Advice on where to live when you job is between NYC and philadelphia (Trenton: apartment complexes, rental)

[britUS]

Hi,

I am moving from England to a job just west of Princeston. I am only 27 so am looking for good few good bars in my local area, but good access to the city (either NYC or philadelphia). I dont want to travel more than 45 mins to work. Can anyone help out at all please - feeling a little lost!

[luckyshoes]

Originally Posted by britUS

Hi,

I am moving from England to a job just west of Princeston. I am only 27 so am looking for good few good bars in my local area, but good access to the city (either NYC or philadelphia). I dont want to travel more than 45 mins to work. Can anyone help out at all please - feeling a little lost!

Maybe New Brunswick? It's a small city, has lots of bars and restaurants, good train access and probably wouldn't be too far to your job. It's also home to Rutgers, which is the big state university, so there would definitely be loads of young people around.

Just be careful about where you rent. Some parts of NB are loaded with undergrads who party all the time and if you're in a two-family house with them, you won't be able to sleep til 4 in the morning. You can also try right across the river in Highland Park.

[block911]

North Brunswick next to the new station they are going to build on route 1. You can ride the same train to New Brunswick, Nyc or philadelphia (switch off to septa in trenton). New brunswick is to congested and overpriced

[luckyshoes]

Originally Posted by block911

North Brunswick next to the new station they are going to build on route 1. You can ride the same train to New Brunswick, Nyc or philadelphia (switch off to septa in trenton). New brunswick is to congested and overpriced

yeah, but he wants a few bars etc. North Brunswick is kind of boring.

[block911]

Originally Posted by luckyshoes

yeah, but he wants a few bars etc. North Brunswick is kind of boring.

10 min drive w/ free parking in new brunswick on weekend or a 5 minute train drive when the new station opens

[solibs]

Coming from England I assume you'll want a few places you can walk to . . ?

New Brunswick is OK, Princeton is a bit smaller and a bit more of a small town to New Brunswick's urban feel. Check out Lambertville as well - it's a bit out in the country, though.

Princeton is also ~45 minute drive from Center City Philadelphia - which would be comparable to living in a bigger city like Manchester. I'm guessing you're headed to one of those office parks just off of 95? So it may be even be a few minutes closer. You'd be going in the opposite direction of most other people in both directions so there's never much traffic. The downside is that keeping a car in the city is a pain . . . not that it would be that much easier in New Brunswick.

[SweepTheLeg]

If you're working in Princeton, why not live in Princeton? You'll have bars, nightlife, and a much lower crime rate than New Brunswick.

Will you have a car? If you can drive, you can experience the New Brunswick nightlife w/o having to live there.

Trust me, BritUS - you don't want to live in New Brunswick if you're going in blind. Living in Princeton would give you a lot of options and you'd be an hour to NYC and an hour to Philly. Plus train access is relatively close.

If you are going to have a car, I would recommend the following towns:

Princeton
Plainsboro
West Windsor
South Brunswick

All have large apartment complexes and rental options.

I would AVOID:

New Brunswick
Ewing
Trenton
East Windsor (bad rental options)

[CaptainNJ]

im with stl, you will be happier in princeton. new brunswick has bars and college babes from rutgers but its not a particularly nice town.

[luckyshoes]

Originally Posted by solibs

Princeton is also ~45 minute drive from Center City Philadelphia - which would be comparable to living in a bigger city like Manchester. I'm guessing you're headed to one of those office parks just off of 95? So it may be even be a few minutes closer. You'd be going in the opposite direction of most other people in both directions so there's never much traffic. The downside is that keeping a car in the city is a pain . . . not that it would be that much easier in New Brunswick.

Center City Philly is a really good idea. It's not a great commute, but it's not unbearable and I think you would enjoy Philly on the weekends from what you wrote.

Also, I don't know how much you are making or what your budget is, but I also knew people who lived in NYC and reverse commuted to Princeton for work (they rented in a building right near the tunnel and had a car which was part of their expat package anyway). That would be totally worth it if you could afford the rent.

[luckyshoes]

Originally Posted by CaptainNJ

im with stl, you will be happier in princeton. new brunswick has bars and college babes from rutgers but its not a particularly nice town.

Princeton is excruciatingly boring. Nice area, but not for a young, single person.