Moving to NJ in July/Aug, 2007 (New Brunswick, Highland Park: apartment complex, rental, hotel)

[jayanta_p]

Hi,

I will be moving to NJ in July/Aug, 2007 for about 1.5 years with an annual gross of $45,000 and my office would be in New Brunswick. I have gone over the posts about people shifting to NJ in this site and they proved to be extremely helpful. I have come to understand that this salary may be the rosiest but this is what I am offerred (not yet accepted though ... waiting for feedback from this forum ).

I got a specific query about mobility. As it would be tough/time-consuming to get a licence, I would like to live near some public transport routes (may be about 30 min of travel to office), at least initially. Had checked the site njtransit.com also. Got hardly any real-world knowledge.

Can anyone help me by telling what would be the good (ie., peaceful+near grocery or utility stores/walmart etc+not very isolated+walking distance from the public transit system) areas to settle down ? I would have my wife with me. First time in US for both of us.

Tnx,
J

[ehs]

Originally Posted by jayanta_p

Hi,

I will be moving to NJ in July/Aug, 2007 for about 1.5 years with an annual gross of $45,000 and my office would be in New Brunswick. I have gone over the posts about people shifting to NJ in this site and they proved to be extremely helpful. I have come to understand that this salary may be the rosiest but this is what I am offerred (not yet accepted though ... waiting for feedback from this forum ).

I got a specific query about mobility. As it would be tough/time-consuming to get a licence, I would like to live near some public transport routes (may be about 30 min of travel to office), at least initially. Had checked the site njtransit.com also. Got hardly any real-world knowledge.

Can anyone help me by telling what would be the good (ie., peaceful+near grocery or utility stores/walmart etc+not very isolated+walking distance from the public transit system) areas to settle down ? I would have my wife with me. First time in US for both of us.

Tnx,
J

New Brunswick has a huge train station, so you can easily commute from any places with train station, however, you may consider just living at New Brunswick where you can probably walk to work or take Rutgers Univ campus bus...

You can go to craigslist dott orgg to find housing, after June, most students left for summer, so the housing would be easy, and rent whatever students would rent otherwise, then you are sure to be in save area. and there are lots of stores in New Brunswick.

Living at New Brunswick is one of my dream, and I dropped by there often, like tonight, I just discovered this brand new hotel call The Heldrich dott comm that right across street of State Theater and next to Rutgers Student Dorm.

Being in town, you will have easy access to Rutgers Univ activities, of which I love lots of free yet high quality concerts at Dauglaus College where you can find at rutgers dott eduu with detail map and schedule.

$45,000 is a bit low but prettty good comparing my neighbor whose wife working at Shoprite as casher only making $20,000 ... Rental wise, you can qualified $15,000 rent a month (i.e. 1/3 of your income to pay for housing), so you should be fine to rent $1,200 a month 1br apartment, but you can easily find 1br apartment at $900 in town.

If you want a nicer area, you may consider Highland Park across Raritan River and north to New Brunswick, where you also find lots of apartment complex (go to apartment dott comm) this town has over 80% Jewish, so the town is super safe, and this small town has enough stores, supermarket and many parks. You can take Rutgers Campus bus to New Brunswick (College Av) then walk to work, or you can just walk over the bridge, about 5 minutes to work.

Rutgers Univ has huge Asian Library where you and your wife may love it and spend some good time there, and you may find College Ave Student center has lots of activities, seminars, culture events ...etc.

Soon or later you may still want to learn driving (better learn it and get an Intl driver license NOW!!! before coming to NJ), and buying a reliable used car like Toyota Corolla 1990 for $1,000 for local drive, say, within one hour drive), and when you want to visit, say, Boston, DC, Niagra Falls ...etc, you may rent a car for that long weekend.

On the other hand, you may not need a car if you live at New Brunswick like most of Rutgers Univ Students (Oh! you and your wife can also take some courses), and Rutgers Graduate Assoc has lots of field trip that all are welcome to join with very affordable fee.

Of course, because New Brunswick has big train station and is one of the largest cities in NJ, you can take train to Boston, DC ...etc.

If your wife apply for Rutgers Univ, say, graduate school, then you both can live at family student housing, oh! that would be too affordable for $45,000 income! As student, you can also use nice swimming pool and many facilities ...

Need more info, let me know!

[geniusgera]

Dear Jayanta

I am Sunil Gera from Bangalore India.(+919986025835).
I am moving to NJ a place called Piscatta way.
Please talk to me over phone we will do some thing to make each of us comfortable.

[lmlpm7]

I just recently moved to the New Brunswick area a month ago. I live in North Brunswick and love it. The great thing about it is that there are so many stores around me, more than I would have by living in actual New Brunswick. Also, it is much more affordable than living in New Brunswick. I know that there is a bus by me that goes directly to the New Brunswick train station if I ever needed another way to work. I also like that I am not far from work. My apartment in North Brunswick is only 2.5 miles from my job in New Brunswick.