Carteret

For Eugene Higgins, a lifelong Carteret resident and Realtor with RE/MAX 1st Advantage, what can draw residents to this New Jersey borough are the reasonably low taxes and the local fire and police departments.

"A lot of fire and police men and woman grew up here and now are serving and protecting," Higgins said. "I feel safe in our town."

Carteret is a tight-knit community hosting several annual events like Charity Christmas Festival at Carteret Park and Ethnic Day. A longstanding September tradition, Ethnic Day celebrates the many cultures that form Carteret's melting pot with carnival rides, games and food vendors.

Housing

"A lot of Carteret residents buy the house they grew up in from their parents and now raise their own family in it," Higgins said. "I feel like all my neighbors look out for each other."

A three- or four-bedroom home ranges between $350,000 to $425,000. After purchasing a house, many new residents fix them up with renovations or additions.

"It's definitely a town on the move," Higgins said, with many new residents moving in from Staten Island, Jersey City and North Bergen.

Revitalizing Carteret

Carteret Waterfront redevelopment project is set to bring in a film and television studio with a dozen 20,000-square-foot soundstages and lots of office and retail spaces. The $1 billion redevelopment project includes a hotel with a rooftop pool. Residents are already enjoying new boat slips and two ferry boats to bring them to and from Manhattan.

The Carteret Performing Arts Center, a 1,600-seat theater, opened its doors in 2021. You can be entertained with comedy shows, tribute bands of some of the biggest names and even see local high school performances. "I've been there several times. It's a draw for a lot of people," Higgins said.

A significant improvement for the borough was making Exit 12 on the NJ Turnpike "one of the easiest and safest exits to get on and off the turnpike," Higgins said. The construction of the exit's industrial road eliminates past issues of tractor-trailers riding through neighborhood streets and passing by schools.

Education

The brand new Carteret Junior High opened at the beginning of the 2022-2023 academic year. The school marks the borough's first new educational building in six decades. After overwhelmingly supporting a $37 million school bond in September 2019, voters made way for the funds to build the new school and upgrade all of Carteret's remaining schools.

Ahead of attending Carteret High School, eighth graders can apply to The Middlesex County Magnet Schools instead. A countywide vocational school district, students can specialize in allied health and biomedical sciences, performing arts and STEM.

Eat, Shop, Play

A longtime Carteret establishment is the Bus Stop Diner, where Higgins says, "it's a good place to get all the meals of the day." Higgins said all the food is fresh, including daily seafood and homemade soups. You can't go wrong with an Italian hot dog from Tommy's Hot Dogs. Tommy's also has the classics like plain hot dogs, one with relish and a chili and cheese dog. For a night out, make a reservation at Santini Seafood and Steakhouse.

For all your grocery needs, head to the local ShopRite. After shopping, finish up your to-do list at the nearby Walgreens, FedEx and Dollar Tree.

"All of our parks are top-notch," Higgins said. There are 11 parks in the borough, including the namesake Carteret Park. With baseball, soccer and football being very popular among Carteret Youth, almost all parks have athletic fields and courts. "All our baseball and soccer fields are turf fields," Higgins said. "All our coaches are volunteers, with many having coached for years," Higgins said. Within Waterfront Park, you'll find neighbors playing friendly games of miniature golf and horseshoes.

Photography Contributed By

Brendan Rogers