NJ Monthly List: There's No Place Like Our Home

The Somerset Hills towns swept New Jersey Monthly's 2011 list of Best Places to Live in the state, with Bernards Township, Bernardsville and Peapack-Gladstone placing in the top 10 of a survey of all of the state's 566 municipalities.

ADDED: "I certainly am not surprised," said Mayor John Malay. "We work very hard to make Bernards a wonderful place to live."

But Malay said that he is not handing all the credit to government and officials. He said many, many volunteers staff not only local committees, but also sports activities and contribute to other aspects of life in the township.
Malay said the township also had make an effort to carefully plan out Bernards' future in such areas as open space and recreation.

The so-called twin boroughs, Peapack and Gladstone, with a 2010 census population of 2,582, placed second in the magazine's list, just after Ho-Ho-Kus in Bergen County.

Bernards Township, including Basking Ridge, Liberty Corner, Lyons and other unincorporated or village areas, placed third on the list, which actually named what New Jersey Monthly considers the top 20 best towns in New Jersey in which to reside. (Meanwhile, Bedminster Township, another Somerset Hills town, placed number 19 on the complete list.)

The website lists Bernards Township's population as 26,652, although township officials claim it is somewhat higher, on the basis that the

Of course, the township's sprawling mix of villages and outlying more rural areas undoubtedly gained marks for lifestyle factors, one of the criteria on which the list reportedly was based. The other factors includes home values, crime rates, property taxes and school performance.

More compact Bernardsville Borough, a mix of a downtown and homes of varying sizes, including the mansions on Bernardsville Mountain, ranked number eight on the list.

Here is the link to the online story.

On a cautionary note, however, Malay expressed the fear that the designation by New Jersey Monthly is a "two-edged sword."

The Bernards mayor said that any time the township, which he describes as well managed, makes the list, "in the minds of some people, it makes us a target...an example of selfishness."

Malay said it is a misconception that everyone in a town such as Bernards, which also has affordable housing units, is blessed with a high income.

The Basking Ridge Patch will add reaction to the list as the day goes on. Please let us know what — if anything — having your town listed among the top 20 best places to live in New Jersey means to you.