Have New Jersey’s Transit Village program, and others designed to support walkable and transit-friendly downtowns, benefited you? New Jersey Future has begun collecting stories in support of smart growth programs which the state has placed on the chopping block.

On NJ Future’s blog Garden State Smart Growth, Jay Corbalis reprints this story sent in by a reader:

“When my husband and I were looking to move to NJ, we used a specific criteria to screen possible communities.  We used a map of NJ to pinpoint possible places we’d look to buy a home – after moving from NYC.  It included:

• Transit Villages
• Walkable – with a sense of “place” and a “Main Street”
• Commute time to NYC – ideally under one hour direct by train
• A vibrant Jewish community (synagogues, etc)
• Within proximity to a Trader Joe’s

Using that lens, we found Metuchen.  We’ve lived there six and a half years, and we LOVE it.  The compactness of town feels cozy – and we’ve made great friends through the local YMCA, the CSA, and the Friends of the Library.  Best of all, my husband walks to and from the train – it’s less than a half mile from our house.”

Have a story of your own? Send it to Jay at jcorbalis@njfuture.org, or send NJ Future a picture through their Smart Growth Photo Contest.