No such place between Philadelphia and NYC? (Trenton, Princeton: apartments, rent)

[dorianwales]

Hi,

I've been reading through the NJ and Philadelphia forums for some time now. I'm looking for a place between NYC and Philadelphia - (zipcode 19111). Philadelphia is my anchor and I would like to keep the commute to 19111 to 45 min. tops.

I'm looking for a upper-middle class area with a budget of around $2000-$2500 for a 2-3 bedroom home/appartment.

Any suggestions before I give up on my hopes to find a job in NYC and "settle" for Philadelphia?

I don't mind the city or the suburbs, as long as its a decent area to live in (judging solely by my budget).

Thanks, as always

[GoPhils]

"Settle" for Philadelphia? I guess it's not NYC, but Philadelphia is the 6th most populous city in the country and there are jobs there. Yeah you'll probably make a higher salary working in NYC, but if you're living closer to Philly then the cost of the commute (both monetary and time) might not really make it worth it.

But if you're really city people, maybe you could live in Philadelphia and take Amtrak (but as I alluded to that'd be pretty expensive).

I had suggested Mt. Laurel (a nice suburb) before because it's not far from Philly and there's the greyhound to NYC.

Another option could be to live in the suburbs near Trenton (either in NJ or PA) and take the train to NYC from there. This thread from the other day http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-jersey/903562-might-take-job-trenton.html had some good suggestions like Yardley in PA or Hamilton/Robbinsville in NJ (I'm not too familiar with all the PA towns so you'd probably have to go to the PA/Philly forum for that).

[jerseyj]

You might want to look at Plainsboro NJ. There are apartments in your price range and it is pretty close to the Princeton Junction Train Station. Parking at this station is a challenge but some of the complexes in Plainsboro have shuttle buses to that station.

Plainsboro is about 35 miles from Philadelphia and is also accessable by train (NJT & Septa). Commute to NYC (Penn Station) will be 1-1 1/2 hours, station to station.

[GiantRutgersfan]

I think it is a very big stretch. If you want NYC, live near there. same for Philly. No use killing yourself with a 2 hour commute each way...

[DailyJournalist]

Columbus NJ should fit your needs.

[Sassygirl18]

How about Newtown or Yardley, PA? Both really nice towns and I believe that have pretty easy access to transportation to both Phila and NYC.

[BobKovacs]

You can get places that are 45 minutes to Philly, but the commute to NYC will be 1.5 hours or so.

[ocnjgirl]

If NYC is what you really yearn for, why get an apartment near Philly? IMO if you start off your job search in NY by taking a yearly apt near Philly "just in case" you are already starting off not believing you can accomplish what you want.

[dorianwales]

Thank you all for you helpful comments and suggestions. I really appreciate your advice which is worth its weight in gold for a foreigner such as me.
My wife will be working in Philadelphia and we are relocating because of her. I'm researching the best options we have before deciding. I'm an accountant and thought NYC would offer me more opportunities, the anchor being Philadelphia because of my wife's relocation. I'm trying to find a way to settle the situation.

Just to clear up things, "settling" for Philadelphia was by no means suggesting Philadelphia is undesirable. It's just NYC offers greater opportunities and more a more cosmopolitan approach which I find very relevant.

We are currently living in Tel Aviv. I'm used to a very short commute and as such am seriously considering focusing my search on Philadelphia city center, assuming I won't be able to find a solution which will balance potential benefits of NYC employment with the necessary commute.

I've seen the AMTRACK is unimaginably expansive ($80 a day??). And allowing myself to be picky I won't be taking a bus back and forth (thanks for the tip GoPhils).

I've been using neighborhood scout and I think Plainsboro, as jersyj suggested, seems a viable options although the 1.5 hrs commute to NYC seems a challenge, although I understand in US terms that isn't unheard of.

Other I've been looking at include: Columbus, NJ, Newtown or Yardley, PA.

As GiantsRutgersfan suggested I may be a bit ambitious. I'll inquire into the Philadelphia job market and should it be alive and well I will probably rent in Philadelphia city center. I think walking to work is one of the joys of life.

[Viralmd]

From Plainsboro to Philadelphia will take over an hour each way, especially during rush hours. And there is at least a THREE YEAR wait list at the Princeton Junction train station, although there is a Park-and-Ride at exit 8A of the NJ Turnpike for the bus to NYC.