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We are an early 30's couple relocating to NJ and after scouring Craigslist, Zillow, Trulia, etc, I'm feeling very disheartened about finding a place to call home and was hoping to get some insight from the resident experts here!
Details about our impending move are below and I'd appreciate any feedback on properties, neighborhoods, or towns that I should research further.
Thank you in advance!
Where are you coming from? Buffalo, NY (however we have lived in NYC in past
Why are you moving? His job
Where will you be working ? He will be working in Newark & Hackensack; I can work out of either Iselin or NYC (Penn Station) and we'd like to keep our commutes under 45 minutes door to door (30 is ideal)
Will you buy or rent? Renting
What is your budget ? $2500-ish
What kind of place are you looking for ? Must have: 2 bedrooms or 1 plus den, washer & dryer in unit, updated kitchen, parking nearby for 1 car; Like to have: outdoor space, no carpeting (wood/tile preferred), walkable restaurants/shopping would be great but not necessary, a 2nd bathroom, 1000+sf, good closet space
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ? No kiddos or pets but we would like the flexibility to get a dog in future
Do you need/want good public schools? Nope
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in:
Safe! In trying to find a place in the Northern New Jersey area that is newer construction and is updated plus a decent square footage (1000+), we seem to be priced out of Hoboken, downtown JC, Montclair. I found some great places in Bayonne and the area of JC near Liberty Park and Jersey City Heights but after reading up on these boards, it seems like they may still have a few years to go before being a place I feel comfortable living due to gangs/crime. Weehawken seems like it may be a good fit for us, but there just appear to be fewer properties so I'm having trouble finding the right fit.
We have some flexibility in that I don't NEED to work out of the city but in looking at some towns (Westfield, Maplewood, South Orange) they don't seem to have rental properties with our criteria that are in our price range (their rental houses are over $3K because they are bigger, 4 bedroom nice family homes).
In an ideal world, I'd love an apt in a little updated brownstone with a small garden in a city or a newer construction stand alone house/duplex/condo in the burbs. Unfortunately, my taste seems to be in the $3500-range and our budget is in the $2500 range. I'm the buyer on House Hunters demanding granite countertops in the city center on a $100K budget, I know, but I feel like there has to be some little gem out there right? I have friends with amazing deals on rent controlled places in NYC - don't those exist in NJ??
List three things that are important to you in order of importance.(examples: nightlife, outdoor activities, rural/urban, safety, downtown area, charming, new construction, proximity to XYZ, family oriented, easy parking, short commute, etc) New construction; short commute; parking available
As you are learning all of your must haves are things everyone wants. And that costs money. The closer you are to the city the more money. You will need to be flexible on some of those. You can find nice places in downtown JC in your range, but they will not be as big. You can find places of the size you want, but the commute may be more like an hour 15mins.
Based on your three most important things, i would look in downtown JC and just compromise on what your looking for.
Thank you so much Pinky! I love 78 Essex Street!!!! Hopefully it's still available, that is the other thing I have learned is every nice place is gone in a day!
I think with some hard work and a little luck I may be able to find something in downtown JC but I was hoping there may be creative other options that I am overlooking, especially because proximity to NYC is not important to us (as I can work out of Iselin).
Thank you so much Pinky! I love 78 Essex Street!!!! Hopefully it's still available, that is the other thing I have learned is every nice place is gone in a day!
I think with some hard work and a little luck I may be able to find something in downtown JC but I was hoping there may be creative other options that I am overlooking, especially because proximity to NYC is not important to us (as I can work out of Iselin).
You definitely can. But note this time of year are when people do the most moving so prices go up and peak around summer. So when you find something you like, make sure you are ready to put down a deposit on the spot. Either way you should definitely be able to find something nice. And the area is really fun. Depending on where you live you may need to rent a parking spot as well so keep that in mind.
Good luck!
ETA: if proximity to nyc isnt important than Montclair should fit your budget as well and will give you a little more for your money and better parking options.
I've been looking in Montclair too because it's just so adorable there but the properties all seem older and I can't find any nice updated kitchens in our price range, unfortunately.
I left a voicemail and emailed 78 Essex, hopefully they still have it! We're also not local so it makes it harder to view on the spot. Thankfully I travel to NYC often for work but it seems even waiting a few days/a week is too long for the good deals out there. I need some good luck...thank you again!!
You are correct Montclair has mostly older properties. But you may get lucky and find something with updated features. You might look at Apartments in Montclair | Essex County Apartments | North Newark Apts that is a newer building right next to the train station in your price range. Its also right near the main strip of restaurants. South Orange has some newer rentals as well near the train station. They also have a nice downtown area.
Hi Pinky! Unfortunately the amazing place on Essex was rented already but I'm going to keep combing that area of JC, I think there MAY be hope for me!
I read this about Montclair Residences Montclair apartments! which is scaring me a bit...it's too bad, they look awesome on the website
I'm open to suggestions from anyone else too!
The area near those apts are the "bad part of town" but its still pretty safe. Its more rough around the edges then the rest of town, but if you are street smart you should have no issues. IMO the location is great because you can walk to the many restaurants and bars, and you are right at the train station with easy access to the city. You really have to check out the area for your self though and see if your comfortable. If not, check out some of the buildings in south orange or keep looking in JC.
Hackensack itself has some nice apartment buildings for reasonable prices but you'll be at the edge of your commuting time tolerance.
There's also a newer luxury building in Harrison right by the PATH station that should be in budget and commuting time will be great (you could also consider working in the city if there is some advantage over Iselin), but the town itself kind of sucks.
I don't know Montclair well enough to speak to it but geographically it is very well situated for your needs.
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