thinking of moving to northern, new jersey (Newark, Jersey City: apartments, rentals)

[peterh5]

I am thinking of moving to northern, new jersey because I liked it a lot when I was there. There was always so much to do, and public transportation is great which is a necessity for me because I am unable to drive. I alos like northern new jersey because it is near new york. I am thinking of either hoboken, jersey city, or weehawken areas in other words hudson county. Now I've heard mixed things about jersey city, but the fact is it is cheaper than the other places and has great public transportation which I need. I've heard that jersey city has a huge crime rate, but a lot of east coast cyies have a large crime rate. I think the ods of getting murdered or shot are slim in most places and it depends on the neighborhood. So can someone tell me given the fact that I need public transportation and want to be near Manhattan what is the best place to live in New Jersey.
Peter

[ksabin]

Hi Peter,

You could find some good deals in Jersey City but you have to be careful which section you pick. [moderator CUT] Best bet is a two family in that area. [moderator CUT]

Best of Luck,
Keith

[lamps504]

The BEST place to live in New Jersy that is both convenient and very safe would imo be Fort Lee.

Both Hoboken and Jersey City are South New Jersey. South jersey does (did) have higher crime rate and is considered more blue collar, but it's not as bad as people say because over recent years, there's been much improvements and beautification.
However, the best areas will always be in Bergen County, North New Jersey, which is also where Ft. Lee is.

Pros: Just off the Washington Bridge. Beautiful area (no factories). Transportation into City is also convenient. One of the safest areas to live. Ft. Lee housing is abundant: hi-rises, family homes, room rentals, etc.

Cons: Can be pricey. Will cost more than South New Jersey.

Also, keep in mind where in Manhattan you will be working. South Jersey is closer to downtown Manhattan where as North Jersey is good for uptown or mid-town.

[pixieshmoo]

If you don't mind, I must correct the person who wrote the previous reply. Jersey City and Hoboken are not in South Jersey. They are in Hudson County, Northern New Jersey. South Jersey is also in no way close to Manhattan. It's unfortunate for the commuters really.

I was born and raised in Northern NJ, Essex County...NJ does absolutely have beautiful areas. We also have the best of both worlds, beaches and mountains. Can't beat that. However, as a previous homeowner and realtor, homes, as well as apartments have become very expensive...it's a high market.

Hoboken can be outrageously expensive, depending on what you're looking for. There are also plenty of waiting lists for places in Hoboken. It is like a mini New York in the sense that there are a lot of shops, restaurants, coffee houses (and bars/clubs). It's a very nice place to be especially if you want to walk past the shops on a summer evening. But again, expensive. I'm not sure what age group you fall under but it is also a town that is home to tons of college kids or college graduates, so in essence it can be a very loud place to live (but again, fun).

Jersey City is not as nice although there are some areas with very expensive high rises and some exclusive housing. However, it is just not really a great place, it's crime rate and/or drug rate aren't to be bragged about.

Fort Lee I don't really know much about, I personally wouldn't live there, that's just my preference though. I've been there and I don't "love" it, but I've never heard anything bad either. It's probably the best choice out of the towns you asked about as far as price goes and I don't think it's as city-like as the others either, which means a little safer. Unfortunately if you're in Bergen, Essex, Passaic or Hudson counties, you will tend to pay a lot for the convenience of living so close to NYC. Bergen (and I believe Essex) being the highest in taxes and price of homes.

The flip side is that not only are some of our towns lovely, it is much more convenient of a commute to NYC than South Jersey (or what we call "down the shore"). There are beautiful and poor sections of South Jersey as well, you have Trenton and Camden (Camden has the highest crime rate in NJ, Newark now being second). But North Jersey has Newark and Paterson. You'll find that in any state I'm sure. The problem I've seen with South Jersey too, is that a lot of people I know down there, commute up here to work. It's built up quite significantly over the years (especially near the shore areas) however, the job opportunities just aren't as expansive as they are up north.

North Jersey is the wiser choice to commute to NYC, but you do not need to live in Jersey City, Hoboken, etc. to find good transportation. There are other towns a little more suburban that still have plenty of buses, subways to Newark or New York, trains, cabs, etc. Off the top of my head, Lyndhurst, North Arlington, Rutherford are nice (that's Bergen County); Clifton, West Paterson, Totowa, Little Falls (Passaic County); Belleville, Bloomfield, Nutley, Verona (Essex County). They are all lovely towns with plenty of transportation.

I wrote so much, I hope I've actually helped you a little.

[pixieshmoo]

I actually must correct myself this time. For those of us who live in Jersey, there are two points, North and South. Anything "above" the Raritan/Amboys bridge is North Jersey, anything "below" is South Jersey. However, this is technically wrong. Northern New Jersey is definitely anything above the bridge. But, what most of us refer to as South Jersey or Down the Shore (Pt. Pleasant/Brick/Toms River or Trenton/Camden) is really Central NJ. True South Jersey is Atlantic City, Cape May, Wildwood, etc. If anyone commutes to NYC from the real South Jersey, I pity them. Most of them commute to Philly or Delaware.

[pisces]

Hi Peter,

I live in northern NJ in Little Falls (Passaic Co.). It's true NJ is changing. I've lived here for 11 years and the traffic is definitely much worse compared to when I moved here, especially because of all of the road construction, but it is an extremely convenient place to live. My home is on a nice quiet street, with lots of charming old homes and friendly people and it's relatively safe. I'm very close to every type of shopping (from food to furniture and Home Depot), and walking distance to train and bus stops. I grew up on Long Island, and New Jersey has been a great place to live. The housing market has been crazy out here for the past year, but things are leveling off right now. Little Falls is a tiny town, but it's got a lot to offer.

Good luck.
peace,
pisces
P.S. - I'm relocating to California in a few months because of my job, and I'm definitely going to miss where I live now!

[chipdouglas]

I can only speak for Southern Bergen County, and its not a singles scene at all, if you want singles action, then its Hoboken or go to NYC

Palisades Park: Highes Korean population as a percentage in the country, I wouldnt recommend it, only because of high rents due to influx

Leonia: some apartments, nice town, will be a Palisades Park in 5 years,
rents 1bdr 900-1500monthly, commute is easy about $3.00 to 42nd/8th Ave Port Authority, walk or subway

Fort Lee, (Fort Re) easy commute as is the others, a bus over the bridge and a subway ride downtown (standing), more expensive, big asian population (that means theres low crime generally but that is changing) 1 bdr 1000-2000

Other towns: Englewood, Tenalfly Teaneck, Hackensack all commutable and no singles scenes, all suburban, bars suck, no nitelife,

Rutherford NJ might be a good suburban option

Edgewater: to much $ now, good commute, and ferry option is good

Theres always Inwood section of Manhattan, 200th - 218th st. old Irish Huge Dominican pop, but you have to take subway thru the hood to get downtown

I personally would check out Weehawkin,

Chip Douglas

[pixieshmoo]

Peterh5,

Here's a copy of a news story from today regarding Jersey City. I'm not going to try to sway you, I've already written my opinions, however, I wanted you to see this because of the comment made about "when the sun goes down"....

(04/14/06) JERSEY CITY – Residents in Jersey City say this week’s murder of a 36-year-old woman serves as a grim reminder of the dangers in their community.
Janneth Marin was found stabbed to death in her apartment on Linden and Ocean avenues. Neighbors say Marin’s residence was often frequented by prostitutes and pimps. According to residents, the neighborhood is always filled with criminal activity once the sun goes down.

Those living in Jersey City say a higher police presence is needed to reduce crime. Representatives of the Jersey City Police Department say two prostitution stings conducted last year netted several arrests. However, they say no prostitution arrests have been made this year.

[peterh5]

Fort lee sounds like an ideal location being really close to the city. I have heard good things about it. Just wondering is there good transportation into the city?

[rundugrun]

The bus will be your best option to commute to NYC. It's convenient and quick. Check out removed for schedules. If this gets cut by the moderator, do a google search for NJ Transit and check out the bus schedule.