Thanks, I'm cured.

Ever consider people have families? Have families they're planning on having?

Yeah, moving to central or South Jersey wouldn't work. That's why I live where I do now ...

Keep preaching from that ivory tower of yours

I find it hilarious when people who make twice as much as me talk about how I'm "preaching from that ivory tower". Have you looked at condos? Townhouses? The idea that you are constrained by your salary is ridiculous. You are constrained by supply, nothing else.

Grew up in central Jersey, I would have no issue raising my kid there whatsoever.

Cool. My family lives on LI and my other half of the family doesn't live in Central Jersey.

I swear, everyone posting with "BUT I CAN AFFORD IT" is absolutely tone deaf to the US housing crisis we're in.

I think the point is that there are plenty of generally desirable places to live where you can reasonably make a down payment on $150k/yr. You personally have chosen to rule out those places, for reasons that are good ones for you. That's your choice to make, of course, but you've decided you'll only consider the most expensive places in NJ to live, and many people will not do that.

(But man, have things changed. I grew up in central Jersey in the 80s, and back then no one of any means wanted to live across the Hudson from Manhattan. Nuts to see that now many people are priced out of that area.)