Sayreville in the 'Money' for places to live
Magazine ranks boro No. 47 in best places to live in U.S.
BY MICHAEL ACKER
Staff Writer

JEFF GRANIT staff Caitlyn Brindley, 18, guides a horse to the corral at the Julian Capik Nature Preserve, which was mentioned in Money Magazine's article on the "Top 100 Best Places to Live."

Property owners have reason to cheer.

Money Magazine has listed Sayreville among the best towns to live in the country.

The Time Warner Inc. publication ranked Sayreville No. 47 on its list of the "Top 100 Best Places to Live," which this year was limited to populations between 7,500 and 50,000 residents. The magazine screened out towns with lower average incomes, and used statistics such as school test scores, crime rates and other quality-of-life statistics. Middleton, Wisc., was selected the No. 1 place to live among towns that fit the criteria.

The publicity comes at a time when Sayreville is contending with several major issues, ranging from the proposed redevelopment of a 400-acre brownfields site once home to National Lead, to a dispute over whether a cancer cluster exists in town.

PHOTOS BYJEFF GRANIT staff Above: Kelly Kocher (l) spreads hay around with Caitlyn Brindley and Dennis Weaver at the horse-riding facility in the Julian Capik Nature Preserve, Sayreville, yesterday morning. At left: The entrance to a nature trail at the preserve.

Lifelong borough resident Edward Streck, 67, said he was surprised that Money Magazine recognized Sayreville on its list of best places to live. While the town is situated in a convenient location for commuters, it has a significant industrial history.

"We are surrounded by landfills … the Edgeboro Landfill, the Edison Landfill. There are a couple of Superfund sites still left in town," Streck said. "I'm not saying that Sayreville doesn't deserve the ranking, but I was surprised in light of the other circumstances. Sayreville, for a time, had all of the industry."

Money Magazine used a wide variety of statistics to determine its winners. On the financial side, Sayreville has a median family income of $76,129 and saw job growth of 13.4 percent from 2000 to 2006. It has 96 colleges, universities and professional schools within a 30-mile radius, compared to the national "Best Place" average of 29. Its test scores were 6.7 and 13 percent above the national average for reading and math, respectively.

Also notable, its air quality index was good, personal and property crime rates low, and its racial diversity index high.

Sayreville also has 5,280 restaurants and 420 bars within 15 miles, and 181 golf courses within 30 miles, according to the magazine.

Streck, a past commander of American Legion Post 211, which has 500 members, noted the town's rich tradition of military service. Streck himself is a former 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper who served during the Vietnam War from 1963 to 1965; his father served in World War I and he has several family members who fought in World War II.

"Another thing about Sayreville: it's very veteran oriented," he said. "If you were to go around town, you would see a lot of dedications to veterans. … It's really a town that has paid its price."

Borough Council President Thomas Pollando, who is originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., issued a press release noting that Money Magazine mentioned the horseback riding facility at the Julian Capik Nature Preserve, on Bordentown Avenue, and the skate park in Kennedy Park as noteworthy amenities. He said the horse stables were made possible through the efforts of Councilman Stanley Drwal, while state Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski secured funding for the skate park.

"I moved to Sayreville 37 years ago," Pollando said. " … My wife was from New Jersey, and after moving to Sayreville and seeing where my wife lived, I just liked the suburban lifestyle."

Pollando said the borough was an ideal location for him to raise his children, since he could easily get to and from New York City, and because it was safe. He noted that the Borough Council will make it a priority to ensure that residents of the Winding Woods apartment complex get the security they are calling for in light of the recent shooting of an area couple.

"We need to make sure to take care of this issue in Winding Woods," Pollando said. "They also need to enjoy where they live."

Karen Surratt, the volunteer aide to Mayor Kennedy O'Brien, offered a statement on behalf of the mayor, who has lived in town for 25 years.

"The mayor obviously was thrilled when Money Magazine recognized what he has always known to be true, that Sayreville is a fabulous place to live," she said.

Streck said that while the community may face several challenges, Sayreville is where he wants to be and plans to stay.

"This town has changed quite significantly," Streck said. "The school system is overtaxed, the residents are overtaxed, and so are the roads in town, but my opinion of the town is I would not want to live anywhere else. I was born and raised here."