The eternal question for those of us who are tied to NYC through jobs and general culture is: where do I go if I choose to leave the city? How do I maintain a short commute to NYC, not only for may daily commute for work, but also to see shows, have dinner and enjoy urban life and all the enriching culture that comes with it still? We want the best of both worlds - good schools, affordable housing, space to grow our families or to retire in peace...all within a 30 minute drive to the most exciting city in the world (okay, rush hour traffic aside...).
For those of you looking to make the move, Bloomberg BusinessWeek published a recent article highlighting an often over-looked community, Clark, NJ. With a population under 14,000 and a median family income just under $100k/year, this is a town that has managed to maintain lower taxes (5k-9k/year), while still having excellent schools, relatively low crime and pollution, lots of green space in relationship to developed space as well as have a fair commute to NYC if you need it. It doesn't have its own station, but nearby stations do provide train access. There is a handful of newer construction homes that top almost $1M in home price, but there are also a large number of reasonable starter homes that range between 300k-550k. These prices, coupled with a lower tax rate, often make for more affordable living, as well as a nice community vibe (town pool, small schools, golf & tennis, parks, etc.).
Check out the article for more information: http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/best-affordable-suburbs-in-america-2010
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