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I'm relocating to NJ, and I'm considering Newark/Elizabeth/Rahway
since it's between my new job and NYC.
I would prefer not to have to buy a car, and survive off public
transportation+cab. How do-able is that? It seems pretty do-able in
Jersey City/Hoboken, (please correct me if I'm wrong), but I got the
impression that the farther away I get from NYC, the harder it is.
I think I would need the following
1. Close to jersey coast train to commute to work
2. able to get home at 3am on Sat/Sun morning from NYC, after a night of partying
3. get grocery, especially asian grocery
4. get to the gym, shopping, movie...etc
(normal everyday events for a 20-something couple)
As for price range, I'm willing to spend up to 1500 for a 1 bedroom,
and 2000 is a little pushing it. But if it turns out I can get away
without needing a car, I guess that should make up for the extra rent.
I understand there are luxury apartments that has shuttle service,
such as Eleven80 in Newark (shuttle service to PATH station and
grocery store). Is that going to suit my needs? What are some other
ones besides Eleven80? Any in Elizabeth? Rahway? Those would be
better than Newark since it would be closer to work.
Now, if it turns out I'm crazy and I do need a car, I'll of course get
one. But -- the girlfriend still needs to get around without a car as
she doesn't drive. What are some more convenient places to live?
(As much as I love her, I don't want to be her chaffeur every time
she wants to get her nails done.)
Hoboken/JC is really the only place you can get by without a car.
The other cities you mentioned have some public transportation, but Hobken & JC have been built up with young professionals in mind. You won't find gyms/shopping/movies/restaurants all within walking distance anywhere else.
As far as being on the NJ coast, you would have to get to newark penn, via path or NJ transit.
I'd check the NJ Transit/PATH schedule in regard to the "getting home at 3am" thing- I'm pretty sure that service is very limited in the wee hours of the morning, and I'm pretty sure that the Hoboken line doesn't even run on weekends.
I spent some time living in NJ, in Bayonne - just south of Jersey City. I would agree that JC and Hoboken are the optimal areas for living w/out a car.
Regarding Newark and Elizabeth, I do not totally share previous posters viewpoints. They are not entirely bad. Newark has a large and very cool neighborhood within walking distance of Newark's Penn Station called Ironbound. It has a large Portuguese influence, is quite safe, and is at the epicenter of NJ Transit. It's probably the only area of Newark where I would live.
Elizabeth has many immigrants from Colombia, and there are a couple of options there as well that would be safe. Elizabeth also has a NJ Transit station, and if you do not mind Latin American culture, Elizabeth could be sufficient.
Regarding Jersey City, Journal Square is being re-developed/rehabbed, and they are building a brand new gym there. Supermarkets are within walking distance, but you may need to go thru Newark's Penn Station to get to work - that's why Ironbound in Newark could be a better option.
Thanks for the quick response guys. I really apprecaite it. Now
to answer some questions -
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobKovacs
I'd check the NJ Transit/PATH schedule in regard to the "getting home at 3am" thing- I'm pretty sure that service is very limited in the wee hours of the morning, and I'm pretty sure that the Hoboken line doesn't even run on weekends.
I checked the path/NJ transit schedule -
NJ transit - last train leaving New York penn station is at 1:41am, so it seems like I can't party too late
PATH- WTC to Newark PATH runs 24H. looks good to me...
But, of course that would dump me off at newark PATH. if i live in ironbound, i can walk home (would i get mugged?).
But if i live in elizabeth - I'm not sure what to do. Is it stupid to suggest calling a cab in advance and driving me from Newark path to elizabeth? How much is that? Would 20 bucks work?
To add, I'd stay out of Elizabeth and Newark. Where's your job? You may have other/better options.
I'm working in finance on jersey shore. Because of the distance, commuting from Hoboken/Jersey city is a bit too harsh. Even Newark is a tad far, but I'm willing to deal with it since I do want to be close to the city. I understand these neighborhoods are a little sketchy. But I'm fine with paying a premium to live in a better neighborhood of Newark/Elizabeth. And by premium I was thinking at max $2000. Is that fair? Too low? Too high?
I spent some time living in NJ, in Bayonne - just south of Jersey City. I would agree that JC and Hoboken are the optimal areas for living w/out a car.
Regarding Newark and Elizabeth, I do not totally share previous posters viewpoints. They are not entirely bad. Newark has a large and very cool neighborhood within walking distance of Newark's Penn Station called Ironbound. It has a large Portuguese influence, is quite safe, and is at the epicenter of NJ Transit. It's probably the only area of Newark where I would live.
Elizabeth has many immigrants from Colombia, and there are a couple of options there as well that would be safe. Elizabeth also has a NJ Transit station, and if you do not mind Latin American culture, Elizabeth could be sufficient.
Regarding Jersey City, Journal Square is being re-developed/rehabbed, and they are building a brand new gym there. Supermarkets are within walking distance, but you may need to go thru Newark's Penn Station to get to work - that's why Ironbound in Newark could be a better option.
Thanks for the information!
I'm willing to consider Ironbound and Elizabeth - I'm fine with Portuguese and Latin American culture. But, can you tell me how tough it would be to live without a car there? Also, do you know if there are any good asian developments in those areas? Having close access to a good asian grocery store is pretty important to me.
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