Achieving urban-suburban harmony

[RUTHERFORD, New Jersey] As a city couple searching for a place to put down roots, Jeff Jordan and Sally Librera had made several predictable stops, including San Francisco and New York. But they ended up somewhere totally unexpected.

"Neither of us knew anything about Rutherford," said Mr Jordan, 36. "It's a bit off the map in terms of perception."

After years of living in older apartments and houses in densely packed cities, though, the couple and their three young boys were ready for light and space, not to mention reliable wiring. And Mr Jordan, an architect, had long wanted to build his family a home.