Drummond Dr, New Jersey

I am of course biased because this is where I live.
I searched for a home in NJ for about 5 years, focusing on the areas of Skillman, Montgomery, East Amwell, and Hopewell/Pennington. I saw many homes during that time and formed strong opinions about the type of neighborhood I wanted for my future kids. Princeton Farms was my first choice and I hunted out “for sale” signs like a predator every weekend. When I found a “for sale by owner” sign I had to pounce quickly and decisively.

The Princeton Farms development is a small development in a quiet little suburban/rural community. The homes are all about 35+ years old, there are lots of mature trees, and there is a nice blend of ranches and two-story colonials. I prefer it to other developments because the lots are the "right" size for the modest-sized homes. I state the obvious for those who live here, but for the out-of-staters I feel I must mention that in NJ many developments have huge McMansions stuffed onto tiny lots all standing shoulder-to shoulder. There is literally more room inside the houses than outside. The Princeton Farms development is different because it is older. It has modest homes, all different styles, with modest lots. No ostentation, just good, honest, and yes, neighborly neighbors. (Insert Mr. Roger’s theme song here.)

The neighborhood is located just north of Pennington Boro. Surrounding that town are suburban developments from $5-million-plus estates, large-acre horse farms, and everything all the way down to small retiree townhouses. I would place Princeton Farms on the middle of the scale. I must mention that there is a LOT of Preserved land in the area, so although most of NJ is known for "overdeveloping", this area is trying to learn from other town's mistakes. (I grew up in Edison, NJ and can remember a time when there were cows and horses on Grove Avenue. So I am very biased against over-developing.)

Local public schools are superb and there are also many private school options available, although these are steeply priced. This neighborhood is in high demand and homes rarely go on the market. Most of the original families moved allowing for a second wave of owners who now have pre-teens/ teenaged kids. A third wave is starting to come in now as people re-locate for job demands or to escape the tax hikes. I am a member of the third wave with a 1-yr old. There are a lot of kids in the neighborhood.

The neighborhood is directly adjacent to a preserved farmland called the "Stonybrook Watershed Nature Reserve" which has an organic co-op farm, hiking and biking trails, and a nature reserve which does a lot of educational stuff for kids (I can't wait to take my son on the nocturnal animal hike). Nearby is the little town of Pennington with little boutique shops, spas and tiny restaurants interspersed among the quaint residences, and slightly further away is the boro of Hopewell with many antique shops. Every year you can watch the re-enactment of Washington Crossing the Delaware, which he did here in Pennington way back when. I haven’t gone yet but I plan to visit the nearby Howell Living History Farm. A little further East is my favorite place, Terhune Orchards which is in Lawrenceville. This is a wonderful farm with lots of animals to visit, pick-your own apples/peaches/strawberries/pumpkins, and a great farm store for lazy people like me who don’t want to pick their own anything. Equidistant are Princeton with its University and many one-of-a-kind boutique shopping options, Flemington with its outlets, and Lambertville/New Hope with its blend of quirky dining/shopping choices. For the kids, Sesame Place is not far south, just over the Delaware. For urban excitement you can go to either NYC or Philly. I’m not a shore person but there’s always that option if you want to drive east for about an hour. (A Jersey girl who hates the shore?!! Yep. That’s me.) Drive west for an hour and a half and you could go to Hershey park.

Now we come to the issue of NJ Taxes: high and trending ever higher. When we purchased our single-family 4 bedroom colonial the taxes were steep at just over $7K per year. The latest tax hike got us above $12K. And we’re the “modest” neighborhood. I know people who went from $12K to $17K annually. Yikes. Quite a few neighbors and friends are planning to move out-of-state because of this. If you want to stay in NJ, this is one of those things you have to learn to deal with. I’m not going to start complaining about the corrupt politicians in NJ, the world is already aware we have them.

Princeton Farms is also one of the few developments that is hooked up to sewer service. Most homes in the area have septic systems, which usually have nightmarish situations when attempting to buy or sell a home. I was adamant to avoid a septic system at all costs. Now I eat those words, because the sewer fees are outrageous. I'm talking $300+ per QUARTER. That's over $1200 per year for SEWER services. I honestly thought it was a typo when the disclosures were made. It is the only source of complaint about the neighborhood I have heard from anyone who lives here. The explanation is that the sewer pipes are deteriorating to the point that rainwater is seeping in and the water treatment facility charges by the volume of water it receives. So we’re paying to treat rainwater along with the actual wastewater. The township is slowly repairing the lines but so far no change in cost. I am not holding my breath.

So in a nutshell, Princeton Farms a great neighborhood in a great town, but in a very costly state to live in.