The name Metuchen was derived from the name of a Native American chief known as Matouchin, who lived between 1630 and 1700. The word "Metachen" or "Matouchin" either means "rolling hills" (foothills of the Watchung range) or "firewood" (dry firewood was supposedly abundant in the region).
Metuchen is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, and is a part of the New York Metropolitan area
The name Metuchen was derived from the name of a Native American chief known as Matouchin, who lived between 1630 and 1700. The word "Metachen" or "Matouchin" either means "rolling hills" (foothills of the Watchung range) or "firewood" (dry firewood was supposedly abundant in the region).
Metuchen is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, and is a part of the New York Metropolitan area. Located at the heart of central New Jersey, it is often called as the borough. The borough also has a reputation as a prestigious place to live due to its modern suburban ideal of a small-town life where people can escape the fast pace of the city grew much popularity. It often captures the spirit of "Small Town USA" complete with its own Main Street stores for the residents daily services and parks for recreational activities. Its accessibility to New York City and New Brunswick enhanced that reputation even more because of the extreme accessibility of the transportation going in and out of those popular cities. A Main Street store is within the city to provide the daily services needed by the residents. Parks and sports complex type of facilities are also located within the city in order to provide recreational activities for the residents and attract non-residents into the city, as well.
Thinking what type of lodging may be available for you? Housing units in Metuchen may vary from one-bedroom apartments for rent to two-bedroom apartment for rent and high-rise apartments. Property rentals are relatively more expensive in Metuchen than the other town and cities around it, which are also more populated compared to Metuchen. But don't worry, for there will always be an available place fit for your budget -- you just have to allocate a decent amount of time in doing your apartment search in order to find the right apartment or house, and then add at the most 30 days to close on it.
Also, make sure to review your financial information such as credit score / profile, income, debts and your budget, for it takes about 30 days to get together and meet with a lender to make sure your financing is in order. It is also advised to take the time to talk to a realty agent who can act as your apartment locator and help you find that right home, and also to advise you regarding your financial budget. When everything is ready, you'll be all set to take that seat as the new resident in the "small town USA," where everything is within reach and anywhere is just a few minutes ride away.
Metuchen is differentiated from its more modern suburban neighbor towns through its age. The city has many restored historic homes that retained its historic character and now bring the city a timeless charm. Metuchen is composed of five neighborhoods, namely:
Robinvale: An urban neighborhood described as a small area with a lifestyle of a fine big city.
Christol Street / Grove Avenue: A wealthy urban neighborhood as well located at the northeast side of Metuchen. It is said that the Robinvale and Grove Avenue neighborhoods were created by Mr. Robbins (a housing developer) to be convenient stops for people passing and bound for New York City.
Borough Center: A classy suburban neighborhood located at the center of Metuchen.
Menlo Park Terrace: An urban neighborhood with a charming feel to it, boasting properties built in the "Baby Boom" era back in the year 1945-1964.
Main Street / High Street: A neighborhood that has an "urban sophistication" having a community inclined to culture and refined taste to luxurious living. It is also where the main shopping area is also located.
Metuchen is differentiated from its more modern suburban neighbor towns through its age. The city has many restored historic homes that retained its historic character and bring the city a timeless charm. The borough was strategically set up in a way that residents will be encouraged to walk or jog down its tree-lined streets, frequently drop by the parks (Middlesex Greenway, Dismal Swamp, Thomas Pond Park, Centennial Park) and its eight playgrounds, nine ball fields (including Little League field), tennis courts, a municipal swimming pool for sports and recreational activities and to shop in the quaint Main Street stores in the city.
It is in these Main Street stores that the residents often get to know their local merchants and receive personalized service that they don't usually get from large chain stores in the nearby shopping malls. The Metuchen municipal pool complex attracts both residents and non-residents with its new and expanded snack bar, covered eating area, instructional swim classes and offers different social activities for different age groups. Another place for gatherings and to be or stay fit in Metuchen is the Metuchen-Edison YMCA, which provides comprehensive health and fitness programs for all age groups, including several exercise classes, state-of-the-art exercise equipment and aquatic programs. It professes to be the leader in the development of services for the elderly and physically challenged, and to be the largest provider of child care in the Middlesex County.
Metuchen offers many activities that involve its residents and attracts the residents of the neighboring communities as well. Residents of Metuchen never fail to gather most especially at their annual events like parades on Memorial Day and for the holiday season, the spring Arts and Crafts Festival, the fall Country Fair, and of course, the annual town-wide garage sale, which brings throngs of people each year. There are other seasonal attractions as well, like the First Night celebration on New Year's Eve and Halloween activities such as the Haunted Trail.
By the start of the 20th century, commuting had become a way of life for Metuchen residents. Middlesex County is a major transportation corridor of the state, and for this very reason, has experienced continuous increase in population and economic activity as years go by that's why rental housing is in demand in this area. Public transportation such as the trains, taxi cabs and NJ Transit local bus service are available to go around, in and out of the borough. Metuchen residents and travelers won't have a hard time commuting to New York City, Newark, Trenton or to nearby Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, by train or by bus. Metuchen is within two miles of several of the states' major transportation arteries (the NJ Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway, Interstate Route 287, U.S. Highway 1 and state Highway 27), which makes this small town a commuters haven, desirable and very convenient to many people, most especially to employers in the region. It is said that Metuchen is almost in the center of everything because of the accessibility in transportation.
