The exodus from New York City to New Jersey is far from over, with New Yorkers looking to escape the close quarters and the difficulty of living in the city with families during a pandemic. Some of the North Jersey towns that are in commuting distance to New York are so overcrowded now with émigrés that people have started hunting for new territory.

Enter Hillsdale. It’s an amazing Bergen county town that’s 25 miles from Times Square and close to the Garden State Parkway. A handsome, manicured community of single-family homes on well-kept spacious lots thats close enough to manhattan to have you in and out of the city in an hour on a New Jersey transit train. According to an article in the New York Times, Hillsdale, a New Jersey town I had never even heard of before, is the next great New Jersey refuge that New Yorkers have discovered and are leaving the city for.

Gone from many New Jersey towns this close to Manhattan is one of the things that is so quintessentially New Jersey that people really ask for it, and that’s a downtown. Firstly, because it brings such a charm and unique character to a town. Also, people are attracted to New Jersey cities with bustling downtown areas because, coming from the city, they are so used to walking everywhere and a thriving downtown affords them the ability to do so. Hillsdale’s downtown is booming and beautiful, with some architecture dating back to the beginning of the 20th century.

That makes it just quaint enough for choosy New Yorkers who need style as well as comfort and convenience. Hillsdale isn’t really cheap with the median housing price coming in at about $514,500. If you were lucky enough to catch one of its beautiful homes before the pandemic, you probably could’ve paid less than five. But, supply and demand being what it is, real estate there is rising, as it is everywhere within a stones throw of Manhattan. Hillsdale’s schools are known to be above average with two elementary schools and a middle school for grades five through eight. This is another reason why it is perfect for young upwardly mobile families.

That’s why the Times article calls Hillsdale the “Goldilocks“ of New Jersey because “It’s not too busy or quiet, too big or small, too cheap or expensive. “

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco. Any opinions expressed are Judi's own.

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