453 State Rout 28, Bridgewater, NJ; $424,999
22 Elmara Drive, Bridgewater, NJ; $549,000
Lyle and I both grew up in the suburbs, he in a suburb of New York City and me in a suburb of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Although we've both been living in NYC for almost a decade, we often ask ourselves if heading out of the city would be the right choice for us.
I align family and success with the owning of a home. Growing up, condo/apartment living didn't cross my mind as an option. The longer I stay in the city the more I realize that a condo can be as much of a home as a house, but that suburban-raised part of me is still very much interested in the prospect of a single-family house amongst cul-de-sacs and country clubs with a front porch, a garage and backyard with a bbq.
In April, Joseph Berger wrote an article for the NYTimes that described the sharp decline of young adults moving to the suburbs. Many are staying in the city, as a generation is "becoming drawn to denser, more compact urban environments that offer a number of amenities within walking distance of where they live."
That's exactly our hesitation with moving out to suburbia. Would we be able to give up the walkability? The numerous public transportation options? Heck, the oodles of restaurants on Seamless???
That said, our community search would not be complete unless we understand what these peripheral communities have to offer. So when Lyle and I traveled to Bridgewater, New Jersey last weekend for the wedding of our friends, Veronica and Ryan, we thought we'd give the neighborhood a drive.
Left: 7 Jenna Dr., $475,000; Top Right: 2 Bogart Dr., $629,000; Bottom Right: 2 Danberry Ln., $539,000
Bridgewater is in central, northern New Jersey about fifty miles from midtown Manhattan. It's the quintessential suburb, with organized streets and well-manicured lawns. Volvos and Mercedes are parked in the driveways of these semi-affordable homes. Although we can appreciate the stable comfort these suburban neighborhoods can offer, something about the ticky tacky just doesn't give us jazz hands.
Although our hands weren't jazzy, our feet certainly were at the Raritan Vallery Country Club. Later that day, we had an amazing time celebrating Veronique and Ryan and dancing the afternoon away!
