Would appreciate insight into where to live (Newark, Jersey City: rental, insurance)

[jakelanor]

I'll answer the questions first:

Where are you coming from? California
Why are you moving? New Job in NYC
Where will you be working ? NYC, near Midtown East

Will you buy or rent? Rent
What is your budget ? <$1500
What kind of place are you looking for? 1Bdrm

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

Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in: Just clean and safe

List three things that are important to you in order of importance: Close to work, clean, safe

--

I'm a 23 year old male that will be working in NYC. I've never visited NYC before so I'm unfamiliar with the area.. I have to bring a car that I'm still making monthly payments on, which is why I can't put forth too much on my rent.

I would appreciate your insight! So far I have heard Edgewater, Jersey City, and Hoboken (heard this was expensive though).

Thank you

[Retriever]

In addition to rents in Hoboken being high, you have to understand the reality that a car is a liability in that incredibly-congested town. Street parking is at a premium and securing a parking space on the street could occupy...at lot...of your time.

Then, a couple of days later, when it is time to move the car for alternate side of the street parking (for street cleaning), the dance begins all over again. The alternative is to pay for a parking space in a parking garage, where the monthly toll will likely be a few hundred $$ per month.

Instead of Hoboken, I would suggest that you take a look at North Bergen.

[JrzDefector]

What kind of job and where will you be working in NYC?

[jaymoney]

I'm going to make the bold statement that a 23 year old single male should live in New York City. Brooklyn, Washington Heights. Your car will be expensive to hang on to, but your rides home after work on the MTA will be a lot easier than dealing with PATH.

[jakelanor]

Working as an analyst at a small firm; I'm not familiar with NYC's geography, but it is in Midtown East I think.

[HalfFull]

Are you open to having roommate(s)?

Are you interested in living in NYC?

[jakelanor]

Originally Posted by HalfFull

Are you open to having roommate(s)?

Are you interested in living in NYC?

I am open to having roommates, but with my own room (so, housemates I guess).
I am interested in living in NYC as well but I need to keep my car and I've heard that is not feasible.

My salary is $60k so it's not much to work with unfortunately.

[HalfFull]

You could try to find a house to share in places like Montclair, Rutherford, or Maplewood.

You could also consider getting rid of the car. The payments are constraining your rental budget and would also add costs for parking in some locations and the ongoing insurance/maintenance are also significant. I understand that you still have some payments left, but might be worth eating a loss and dealing with that if it allows you to live in NYC or Hoboken or Jersey City.

[rcc4liFe]

If you're set on NJ, you really have a lot of options, especially since you have a car. Most people who commute to NYC do so on public transportation. So you have the added convenience of being able to drive to and park at the bus/train stations.

This is obviously a broad generalization; but driving a vehicle is a way of life in New Jersey.

But otherwise, I absolutely agree with the other poster that a 23-year old single male should be living as close as possible to the heart of the city. Jersey City/Hoboken/Newark and the surrounding areas is where most of my [20-30 year old] NYC-commuting friends currently live.

[captne76]

Keep the car, stay in America (NJ), most places that are too crowded to keep cars you don't want to be in anyhow.