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Shangri-La, NJ
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I grew up in New Jersey, and a close friend of ours lives maybe two miles from this town featured in a NJ.com story, but I will admit that I never heard of Winfield, New Jersey despite having driven literally right past the entrance to the town countless times over the decades. Here's why there's a feature on it: It's maybe the best-kept secret in the region, or at least it's only known to a relative few, with insanely low rents and a great location. How about $726 per month for a five-and-a-half room house close to the train into New York, right off the Garden State Parkway, tree-lined with its own elementary school, police and fire, and free childcare all summer? Safe and quiet? Okay, drawbacks: A 25-year waiting list to get in. (That doesn't mean everyone knows about it; there's just very little turnover, because people don't move out.) The homes all look alike, and either look like public apartment blocks or double-wides. The neighbors snoop on you, and there are a zillion rules on what you can do with your property. But they're nice and well-maintained inside, they're all owned by the town corporation which keeps rents low and guarantees that it'll not be sold out from under tenants, and people generally love it there. Which raises the topic for you: What towns and neighborhoods constitute the "best kept secrets" in your market? Because there's always a place that qualifies. (NJ Advance Media/NJ.com)
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