Commute time from Clifton to Hackensack? (Trenton, Montclair: apartments, rent, car insurance)

[Cali2NJ]

Hi! My company is transferring me and my wife from San Francisco to their office in Hackensack, NJ - near the Riverside Square Mall. I have read almost every post on this board and it has provided great insights into life in NJ, but we still need some advice from you all.

I am only working in Hackensack for two years and my company will help subsidize part of the rent. So I need opinions on what city will provide a safe and "easy" commute to the Riverside Square Mall for us.

Here are some additional information:

• No kids yet

• Looking for a new and modern 1 bedroom with W/D and parking space

• Safe area means we can go for nightly walks around the neighborhood without fear

• I am from San Francisco, so I am also used to getting punched in the mouth when it comes to paying rent! $1800 - $2200 is normal and fine with us

• An easy commute to the Riverside Square Mall

• A nice friendly community with "stuff" around it.

So where would you live, why, and what is the commute time to Riverside Square Mall?


Thank you so kindly for your advice.

Sincerely,

Mr. and Mrs. Cali2NJ


PS If you have some additional time, I have a few questions from reading the post on this message board.

1. People said that car insurance in NJ is expensive. So what is the cost of insuring a midsize SUV in Hackensack? i.e. Jeep Grand Cherokee
2. Stupid question: What is "cold" in NJ? Cold means 50 degrees in San Francisco.
3. NJ taxes are high, so what is the state income tax for someone making $50K, $100K, and $150K?
4. I have already read the following threads: So please dont respond to my question with it

//www.city-data.com/forum/new-j...-nyc-help.html
//www.city-data.com/forum/new-j...mmute-nyc.html
//www.city-data.com/forum/new-j...th-jersey.html
//www.city-data.com/forum/new-j...king-info.html
//www.city-data.com/forum/new-j...hats-like.html[
//www.city-data.com/forum/new-j...nutes-gwb.html
//www.city-data.com/forum/new-j...ew-jersey.html

[njchick]

Hi! If you're looking for nice apartments, very close to Riverside Square, there are lots on Prospect Avenue near Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack. Don't know the rent prices but I would think it would be in your range. There are some bad areas closer to the center of Hackensack, but the areas near the apts/condos are nice. Once you know where the pockets of bad areas are, you will know where you can take "nightly" walks, lol. Hackensack has many restaurants, and really is a mini city. The County Seat is in Hackensack, I believe, and it's diverse, and supposedly is in the midst of a rebirth (they are trying to attract more businesses, etc. to the depressed downtown area). There was an old Woolworth's and historic movie theater there before the malls drove everyone away from shopping in town. If you want an apartment close to Riverside Square, I would look right in Hackensack. Good luck!

[Bri0528]

Edgewater has some really nice apartments on the water.( really modern) Some brand new and the commute shouldnt be that bad. ( i am not sure the exact amount of time) but if you look up edgewater they list there apartments with pictures and everything. Most include gyms.

As for the question about how cold is cold??? 50 degrees is spring weather! Try in the teens for cold and with thechill factor 0 degrees and below is not out of the question!! I would invest in a good jacket!


Riverside Mall is great!!

[christina0001]

ditto bri re: temperature

car insurance: can't say what yours would be, but we pay $761.94 every 6 months for a 2003 Ford Focus w/ collision + a 2000 Chevy Cavalier w/o collision, Trenton area, through State Farm. Their rates are not too bad; also check out Geico and NJCURE. Among my family/friends NJCURE seems to be the cheapest for most folks.

[GJM]

Hi,

I use to work in Hackensack. I live in Saddle Brook and they just built new apartments. The are going for about $1625 per month.

[Wah]

If you can afford it, Edgewater or Fort Lee NJ... definately. Lots of nice, brand new luxury apartments close to everything. Stores, restaurants, cafes, movie theaters, etc. Easy access to NYC (either public transportation of driving) if you guys want to go into the city. It is reverse traffic to riverside square, so you shouldn't have a problem driving to work.... prob like 15-20 min drive.

My wife has a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo and we pay $1165/yr.

Good luck!

[Cali2NJ]

Thanks for the initial responses! My wife and I really appreciate everyone for taking their time out to help a couple of strangers from California to get a better grip of Northern NJ life.

My company just offered us an opportunity to live in corporate housing for a couple of months so we can take our time to find the perfect place to live. But the closes corporate housing is in Clifton, NJ - near the Montclair Country Club on 177 Hepburn Rd off Highway 3.

I tried mapping the golf course to Riverside Square Mall using various webbased maps and I am getting an average driving distance and time of 12.5 miles and 20 minutes, respectively.

The time seems unusually short, so how long is the driving time in terms of the morning and after work commute?

Thanks again,

Mr. and Mrs. Cali2NJ

[Cali2NJ]

Sorry for the repost but my company wants an answer soon.

My company just offered us an opportunity to live in corporate housing for a couple of months so we can take our time to find the perfect place to live in Northern New Jersey. But the closes corporate housing is in Clifton, NJ - near the Montclair Country Club golf course on 177 Hepburn Rd off Highway 3.

I tried mapping the golf course to Hackensack, the office is next to Riverside Square Mall, using various webbased maps and I am getting an average driving distance and time of 12.5 miles and 20 minutes, respectively.

The time seems unusually short, so I wanted to know what is the real driving time in terms of the morning and after work commute?

Thank you,

Mr. and Mrs. Cali2NJ

[Bri0528]

20 minutes seems about right, give or take 5 minutes. Its usually just slow moving. Not really a bad commute. I think its a great idea, so you can get better knowledge of the area. There are also different ways(back roads) once you get on 17 going towards the riverside mall, you could also consider the parkway.

[GJM]

I grew up in Clifton, that time seems about right - I think that is a great idea to get a feel of the different areas. I agree there are different ways you can go.