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Old 02-27-2011, 10:18 AM
 
Location: Hudson County, NJ
106 posts, read 204,412 times
Reputation: 12

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I am planning to move to NYC area soon, and it seems like these would be the main options, since I am looking for suburbs around NYC, not looking to be inside the city. Which region is more affordable, has more things to do and overall a better place to stay for a young student like me? Preferably within 1hr from NYC.
And what about Connecticut?
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Old 02-27-2011, 04:29 PM
 
6,205 posts, read 7,419,953 times
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1) NY Metro area is EXPENSIVE. Think well before making up your mind.
2) First consideration should be which school is most suitable for what you study. Are you looking for a state or private school?
3) What school fits your budget? With the current cost of education, that should a most important consideration.
4) To get specific advice on the forum, be more detailed in your questions. Nobody knows what "a student like you" means...
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Old 02-27-2011, 06:30 PM
 
Location: Hudson County, NJ
106 posts, read 204,412 times
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basically I'm just asking about which part is more affordable real estate wise, since this is the main expense, and how are they different in regards to things to do (nightlife and such)
college wise-I would be looking at state ones, just average schools, nothing fancy, and I am sure either place would have them
that's about it
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Old 02-28-2011, 02:08 PM
 
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You want any sort of "affordability" it's going to be at least 3+ hours from NYC.
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Old 02-28-2011, 03:34 PM
 
Location: New York City
1,556 posts, read 3,532,120 times
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I second what OrangeHudson said!!

A 2-3 hour commute is about as close to NYC as you can get if you intend to keep the price tag low. At least when you feel like going into the city you will not be so far away that you can't get there and enjoy it. The only draw back is the amount of snow that upstate NY get's in the winter.....way more snow than the 5 boroughs of NYC.
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Old 03-01-2011, 06:10 PM
 
Location: Hudson County, NJ
106 posts, read 204,412 times
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2-3 hrs is too much, it needs to be 1 hr or less
I realize it will be expensive, but which one is less expensive?
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Old 03-01-2011, 06:28 PM
 
Location: New York City
1,556 posts, read 3,532,120 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nemiroff View Post
2-3 hrs is too much, it needs to be 1 hr or less
I realize it will be expensive, but which one is less expensive?
1 hour or less outside of NYC you would be living in Westchester county in one of the towns pass White Plains. My bet would be that living in Westchester county within an hour or less is going to be more expensive than living in New Jersey an hour away. Now if you try living in Jersey city which has path trains that come into 34th street in Manhattan and also has a water taxi located right across the street from Newport mall.....then because this part of Jersey is 20-25 minutes from NYC you will be looking at a hefty price tag. There are also condos located right outside the Newport mall in Jersey city...pricey!

Take a look at Craigslist there you will see brokers as well as private landlords listing apartments for rent. This will give you a better idea of how much apartment rents will cost......don't be surprised to see $1200 - $2100 rents in Westchester county for an apartment. Also figure in the Metro North train in your budget.....this will be the train service you use to get into Manhattan....the farther out the town the more money your train ticket will cost. Some of the towns I would look at are Dobbs Ferry, Hastings on the Hudson and the other towns in that area.
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Old 03-02-2011, 12:42 AM
 
Location: Hudson County, NJ
106 posts, read 204,412 times
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NewYorkBorn,
Thank you for the information. Interesting that White Plains area would be more expensive than Jersey parts an hour away. Regarding Jersey City, I have been there, and it does seem quite expensive, unless I wanna live in a ghetto.
I looked at the map, and it seems to me that Northern Jersey would be a more convenient location than White Plains,for example, at least for me, since I would be closer to Manhattan and Brooklyn.

How about life in general, besides the cost? Would the neighborhoods and stuff to do be similar in White Plains as in Jersey parts or not? (crime, nightlife, women)
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Old 03-02-2011, 05:41 AM
 
Location: New York City
1,556 posts, read 3,532,120 times
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The one thing in my opinion that NY's Westchester county and many of the towns in NJ have in common is that they have a suburban feel to them. By that I mean things tend to be a little more spread out and easier to own a car.

For example owning a car in NYC with the traffic, limited parking, high insurance and expensive parking garages can be a nightmare. You will find nightlife, women, crime and things to do pretty similar in both NJ and Westchester.....can't say for sure which one has more because I spend the majority of my time in Manhattan with occasional visits to NJ and Westchester. One area where NJ has a definite advantage over Westchester is that when you shop their at the clothing stores for example the Newport mall there is no tax on clothing (unless this has changed)......that can also be a savings to you. As with any area I would say this there is always going to be good parts of the area and bad parts of the area in both places....once you visit just by being observant you should be able to figure out where to stay away from.

Before you decide my suggestion would be that you make a list of areas in both NJ and Westchester and visit them so that you can gain a better feel for them.
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Old 03-02-2011, 09:32 AM
 
Location: Historic Downtown Jersey City
2,705 posts, read 8,239,635 times
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I think *on average*, the cost of living on Northern NJ is the same as in Westchester. It all depends on the town, but on average, it is the same. Saying that NJ costs less than Westchester is silly - does it cost less to live in Alpine, NJ than New Rochelle, NY? No - Alpine is many times more expensive.

If you're working closer to the west side of Manhattan, it's more convenient to live in NJ. If you're working closer to the east side, it's more convenient to live in Westchester. Cost is not an issue here - in both NJ and Westchester you will find very affordable places to live, as well as ridiculously expensive places to live.
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