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I went to college in New Jersey for four years and didn't really like living there most of the time, but there were some aspects I did like. My boyfriend is still in Jersey and is so attached to his family there's no way I'll get him to move so I have to consider going back.
However, these are my requirements for living in Jersey and I really want an insider's opinion:
1. Cheap rent. We both just graduated and he has a lot of loans to pay so the rent needs to be somewhere between 500 and 800 a month preferably including utilities.
2. Less than an hour commute from NYC. As a filmmaker I probably need to work in NYC and I prefer going by train rather than by bus. I had an internship in NYC and the worst part of my day was the commute. I am open to commuting by ferry or the PATH train.
3. Community. I want to live in a walking community where we can spend our weekends walking through town getting our shopping done and enjoying the other residents who live there. It would be nice to live somewhere where people said hello to passers by.
You want to live near City which will cost you easily $1500 to $2000 if you want to live with just your bf.
If you are not ready to share a place you would either have to find a place in other areas where you may not be able to walk in town with lot to shop or eat out.
You need more realistic budget or both of you need to work two jobs to be able to afford area which is close to path and NYC
Coming back to NJ from the West is like moving from the future back to the past. This boyfriend must be something if you are moving back here to be with him. As you now know, he will NEVER leave NJ, so unless you are no longer with him, neither will you.
I live in a luxury building within 7 miles of Time Square, in NJ. I take a "free" shuttle, a Path train and the NY Subway to get to Mid-Town. It takes an hour door to door and costs about $8 per day, which will be going up soon.
There are studio apartments where I live that rent starting at $1600 a month. Expect to pay that if you really want to have an hour commute to NYC.
Personally, if I wasn't underwater on my mortgage, I would be on the next plane out West.
I want to live in a walking community where we can spend our weekends walking through town getting our shopping done and enjoying the other residents who live there. It would be nice to live somewhere where people said hello to passers by.
Such a utopian view. The reality is it will be densely populated, noisy, and expensive for your budget and desire to commute to NYC. You will eventually resent your boyfriend for making you move to NJ. There are a lot of redeeming qualities to living in this part of NJ but quiet strolls along a meadow with birds chirping is not realistic.
NJ has an abundance of opportunity and lot of good hardworking people.
I went to college in New Jersey for four years and didn't really like living there most of the time, but there were some aspects I did like. My boyfriend is still in Jersey and is so attached to his family there's no way I'll get him to move so I have to consider going back.
However, these are my requirements for living in Jersey and I really want an insider's opinion:
1. Cheap rent. We both just graduated and he has a lot of loans to pay so the rent needs to be somewhere between 500 and 800 a month preferably including utilities.
2. Less than an hour commute from NYC. As a filmmaker I probably need to work in NYC and I prefer going by train rather than by bus. I had an internship in NYC and the worst part of my day was the commute. I am open to commuting by ferry or the PATH train.
3. Community. I want to live in a walking community where we can spend our weekends walking through town getting our shopping done and enjoying the other residents who live there. It would be nice to live somewhere where people said hello to passers by.
TBH, you are going to have to make some compromises here. Firstly your housing budget is unrealistic. You cannot get a one bedroom apt in Newark or Irvington for $500 a month, let along an apartment in a safe area you'd not have to wear a flak jacket 24/7. A more realistic amount would be in the $1,200 to 1,500 a month range, and that will most likely not include all utilities. You also need to remember that shorter commute times will make the area more desirable, which will in turn mean higher rental rates. That being said, I do have some specific recommendations. Maplewood, Metuchen, Westfield, all are about an hours commute and have walkable downtown areas. Montclair is also an option, but you need to watch out for the bad parts of town. If you can manage a slightly longer commute, just over an hour, look at eastern Morris County - Morristown, Morris Plains, Chatham. and Madison. All have train stations on the midtown direct train line, and it is ~65 min from Morristown to NYC Penn Station. Morristown has plenty of nightlife, and lots of 20-somethings. Morris Plains, Chatham, and Madison are all pretty much adjacent to Morristown. While there are wonderful new luxury apts in the area, there are also plenty of decent apts more reasonably priced. Morris County is more suburban/rural and you'll get more of a small town experience than some of the other towns, which are more urban in nature.
Maybe Irvington. But really, though, you can't possibly expect to meet all three criteria. You said there were some aspects of Jersey you liked. What parts did you like, and what features of those places did you like? Maybe we can think of something that has some of those features.
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You are being unrealistic
