Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I really love the views and am presently focused on a unit in North Bergen however, I am very concerned about transportation especially late at night. I have been looking at the bus schedules and it seems there are some crazy large gaps. I have also heard that getting a taxi from manhattan can be very difficult because they can refuse to drive you to NJ. It seems if you miss the bus late at night you may be stranded in port authority for hours.
Am I missing something? Is there alternative I don't know about?
P.S. Are there other areas of Blvd East that have more bus activity / transportation options late at night? What about just general getting round for groceries and stuff?
There are "gypsy buses" that run more frequently than the NJ transit buses. They stop at the same stops and the drivers are more courteous than your typical NJ transit worker, however the buses are old and usually not as comfortable. You won't have a problem getting in or out of the city at any time during the night. I prefer to have a car for shopping, and getting out the area, but I know plenty of people without a car here.
The "gypsy" buses wait across from Port Authority to leave the city. Look for the sign "Boulevard East" and one of the companies is Johnny's Taxi. The fair is $3. You can save money if you buy a monthly NJ transit pass, but then you'd have to wait for those NJ transit buses.
Last edited by NJfriend; 03-20-2013 at 03:44 PM..
Reason: edited to add...
I don't take it much at that time and pick it up in Weehawken, closer to the city. I think every 5 minutes or so during the weekends. Maybe you and a friend (althoug i think it's perfectly safe to go on your own too) could try it out this weekend. Count the buses that go once you are in NJ. I live on blvd east and the main complaint that we have is the noise from all of the buses. It's quieter during the weekday nights.
I really love the views and am presently focused on a unit in North Bergen however, I am very concerned about transportation especially late at night. I have been looking at the bus schedules and it seems there are some crazy large gaps. I have also heard that getting a taxi from manhattan can be very difficult because they can refuse to drive you to NJ. It seems if you miss the bus late at night you may be stranded in port authority for hours.
Am I missing something? Is there alternative I don't know about?
P.S. Are there other areas of Blvd East that have more bus activity / transportation options late at night? What about just general getting round for groceries and stuff?
THANKS FOR THE ADVICE!!!
gypsy buses across the street from port authority run 24/7.
theres not really any different areas of blvd east that have more buses running through it at night. busses are lumped into three categories.
1. gypsy buses
2. nj transit buses that travel through blvd east on thier way to some other town
3. nj transit buses that travel through blvd east and have a last stop in north bergen (usually around the border of fairview)
if you dont mind walking, the pathmark supermarket on park ave in weehawken is about 2 blocks west from blvd east. there are also some small spanish supermarkets dotted along bergenline ave which has lots of njtransit and gypsy buses running (although not as much as blvd east at night)
you dont necessarily need a car but at the same time going certain places in town such as the walmart on tonnelle ave can be a pain without one. then again, call ahead cab services are usually readily available 24/7.
I prefer the gypsy buses for heading back to NJ. The good thing about the Gypsy buses is that you get to sit down and wait in the bus while the bus waits for it to fill up. Once filled, it will head to blvd east. It is nice during winter or late at night to have that place to sit while waiting. As opposed to port authority, where you have to stand in line until the bus pulls up. Then you all get on, and leave.
I prefer the gypsy buses as well. I never take NJ transit late at night. They run as often as they get full. FRidays and Saturday nights they fill up pretty quick and go. Other nights of the week you may have to sit on there for 30 minutes to wait for it to fill up, but it's still better than waiting inside the port authority on a long line.
Back to your question as to whether you can make do without a car, I would say, yes. As I was saying, the commute is easy by public transportation. As for grocery shopping, you can get food, produce and cleaning supplies from small shops a few blocks away from most anywhere.
Also if you work in the city, you could always grab groceries and whatnot before you head back to NJ if you're not in a close enough walking distance to a larger grocery store.
Do like New Yorkers do, rent a car for a day or two and go to BJ's, costco to do shopping, or whatever.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
