Moving to north jersey suburb; Roseland/Livingston & NYC commute (Jersey City: apartments, to rent)

[GoneBabyGone]

Hi all --

I currently live in Jersey City. Work in midtown (near grand central). However, my SO and I are looking to get a place together, and her commute from here to Roseland is brutal.

So, we're hunting for a new place to rent.

Criteria:

1. Safe
2. Avoids traffic heading toward Roseland
3. Midtown direct trains
4. Some stuff to do and conveniences (near theaters/malls/grocery stores/etc)

$2000/mo or less in rent.

Thanks all!

[nybbler]

South Orange or West Orange would be your best bets; in South Orange you might be able to get an apartment within walking distance of the train (1 seat ride) for the upper end of your range, not too bad a ride to Roseland. West Orange borders right on Roseland and would be cheaper, but you'd either be taking a bus to Port Authority, a jitney to the train, or hoping for daily parking at Mountain (mostly have to change at Broad Street) or Orange station (direct trains, but fewer than South Orange).

The oddball cheap choice: There's a number of apartments within walking distance of Mountain Station. Catch is, they're in the City of Orange.

For amenities, South Orange has an (expensive) grocery store and a small theater in town near the train station. Anywhere else you're going to have to drive, but not far; West Orange has several grocery stories and a dine-in theater (and as one poster pointed out, a bowling alley), the nearest indoor malls are in Livingston and Short Hills, and your big box stores are in East Hanover or Springfield.

[NJDude92]

Have you looked at Morristown? It fits the criteria well. Hoboken might be a good choice as well, but you are in that area already and it's more urban.