Safe/affordable commuter towns for Midtown Manhattan for a young family (Hoboken: apartment, rentals)
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My husband is relocating to Manhattan for work, and we are considering New Jersey because NYC rentals are so crazy high. We have a 13 month old toddler and are looking for two bedrooms, around an hour commute to Midtown and with a max budget of 2000 per month. Our priority is obviously safety and ideally we would like some amenities to be within walking distance. I really hope we will find something that fits our criteria, but this is an international move and we are COMPLETELY unfamiliar with the towns, transport system and most things USA so ANY help/advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you all so much in advance!
You'll need to answer the questions on the sticky at the top of the forum. You should have a fair number of choices; be aware that in most of them you should plan on having at least one car.
We moved from London 3 years back and were exactly in the same situation as you are. We saw rentals in many towns and ended up with Secaucus. We currently rent a 2 bed apartment in Harmon Cove and it is a very good community. There is a bus which comes right on your door which takes you to Port Authority or midtown within 30-45 mins (depending on traffic). Or if your work is near NY penn station then there is a shuttle service. And Secaucus is just one stop away. There is a nursery, games room, pool in our community so ideal for a toddler and security is 24 hrs. There are more rental communities here like Xchange and Osprey Cove. They may have rental around 2200 a month or so. Harmon Cove varies between 2100 - 2200 depending on the size of the unit or the upgrades. The town also has lot to offer. Good luck!
Where are you coming from?
I am from London, my husband is Mexican and we currently live in Mexico City
Why are you moving?
Temporary move (2 years) for my husband's job (audit at one of the large accountancy firms)
Where will you be working ? If NYC, what part of NYC?
Midtown Manhattan
Will you buy or rent?
Rent
What is your budget ?
2000 per month
What kind of place are you looking for ?
Two bedrooms, safe, convenient, etc.
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ?
my husband and our 13 month old son
Do you need/want good public schools?
No, but toddler groups etc. will be a necessity
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in
families with young children, safe, some diversity, quiet, green
List three things that are important to you in order of importance.
Safety, good for families, convenience of local amenities
I think the above more or less covers it. Thanks again for any feedback.
We moved from London 3 years back and were exactly in the same situation as you are. We saw rentals in many towns and ended up with Secaucus. We currently rent a 2 bed apartment in Harmon Cove and it is a very good community. There is a bus which comes right on your door which takes you to Port Authority or midtown within 30-45 mins (depending on traffic). Or if your work is near NY penn station then there is a shuttle service. And Secaucus is just one stop away. There is a nursery, games room, pool in our community so ideal for a toddler and security is 24 hrs. There are more rental communities here like Xchange and Osprey Cove. They may have rental around 2200 a month or so. Harmon Cove varies between 2100 - 2200 depending on the size of the unit or the upgrades. The town also has lot to offer. Good luck!
Thanks for this. My husband had thought of Secaucus but I heard somewhere that because it is the main commuter town it is not the safest/nicest area which concerns me a little, but I will certainly look into Harmon Cove. I wonder if it may be slightly out of our budget as we really don't want to spend more than 2000. Fingers crossed!
My husband spent some time in Ridgewood and really liked it, but he would have a door-to-door commute of 75-90 minutes, which is a little more than we would have liked. Are there any similar options that involve a slightly shorter commute or is this wishful thinking within our budget?
You may want to look at Hoboken. Lots of families there with very young children. They mostly move out of Hoboken before kindergarten.
Hoboken is right on the river directly across from Manhattan. You can take the PATH train or the ferry, and have a really fast commute.
Hoboken has many parks & playgrounds & lots of restaurants, shops on Washington.
They want a 2br for 2000 a month. Hoboken is not remotely realistic.
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