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Gotta find a rental within the next several weeks… first week of looking has me very worried. Moving from Upper West Side Manhattan after 39 years. Originally from Passaic County but not wild about going back there. I like all the towns in Essex from what I've seen (did a Morris County reverse-commute for 11 years).
Question to you is, where do I have the best shot at what I need: Essex County, the Bronx or lower Westchester?
Absolute requirements:
-Rent not exceeding $1800
-1BR or larger
-Cat friendly
-Well ventilated (generally meaning window in every room and no blocked exposures)
-Well maintained
-REAL kitchen (no kitchen-in-the-corner-of-the-living-room, kitchen-so-small-you-can't-wait-to-get-out-of-it, or any other such nonsense)
-Reasonably safe street parking nearby
Prewar STRONGLY preferred.
Of course, I'm also interested in any thoughts you have re: sub-areas of those regions that are most promising. I'm not averse to better sections of Newark, though I need to get more of a grip on what those are. Near South Orange perhaps. So far I've only seen units closest to home, in the Pelham Parkway and Riverdale sections of the Bronx. Someone has already beaten me to the one apartment, in Pelham Parkway, that I've seen that *probably* would have made me happy, it seems. I needed to go back for a second look... there wasn't time. Such is life. I've lived in a grand total of two apartments since 1974, so I'm not the most skilled or decisive hunter.
(Also posted in NYC forum... not bothering with Westchester forum, which seems unresponsive, not that I'm surprised )
My house in South Orange is pre-Civil-War, but the rental apartment is occupied. :-)
Agree with nybbler that "prewar" isn't really used outside NYC. But if you're looking for stately buildings with high ceilings and old-world charm, Ridgewood Commons in South Orange comes to mind. Great location, great neighborhood, easy walk to train. I've never been inside, but I hear it's very well maintained. The exterior is beautiful. The apartments have built-in shelving and other original touches.
Here are a few ideas in Essex Co. where you can find a lot of well-maintained pre-war buildings
Montclair Center
Bloomfield (close to Bloomfield College)
Nutley (Chestnut Street area)
Do you need to be in Essex? There are a few areas in Hudson that might fit the bill too:
Weehawken along Blvd. East
Jersey City (Glenwood Avenue, and a few other spots around St. Peter's College)
Yes, there's definitely a "prewar" concept in use in NJ real estate. I shopped houses for several years in better times (mid-00s), and it was a common search parameter. As I and a lot of people see it, WWII was a dividing line between solid/artful and cheesy/artless.
Thanks for the suggestions, lammius and kthnry. Ideally yes, would prefer to be near a train, but not an absolute requirement, which is why it isn't on the absolute requirement list. And yes, I want to be in Essex. The towns of Essex have an aggregate appeal for me that's much higher than the aggregate of any other NJ county that's familiar to me, so it's a good line for me to draw. Essex also isn't tainted by negative NJ memories like Passaic and Morris are for me. What little I know of Hudson I don't care for much. Some towns in Bergen might be okay, but most are too expensive, and like I said, gotta draw a line here. The odd exceptions to my rules are Elmwood Park and Woodland Park, for two reasons—proximity to Fairway market and my sense of them having a faint urban edge acquired from Paterson even though they like to pretend to have nothing to do with it. EP also seems to have a fondness for midcentury icons and design styles and a willingness to preserve them that appeals to a Boomer.
Kthnry, can you readily define any areas of Newark that might be in a "green zone" for me (i.e., neighborhoods that would be plus factors when I see a Newark apartment I like in a listing and am trying to decide whether I should ask to see it)? Ironbound is the one I've mostly seen mentioned. Others?
Yes, there's definitely a "prewar" concept in use in NJ real estate. I shopped houses for several years in better times (mid-00s), and it was a common search parameter. As I and a lot of people see it, WWII was a dividing line between solid/artful and cheesy/artless.
I understand the significance of "prewar." I guess we never hear it used in Maplewood/South Orange because almost everything IS prewar. Most houses were built from the mid-1800's to the 1920's, with a few small clusters of 1950's-era ranches. People who house-hunt around here get prewar by default unless they specify "modern." I'll bet "prewar" is used more in towns west of here, like Livingston, that were developed later in the century.
Quote:
Originally Posted by newyorky
Kthnry, can you readily define any areas of Newark that might be in a "green zone" for me (i.e., neighborhoods that would be plus factors when I see a Newark apartment I like in a listing and am trying to decide whether I should ask to see it)? Ironbound is the one I've mostly seen mentioned. Others?
Sorry, no, I don't know Newark well enough to make any recommendations (except that you avoid the parts near South Orange). I do like the Ironbound, but I can't speak to the housing stock. I've heard that the Forest Hills neighborhood of Newark is beautiful, but I think it's mostly houses, not apartments (could be wrong).
Someone else mentioned Montclair. That's definitely a town to check out. Lots of elegant old apartment buildings.
Hi RobRiguez— I had to refresh myself as to how far away Edison was. Not far at all!! That's fantastic that you and your friend have such a nice standard of living for under $2K. Serious food for thought.
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And yes, I want to be in Essex. The towns of Essex have an aggregate appeal for me that's much higher than the aggregate of any other NJ county that's familiar to me, so it's a good line for me to draw. Essex also isn't tainted by negative NJ memories like Passaic and Morris are for me. What little I know of Hudson I don't care for much. Some towns in Bergen might be okay, but most are too expensive, and like I said, gotta draw a line here. The odd exceptions to my rules are Elmwood Park and Woodland Park, for two reasons—proximity to Fairway market 
and my sense of them having a faint urban edge acquired from Paterson even though they like to pretend to have nothing to do with it. EP also seems to have a fondness for midcentury icons and design styles and a willingness to preserve them that appeals to a Boomer.
