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I will be moving to New Jersey next May bc I am relocating to Newark for work. I've never lived outside of Dallas. I see lots of posts of different nieghborhoods (which I shall continue to read), but still a little overwhelmed. Got some time to research, but not sure how much time I'll have once I'm up there...a couple of weeks maybe.
So, any suggestions of neighborhoods? will I need my car to get around?? what have I gotten myself into?
Even if working in downtown Newark, you will probably want to at least take a look outside of Newark for housing. You may find a few parts of Newark that are ok, but any part of Newark would probably need a very close inspection to make sure you feel comfortable.
You could look into places that are close where you could drive in from (Maplewood or South Orange for example), or you could find a place near a train that stops in Newark (maybe in Montclair), or on the PATH (downtown Jersey City).
When you say you're "relocating to Newark" do you mean that you'll actually be living in Newark, or are you talking in the same vein as people who say "we're moving to Dallas", but they really live in Richardson or some other outlying suburb of Dallas?
I ask because Newark proper and Dallas proper are night and day, and as you said, you may not know what you've gotten yourself into if you haven't spent alot of time checking out the area.
How much will you be making at your new job? New Jersey very expensive, your salary will determine where you live. Maplewood, South Orange, Montclair, and Jersey City are all very nice places to live BUT they are also expensive you'd be lucky if you can find a studio apt for $1000mo. Harrison and Kerney are towns across the river from Newark check them out too.
Everyone will tell you that Newark is a tough and it is, but there are nice places too.
Welcome to Hallmark House Apartments
Downtown across from City Hall, a Police station and the new arena. I like this building the best, its 10 floors, a mini mart, and a pizza shop, and its across from a bus stop. There are lots of flight attendants in the building so there’s a free shuttle to the airport.
Welcome to Pavilion Apartments (http://www.pavilionrentals.com/ - broken link)
My building is mixed with flight attendants, NYC commuters (like myself), students from RU & NJIT and families. Its OK, I have a great view of NYC, I’m not really in to living in a high rise (22 Floors).
I've lived in North Newark for 3 years close to downtown with NO problems at all, and until recently I didn’t have a car. I made it OK, mainly because I work in NYC and take the train to work, but on the weekends not having a car was hard, I was living by bus schedules. I’m from NJ so I had friends and family to help me out, but in your situation you’ll need a car.
Since you don’t know anyone in the area your best bet is talk to someone in the HR dept. at your new company maybe they can tell you where the majority your new co-workers live.
Newark is mostly nasty and crime ridden. If you have a family forget it. If single be very very careful.
1) 225K buys 2800 SF palace in Dallas. In Northern NJ it buys something currently on fire.
2) You wont believe how corrupt NJ is. Its so big its actually amazing.
3) You wont believe your oil and electric bills.
4) Welcome to income tax!, Property tax! and a ton of other taxes.
5) NJ is so expensive 2 jobs is almost the norm. When I lived in Florida and went to Walmart on a weekend, everyone working there looked like they should be working at Walmart. I went to the one in Butler and everyone looked like someones professional dad trying to make ends meet.
NOT all negatives though.
1) The hills and valleys of Morris, Warren, Sussex counties are incredible.
2) You are close enough to get a good feel for NYC, a true world city.
3) No 100 days of 100 degrees hot.
4) Very dynamic economy.
5) NJ has a very very good state park system. Some of them are huge.
If you are a Democrat you will love it here. If you are a Republican you are irrelevant at least on the state wide level.
If this person was going to be renting maybe with roommates they would not have to be rolling in dough. Most likely they would not care about Republicanism or rolling hills. They would want convenience. The car issue is big and unless you live in a very urban area you will probably wish you had one. If you want urban go really urban and forget the car. It is a heavy added expense.
Transit within northern NJ is not convenient much of the time. I know this because I was a non driver for the majority of my adult life and was constantly on transit for years. The subway and the PATH are the only constant transit available 24/7. If you are traveling within NJ much you will want a car.
thanks so much everyone. ok, so i am actually going to go because i will be a flight attendant based at Newark Intl. I do need convenience and economical is a must. I will have a couple of roomies, so that's a plus. I have a car, but I would like to see if I can manage without, therefore less expenses for me. Of course I will want to visit NYC as much as possible...just need a humble, but safe place, to live. Thanks again for the information!
Hi... you should move to Elizabeth instead... half of newark intl airport is actually located in elizabeth, so about the same distance away. Elizabeth is really cheap plus safer. That would sound better than living in Newark which is pretty questionable.
I'm also a former Dallasite (Bryan Adams & Newman-Smith HS), who has been living in the NYC area 3 years and is getting ready to make the jump over to Newark / Jersey City, hoping to actually buy, instead of paying over $1500 a month in rent, for a postage stamp-sized apartment.
Jersey is the place to be for cheaper (relatively speaking) living, but you'll stil experience shock, at the reduction in size you will get for the money.
If you're based in Newark Int'l., you might consider that some of the buses go throughout the state, so if you don't necessarily have to be AT the airport within an hour or so, you could expand your search area to include points farther west and south, where housing is cheaper.
Just my opinion...
Stay away from the cities (Newark, Jersey City, Elizabeth).
The crime is too high and, no matter what type of "renaissance" people will claim that these cities are going thru, the reality is that they built up their business areas, threw in a few malls and, in Newark's case, added a sporting arena. The single family homes and apartment buildings are still run down. There has been no fairy dust sprinkled on these places.
Get a map.
Look at other towns that are west of these cities.
Driving 30 minutes to Newark Airport is ok...seriously.
Look a little further out on Rte 78.
Maybe look at towns that are just off of the Garden State Parkway.
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