_je9lcdt wrote

Your post is why I had to chime in. Hunterdon county doesn’t feel safe or friendly to marginalized groups. People being educated doesn’t really make a difference.

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Quiet_Ad_9718 t1_jecox3h wrote

I suppose whether it “feels safe” and whether it is safe are two different things. As far as marginalized groups go my daughter has two good friends one of whom is of South Asian descent whose immigrant parents are university professors and one of whom is of Caribbean descent whose immigrant parents work in biotech. Their perspective and experience is enriching and additive and I’m certainly glad that no one (presumably) told them “DON’T MOVE TO HUNTERDON COUNTY!!! EVERYONE THERE IS A RACIST!!!” Lambertville and Frenchtown and to a lesser extent Clinton all have vibrant LGBTQ communities, Lambertville had an openly gay female Mayor recently and Union Township currently has an openly gay Mayor. That said…do we still have enclaves of poor ignorant white trash that like to fly their Confederate flags now and then? Sure, but their numbers dwindle everyday and quite frankly their opinions matter about as much as they contribute to society-which is nothing.

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SquirrelEnthusiast t1_je67396 wrote

I just moved outside of Flemington about 4 years ago to raise my kids here. Hunterdon really does fall in its own little category in NJ.

If you're looking for a family friendly place to raise kids, this is a great place to be. There's a ton of events, farms parks, places within 30-40 minutes for younger kids. Adults and teens though, I mean its kind of dull here, unless you like it that way.

I don't understand what people are talking about when they mention traffic up here. Literally anywhere else in the state south or east has more traffic. I've lived all around and .. Flemington is not bad.

For you right now, there's a bunch of good breweries, there's good local food and farmers markets, but anything other than american classic food is gonna be not great compared to anywhere else in the state. Still only found two good pizza places, and that's stretching it.

Its also very red here. Some blue speckled here and there, but you're gonna see Trump shit all day everywhere you go.

If you're looking for any other specifics like an area in particular feel free to DM me, I've been doing my best to explore the county since we moved and I mean, I like it a lot. Its way better than South Jersey. But many places are.

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ringsandthings125 OP t1_je9vmui wrote

Thank you, I appreciate the info! I think we will go up and take a drive around soon. The family friendly info is particularly helpful.

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