Hello! This is one of those broad "where should I live?" questions, but I really don't even know where to start.
I plan to look for jobs in/around NYC (after graduation from grad school in May) and I could live anywhere, but have "narrowed it down" to New Jersey or New York north of the city. Here are some factors I am taking into account:
-I'm 40, single, female
-I would prefer an actual town vs. a bedroom community
-cost is an issue - think frugal
-1 BR decent, economical apartment (i.e. not a luxury building but not a dump either) to rent
-safety of the area is a concern
-needs to be on a commuter rail line
-I may have to move before I have a job, so I don't know where I'll be working
-need to be able to park my car at my apartment - no random on-street parking or parking far away
Part of my confusion is that I haven't lived in the suburbs of a major city since high school, so the whole commuting-by-rail thing is new to me. Will any money I save in rent by living further away be offset by the cost to commute? What if I move to a town with a train station and then find that no parking is available at the train station for years - are buses always available? Is it possible to find what I'm looking for within, say, 30 minutes commute of the city? And if not will I go beserk commuting for 2 hours every day?
Okay, that one only I can answer...
In short, my goal with this thread is to get some opinions not only on possible places to live but also some advice on how to make this decision. Thanks everyone for any and all input!
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