Personally I think nj is getting to expensive because of all the New Yorkers moving in. In a state like Connecticut you could get more for your value. Although if you insist on moving to nj I would recommend Montclair. They have a huge downtown with plenty of dining and shopping options that almost feels like the city. They are half an hour to city by train. It is very diverse. The houses are also close together and has friendly people. I know some friends from the city that are considering moving there to. You’ll meet a lot of people like minded to ideology’s that people have in the city. I would definitely considering looking into Montclair. If you do I can put you intouch with friends of mine that live there.