Quote:
Originally Posted by LNance56
I am moving from Chicago (specifically Lincoln Park) to our NYC office for work, and am wondering what the best area to live might be. I'm not looking to pay Manhattan rent prices, so Jersey City & Hoboken both seem like better options. I'm in my early-mid 20's, single, like to explore the city but am not a huge partier. I still would like to meet people easily though and live close to the amenities. Should I be looking in a high rise? Chicago rent seems much cheaper than even New Jersey, so I'm a little concerned that I'll end up living in a very small or unclean apartment (I'd rather have it be small and nice than larger and crawling with bugs).
Any advice will help as I have absolutely no clue where to start!
Thanks!
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The nice parts of Jersey City are somewhat cheaper than Hoboken. Hoboken has basically the same prices as the nice parts of Brooklyn, so the difference there is mostly a matter of local preference (plus not paying NYC income tax if you live outside the city, though how much this matters will depend on what your income is to begin with), though Hoboken and Brooklyn are both cheaper than anywhere in Manhattan south of Harlem.
Yes, Hoboken and the nice parts of Jersey City will be more expensive than Chicago. The newer high-rises on the Jersey City waterfront tend to be among the most expensive buildings in the area, though the newer mid-rise buildings in Hoboken are comparably pricey or even slightly pricier. Both towns also have a lot of apartments in smaller, older apartment buildings and brownstones that are significantly cheaper, but of course they will lack the same amenities and might have maintenance issues that you should check for before signing a lease.
Also, depending on your comfort level, I would recommend not looking outside of downtown within Jersey City (i.e., only look east of I-78). West of downtown gets pretty run-down and, in the southern parts of Jersey City (Greenville and Bergen/Lafayette), dangerous. The Journal Square area is fine from a safety perspective but definitely does not look or feel like a gleaming city.
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