what is the best place to live in Northern NJ...country environment with easy commute to NYC?
368615
I swear by Morris County.  Only 30-40 miles from NYC with easy commuting by train or bus if you don't want to drive.  The area is beautiful, congestion isn't bad and it becomes even less congested the further west you go.
1144108
It's a great place for a recent college grad to live, especially since your job is not far.  But you have to be aware of a couple of things:\n\n1.  During the winter most of the towns at the shore are ghost towns.  Very little activity and a lot of businesses aren't even open.  You can still find the necessities but there isn't nearly as much activity as during the spring and summer.\n\n2.  You can't even think about trying to rent a place until August.  Right now the rents are sky high for summer rentals.  In August start making the rounds and if you plan on staying there then make sure you sign a lease that carries you through the summer without an increase in rent.\n\nAs for a specific town, take your pic.  Belmar is great in the summer but very quiet in winter.  The further south you go, the more quiet it gets until you start nearing Atlantic City.  Then the activity (and costs) pick up.\n\nSpeak to a realtor who specializes in summer rentals.  They probably have plenty of clients who would love to rent out a place for the entire year.\n\nGood luck and enjoy!
828358
Princeton and Rutgers are the only great universities in New Jersey. \n\nThe College of New Jersey (formerly known as Trenton State) is a decent regional school that US News & World Reports ranks as one of the better schools in its category.\n\nBeyond these three schools, there is not a college in the state that I would want to go to.\n\nSeton Hall is the best known of the other universities in NJ -- but is really not a very good school.  It is a third tier national university that is not particularly selective.\n\nFairleigh Dickenson, Monmouth College, Montclair State, Rider and Rowan are all schools inthe same category as The College of New Jersey that do not rank nearly as high.\n\nIf you want to be near New Jersey, there are lots of good colleges in eastern Pennsylvania, including University of Pennsylvania, Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr, Villanova, Haverford, Lehigh and Bucknell.
856450
Can't be done! In fact, living there may jeopardize your ability to converse in English. This is the reason most New Yorkers rarely cross the Hudson unless there's a good concert over there.\n\nJust kidding! There are the Berlitz schools all over NJ - not to mention more colleges & language schools than you can shake an obi at.
650996
I think she's asking which is the best university in New Jersey? \n\nWell, if that's the question, the most prestigious university in NJ is Princeton. But there are other excellent schools in that state, including Rutgers - New Brunswick, Stevens Institute of Technology, Drew University, and then of course there are all the fine schools in NY.
448549
I used to live in New York....not the city, the state...central new york...syracuse..great place. Well if you're talking about the city it's because there are a lot of shops and you can try out for all sorts of movies and plays and become a model, try to persue a singing career, you name it, new york city has got it. Although it's expensive, almost everyone likes it better because a lot of us are attracted to expensive things because they are the best.
95033
It depends upon what you want as far as weather, community, and other amenities you are looking for.\nA house next to a stream in a wooded mountain region sounds very enjoyable and peaceful, but it needs to be close enough to a city/town for shopping and the like.  Could be UT, CO, NM, AZ, NC, TN, KY, GA, CA, NV.
1073785
Washington D.C lots of opportunity probably not much cheaper cost of living tho.  Its hard to find that combination that your looking for.  Hey! I just remembered The Golden triangle in North Carolina is great.  That's Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill Where Duke University and University of North Carolina are located.   Beautiful  weather to.  A bit hot in summer but not so cold in the winter.
650392
Generally everything below W 110th and E 96th are considered very safe. Safer than most places in the United States. Above those street boudaries lyes Harlem and eventually the Bronx. Not that all of Harlem is that bad anymore. Or the Bronx for that matter. Manhattan in the last ten years has almost completely cleaned up and turned into a very nice place to live.\n\nThe upper east side still has the best schools in Manhattan, but most of the Manhattan schools are of very high caliber.\n\nAs far as price goes, it's all over the board. There are a lot of affordable deals in lower Manhattan because of post-911 rebuilding. The upper east side is still more expensive than the upper west. Tribeca is quite expensive, but the lower east side, and neighborhoods surrounding NYU are generally cheaper.
162138
Its a good place with lots of nature  eg. lot of lakes and well developed cities , only thing its very cold like chicago and new york so check out the temperatures if you are from warm areas. Population is mostly european and asian. Lot of business , Land is also reasonably priced - good place to settle down.
1017202
a previous writer was right - cheap and in expensive are oxymoron's- you need to add more info- where will you be working? will you be driving < using public transportation ?will you need to get to a mosque, synagogue, or a church on regular basis  ? things to consider. \nBrooklyn like all  New York boroughs is a collection of small-for new york-ethnic towns with all the positives and negatives that brings. Me I' d live in Bay Ridge
758510
As a native New Yorker you have plenty of options. It really depends on what type of properety you are looking for such as condo, co-op or even a house. There are many neighborhoods in Brookly, Queens, Bronx and Harlem that are a quick train ride to NYC. It really depends in parts of Brooklyn such as Brooklyn Heights you will pay Manhattan prices but a less congested feel; in Dumbo you will pay between 700-800sf for a new  condo in a nice neighborhood. Queens such as Forest Hills, Bayside you can get a decent condo for $500k+ that is a short commute. As I mentioned it really depends what you want; NY has something for everyone. E-mail if you need any further assistance.
330662
New York City !!!!!!!! in addition to the culture it has like 20 degrees in winter 80 degrees in summer 60 in spirng and fall..... \nIt is beautifalll\n\nalso Minneapolis ... but it's a little on the colder side but beautifal falls and spirngs
909655
East brunswick, Metchen, North Brunswick,  Colts Neck, Marlboro... All of these places are in central jersey, the school systems are great in these areas, and houses in the areas are good
318829
Queens Borough NYC is the most ethnically diverse county in the United States, and one of the most diverse in the world.  If you want to experience a new culture, Queens has enclaves of many many different groups.  Plus you'd get the New York Job market.  Since you're clearly multilingual with Japanese and English, it seems to me that getting a green card/working visa should not be a huge problem.  The weather is glorious in the spring and autumn, and if you don't mind heat the summers are nice too. \n\nPS  I lived in Japan for a few years recently.  New York has a high cost of living, but nothing compared to Tokyo.
196520
try philadelphia , Queens NY, Boston MA, California\nI heard these are some of the top states.
153989
I was born in New Jersey and the only thing I have heard people say about N.J. is just how bad it is in the cities and that the people are mean. But I like New Jersey so it don't matter.