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Good morning, I'm Silvia, I'm writing from Bologna, Italy.
I’ve just found this web site and I wonder if you would be so kind to help me?
I will be graduating in foreign literatures next month and I have always had interest in US history and culture so, when my husband was asked to move to NJ on business my reaction was enthusiastic but now I’m getting worried about our future.
They didn’t define their business proposition yet but there is some talk of paying him a salary of $50k plus medical insurance and gasoline card. Is it sufficient? We recently become homeowner and we enjoy a good income and lifestyle here in Italy, I think, moving as his wife, I won’t be allowed to work for a while and I wonder if we will able to live in a dignified neighborhood, to raise our (virtual/future) kids...
Thank you for your attention and time, I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
Please note my time zone is GMT+1 so I will not be able to read your answer immediately.
There have been a number of posts here lately about "can I live comfortably in NJ on $XXX?"- you should look for them and read the replies.
That being said, IMO you and your husband will have a tough time having a "good income and lifestyle" and living in a "dignified neighborhood" on $50k/year. Maybe if you're working as well you can do OK as a couple, but once the kids come, it's going to be tough.
This is not to say that you can't live in NJ on $50k/year- millions of people do it every day. It's just not going to be what I'd call "a good lifestyle" if I'm interpreting what you're looking for correctly.
Maybe some more info on what you'd like to see (home type/size, amenities, convenience to NYC, etc) would help. Also, do you know where in NJ your husband would be working? Despite its small size compared to some of the other US states, it's got a lot of different regions, and commutes to work can quickly get very painful.
I'm having a look at these posts and I'm getting scared about all prostitutes, dope feins, crooked cops, homeless people and murderers your are talking about
expecially because my husband and I will be in the Northern New Jersey (between Parsippany and Paterson) that seems to be the worse area in the USA but I maybe need to get more informations about that?!?!?!?
I'm sorry, my English is horrible, however what I'm interested in is to live, without debts, in a safe place with "normal" neightbours, possibly not criminal!
We don't need a big house, 1 bedroom is enought, nor one next to NYC, as we won't work there but we will need two cars (with insurance).
I need to read more about the safety question, do you actually have a gun in your home to protect yourself and your family?????
I'm having a look at these posts and I'm getting scared about all prostitutes, dope feins, crooked cops, homeless people and murderers your are talking about
expecially because my husband and I will be in the Northern New Jersey (between Parsippany and Paterson) that seems to be the worse area in the USA but I maybe need to get more informations about that?!?!?!?
I'm sorry, my English is horrible, however what I'm interested in is to live, without debts, in a safe place with "normal" neightbours, possibly not criminal!
We don't need a big house, 1 bedroom is enought, nor one next to NYC, as we won't work there but we will need two cars (with insurance).
I need to read more about the safety question, do you actually have a gun in your home to protect yourself and your family?????
Thank you so much
Liz84,
Your English is fine. There are many areas of NJ that could suit your needs, but as Mr Kovacs has said, $50K may make things tough in certain areas. It depends on where your husband will work. If it is north NJ, you are talking about a very expensive area. Central and South Jersey is much more affordable, and you may do better renting a house at first until you know what your monthly expenses are and what you can afford. There are some towns that can provide a reasonable commute for your husband via the train or bus if it is convenient. You could then live further away from his job in a less expensive area, and possibly save by needing only 1 car.
Other than that, I think that you will love NJ. There are many Italian communities, and even more excellent restaurants/shops to make you feel at home.
I wish you the best of luck in your search and if I can be of any assistance, please feel free to ask.
Sorry, I forgot to mention that regardless of the extremes you read about on this board, I have lived in NJ my entire life, in suburban areas to urban areas. I have NEVER felt afraid, or concerned about my safety in general.
No gun in my house.
No drug dealers on my corner.
If you want drug dealers, they're not hard to find, but also just as easy to avoid.
Crime is worst in only the most urban settings, with Newark, Camden and Atlantic City being the biggest offenders. BobKovacs, do you concur?
I'm having a look at these posts and I'm getting scared about all prostitutes, dope feins, crooked cops, homeless people and murderers your are talking about
expecially because my husband and I will be in the Northern New Jersey (between Parsippany and Paterson) that seems to be the worse area in the USA but I maybe need to get more informations about that?!?!?!?
I'm sorry, my English is horrible, however what I'm interested in is to live, without debts, in a safe place with "normal" neightbours, possibly not criminal!
We don't need a big house, 1 bedroom is enought, nor one next to NYC, as we won't work there but we will need two cars (with insurance).
I need to read more about the safety question, do you actually have a gun in your home to protect yourself and your family?????
Thank you so much
Many of the threads here concern the urban part of NJ(old industrial ne corridor) for some reason and there is crime in those areas to different degrees. Suburban areas like Parsippany are very safe as are most of the areas surrounding it. If you don't have kids you will probably be willing to consider many different types of neighborhoods. Places with cheaper housing may not have good public schools(especially middle and high schools). There will be older housing stock in many of the areas you would have to look in. You would likely be renting at first and both of you will probably be working quickly. That means that by the time you consider buying and staying you will have been in the area for a while which is VERY important.
You can not base decisions on what you read here!!
As for the gun question-people in the NY/NJ area generally do not carry guns, keep guns in their cars or apartments. I have heard of people who own homes that have a rifle in the home but even in that case one of the people was a deer hunter. NJ/NY make it VERY difficult to own a hand gun. Most of those in the state are illegal but again most crime is found in very specific urban areas while the surrounding areas tend to be very safe. I don't think anyone would care if a homeowner had a rifle in their house somewhere but people tend to keep that kind of thing to themselves in this neck of the woods. There are other parts of the U.S. where this is not the case and many people own guns. But the political climate is very different in those states and the people there tend to have very different views to go along with it.
NJ and NY are filled with hard working, law abiding people for the most part and there are many safe places to live. Unlike some parts of the U.S. though-you really have to "pay" for your lifestyle. Homeownership will be difficult for you on one salary. I would suggest renting a small apartment first. There are many different types of safe areas where you can do that easily. Then you can really take the time to scope things out and decide what you want in the future. Good luck!
$50k is doable if you don't have children, but if you plan to have children in the near future I would be worried. You would want a large enough home in a good, safe school district and in northeastern NJ, that can get quite expensive. There are many nice suburbs in northern NJ; crime in NJ overall is quite low but it does not come cheap.
Hi Liz,
NJ is very safe. There are areas of course that are not. In fact NJ has the #3 best city in America to live as well as the #1 worst city in America. It is a very diverse state for how small it is...please know you will find something just wonderful. I agree you will probably rent for a bit until you find the right place. On the side since you said you were Italian --> Hamilton NJ has the most concentrated amount of Italians next to Vatican City. I wish you the best of luck and would like to welcome you to America. I have visited your country often and it is wonderful. People were very hospitable in Italy. People I did not even know were helping me with places to stay, showing me around...it was a wonderful experience.
I live in South Jersey on an island called Ocean City. It's a wonderful place to vacation in the summertime. If you and your husband ever day trip down to the beach I would be happy to show you around. I would love for you to have the warm welcome when you come to my country that I received when I traveled to yours. Good luck.
Kathleen
I'm entering this thread a bit late, but I just had to weigh in! With a 50 minute commute, you and your husband could find a reasonable home in Sussex County in a nice neighborhood and good schools.
Many thousands of people live in New Jersey every day on $50K a year. US$50K is about 38050 Euro. How does that compare to what your husband earns in Italy? I also looked up Real Estate in Bologna, where 1 bedroom apartments are selling for 195000 Euro, which is about 256,042.62 USD. You can buy a nice 3-4 bedroom home with land for that amount here where I live in New Jersey.
I agree with many of the other posters, but I don't think many took into account what life might be like in Italy!
One item you mentioned that I have personal knowledge of. My husband is a Police Officer here in New Jersey. He is a good, honest, hardworking man who is well liked by the citizens of the town he works for. The other men in the Department are honest, dependable guys who are just trying to make a living and support their families.
Every profession has dishonest people. Yes, there are crooked cops (I've personally never met or dealt with any) just as there are crooked Police in Italy, and crooked cops in Great Britain, and every other country in the world.
Yes, there are drugs here. I'm pretty certain that there are the same drugs in Italy. And Germany. And Great Britain. New Jersey doesn't have any higher of a drug or crime rate than any other country on this small planet of ours.
I've never seen a prostitute in New Jersey. And I haven't seen a prostitute in New York City since Mayor Rudy cleaned up 42nd Street. That doesn't mean that there aren't any, I've just never seen one.
The area of NJ that I live in is very rural. My husband and I raise our children on property that borders a 5000 acre Wildlife Refuge. We have deer, bear, pheasant, wild turkey, and coyotes that travel through our backyard every day! My neighbor sells fresh eggs and home grown vegetables. We have farms, and fields all around us. It is really quite beautiful here, and rustic, and a little slower pace.
What is really nice about New Jersey is that when we want to leave the country, it's a short drive to see a Broadway play in Manhattan, or soak up some sun at the Jersey Shore. There is a ski area 10 minutes from my house and Atlantic City is only 3 hours away for a weekend of trying our luck at the casino's.
I am happy that I live here. If you find yourself moving to New Jersey, I think you would be happy here, too. Life is what you make of it, and happiness can follow you no matter where you end up!
Good luck to you!
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Liz84, come stai?
also
