These are the Best Towns in New Jersey

There are so many charming and beautiful places to live in NJ. We decide where to raise their families based on the school system, neighborhood, quality of life, price of homes, crime, access to shopping, parks and entertainment options.

New Jersey has been named the sixth-best state to raise a family. So it’s no surprise that several lifestyle-based sites have released their favorite towns in NJ for the year.

Niche placed Princeton Junction as its favorite town. Princeton Junction is actually a part of West Windsor Twp. Often confused with its sister municipality of Princeton, Princeton Junction is a much smaller area with less than 2,000 residents. Most homes here are single-family or townhouses. The public school system shares its two high schools, the north and south campuses, with Plainsboro Twp. Residents benefit from Ronald Rogers Arboretum, the West Windsor Arts Council and the Princeton Junction train station, plus they aren’t too far from Palmer Square, Princeton University or McCarter Theatre Center.

The Crazy Tourist named North Arlington its top spot. North Arlington was originally part of Hudson County, then transferred to Bergen County in 1852. Its history is steeped in Native American culture and copper mine industry. Today, it’s a 2.6-square-mile mainly residential area with a small town atmosphere with Hudson and Essex counties as neighbors. NYC and the Meadowlands Sports Complex (including American Dream!) are easily accessible by car or train so commuters flock to the town. There are mostly one-family homes with some two-family homes and garden apartment complexes. Children and adults are treated to rec sports programs, holiday celebrations, senior citizens programs and small parks, plus local shopping on Ridge Road or the Secaucus Outlets approximately 15 minutes away.

Fort Lee ranks No. 1 according to Nomad. Fort Lee is located along the Hudson River, so the views are spectacular. There’s lots of history and culture here, including the Art & Music Festival, Historic Park (where you can boat, hike, kayak and cycle), the Fort Lee Museum and film sites. If you live here, you’ve most likely had some Korean BBQ. Head to Hazard Beach during the summer or for a winter stroll. There are also plenty of Revolutionary War sites around since Fort Lee was an American military encampment, which makes for great teaching moments for your kids.

Here are the full rankings from the lists:

The best places to live, according to Niche:

1. Princeton Junction
2. Mountain Lakes
3. Ridgewood
4. Princeton
5. Princeton Meadows
6. Upper Montclair
7. Haworth
8. Monmouth Junction
9. Glen Rock
10. Ho-Ho-Kus

The best places to live in NJ, according to The Crazy Tourist:

1. North Arlington
2. Ridgewood
3. White Meadow Lake
4. Princeton
5. Oradell
6. Edison Twp.
7. Saddle Brook
8. Succasunna
9. Ho-Ho-Kus
10. Little Silver

The best places to live, according to Nomad:

1. Fort Lee
2. Jersey City
3. Millburn
4. Ocean City
5. Cherry Hill
6. Englewood Cliffs
7. Princeton
8. Cresskill Borough

READ MORE:
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