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Old 10-17-2011, 12:19 PM
 
2 posts, read 4,307 times
Reputation: 11

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Hi All,

I am moving from Oregon to NJ in November. I'll move first and then the wife/kids will move later (6 to 8 months later I think). Here are some details and any help you can provide will be very helpful. Thanks in advance.

Where are you coming from? PORTLAND, OREGON
Why are you moving? NEW JERSEY
Where will you be working ? RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ

Will you buy or rent? RENT
What is your budget ? $450 to $700
What kind of place are you looking for ? ROOMS FOR RENT
Transportation? I WILL NOT HAVE A CAR - SO, AM LOOKING FOR AREAS AROUND RIDGEFIELD PARK THAT IS WELL SERVED BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ? NO RIGHT NOW - LATER
Do you need/want good public schools? NOT RIGHT NOW - BUT ANY INFO ABOUT GREAT SCHOOL DISTRICT(S) ABOUT 30 MINS AWAY FROM RIDGEFIELD PARK WILL HELP. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT AREAS WEST OF RIDGEFIELD PARK ARE AFFORDABLE AND HAVE GOOD SCHOOLS.

Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in - NEAR SHOPPING CENTERS, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, DECENT/SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS

List three things that are important to you in order of importance.
Good availability public transportation and reasonable commute times, Close to shopping, safety
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Old 10-18-2011, 05:00 PM
 
Location: Rocking the 609
360 posts, read 1,016,969 times
Reputation: 175
That kind of budget is tight for a share in Bergen County - you're really not going to find anything for $450, the upper end of your budget might work but it's going to be hit and miss, particularly if you don't have a car and have to limit yourself to JUST Ridgefield Park. Your best bet is to check Craigslist.

What do you plan on doing when the rest of the family moves out?
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Old 10-18-2011, 05:37 PM
 
Location: New Jersey
16,870 posts, read 10,507,691 times
Reputation: 16401
This will be very difficult. Bergen County is the most expensive area in NJ and NJ is the most expensive state in the country. I've lived here almost my entire life and, with perhaps a rare exception in Sussex or Warren County, I have never seen an apartment for rent at the top of your price range, to say nothing about the bottom. Maybe you should try to change your budget somehow to increase your rent allocation first.
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Old 10-18-2011, 06:20 PM
 
Location: New Jersey
11,299 posts, read 16,599,958 times
Reputation: 13291
At least you'll be consistent in not having to pump your gas.
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Old 10-18-2011, 06:28 PM
 
181 posts, read 302,910 times
Reputation: 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by or2nj View Post
Hi All,

I am moving from Oregon to NJ in November. I'll move first and then the wife/kids will move later (6 to 8 months later I think). Here are some details and any help you can provide will be very helpful. Thanks in advance.

Where are you coming from? PORTLAND, OREGON
Why are you moving? NEW JERSEY
Where will you be working ? RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ

Will you buy or rent? RENT
What is your budget ? $450 to $700
What kind of place are you looking for ? ROOMS FOR RENT
Transportation? I WILL NOT HAVE A CAR - SO, AM LOOKING FOR AREAS AROUND RIDGEFIELD PARK THAT IS WELL SERVED BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

Will anyone (spouse, children, pets) be moving with you ? NO RIGHT NOW - LATER
Do you need/want good public schools? NOT RIGHT NOW - BUT ANY INFO ABOUT GREAT SCHOOL DISTRICT(S) ABOUT 30 MINS AWAY FROM RIDGEFIELD PARK WILL HELP. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT AREAS WEST OF RIDGEFIELD PARK ARE AFFORDABLE AND HAVE GOOD SCHOOLS.

Briefly describe the kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in - NEAR SHOPPING CENTERS, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, DECENT/SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS

List three things that are important to you in order of importance.
Good availability public transportation and reasonable commute times, Close to shopping, safety
Unless your making a 100 grand I wouldn't make the move.
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Old 10-19-2011, 10:52 AM
 
2 posts, read 4,307 times
Reputation: 11
Thanks much for your responses. Yes, it does definitely seem like the cost of living in this area of NJ is very high, perhaps even higher than the Bay Area.

If North Bergen is expensive then, are there other locations near Ridgefield Park (perhaps west of this location) where the rents are reasonable and the distance is commutable by public transportation?

Is a car really required in these parts of NJ? Can one do without a car without spending all their waking hours on a bus or train? I have also heard that winters (in comparison to Oregon) are very cold and a car is recommended to protect oneself from the elements in addition to helping with the commute from areas that are located further from Ridgefield Park.

The family as of now will stay put in OR. Once I settle down and figure out the are, then we move if it makes sense. Or I guess I'll need to find another gig elsewhere.

Again, thanks in advance for your guidance. This is really very helpful.
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Old 10-19-2011, 01:35 PM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,203 posts, read 84,076,500 times
Reputation: 114497
Quote:
Originally Posted by or2nj View Post
Thanks much for your responses. Yes, it does definitely seem like the cost of living in this area of NJ is very high, perhaps even higher than the Bay Area.

If North Bergen is expensive then, are there other locations near Ridgefield Park (perhaps west of this location) where the rents are reasonable and the distance is commutable by public transportation?

Is a car really required in these parts of NJ? Can one do without a car without spending all their waking hours on a bus or train? I have also heard that winters (in comparison to Oregon) are very cold and a car is recommended to protect oneself from the elements in addition to helping with the commute from areas that are located further from Ridgefield Park.

The family as of now will stay put in OR. Once I settle down and figure out the are, then we move if it makes sense. Or I guess I'll need to find another gig elsewhere.

Again, thanks in advance for your guidance. This is really very helpful.
It would have to be really far west in NJ to be that much cheaper. Ridgefield Park is very close to NYC, and going west of there puts you smack into the more affluent suburbs of Bergen County where people have big houses and backyards. If you are looking to just a rent a room as a temporary measure, I would try to stick as close to Ridgefield Park as you can. A car is good to have, but you can survive without one, as the closer you are to the city, the more public transportation there is.

My suggestion for that would be to put your own ad on Craiglist. Say that you are looking for a room to rent on a temporary basis (or for however long you think you'll be there) in the range of $XX - $XX and see if you get any bites. Put in for Ridgefield, Ridgefield Park, Fort Lee, Hackensack, Moonachie, and Little Ferry.

Winter in NJ is not as bad as a lot of other places. Not sure about compared to Oregon, as I've never been there. Last year we had one mega-snowstorm and a few smaller ones, but only the big one shut anything down and that doesn't happen every year. Might get a few days here and there when the temp goes down into single digits, but that's not usual, either. Winter is mostly in the 20's, sometimes in the teens. We're not as cold or snowy as it is farther north, such as in New England or New York State. Nothing you can't deal with as long as you have a coat, gloves, boots and a hat.
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Old 10-19-2011, 02:14 PM
 
Location: Bergen County, NJ
153 posts, read 376,308 times
Reputation: 93
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801 View Post
Might get a few days here and there when the temp goes down into single digits, but that's not usual, either. Winter is mostly in the 20's, sometimes in the teens. We're not as cold or snowy as it is farther north, such as in New England or New York State. Nothing you can't deal with as long as you have a coat, gloves, boots and a hat.
I also noticed, growing up in Bergen county, and having gone to school in the NY capital region, that the winter is also longer up there, when it starts getting legitimately cold(freezing at night) in early October up north, while here it's still in the 50's at night, half way through the month. And, up north first snowfall might have already happened at this point, whereas here in Bergen County, maybe...beginning of November.
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Old 10-19-2011, 07:20 PM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,203 posts, read 84,076,500 times
Reputation: 114497
Quote:
Originally Posted by AZM91 View Post
I also noticed, growing up in Bergen county, and having gone to school in the NY capital region, that the winter is also longer up there, when it starts getting legitimately cold(freezing at night) in early October up north, while here it's still in the 50's at night, half way through the month. And, up north first snowfall might have already happened at this point, whereas here in Bergen County, maybe...beginning of November.
And usually not even that early. We did get Thanksgiving snow a few years ago.

My daughter goes to U Albany, and even that's significantly colder.
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Old 10-19-2011, 09:40 PM
 
Location: East Rutherford, NJ
1,202 posts, read 3,021,525 times
Reputation: 943
For that budget, you really aren'y going to find anything anywhere in the state of NJ even on your high end with the exception of a room just for temporary residence. Also most of the public transportation through Ridgefield Park is buses going to or from NYC, sans a few local routes like the 83 that runs from Jersey City to Hackensack and passes through RP. Your best bet would be to look WITHIN Ridgefield Park or close neighboring towns like Bogota, Ridgefield, Little Ferry, Hackensack, Teaneck, Fairview. Just be aware that off peak hours, the buses aren't very frequent.
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