Madison New Jersey High School

Montville, Madison, South Brunswick among best places to live in America ...

MONTVILLE — While towns across the state cut back on fireworks and parades, Montville went all out with its four-day birthday bash to celebrate our nation’s independence.

"We found a way to make it happen," said Mayor Jim Sandham. "We’ve got a great town. There are a lot of volunteers who do a tremendous job."

Montville is one of the best places to live in New Jersey, at least according to Money magazine, which Monday released its 100 best places to live in the nation.

Montville landed at number 17 on the list, the highest of five New Jersey towns.

To select the best places to live, Money looked at towns with populations between 8,500 and 50,000.

After that, the magazine screened out any town where the median family income was more than 200 percent or less than 85 percent of the state median, towns that were more than 95 percent white and those with poor education and high crime scores.

South Brunswick , a town about twice the size of Montville, was ranked second-best in the state. Mayor Frank Gambatese saw his township’s selection as one of the top 25 places to live, an "affirmation of what we try to do to make the quality of life for families above average."

"Number 22 out of the top 100, that’s not bad. We’re thrilled," said Gambatese, who has been mayor for nine years.

He pointed to South Brunswick schools, housing, parks, recreation programs, diversity and businesses as the township’s assets.

"Companies want to come here," he said.

More than 25 percent of South Brunswick approximately 43,000 residents are South Asian, and nearly 8 percent are African-American. Nearly 10 percent of the township’s housing units are affordable housing, he said.

Ridgewood (No. 26), Madison (No. 33) and Hillsborough (No. 53) also made the list, which will be out in print in September’s issue. "Money is confirming what we residents already know," said Madison Mayor Mary-Anna Holden. "This is one of the best places to live, raise a family and do business.

Boro Officials Mark Turf Fields Progress - Madison, NJ Patch

Madison borough officials today said progress is proceeding apace on construction of the sythetic turf athletic fields at the site of the Madison Recreation Complex behind Madison High School .

“The grading for the two new synthetic turf fields is nearing completion as is the installation of the new sanitary sewer line off the manhole on Burnet Road," said Mayor Mary-Anna Holden, in a release.

“Electric and water infrastructure installation should be complete by next week’s end, with the closing of the easement trench allowed by the Board of Education," Holden said. "We’ve assured [MHS] Athletic Director Sean Dowling that we will be off of their property in time and in line with the schools’ activities calendar."

Simultaneously, she added, preparation is being made for the foundation of a concessions/storage/comfort station on which construction is expected to begin in mid-September.

VIDEO: Marty Horn of the Madison Athletic Foundation details construction progress on the synthetic turf fields.