Possible job opportunity around Union Square, NYC - where to live? (Jersey City: crime, transfer)
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It sounds like you are single, no children and want good commute + access to action.
My suggestion is...
- Sell the car.
- Rent in Jersey City. At 1400, you'll be looking at Journal Square (JSQ) with roommate if you want a nice place.
- If you want to live more nicer and even closer to action. Spend the max and possibly little more + roommate and live in downtown Jersey City.
Reason for selling the car is. If you live in Jersey City, you'll be spending almost all your time in Manhattan or Jersey City. Few times you use it, rent it.
Path can take you directly to 18th st and you can walk to Union Square. Its the best commute from NJ to that part of city.
Weehawken will feel more residential in parts than the Jersey City heights. If you are commuting by light rail to the PATH in Hoboken then the JC heights or Union City may be preferable as getting down to the light rail from upper Weehawken requires crossing major roadways or using the free town shuttle bus. The bus has a companion app that "mostly" works to track bus location but this service only runs on weekdays during rush hour times.
Parking will be another issue as street parking is basically a competitive sport. Weehawken is anal about enforcement while nearby Union City is very lax and sporadic. Jersey City falls somewhere in between. By enforcement I mean parking over a bus lane, close to a hydrant, or crossing a driveway white line. Weehawken agents will vigilantly ticket for these offenses. I would suggest searching craigslist for listings that mentioned off street parking. Union City and the heights in particular have new condo buildings going up all the time where investors turn sales into rentals.
Union Sq is one of the crappy places to commute to (but a GREAT place to live). Any big company that has an office there is clueless. Not really easy to get to from anywhere (depending on where in union Sq, I was offered a job on 17th and Park Ave South, and nothing was easy). If you could live with roommates, I would suggest trying to get something in nyc itself. You would NOT regret it, but then you would have to ditch your car. You wouldn't miss it unless you had family in NJ/PA that you HAD to see ever week. And even then, depending where you are in Bucks county, the train to trenton is cake (if only once a week). Just doit!!!! You will not be this young next year :>
FYI, I moved INTO the city when I was 31. Waited years to do it. Always said "if I were a couple of years younger". Then I did it and NEVER regretted it. Did it for 9 years, now doing the wife/kids thing in NJ.
If you live in NJ, unless you go out RIGHT after work, you will NOT be going back into the city to do things. You will just be too tired
Thanks. I actually moved to the Philly area 13 years ago - but originally from Long Island (Brentwood to be exact). I was thinking I could keep the car at my mom's place out there if need be.
Montclair too, but within waling distance to the train might be pricey.
Red Bank as someone else said is way too far. It's not even close. It's also not diverse IMO.
Rahway has new condos around the train station and it's a 2 line station. Meaning 2 transit lines run through and your commute will be better. Nightlife around there is bad though. Dead...
I kinda been thinking about South Orange and Montclair too. Outside of the Jersey Gold Coast towns (Jersey City, Union City, Weehawken, North Bergen, West New York), those two might be the only other places I'd consider.
Thanks. I actually moved to the Philly area 13 years ago - but originally from Long Island (Brentwood to be exact). I was thinking I could keep the car at my mom's place out there if need be.
Wait, you should totally do this and then live in Brooklyn. If parking the car outside the city for free is an option you should see how often you end up using it for the first year.
Wait, you should totally do this and then live in Brooklyn. If parking the car outside the city for free is an option you should see how often you end up using it for the first year.
That's what I'm thinking if I end up in Brooklyn or Queens. If I end up in Jersey, the car will stay with me.
Did you like living in Philly (i.e, the city life)?
Also, at this stage in life (don't be offended...I'm at the same stage)...how often do you think you'll be hanging out in Manhattan after work and on the weekends? Everyone in our age group has kids and spouses they need to get home to. Or, everyone's just too goddamned exhausted because our jobs are more demanding at this stage in our careers, and also, we're creeping closer and closer to AARP memberships. Can't, and don't want to, drink as much, or stay up as late. Obviously aged out of the club scene. Unless you want to be the token creeper or cougar. And suddenly, you want to tell all the 25 year-olds and even the 30 year-olds at the bar to get off your damn lawn with their crap taste in music and stupid opinions.
I wouldn't move to Brooklyn or Queens unless you're really a city person. Which, if you are, more power to you. But if you are NOT a city person, living in Brooklyn or Queens is gonna get old, fast. My Brooklyn/Queens coworkers used to pish & moan more than my Jersey coworkers, about their commutes into Manhattan.
If you're from way out on Lawn Guylan, out in Brentwood, and you are now living in Bucks County PA, and you don't want to give up your car, and you are looking for a "somewhat laid back vibe"...you sound like you are more suburban oriented. I would say go for Montclair/Maplewood/South Orange. I love love love Jersey City (all parts, not just yuppie/hipster Downtown) but parking is a PITA, and if you are a car person, living without a car is even more of a PITA. I agree with your assessment of Hoboken. Red Bank is cool, but too far from NYC. Not too familiar with Union City, but I have an old college friend who bought a place out there...he's positive it's an up and coming. I've visited, and the place he bought is actually pretty cool, and the neighborhood's not bad.
I would go for the Montclair scene, personally. It's diverse, got lots of singles, bars/restaurants/culture, etc. etc. South Orange & Maplewood are both great places to live, but I feel like they are more about married people in their late 30s/40s with kids, than about singles in their late 30s/40s. They both have nice downtowns with things to do, but if you want more of a singles scene you probably want to be in Montclair, or closer to it. If you want to save money, look next door in Verona. I'm pretty sure you can find an apartment (with parking and some utilities covered), well within your rent range, and you'll be a mile and a half drive from Montclair, without having to pay Montclair rent. I think there's a complex near Verona Park that has a NYC bus stop right outside. Or, you could drive to the PATH station in Harrison. It's easy to get to Route 280, especially from Verona. You could definitely make it to Union Square in an hour and change. Not sure why someone said that Union Square is a pain to commute to. The PATH train takes you right to 14th St & Sixth Ave., and then Union Square is just a couple blocks away. I'd 100% rather commute to Union Square than Herald Square or Times Square.
Did you like living in Philly (i.e, the city life)?
Also, at this stage in life (don't be offended...I'm at the same stage)...how often do you think you'll be hanging out in Manhattan after work and on the weekends? Everyone in our age group has kids and spouses they need to get home to. Or, everyone's just too goddamned exhausted because our jobs are more demanding at this stage in our careers, and also, we're creeping closer and closer to AARP memberships. Can't, and don't want to, drink as much, or stay up as late. Obviously aged out of the club scene. Unless you want to be the token creeper or cougar. And suddenly, you want to tell all the 25 year-olds and even the 30 year-olds at the bar to get off your damn lawn with their crap taste in music and stupid opinions.
I wouldn't move to Brooklyn or Queens unless you're really a city person. Which, if you are, more power to you. But if you are NOT a city person, living in Brooklyn or Queens is gonna get old, fast. My Brooklyn/Queens coworkers used to pish & moan more than my Jersey coworkers, about their commutes into Manhattan.
If you're from way out on Lawn Guylan, out in Brentwood, and you are now living in Bucks County PA, and you don't want to give up your car, and you are looking for a "somewhat laid back vibe"...you sound like you are more suburban oriented. I would say go for Montclair/Maplewood/South Orange. I love love love Jersey City (all parts, not just yuppie/hipster Downtown) but parking is a PITA, and if you are a car person, living without a car is even more of a PITA. I agree with your assessment of Hoboken. Red Bank is cool, but too far from NYC. Not too familiar with Union City, but I have an old college friend who bought a place out there...he's positive it's an up and coming. I've visited, and the place he bought is actually pretty cool, and the neighborhood's not bad.
I would go for the Montclair scene, personally. It's diverse, got lots of singles, bars/restaurants/culture, etc. etc. South Orange & Maplewood are both great places to live, but I feel like they are more about married people in their late 30s/40s with kids, than about singles in their late 30s/40s. They both have nice downtowns with things to do, but if you want more of a singles scene you probably want to be in Montclair, or closer to it. If you want to save money, look next door in Verona. I'm pretty sure you can find an apartment (with parking and some utilities covered), well within your rent range, and you'll be a mile and a half drive from Montclair, without having to pay Montclair rent. I think there's a complex near Verona Park that has a NYC bus stop right outside. Or, you could drive to the PATH station in Harrison. It's easy to get to Route 280, especially from Verona. You could definitely make it to Union Square in an hour and change. Not sure why someone said that Union Square is a pain to commute to. The PATH train takes you right to 14th St & Sixth Ave., and then Union Square is just a couple blocks away. I'd 100% rather commute to Union Square than Herald Square or Times Square.
Lol, I'm not offended at all (as you mentioned in the beginning of your post). I feel ya, on a lot of fronts. Philly had its highs and lows for sure. I liked the city itself (Center City, and some of the other neighborhoods), but I also liked some of the Montgomery County suburbs as well - in particular Willow Grove, Abington, Roslyn, Glenside, Jenkintown, and Elkins Park. I'm just so done with Bucks County it ain't even funny. Like I said before, one of my main criteria is having good access to the action - I don't need to be IN the action. I hear a lot of good things about that Montclair/South Orange/Maplewood area. Me being single and pushing 40, I'm still willing to look at the Montclair/Verona area if I don't get something on the Gold Coast. I'm really starting to like Weehawken, Union City, West New York, and North Bergen.
Montclair too, but within waling distance to the train might be pricey.
Red Bank as someone else said is way too far. It's not even close. It's also not diverse IMO.
Rahway has new condos around the train station and it's a 2 line station. Meaning 2 transit lines run through and your commute will be better. Nightlife around there is bad though. Dead...
Too far, yes. But not diverse? Red Bank has significant African-American and Latino populations.
If I end up in Jersey, it looks like Weehawken, Union City, and Jersey City will be the main targets. I'm also going to consider North Bergen, West New York, Montclair, and Verona.
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