Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > New Jersey
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 10-21-2013, 10:57 AM
 
8 posts, read 10,842 times
Reputation: 21

Advertisements

Hey y'all. I recently was informed that my new job is moving me to the Princeton, NJ area. I grew up in Bergen County, so I know the basics of NJ life. I've lived in several states in the Southeast in the past 12 years though, so it's going to be a bit frustrating going back.

Here's my biggest dilemma. Right now I am paying only $735 for 1050 sq ft apt. with 2 BD/ 2 BTH and a patio and fireplace. That kind of awesome rent is obviously not going to happen in the area, but I've been looking for something comparable. I would prefer to live in PA and commute in, but am willing to consider NJ if it means finding a great place to live.

I live alone, and would like an area that is reasonably close to other single around my age (~30). My thought process is currently that on the other side of the river I can have an easy jaunt into both Philly and Trenton / Princeton. I'd like to keep the commute to at or under ~hour though...

Obviously I want an area with low crime.

I do *not* want to be in an area with lots of undergrads or early 20s party-all-night types. I prefer quieter apartment complexes.

Oh one other question -

I noticed that the apartments in Yardley are almost 2x the price of comparable ones in Morrisville. Why in the heck is that? Is Morrisville just a bad neighborhood?

Thanks in advance y'all.

TL; DR Below:
Quote:
Where are you coming from? Huntsville, AL
Why are you moving? Princeton Area
Where will you be working ? Princeton

Will you buy or rent? Rent
What is your budget ? up to about 1500, but obviously would like much less
What kind of place are you looking for ? 2 BD, >900 sq ft., patio preferred

Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ? No
Do you need/want good public schools? n/a

Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in: Young professionals.

List three things that are important to you in order of importance. Safety, easy access to the cities, cost
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 10-21-2013, 11:38 AM
 
124 posts, read 122,462 times
Reputation: 68
South Jersey is significantly cheaper than North Jersey, especially Bergen County
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-21-2013, 12:21 PM
 
252 posts, read 458,178 times
Reputation: 299
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lambados View Post
South Jersey is significantly cheaper than North Jersey, especially Bergen County
Princeton is no where near C so forget about being cheap there. It's one of the most expensive areas of NJ
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-21-2013, 12:22 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles, CA
2,098 posts, read 3,516,157 times
Reputation: 998
Hillsborough is cheaper, safe, and quiet and a doable commute from princeton.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-21-2013, 12:23 PM
 
252 posts, read 458,178 times
Reputation: 299
I don't have any idea about PA but if you are looking for spacious apartment with low rent I'd say PA is the way to go.

Princeton is a nice area and the crowd there is pretty mix. If you like to go after work there are plenty of places there at the same time I am sure there are some nicer areas in PA too.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-21-2013, 01:16 PM
 
8 posts, read 10,842 times
Reputation: 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lambados View Post
South Jersey is significantly cheaper than North Jersey, especially Bergen County
Quote:
Originally Posted by T Waffle View Post
Princeton is no where near C so forget about being cheap there. It's one of the most expensive areas of NJ
Well, regardless, it's hideously more expensive than the Southern cities I have lived in, and I've lived in many of them. Rent is just incredible, this is one of the major reasons I tried to avoid going back.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Freshflakes757 View Post
Hillsborough is cheaper, safe, and quiet and a doable commute from princeton.
I'll look into that, thanks.

Quote:
Originally Posted by T Waffle View Post
I don't have any idea about PA but if you are looking for spacious apartment with low rent I'd say PA is the way to go.

Princeton is a nice area and the crowd there is pretty mix. If you like to go after work there are plenty of places there at the same time I am sure there are some nicer areas in PA too.
Like I wouldn't mind at all hanging out in Princeton/Trenton or even Philly (although I realize that's like an hour) and then just driving home to wherever. That's kind of my thought process in living on the PA side of the river. I'm sure the NJ burbs of Trenton are similar, with just a longer drive into Philly.

I found apts with the same size I have here in AL and they are literally $1,000 more a effing month. Outrageous.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-21-2013, 01:26 PM
 
Location: NJ
12,283 posts, read 35,633,913 times
Reputation: 5331
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drommie View Post
Well, regardless, it's hideously more expensive than the Southern cities I have lived in, and I've lived in many of them. Rent is just incredible, this is one of the major reasons I tried to avoid going back.



I'll look into that, thanks.



Like I wouldn't mind at all hanging out in Princeton/Trenton or even Philly (although I realize that's like an hour) and then just driving home to wherever. That's kind of my thought process in living on the PA side of the river. I'm sure the NJ burbs of Trenton are similar, with just a longer drive into Philly.

I found apts with the same size I have here in AL and they are literally $1,000 more a effing month. Outrageous.
I would really try to find another job where you are. I'm getting all sorts of warning flags that you won't be happy coming back. And that's ok! You really don't want to feel like you are "stuck" somewhere you don't want to be. Good luck!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-21-2013, 04:37 PM
 
3,021 posts, read 5,832,146 times
Reputation: 3151
Try Plainsboro. There are several rental communities & you may get something in your price range. Plainsboro is a quick drive to Princeton.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-21-2013, 04:58 PM
 
1,319 posts, read 4,242,249 times
Reputation: 822
Find another job, stay in area you like. Don't move to NJ. If you hate it that much, stay out of NJ and stay where you are happy.

Not a troll or sarcastic post, serious post. Think about it. Is the job and the move worth it for you to hate where you live? If not, then quit and find another job. If job is worth the move then suck it up or keep being angry about it doesn't help at all...actually makes yourself feel even worse.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-21-2013, 06:02 PM
 
882 posts, read 1,665,744 times
Reputation: 685
Yardley has a quaint downtown borough surrounded by a very wealthy residential area. I think it's one of the wealthier towns in Bucks County. Morrisville is close by but has a much more blue-collar feel to it, also more diverse, closer to Trenton. There are a lot of cheap, kinda seedy garden complexes in Morrisville and Levittown. Langhorne, a bit down the line, is cheaper than Yardley but nicer than Morrisville. There are apartments in downtown Yardley for around 800, but they're probably smaller than what you're in now.

Up river you could try New Hope/Lambertville. Young crowd but not really undergrads. A bit alternative if that's your thing. Once again, pricey, but you can occasionally find a bargain. Further north you could try Highland Park; it has a big population of grad students so late 20's/30's crowd and cheap. Across the river so not much undergrad overflow. If you are looking for cheap, Bordentown is about 25 minutes south of Princeton, and still has apartments in the 750-850 range. You could also go way south to Collingswood, it'd be an hour to Princeton but you can still find an apartment there for under 900. Decent restaurant scene in town, but also 24/7 access to Philly in 15 minutes via the PATCO. In Philly there're plenty of entertainment opportunities for all ages.

You could live in Philly itself, but it'd be like 80 minutes on the train to Princeton. You could drive, but there's usually a lot of traffic on 95 at rush hour, compared to 295. If you do go the Philly rout, most of Center City is as pricey as Princeton. You could try Fishtown, Passyunk Square, or the outer edges of University City.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:



Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > New Jersey
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:37 PM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top