Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
should I ask here, or in NJ forum? NJ forum says "Philadelphia suburbs"...LOL.
I have questions about Hoboken and Jersey City, and I guess any area around there (and close to a PATH station). Here's some of my questions:
-How easy/reliable is the commute? Every time I've gone to Hoboken and JC it's been midday on week day and it was fine. But I am more concerned with how the commutes are in the evening and late night/early mornings, as well as on weekends and holidays.
- How safe are the areas? Are there parts/streets to avoid? (If background is needed...I'm a young black female who has lived in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens).
-If I wanted to do things locally, like restaurants/bars/shopping, are these easily accessible without a car?
-Are there any drawbacks or issues I haven't asked that you think I should know?
should I ask here, or in NJ forum? NJ forum says "Philadelphia suburbs"...LOL.
I have questions about Hoboken and Jersey City, and I guess any area around there (and close to a PATH station). Here's some of my questions:
-How easy/reliable is the commute? Every time I've gone to Hoboken and JC it's been midday on week day and it was fine. But I am more concerned with how the commutes are in the evening and late night/early mornings, as well as on weekends and holidays.
- How safe are the areas? Are there parts/streets to avoid? (If background is needed...I'm a young black female who has lived in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens).
-If I wanted to do things locally, like restaurants/bars/shopping, are these easily accessible without a car?
-Are there any drawbacks or issues I haven't asked that you think I should know?
Thanks!
There is a regular NJ forum and then there is the Philadelphia suburbs forum. Click on the regular NJ forum.
You can keep this post, but I would recommend making a post in the NJ forum, since the posters are probably more knowledgable (though it is equally relevant to the NJ and NYC forums)
The commute on the PATH is fairly easy. The only issue is that if you want to go from northern Jersey City or Hoboken to Lower Manhattan on the weekends, you have to transfer at Grove Street, which could add 10 minutes or so to the trip.
I think Hoboken has one section with housing projects. In Jersey City, the southern part (Greenville) has a bad reputation, and the Bergen-Lafyette and Journal Square areas are kind of seedy at night. Since you have some experience growing up in NYC, you should be alright in the latter two areas.
First, when people mention Jersey City half the time they are talking about the development area called 'Newport', which is dirctly across the Hudson from the World Trade Center.
Its a collection of residential and office towers, with a mall, a path station, and plenty of parking for a fee. If you can afford the rent, then it is a very nice, very convenient alternative to Manhattan.
Hoboken is a small town, again, directly across the Hudson. There is a Path train located at one end of town. If you live at the other end or in the middle, it is a long walk or a short bus to the station. The town has a single main drag, Washington Street, where all the shops, many bars, and restaurants are. Housing varies from brownstone apartments to Manhattan style towers with amenities. Living there for many is a like an extended college town experience. Think lots of drunk young people hopping from bar to bar. So you don't need to go to Manhattan to always have a good time.
As far as being black, think the roots of the town is working class white Irish and Italian. Thy have one of the wildest St. Patrick's Day in the area. Mostly think white non-Ivy northern college town. Not threatening but issues can occur in the bars. Once a dark skinned friend was refused entry to one bar, while a light skinned friend was allowed to pass. So, if you are a college educated assimilated buppie, you should have no issues; but if, for example, you went to a white school and didn't enjoy the experience, you might not enjoy Hoboken.
Transportation options in Hoboken are extensive, as there is the Path train which you can take into either WTC or Penn Station, or to other parts of Jersey. There is also New Jersey Transit buses which take yo to the Port Authoriity bus terminal in Times Square and/or I believe to the George Washington Bridge terminal in Washington Heights.
In Newport, the Path station is in walking distance. Local nightlife pretty much means traveling to Hoboken or Manhattan.
The thing about living in New Jersey is that both the trains and the buses stop running late nights. So staying late in Manhattan means insuring that you catch the last bus or train!!! Which you will often hopelessly miss. So its best to always have taxi fare!!! There used to be private van service from a parking lot across from the port authority that ran late nights. Miss those and no cab fare then you've got to hang around waiting for service to start early morning. A girl I dated lived in Jersey and found herself in that situation many times.
I lived in jersey for a time, found it VERY convenient, but for me money wasn't an issue, so I Almost always took a cab at night.
first, when people mention jersey city half the time they are talking about the development area called 'newport', which is dirctly across the hudson from the world trade center.
Its a collection of residential and office towers, with a mall, a path station, and plenty of parking for a fee. If you can afford the rent, then it is a very nice, very convenient alternative to manhattan.
Hoboken is a small town, again, directly across the hudson. There is a path train located at one end of town. If you live at the other end or in the middle, it is a long walk or a short bus to the station. The town has a single main drag, washington street, where all the shops, many bars, and restaurants are. Housing varies from brownstone apartments to manhattan style towers with amenities. Living there for many is a like an extended college town experience. Think lots of drunk young people hopping from bar to bar. So you don't need to go to manhattan to always have a good time.
As far as being black, think the roots of the town is working class white irish and italian. Thy have one of the wildest st. Patrick's day in the area. Mostly think white non-ivy northern college town. Not threatening but issues can occur in the bars. Once a dark skinned friend was refused entry to one bar, while a light skinned friend was allowed to pass. So, if you are a college educated assimilated buppie, you should have no issues; but if, for example, you went to a white school and didn't enjoy the experience, you might not enjoy hoboken.
Transportation options in hoboken are extensive, as there is the path train which you can take into either wtc or penn station, or to other parts of jersey. There is also new jersey transit buses which take yo to the port authoriity bus terminal in times square and/or i believe to the george washington bridge terminal in washington heights.
In newport, the path station is in walking distance. Local nightlife pretty much means traveling to hoboken or manhattan.
The thing about living in new jersey is that both the trains and the buses stop running late nights. So staying late in manhattan means insuring that you catch the last bus or train!!! Which you will often hopelessly miss. So its best to always have taxi fare!!! There used to be private van service from a parking lot across from the port authority that ran late nights. Miss those and no cab fare then you've got to hang around waiting for service to start early morning. A girl i dated lived in jersey and found herself in that situation many times.
I lived in jersey for a time, found it very convenient, but for me money wasn't an issue, so i almost always took a cab at night.
Luck!
PATH runs 24/7 (though it runs on 30 minute headways), so it is possible to take PATH into New Jersey and then take a short taxi ride home.
I've lived at Newport in Jersey City both with and without a car. WITHOUT is quite possible and even desirable becase it saves about $7,000 a year.
I recommend the area becasue it is COMPLETLY crime free, a 6 minute onsite PATH ride into Greenwich Village or the Finanacial Area. The apartments are large...a studio is as big as the typical Manhattan 1 BR.
The place is BEAUTIFUL with river views almost a given. The Shop-Rite and A&P are the best markets you will ever find and you are sitting atop a Mall with everything you could want or need...except furniture.
Demographics are largely young East Asian and Indian and becoming more so but the last census had the 07310 zip code with a household income of
$110,000.
It's a nice place to live.
It's a lite walk along the Hudson Walkway (unbelievably beautiful Manhattan view) to Hoboken for nite-life.
(Typing this is making me more than a bit homesick!)
The PATH subway runs 24/7, so late nights and weekends are not an issue.
Almost all of Hoboken is super safe and nice, but the weekends can get noisy with all the people at the bars. For Jersey City, stick to the Downtown/Grove Street/Hamilton Park/Exchange Place/Paulus Hook/Newport neighborhoods.
Basically, in Hoboken or the downtown neighborhoods in Jersey City, you'll find an experience similar to brownstone Brooklyn living. I really like where I am in Jersey City and do not plan on leaving any time soon.
In Hoboken and Jersey City, there will be no race issues. But Hoboken is about 80% white, so if that statistic alone would bother you, then Jersey City would be a better bet.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
