I grew up in a town in NJ where many parents commuted 1+ hours into NYC each day, mainly by train. The town was decidedly on the rural side of urban and with good school systems, so I can understand why a parent would sacrifice some of their time to make the big bucks that enabled their kids to grow up in a bucolic (but very sheltered) atmosphere.
Then I ended up living home for a bit and doing the NYC commute, prompting me to decide that my kids might have to grow up somewhere not quite 'in a bubble' so that their dad doesn't go nuts and can get home early enough to have a catch with them after work.
Now I live in Arlington VA, a few miles from my job, and in a very good place to raise kids. Should we decide to head back to NJ sometime, my preference would be to live and work in/near Princeton, Red Bank, New Brunswick, etc.