These Monmouth County natives were ready to head back to their home state – with a few new priorities
After nearly a decade spent in Manhattan and Brooklyn, Michelle and Zac – both Monmouth County, New Jersey natives – knew it was time to make a move.
“We loved city life,” says Michelle. “But we knew we wanted to end up back in New Jersey, and it felt like the right time.” In October 2023, they reached out to Suburban Jungle to help them start exploring. While they knew their hometowns, the couple wanted to ensure they were doing their due diligence and finding the right community to call “home.” Their Strategist, Alli Levine dove right in.
Exploring Northern New Jersey
“For Michelle and Zac, proximity was key,” says Alli. “They wanted to be closer to the city versus going back to their hometowns. So we launched into a full suburban search, exploring communities that checked their boxes and ensured a balance of proximity to the city and also to family.”
Working with Suburban Jungle, Michelle and Zac zeroed in on their priorities, with an eye on location, commute, and a sense of community. They also wanted to ensure that, post-move, there would be plenty to do without having to head into the city.
“We really didn’t know where to start,” says Michelle, “so we had our initial strategy call with Alli and she was just excellent and very thorough. She asked us so many questions – things we didn’t even think to think about.”
With Michelle and Zac’s priorities and Alli’s local insights in mind, they worked closely together, developing a comprehensive strategy. The goal: get to know towns in Northern New Jersey that aligned with the couple’s short- and long-term wants, needs, and goals.
“We started with Westfield, Montclair, North Caldwell, and Livingston,” Zac says. While there were plenty of positives to each of the communities they toured, ultimately Livingston popped to the top of their list. “We loved Livingston for a lot of reasons. One of the things that really stood was the diversity in types of homes – there were single-family homes, townhouses…lots of options in our price range.”
Leaning into Livingston
After continuing to explore different neighborhoods, the couple settled on a newly-built townhome. “It really made the transition smoother,” Michelle says. “It’s a beautiful community, only three years old, so the previous owners had done a really nice job with all the finishes here. We really haven’t had to do anything aside from paint. We’ve really been enjoying it.”
The couple closed in June and, when we connected, were just one week into their new life in suburbia.
“We loved living in the city so much, but now being able to have a car, go to the grocery store and put your bags in the trunk instead of hauling them down… I think we’re learning to appreciate the little things,” Michelle says.
Zac agrees.
“We’ve been here a very short amount of time but we’ve been able to explore a couple of the surrounding neighborhoods, which have been great,” he says. “There’s lots of cool surrounding towns and things to do. The proximity to the city has been nice as well.”
Now, looking ahead, Michelle and Zac are enjoying the added space and the simple pleasures – exploring their surroundings, meeting their neighbors, and getting acclimated to suburban life.
“We are excited for what’s next!” Michelle says.
Ready to make a move? Schedule your free Suburbs Strategy session now.
