hello,
Most of my clients come from Brooklyn and settle in Maplewood and So Orange due to the 30 minute train ride into NYC. The inventory of homes meets any priced buyer and the towns are right out of a Norman Rockwell painting! Visit Southorangehomefinder.com and Maplewoodhomefinder.com then call me to visit. There are plenty of parks, shops, restaurents that are walking distance to these homes which is something else that folks like. it would be my please to help you. I am Cherre Schwartz a top agent not only with Weichert but in these 2 areas.

Jamie...........Sam asked this question back in March of 2008 !

I would bet he has already moved in and is enjoying life somewhere in Essex County by now!!

Hi Sam, I'm not sure there are any up and coming areas in Essex County, the good areas have been long established as good and the not as desirable areas have remained not as desirable. However there are a few hidden gems in Essex county for example the St. Cloud(upper gregory) area of West Orange, the llewellyn Park section http://(www.llewellynpark.com) of west orange and Forest Hill in Newark http://(www.fhcanewark.com). All three of these section in my experience have been appealing to people from Brooklyn and Harlem mostly because of the historic homes more so in Forest Hill and Llewellyn Park. Obviously Montclair, South Orange and Maplewood have beatiful historic homes as well but I think those areas are 'Brand Name' areas that everyone knows about.

good luck

Jamie
The Daniels Team @ Weichert Realtors

You will find good up to date selection of homes and town information at http://www.NewJerseyUniqueHomes.com

Most coming from the NY area want the mid town direct train. Maplewood & So Orange provide that and it takes about 32 minutes into NY. If you are considering moving call me. My web site is CherreDoesItAgain.com and it will give you more information on the towns.

Hi Sam,
The opportunities right now are endless! Between the lower home prices, and the interest rates, there are many bargins to be had. After living in NYC for over 10 years, I spent 2 years looking a buying a home in Westchester, CT, and many towns in NJ including Westfield, Maplewood, South Orange, West Orange, Glen Ridge and Montclair.
I spent so much time looking at homes, it was second nature for me to become a Real Estate Agent. And after all the searching was done, I felt like the areas of Maplewood and South Orange best met my needs due to the direct trains to NY, the size of the homes, the schools and the taxes. I would be more than happy to send you some local area listings or set up an appointment to meet with you. Please feel free to contact me at the below web address.
Christina Ekonomidis
BURGDORFF ERA
Maplewood, NJ 07040
917-880-0561
Christina-Ekonomidis@burgdorff.com

If you would like to see a Market Snapshot of towns in Essex county, please connect below. This also offers community and school reports plus an overview of list vs. sales prices plus days on market.
http://www.homeinsight.com/Widget/default.asp?WK7JL36V3VLE
Sandra Bolcar
RE/MAX VILLAGE SQUARE
Upper Montclair, NJ 07043
973-744-7722
sandra@thecrosskeysteam.com

The first place most New Yorkers think of or request is Montclair. It is a very cultural, trendy town with great shops and restaurants, gourmet food markets and an art museum. This being said, mostly because of the direct train line to mid-town. If your needs are transportation to work in the city, you may want to consider Bloomfield and South Orange as well. If your price range is below $350,000 you may want to consider a townhome where you get more space for your dollar but that also comes with added association fees.
There are still some places in the all the towns I have mentioned including some new townhomes under $300,000 in West Orange. There is a jitney to the train in this town. Up and coming areas are hard to determine now that the market is flattening out but towns that have been rejuvenating their image over the past few years are Bloomfield, North Newark and neighborhoods in East Orange. All very affordable. If you would like to receive my Community Reports on town demographics as well as Market Snapshots to keep you abreast of the market, do contact me at :
sandra@thecrosskeysteam.com
973-744-7722
Re/Max Village Square, Upper Montclair

ideally a SF but a Townhouse with a backyard would be ok as well.

Are you looking for a SF home or townhouse?

I think Nutley is a great area, I have many NY commuters her and we have some great complexes if your into town homes, we also have many single family homes and we have local transportation to NYC and a major airport 15 minutes away, contact me and I will send you some listings

Hi Sam. Giving the price range right now I have nothing in Caldwell or Verona unless you want to live in a complex but some possibilities in Bloomfield, Belleville, Nutley, West Orange, South Orange and Montclair. Reach out to me if you want some me to send you over some listings and/or town information. Good Luck!

Gina Chirico, Sales Associate
PNJP-Caldwell
973-228-1000 ext 132
GinaChirico@PruNewJersey.com

Thanks for the input.. my range is up to 325K

Hi Sam. Depending on your price range and what you are looking for Essex County is definitely made up of some really good towns that have a lot of different qualities depending on your needs. Some of the towns include Montclair, Verona, The Caldwells, West Orange and Bloomfield. Feel free to contact me through my email or via telephone and I can send you some information on Essex County and the towns and neighborhoods located within the County. Good Luck!

Gina Chirico
PNJP-Caldwell
973-228-1000 ext 132
GinaChirico@PruNewJersey.com

Really depends on your price range and what kind of community you are looking to reside. The Ironbound Section of Newark has been going through much revitalization. The Oranges have all been getting better and better as well. Maplewood has become popular in recent years. Truth is, much of essex county is highly desirable. Some of the pricier areas in the state are in Essex County: Short Hills, Livingston, Parts of West Orange, South Orange, Caldwells, Montclair. Knowing your price rang and needs would really help narrow it down so you could get the best value for your money and capitalize on maximizing future equity growth.