Bayonne or Weehawken (apartment, for rent, low crime)

[latru]

I am considering relocating from Orlando, Fl to NJ June 2012. I expect to find a job in NYC so access to buses and trains is important. Additionally, my daughter will be starting 8th grade, so decent public schools are important. I currently have a car but don’t want the hassle of driving / parking and plan to sell it before I move, so the city also needs to be walkable.

I plan to rent a 2 bedroom apartment in an apartment building or house and do not want to spend more than $2100 per month for rent.

The two cities which I have considered are Bayonne and Weehawken. Which of the two cities would meet the above mentioned criteria? I have just started researching Weehawken but I did like the fact that the high school starts at grade 7 which means my daughter would not have to change schools again however, I do not how good of a school it is. Also Weehawken seems to be an easy commute to NY. Bayonne has very low crime stats and is affordable.

Any suggestions are appreciated. I plan to visit family in NYC in December and will take a closer look at the NJ area. If you know of other NJ cities which would be a fit please let me know.

Thanks!

[checkmatechamp13]

Although Weehawken has the easier commute, I think the public schools are better in Bayonne. I think your money will go a little further in Bayonne.

[daliowa]

If your child is going to public school, I would look a bit north to towns in Bergen County. Every town's schools must be evaluated separately.

[revo!]

for $2,100 you could probably rent any house/apartment in Bayonne you desired! Rents are a lot cheaper -- a very nice 2 bedroom might run you $1,400-$1,500 tops.

Crime is very low, and the schools, from what I understand (my children are pre-schoolers), are solid. But note, these aren't Florida-type campuses, so your daughter shouldn't get too excited. Bayonne schools are much older and more typical of what you'd find in NYC.

[Seduflow]

weehawken schools are very good, the area is very safe, and you have the most amazing views of the city. weehawken has a nice suburban feeling in a typical urban area.

[Dorian]

I have lived in both and both have generally solid schools. IMO Weehawken is a little nicer, but Bayonne is a little quieter. Bayonne is less connected which can be a positive and a negative. The positive is that only people who are going to Bayonne go to Bayonne. There is no need to cut through Bayonne to get to anywhere. The negative is that it takes longer to get to everything since there are geographical barriers. Weehawken is also generally more expensive. Also, like others said you can get more space in Bayonne for the money than in Weehawken. If you plan on regular trips into NYC Weehawken is a much easier commute. The bus rides into the city are usually around 10 minutes and it is just one bus to the port authority. I tend to like urban areas, so I favor Weehawken a lot. I have had plenty of friends and family members visit us here in NJ and the older ones tend to like Bayonne a little bit better, but the younger ones like Weehawken better.

[Dorian]

Also, I forgot to add that the school district in Bayonne is set up kind of odd. All of the different elementary and middle schools are basically their own districts. They are all separate until High school. That was really weird to me.

[mgt04]

Originally Posted by checkmatechamp13

Although Weehawken has the easier commute, I think the public schools are better in Bayonne. I think your money will go a little further in Bayonne.

This is definitely not true about Bayonne schools being better in Weehawken. Weehawken schools by far are better. Just check out one of the websites that grade top NJ schools or greatschools.org for proof.