If you like NJ Transit, try taking intercity trains in Western Europe or Japan if you ever get a chance. Such a nice way to travel!

Curious what your motivation is for learning the language? Spanish can have lots of regional variations and slang so this might be important for you.

Dominicans, Mexicans, Spaniards, etc. all speak very differently. Think of the difference between English from Australia, the north of England, or Texas and you get a sense of how varied Spanish can be.

The Spanish you use informally with friends or a love interest may not be appropriate if you plan to converse in a professional setting with colleagues or business clients.

I recommend a low-cost community college course as a good way to get an understanding of grammar and fundamentals.

Don't get too caught up on the absolute rankings of the districts either. These rankings will change from year to year but you will usually see the same districts up there in the top 50.

The key is finding a municipality where the residents consider investment in the schools to be a top priority and fortunately we have many.

What's important is moving into a school community that works for you. This means factoring in things like language programs, sports programs, music programs, a good HSA, etc. And the housing prices and and local taxes have to work for your personal situation.

Broadway uptown (like Times Sq area) or Broadway downtown (like near the Wall St. bull statue)?

SeaStreak is definitely the best way to get from Jersey Shore to Manhattan. It's expensive compared to NJ Transit but you can do the math and see if it's worth it to you.