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So I want to see if I can get some thoughts on this.
I'm currently working in Manhattan, and most likely will be until I can retire. Living in Hudson County, NJ now and thinking about where I want to eventually plant roots. I don't need to live in NYC really...as long as I have good access to the city and enough options around me, then I'm straight.
Since I grew up on Long Island, I already been there and done that, so I really don't have a desire to go back there to live. I personally have my eye on being either west of the city (NE Jersey) or north of the city (Hudson Valley or SW Connecticut). As it stands, I feel like I have the most options for myself in Jersey - but things can change. I want to see which area you guys think is set up for the short term and the long term.
Obviously, living in the NYC area is expensive and can be draining sometimes. But if you chose to live outside the city, which area do you feel you can thrive in the most, and why? Considering things like cost of living, quality of life, property taxes, public transportation into NYC, diversity, interactions with people, things to do, and the region's financial stability...what area would you target?
I know some people are going to have their own definitions of what exact counties make up these areas, but I'm giving my specific definitions because these are the counties that I would consider. Even though I took Long Island out of the running for me, I added it for you guys in case it's on your radar. Here it goes:
NE Jersey: Hudson, Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Union, Somerset, Middlesex, and Monmouth Counties
Hudson Valley: Rockland and Westchester Counties
Long Island: Nassau and Suffolk Counties
SW Connecticut: Fairfield and New Haven Counties
Let me know what you think. I'm also putting this in the NYC board too. Thanks.
Maybe because I’m familiar but I voted Jersey specifically Morris County which I know you haven’t included. But Madison and Chatham, Morristown areas and even out to Summit in Union County are really very good. The train is right there too. It offers a quaint lifestyle but also easy access to fun stuff. Just my .02.
Maybe because I’m familiar but I voted Jersey specifically Morris County which I know you haven’t included. But Madison and Chatham, Morristown areas and even out to Summit in Union County are really very good. The train is right there too. It offers a quaint lifestyle but also easy access to fun stuff. Just my .02.
All have fairly decent connections into Manhattan, but LI and NJ win for that probably. North Jersey, as you know from living here, is extremely diverse. It's hard to match the suburban diversity of this region. It's a very populous so there is tons to do.
I think NJ and LI are the two best options for someone who wants more to do and see. Hudson Valley and CT are more for people looking for a quiet life with easy access to the city, but not to be too involved with the city. I personally like the people of NJ over the people of LI. I'm not from the Northeast so I have no bias on this like many people do. Hudson Valley and CT people are generally nice, though some from CT can come off quite bland in my experience. I love everyone I know from there, and it's not a general rule at all, but just it seems more common for people to be a little more bland when they're from CT as compared to NJ and LI.
LI is cut off from the mainland from the city so it's hard to leave. Hudson and CT are not, but there's not as much north of the city as there is south of the city. South of the city you have the Shore and Philly and DC.
Idk about property taxes or prices or anything. All I can say is that I'm from LA and people here in NJ talk about housing prices like they're completely outrageous. One person was telling me how crazy expensive this place in Clifton was. It was like $800k. I get that's a lot of money and I can't afford it, but $800k is like a basic small ranch in a mediocre neighborhood in LA. So at least compared to LA, NJ isn't that expensive. Property taxes are more I'm sure though.
I've lived in both New Jersey and Long Island. Can't speak too much on the other subregions but I know of many people who would swear on their life that Westchester is the most desirable.
I slightly prefer NJ over LI but both have their pro's and con's over each other:
New Jersey is the best connected to Manhattan and is better for commuting than Long Island since its right across the Hudson River. The biggest thing that I hate about Long Island is that the commute is long since you have to cut across the entire NYC to get to Manhattan; and LI is cut off from the rest of the country so you get bombarded with traffic and tolls upon taking a road trip. God forbid you have to drive into work!!
NJ is generally the most affordable suburban region in the NYC area. NJ has a lot of cheap homes and apartments since there are ALOT of bad/poor/dumpy areas compared to Long Island. I've found that a 1 bdr apartment in NJ would be $250-400 per month cheaper than the same unit on LI. NJ has a lot of expensive areas too so its not all a bargain..
NJ is better for young people since its a mix between city/suburb while Long Island is almost pure suburbia. Since there are so few cities and not enough affordable apartments on LI; TONS of young people end up living in illegal basements or staying with their parents until their 30's.
In my opinion, Long Island feels way safer than NJ since there are far less truly bad areas. An area considered to be "bad" on Long Island would be considered decent in NJ. Long Island neighborhoods usually have a more polished, cleaner and more organized feel; while [inner] NJ neighborhoods generally feel older and less organized...Even the nicer ones.
In my personal experience, Long Island people seem a bit less rude than NJ people. NJ is ridiculously rude!
Last edited by MemoryMaker; 03-02-2019 at 09:03 AM..
All have fairly decent connections into Manhattan, but LI and NJ win for that probably. North Jersey, as you know from living here, is extremely diverse. It's hard to match the suburban diversity of this region. It's a very populous so there is tons to do.
I think NJ and LI are the two best options for someone who wants more to do and see. Hudson Valley and CT are more for people looking for a quiet life with easy access to the city, but not to be too involved with the city. I personally like the people of NJ over the people of LI. I'm not from the Northeast so I have no bias on this like many people do. Hudson Valley and CT people are generally nice, though some from CT can come off quite bland in my experience. I love everyone I know from there, and it's not a general rule at all, but just it seems more common for people to be a little more bland when they're from CT as compared to NJ and LI.
LI is cut off from the mainland from the city so it's hard to leave. Hudson and CT are not, but there's not as much north of the city as there is south of the city. South of the city you have the Shore and Philly and DC.
Idk about property taxes or prices or anything. All I can say is that I'm from LA and people here in NJ talk about housing prices like they're completely outrageous. One person was telling me how crazy expensive this place in Clifton was. It was like $800k. I get that's a lot of money and I can't afford it, but $800k is like a basic small ranch in a mediocre neighborhood in LA. So at least compared to LA, NJ isn't that expensive. Property taxes are more I'm sure though.
Yeah, West Coast house prices are ridiculous.. Its a reminder that things in the NYC suburbs can get even so much worse than it already is.
But you can easily get a decent house in a basic middle class area in North Jersey for $375k (including Clifton).
The taxes will be crazy on it though.
Last edited by MemoryMaker; 03-02-2019 at 09:00 AM..
Parts of NE NJ (Hudson County especially) are just about as close as you can get to living in NYC without actually living in NYC. Not just literally as in distance, but in urban lifestyle too. NE NJ is very possibly the most urban area of the country outside of NYC. Almost like an unofficial 6th borough, even with 24/7 subway service into Manhattan. I could be satisfied living in a highrise in Jersey City or a Brownstone in Hoboken. NE NJ is where I would live if I couldn’t live in NYC for some reason but had to stay in The US. I would easily live there over Staten Island too. The main issue I have with NJ is that even though it’s extremely well-connected to Manhattan, it lacks direct connections to Brooklyn and Queens.
LI is my 2nd choice because it’s right next to Queens and Brooklyn and has 24/7 railroad service into both of those + Manhattan too. Plus I love the beaches and beach communities there — I prefer it over The Jersey Shore. I just don’t like the built environment as much as NE NJ, or even The Hudson Valley. It’s more of a general suburbia. Of course Levittown is there which is basically the prototype to American suburbia that started it all.
Sorry, just can't do Fran Drescher accents, pinky rings, and gold chains of Lawng Oyland or Joisey. Some of the most classless parts of this country. Connecticut is actually not as fancy as many people think, but people there are way more down to earth.
Sorry, just can't do Fran Drescher accents, pinky rings, and gold chains of Lawng Oyland or Joisey. Some of the most classless parts of this country. Connecticut is actually not as fancy as many people think, but people there are way more down to earth.
Funny, except that if you had any actual knowledge of these areas you would know that the great majority of people do not have Fran Drescher accents or wear pinky rings and gold chains.
And jeez, someone from San Francisco, California knocking other parts of the country. The very last place that should lecture other people as classless.
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