College Graduate (in May) looking to move in NJ needs help finding a place to live! (Jersey City: apartment)

[Bchanel90]

I will be graduating from the College of William and Mary in May of 2012. I am looking to move to North Jersey as it will allow a decent commute to NYC and because living IN New York has proven too expensive. I was wondering if anyone knew places in North Jersey that were relatively cheap (rent no higher than $800/m) that also allow for public transportation to NYC.

Thanks you so much!

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by Bchanel90

I will be graduating from the College of William and Mary in May of 2012. I am looking to move to North Jersey as it will allow a decent commute to NYC and because living IN New York has proven too expensive. I was wondering if anyone knew places in North Jersey that were relatively cheap (rent no higher than $800/m) that also allow for public transportation to NYC.

Thanks you so much!

Not likely. That is a very low rent number for NJ. Yes, NJ is lower than NYC, but it's still one of the highest cost of living places in the country and guaranteed to be more expensive than wherever you are coming from.

You will have to up your budget to at least 1,000 - more likely 1,100 or 1,200 and up and that will still limit you to certain areas. If you are willing to split a place with a roommate, though, you will have more luck finding a nice apartment in a safe area.

[robmm1978]

Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801

Not likely. That is a very low rent number for NJ. Yes, NJ is lower than NYC, but it's still one of the highest cost of living places in the country and guaranteed to be more expensive than wherever you are coming from.

You will have to up your budget to at least 1,000 - more likely 1,100 or 1,200 and up and that will still limit you to certain areas. If you are willing to split a place with a roommate, though, you will have more luck finding a nice apartment in a safe area.

+1

If you're not opposed to living with a roommate, you could probably live anywhere outside of Hoboken and downtown Jersey City for $800. Otherwise, you're going to have a hard time finding a 1 bedroom for that price anywhere in northern NJ that's not an inner city.

[KoalaNJ]

Originally Posted by Bchanel90

I will be graduating from the College of William and Mary in May of 2012. I am looking to move to North Jersey as it will allow a decent commute to NYC and because living IN New York has proven too expensive. I was wondering if anyone knew places in North Jersey that were relatively cheap (rent no higher than $800/m) that also allow for public transportation to NYC.

Thanks you so much!

You will definitely have to either up your budget or live with roommate(s). Some great places to consider for a 20-something would be Montclair or Morristown...both have easy NYC (and Hoboken)access via Midtown direct trains, have wonderful walkable downtowns, and a decent social environment with some nightlife. More important to your decision on where to live will be where your job is located, find a job first, then narrow down where to live.

KoalaNJ

[HalfFull]

My daughter is waiting to hear from W&M - if you can ensure she is accepted, you can have her room for $500!

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by KoalaNJ

You will definitely have to either up your budget or live with roommate(s). Some great places to consider for a 20-something would be Montclair or Morristown...both have easy NYC (and Hoboken)access via Midtown direct trains, have wonderful walkable downtowns, and a decent social environment with some nightlife. More important to your decision on where to live will be where your job is located, find a job first, then narrow down where to live.

KoalaNJ

What I bolded is important, OP. Where you want to live may be dependent upon where in NYC you work. Look at a map--NYC runs EAST of NJ, and some parts of the city will be easier to commute from some parts of NJ than others.

[CometV6787]

$800 will get you a dump in the Bergen/Lafayette area of Jersey City. Craigslist is the perfect place to find those types of places. That is of course after you filter through all the spam ads and false advertising.

It's good that you're starting your search this early though. You'll need at least a month to waste on slimy RE agents that will bait and switch you at any chance they get after weeks of giving you the runaround.

Oh, welcome to NJ.