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We are considering to move in NJ and are going a bunch of research. There are many knowledgeable people on this forum and I would really appreciative your advice. Here is some information about me
Where are you coming from?
Outside of US (not looking for any particular community, diversity is preferred)
Why are you moving?
Work
Where will you be working ? If NYC, what part of NYC?
in NYC, Manhattan, 6 ave & 25th street (a couple of blocks from Path train)
Will you buy or rent?
Considering both options (if what we see on web for sale is true)
What is your budget ?
Budget for rent $3K, budget for buying $200K (we think whether it would be worth to buy a 2 bedroom apt instead of resting since we have some free money)
What kind of place are you looking for?
2 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment, not large in a safe area with short commute
Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you?
Spouse & a 5 year old kid
Do you need/want good public schools?
Preferred. But can consider a private school for a reasonable pricing (i read there are some up to 10k)
Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in
Safe, good for families with children, some proximity to park or green arena is preferred, short commute to Manhattan
List three things that are important to you in order of importance.
1. safe place, good for rising a child
2. commute to Manhattan should be around 40 min door to door (ready to compromise on the price of apartment rather then commute)
2. schools (a good public school or a reasonable priced private school). Under a good public school I mean not a top performing school with highest rating, but a nice family type school with caring teachers. My kid is not a top performer at the moment and has no desire to learn, so I am looking for a place that would focus on his personality development and would be patient with such kind of students
I am seeking for some advice on the following:
1. place to live - I am a working mom, we take shifts with my husband. He would start work early and get free at lunch to pick up a kid from school. I would be dropping him at school and then go to work, so my commute really needs to be about 40 min. I was looking at places along the PATH train. Could you please advice if there are certain areas over there that are of a lower crime and could be nice to live? I was particularly thinking to rent an apt in Paulus Hook or West Side of Jersey city
2. I also looked through some property for sale and see that Jersey city has some in the range of 150-200K. Is it true or these listings were frauds?
3. schools - i read a lot of reviews about schools and the majority is pretty negative. Could someone please recommend a specific school within my commute time that matches my explanation above? Or a private school as I mentioned
Actually there are a lot of nice places in Jersey City like Pavonia Newport, Exchange Place, Hoboken, etc. But those are the rather expensive areas, but you'll definitely feel more happy and it's only about 4 stops from your job. There's also edgewater and West NY, NJ. Great areas with stores and healthy atmosphere etc.
The unpleasant places with cheaper rent would be Journal square. Depends on if you want to spend money to be in a vibrant area that makes you happy or be in Journal square and witness unpleasant things with the trade off of cheaper rent.
Visit NEWPORT...absolutely beautiful place to live and you can be at work in 20 minutes. Shopping is terrific and you might be able to jettison the car...we did.
Alas, Jersey City Public schools suck.
Your rental estimate is pretty good, but $200,000 won't get you anything tolerable in a two bedroom this close to Manhattan or anywhere decent in the Metro area.
Last edited by Kefir King; 07-13-2015 at 07:54 AM..
Your rental budget (though not a purchase budget) would be good to find a 2 bedrm in Hudson Heights, the part of Manhattan closet to the Hudson river and directly north of the George Washington Bridge.
The neighborhood is calm, quiet, safe, pretty and family oriented, with all the necessities --supermarket, drug store, bank, dry cleaners--within walking distance. Plus there are also a few decent restaurants and bars in this area. It is a solid middle-class, non-trendy neighborhood.
Your commute on the A train (express) will time in at 40 minutes according to Google (from the 190th and Ft. Washington Ave stop) and this seems about right to me.
Most important, unlike Jersey City, the locally zoned public school is quite good. I've know parents who sent their kids there and were quite pleased with PS 187/Hudson Cliffs. It's very traditional in vibe and curriculum, but safe, pleasant, somewhat diverse, and reasonably high-performing.
Last edited by citylove101; 07-13-2015 at 11:50 AM..
Visit NEWPORT...absolutely beautiful place to live and you can be at work in 20 minutes. Shopping is terrific and you might be able to jettison the car...we did.
Alas, Jersey City Public schools suck.
Your rental estimate is pretty good, but $200,000 won't get you anything tolerable in a two bedroom this close to Manhattan or anywhere decent in the Metro area.
Not totally true. You can probably still get a 2 bedroom for that in Ft. Lee, though likely not in the larger buildings directly on the Palisades. Ft. Lee has good schools and a small walkable downtown. I would have recommended it to OP except that it would fall outside her strict 40-minute commute time, and living in the 'burbs she'd also need a car.
Look at the Zillow site. There are several 2 bedrooms listed for under $200,000. Some in nicer buildings than I would have thought. Many are co-ops, not condos.
But l do agree, with a 40 minute time limit on the commute, Ft. Lee is a no-go.
Last edited by citylove101; 07-13-2015 at 10:01 PM..
Your rental budget (though not a purchase budget) would be good to find a 2 bedrm in Hudson Heights, the part of Manhattan closet to the Hudson river and directly north of the George Washington Bridge.
The neighborhood is calm, quiet, safe, pretty and family oriented, with all the necessities --supermarket, drug store, bank, dry cleaners--within walking distance. Plus there are also a few decent restaurants and bars in this area. It is a solid middle-class, non-trendy neighborhood.
Your commute on the A train (express) will time in at 40 minutes according to Google (from the 190th and Ft. Washington Ave stop) and this seems about right to me.
Most important, unlike Jersey City, the locally zoned public school is quite good. I've know parents who sent their kids there and were quite pleased with PS 187/Hudson Cliffs. It's very traditional in vibe and curriculum, but safe, pleasant, somewhat diverse, and reasonably high-performing.
Renting is within budget there, but apartments have gotten really expensive to buy - most 2 bedrooms are in the 600K range now. It is a really pretty neighborhood though. The commute time is probably pushing it however.
Maybe Jersey City with private school, or increase commute time and do something like Woodlawn close to the Metro North station. Commuting costs would be greater though since you'd have to buy the metro north pass. However, you'd have the budget to buy an apartment there, and prices for everything would be a bit cheaper (like childcare). The public school is good and it's a cute neighborhood.
wow, thank you so much! I posted it in wrong forum and did not expect so many replies!
Quote:
Originally Posted by NYCLotteryGurl
Depends on if you want to spend money to be in a vibrant area that makes you happy or be in Journal square and witness unpleasant things with the trade off of cheaper rent.
I would be definitely more willing to spend money than to live in unpleasant neighborhood.
I am seriously considering NJ + a private school. I read some good stuff bout OLC Little Harbor Academy or Early Learning Academy. And they both seem to be within my budget
I also took a look at Fort Lee, it looks like a really good place to live. Google says that commute is about 5o min (5 min on a buss + 35 on a subway, everything else is walk). It is close to reality or it takes longer?
I am so grateful for all the replies, thank you so much
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