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There has been numerous threads on how safe Journal Square is and the answer is always "you have to be street smart", which doesn't really answer the question.
However, for those of you currently living in Journal Square, here are my questions:
1) What are the good areas of Journal Square? For instance, is the area good around the journal square path area, but then gets progressively bad west of jfk blvd, etc?
2) Has rent been increasing in the area due to more professionals moving from Newport/Hoboken to JSQ because of outrageous rent there? I figure, if the rent has been going up steadier at JSQ, the area will be less "sketchy" in the future.
I'm asking these questions because I'm planning on moving to the JSQ area next year because of the high rent at Newport ($1000/month for a 1 bedroom!) But, since I'm a small Asian woman in my early 20s and I grew up in the suburbs, I am reluctant to move to JSQ without some kind of research.
There has been numerous threads on how safe Journal Square is and the answer is always "you have to be street smart", which doesn't really answer the question.
However, for those of you currently living in Journal Square, here are my questions:
1) What are the good areas of Journal Square? For instance, is the area good around the journal square path area, but then gets progressively bad west of jfk blvd, etc?
2) Has rent been increasing in the area due to more professionals moving from Newport/Hoboken to JSQ because of outrageous rent there? I figure, if the rent has been going up steadier at JSQ, the area will be less "sketchy" in the future.
I'm asking these questions because I'm planning on moving to the JSQ area next year because of the high rent at Newport ($1000/month for a 1 bedroom!) But, since I'm a small Asian woman in my early 20s and I grew up in the suburbs, I am reluctant to move to JSQ without some kind of research.
Please advise....
I recently lived in McGinley Square (south of Journal Square) and before that in JSQ. The rent for my run down, poorly maintained 2br in JSQ in a building with some very rowdy tenants was in the low 800s when I left in 2006. My 1br place in McGinley Square (sketchier area, but very nice apartment) was 1300.
I think you're better off staying put. I don't think you're going to save enough money in JSQ for it to be worth it, without moving into a lousy building and less than ideal part of town.
If you move into a lower rent building, you're much more likely to end up in a place where the landlord (slumlord) is doing maintenance on the cheap (e.g. 6 layers of vinyl tile in the kitchen, constant leaks, frequent problems with heating) and sharing the building with less than ideal tenants.
You can find a 1000$ apartment near Journal SQ , it will be tough alot has changed since 2006. Its a little more cleaner & safer. You might have to look for a roommate which should be hard since there are a few colleges nearby. It doesn't get bad as you go west , it gets industrial although thats slowly turning residential. I think you should go explore the neighborhood and get to know it better.
If you're paying only $1000 in Newport, by all means stay there. You could find one bedroom apartments in JSQ for $1000 or maybe a little less, but not much less. And Newport is a better area.
If you are interested in JSQ, the "safety" and "niceness" of the area varies block-by-block. The answer isn't as simple as "west of JFK is ok" because some streets west of JFK are not nice at all, while others are quite nice. I'd suggest looking along Magnolia Ave east of the JSQ Path station, or near St. Peter's College.
There has been numerous threads on how safe Journal Square is and the answer is always "you have to be street smart"
You don't have to be any more "street smart" in Journal Square than you'd have to be in any other urban area in the country. Or, in other words, JS is safe. Nothing to worry about there.
I can see people feeling less safe in some nearby areas, but they're not actually the Journal Square neighborhood.
Quote:
Has rent been increasing in the area due to more professionals moving from Newport/Hoboken to JSQ because of outrageous rent there? I figure, if the rent has been going up steadier at JSQ, the area will be less "sketchy" in the future.
That's a good thing to notice. I underscores the bizarre beliefs that folks have when they're worried about walking around a neighborhood with $500k condos and rents that are typically $1200 per month and up.
Quote:
I'm asking these questions because I'm planning on moving to the JSQ area next year because of the high rent at Newport ($1000/month for a 1 bedroom!)
That's very cheap now for Newport. You're unlikely to find cheaper rents in Journal Square unless you're going to be renting just a room or you get "lucky" and find an older building that's got a lot of problems (like possibly pest problems, leaky ceilings, etc.).--that is what you need to worry about much more than crime when you're looking for a budget apartment. There are a lot of older apartments that haven't been kept up very well, because the landlords aren't very responsive. You could end up having all kinds of water issues (flooding in a basement apartments, leaks on the top floor, frozen pipes in the winter because of bad insulation, etc.), gas problems (including hot water heater problems, which aren't fun), electricity issues (I know of someone who had the electricity just die in half of their apartment), pest issues, noise issues, and on and on.
Just to clarify, I've mentioned before that I'm paying ~1000/month for a bedroom, but that's actually a shared apartment so I do have one roommate.
So, I really want to find out where I can find a nice neighborhood around JSQ (for around $650 per bedroom in a shared apartment with not-so-sketchy roommates).
Just to clarify, I've mentioned before that I'm paying ~1000/month for a bedroom, but that's actually a shared apartment so I do have one roommate.
So, I really want to find out where I can find a nice neighborhood around JSQ (for around $650 per bedroom in a shared apartment with not-so-sketchy roommates).
You could reasonably expect to find a decent two bedroom for around 1500 or a 3 bedroom for under 2000. Look for a place that seems to be reasonably nice inside, e.g. decent hardwood floors, ceramic tiles in the kitchen and bathroom. If there's vinyl on the floor anywhere, run. Any sign of water damage, run.
Some places to consider: Jersey City Heights (North East of 139 between Summit and Central Ave), very close to JSQ (e.g. within 5 blocks of the path station), Highland and Glenwood ave between JFK and Bergen.
Can't emphasise enough -- don't try to cut costs too much. Getting room mates is smart, it will help you buy your way into a much nicer apartment.
Agree with the consensus. I live near JSQ and I pay $1000/month in a two-family house. Rents on my block are around 1000-1300 per month; I guess that's the going rate these days. I don't travel late at night but I will tell you that I feel VERY safe here. I'm a black woman in my 50s and my neighbors are literally of every stripe -- you name the nationality, they live here! It's also very quiet at night.
I would consider the Heights, a bit more safe/residential and still get to JSQ via numerous ways - every 1 or 5 min! jitney or nj transit
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