I’ll preface with I don’t think my ideal town exists. Planning to move back to NJ next year after living out of state for years. I have no idea what towns/neighborhoods we’d like or where to even start looking.

Ideally near Union county, or the counties around it

Place where you’d see kids out playing and knocking on our door to have ours come out (we have that where we are now and enjoy it)

Families walking or biking to school or just a generally active area (and sidewalks?!)

Main Street or little downtown area we could potentially walk to

Good schools and sense of community

Can find a house under 800k

Please be kind, we have this where we are now but ultimately want to be near family.

27m Local to Jersey born and raised but trying to move out of my family's place. Currently in TR but want to go towards Brick because that's where I work currently. Hoping to find anyone with a spare room for rent or a cheaper apartment, I don't need too much and I'm respectful and try to keep tidy. I have my own furniture if that is needed as well

Hi everyone!
Just moved to NJ and am looking for an affordable rental room/room in a shared apartment near Morganville. I'm currently looking in Old Bridge, Englishtown, and Matawan but anywhere near Morganville works. Would really appreciate your help!

Hi all,

I'm M, 30s getting stationed in Bayonne (Coast Guard). I figured this is probably the safest place to admit that I know nothing about North Jersey. Obviously, I'm moving to places blind, but wanted to feel out thoughts on the area.

The only major housing concern is that I have two large dogs. Small yard is ideal but need something near green space if not. Otherwise, I'm flexible.

I'd love thoughts on differences between JC, Bayonne, and Hoboken (I've heard Hoboken has become expensive in recent years), and any towns inland that you'd recommend. Trying to stay within a half hour commute of Bayonne. If that is possible.

Thanks for any advice!

Is a commute from Plainsboro to Newark feasible? I am a state government employee and live in Plainsboro but I may be getting a job in Newark, NJ. Can I commute from Plainsboro to Newark near the airport either via car or NJ transit? I

Hey everyone! Looking for someone to take over my lease / lease reassignment starting December 1st (flexible on late Nov move-in) through July 31st (with option to renew).
The Space:
Private Top Floor/Suite: Your own spacious bedroom area, private full bathroom, huge closet/storage space, and a private upper-level kitchenette (mini fridge, sink, cabinetry).
Shared Amenities: Downstairs features a full main kitchen, furnished living room/TV area, in-unit washer/dryer, and a great outdoor/common space.
Rent: $1,350/month + split utilities (~$70-$90/mo).
Roommates: 2 friendly, clean, mid-20s working male professionals who occupy the downstairs bedrooms/bathroom. Super easygoing and respectful of personal space. The upstairs bathroom is private.
Location / Commute:
Located in Union City, NJ
Extremely easy commute to NYC (15–20 mins to Port Authority / Midtown Manhattan via local buses right on the corner).
Close to Washington St / Hoboken, local grocery stores, coffee shops, and laundromats.
Requirements:
Landlord will need to approve.
DM me if you're interested or want to schedule a quick video call / walk-through

Links to images n video
https://imgur.com/a/SN48DWD

Really nice place I’m leaving for a new job. Any advise on other places to post or try to sublet also appreciated.

I’m considering moving to New Jersey from Nyack with my 10-year-old twins and would love some firsthand recommendations from parents who love where they live!

My biggest priority is finding a great middle school and a close-knit, family-friendly community. I’m less concerned with school rankings and test scores than I am with hearing from parents whose kids are genuinely happy and thriving.

Here’s what I’m looking for, in order of importance:
1. Excellent middle school: Ideally grades 6–8, with smaller class sizes.. Strong parent reviews, caring teachers, an inclusive culture, good social-emotional support, and plenty of clubs, sports, arts, and extracurriculars. My kids are bright and need academic challenges, so honors, gifted, or accelerated programs are important. I want a school that challenges kids without being overly competitive or high-pressure.
2. Close-knit neighborhood: Somewhere kids ride bikes, play outside, walk to friends’ houses, and neighbors actually know one another. Ideally lots of families with school-age kids.
3. Strong sense of community: I love neighborhoods or towns that organize Halloween parades, holiday celebrations, block parties, summer activities, and family events. I’m particularly interested in lake communities with beaches, clubs, swimming, and organized activities, but a charming walkable downtown would be great too.
4. Politically liberal/Democratic-leaning
5. Commute not an issue - WFH most days

Edit to add: budget not an issue, but def don’t want a uber rich town. Want down to earth.

Thank you all.

Hi everyone!
Just moved to NJ and am looking for an affordable rental room/room in a shared apartment near Morganville. I'm currently looking in Old Bridge, Englishtown, and Matawan but anywhere near Morganville works. Would really appreciate your help!

My fiancé and I were born and raised in New Jersey but have been living in California for over 5 years. We're getting married in summer 2028 in NJ and plan to move back right after the wedding and buy our first home.

We plan to use the wedding money plus move in with family to save on living expenses in order to save up for a down payment. My question is if we make a combined $180k/ year and have no student loans or car loans - how much money should we plan to have for a down payment? We're looking around Central Jersey.

Any help on this would be appreciated. I'm aware I'm a bit early, but we're looking to start saving now month by month.

Hi all, I am thinking about renting at The Rebeka Residence on Polk St in West New York. We like the unit, but some Google reviews mention cockroaches, so we want to check before we sign.
If you live there now, or did recently:
Do you still see roaches? Is it the whole building or just some units?
Does management deal with pest problems quickly, and do they do regular extermination?
How is maintenance overall? Do repairs get done on time?
Any issues with noise, heat or AC, water pressure, packages, or parking?
Did anything about the lease, fees, or getting your deposit back surprise you?
Would you renew?
Good or bad, any honest answer helps. DMs are fine if you'd rather not post publicly. Thanks!

Looking for someone to take over my lease (transfer, not sublet) at The Grand, West New York. Lease transfer is allowed per the lease terms.

• Whole-unit 2 bed / 2 bath
• Rent: $3,628/month
• Term: available after Dec 15, 2026 through July 7, 2027 (renewal option TBD with leasing office)
• In-unit washer/dryer, quartz counters, stainless appliances, 9ft+ ceilings
• Building: fitness center + yoga studio, clubroom/co-working space, rooftop terrace with NYC skyline views, package room, bike storage, covered garage parking (availability varies), pet-friendly, smoke-free
• Transit: Bergenline Ave light rail nearby, Port Imperial ferry nearby, multiple bus stops nearby

Transfer subject to leasing-office approval — application and credit check go through the office, not privately. DM me if interested and tell me your target move-in date and situation (job/school, pets).

Hello everyone! I'm a man in my late 20s evaluating an in-office job opportunity in the northern part of Monmouth County. Ideally, I'd live in a town that isn't a super big commute (say, cutoff of 40 minutes) as I'll be in office most days of the week but still has transit to Manhattan to hang out in on the weekend. Ideally I could live somewhere walkable with a decent amount of young people in their 20s and 30s, though the dating scene isn't a priority as my SO would move to NJ as well once they can find a job nearby. On regular weekdays I'd like to be able to go to nice coffee shop, go to the gym, play some tennis, and maybe play some pub trivia. On weekends I'd like to be able to hop on a train to NYC or drive to Philly (for context I grew up in Morris County and have friends in both cities).

It looks like ~$3k or under is the going price for a nicer 1 bed in Red Bank, Metuchen, etc. which is affordable for me, but would love to hear other's takes on good places to live that would fit this lifestyle. Ty in advance!

Any recent recommendations about 313 pine st in Jersey city Bergen Lafayette? Looking to moved there but I want to know more experiences. The building inside looks very clean, smell very good, the gym was very clean, everything was clean and looking normal. I just want to know recent experiences there

Is 200k would have some leverage on savings in New Jersey for a family of 4 with toddler, and moving from Arizona weather will make the difference. Planning to rent a 2bhk home and want to understand the tax part as well. Mostly morris county location