[njbchbum]

i echo the recommendation to locate in monmouth/ocean county...both have convenient access to bus and rail transportation into newark. the drive to newark is not unbearable either...anywhere from 45 mins to 75 mins depending on where one lives, time of commute and accidents.

i lived in monmouth county and rode the north jersey coast line into newark every day with minimal adventures. most commuter delays that we faced were a result of amtrak problems on the main line running from the philly/trenton area into newark/manhatten. there is just enough time on the commute to read the paper with a cup of coffee and take a cat nap - or to just take a longer nap! our door-to-door drive from monmouth county to atlantic city is 1 hr and 15 mins.

there is nothing better - socially - for someone your son's age than the jersey shore in the summer - except maybe for hoboken all year round - but the cost of living and lack of parking availability in hoboken is a downer. being able to hop on a train on a friday nite rather than face TRAFFIC on fri nite or sat is a blessing!

when i left working in the city, the up and coming area in development was jersey city - because of the housing transformation taking place there - and that because of its proximity to nyc and the move of some nyc business to jersey city for economic reasons. jersey city offers waterfront, city and suburban areas for living styles.

your son might want to contact his supervisor/boss to inquire if any of his coworkers live in the shore area so he could speak with them...and he might want to look into renting in the pier village complex in long branch - a hopping place in the summer and an enjoyable beach solitude in the off-season. asbury park offers new housing developments, too - some are loft units for that city feeling. and the western areas such as howell or farmingdale [bus transportation - not rail] offers a more country feeling what with local growing farms and horse farms scattered throughout the area.

pm me if you have specific questions - we're here in the villages now if you are, too, and would like to meet and chat.