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Old 11-22-2014, 03:44 AM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
363 posts, read 431,516 times
Reputation: 373

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So I've been wanting to move out of NC for a while, mainly because it's boring, and I do mean boring. There isn't much to do in here, the nightlife is very very limited, most places close at 10pm, and you can't get anywhere without a car. I am 26 male, single with no kids, i also have an associate degree in Information Technology. I was planning on moving either to California or somewhere up north in the east coast. My first choice is California, but it's a big step for me, and it's extremely expensive, I've asked about California in this forums and although I still want to move there, I am still not sure if it's the right step now.

I've been interested in New Jersey, and I just have a couple of questions about it and hopefully get some advice. I wanted to find out about places in New Jersey, it seems all people talk about is Newark. The main things I want out of the state is things to do, and i don't want to rely on my car too much, when I say in NC you can't go anywhere without a car, I literally mean that unless you take a cab. I like to be able to be around neighborhoods where you can actually walk to go places.

One last thing, first of all I do NOT watch Jersey Shore, I actually despise it. But the only thing I got out of the show is the area Seaside Heights, I love to be around areas like that, or neighborhoods that are not too far from there. So can anybody give me information about it, or any other city in New Jersey where there's a variety of stuff to do and a good nightlife, I just feel like I am missing out on a lot living in NC.
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Old 11-22-2014, 06:00 AM
 
Location: Randolph, NJ
4,073 posts, read 8,955,687 times
Reputation: 3262
Do a search in this forum on towns like Hoboken, Morristown, and Jersey City. Should give you an idea of some active places that might appeal to youl. You'll also get an idea of how expensive it is. Finding a good job will obviously be crucial.
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Old 11-22-2014, 06:23 AM
 
298 posts, read 339,113 times
Reputation: 364
Default Moving to NJ

As a long-time NJ resident, I will say that the state has a bad rap, mainly due to shows like "The Sopranos" and Jersey Shore. While its true that state has it's not-so-nice sections (Trenton, Camden, Newark etc), there are also some amazingly nice parts of New Jersey. For example, if you like the outdoors, there are tons of options for hiking, cycling, canoe/kayak, XC skiing etc. There is also of course the shore in the summer, which has great beaches.

Given you're in your 20s and single, I'd agree you will have the best social life in a walkable community that has younger people. You didn't mention in your post if you like urban/city living, but I am assuming you do, because once you get out of the major towns you will need a car to go most places.

Because you're in IT, other places you might want to look at besides NJ are Cambridge, MA, Philly and Baltimore. Cambridge probably is going to be better in terms of IT and computer oriented jobs. Its also very walkable (or you can bike). The Manayunk section of Philly seems to be where the 20 and 30-somethings live, great stores, shops, restaurants and night life. My nephew is your age, a computer engineer in late 20s and he loves downtown Baltimore. So those are all places you could consider. Baltimore and Philly are typically going to be more affordable than NYC.

As far as NJ, The #1 is definitely Hoboken. Tons of people in their 20s, walkable, great food and shopping. If you're a 30-year old guy in Hoboken or NYC, take your pick because young women will outnumber you at like 2 or 3 to one. Because Hoboken is a rail center you can go nearly anywhere from there. And since you can easily take PATH into NYC then you have access to all the railroads and busses that go out of NYC to almost anywhere. Nearby to Hoboken is Jersey City, also has IT jobs, a little grittier than Hoboken but it's getting better every year as people discover the proximity to Manhattan and prices in JC are lower than Hoboken.

If you like the shore you can take the NJ transit to get there. Take a look at the NJ Transit web site and you will see where you can go from Hoboken.

There are a couple other areas in NJ that a 20-something could live. One is New Brunswick- close to Rutgers University and there are jobs in that part of NJ. NB will have some of the college crowd and grad students there. The other is Princeton, again a college town and you will probably find that there are more married people and people in 40s/50s in princeton than in Hoboken. You can walk Princeton, but you'd still need to rely on the rail system to get to other parts of the state.

Its hard to argue against Calif. But let me try. San Francisco is easily the toughest real estate market in the USA. Good apartments are extremely hard to find, anything affordable will be very hard to find. Unless you're making a high salary you may end up being prices out of the city. Calif. is also facing tremendous challenges in terms of water. The state is in a record drought. But ask anyone who's lived in SF and they love it there.





Quote:
Originally Posted by ialwayswin001 View Post
So I've been wanting to move out of NC for a while, mainly because it's boring, and I do mean boring. There isn't much to do in here, the nightlife is very very limited, most places close at 10pm, and you can't get anywhere without a car. I am 26 male, single with no kids, i also have an associate degree in Information Technology. I was planning on moving either to California or somewhere up north in the east coast. My first choice is California, but it's a big step for me, and it's extremely expensive, I've asked about California in this forums and although I still want to move there, I am still not sure if it's the right step now.

I've been interested in New Jersey, and I just have a couple of questions about it and hopefully get some advice. I wanted to find out about places in New Jersey, it seems all people talk about is Newark. The main things I want out of the state is things to do, and i don't want to rely on my car too much, when I say in NC you can't go anywhere without a car, I literally mean that unless you take a cab. I like to be able to be around neighborhoods where you can actually walk to go places.

One last thing, first of all I do NOT watch Jersey Shore, I actually despise it. But the only thing I got out of the show is the area Seaside Heights, I love to be around areas like that, or neighborhoods that are not too far from there. So can anybody give me information about it, or any other city in New Jersey where there's a variety of stuff to do and a good nightlife, I just feel like I am missing out on a lot living in NC.
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Old 11-22-2014, 06:27 AM
 
880 posts, read 1,246,938 times
Reputation: 1800
Short answer for a 26 y.o. single male in IT - Jersey City. Great night life, (slowly) gentrifying neighborhoods and enough IT work in JC and NYC across the river. If you are not familiar with local culture, be prepare to live at 5x your normal speed. Most people who have been in this environment long enough are looking to slow down by moving somewhere else. Coincidentally, North Carolina used to be a premier destination for New Jersey refugees.
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Old 11-22-2014, 10:54 AM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
363 posts, read 431,516 times
Reputation: 373
First I just wanted to thank Atomicdoug. You've given me details to give me a good idea of what to expect. I do like the outdoors, and I do want a faster life pace. I am just tired of the slow boring atmosphere here in NC. We don't have much of an outdoor here neither, if anything it's either the lake or one of the few parks which are too small and too empty. I've searched Jersey City and Hoboken. They do seem nice, they're a little more expensive than I expected. Honestly, I am not too stressed out about the job in my field, I can wait until the opportunity arise. I've worked in grocery stores and a couple of years in warehouses while going to school, so I can tolerate working somewhere I don't want until I find something decent in my field. My main concern is a nice city with a walkable alive neighborhood.
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Old 11-22-2014, 12:00 PM
 
260 posts, read 325,289 times
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I live in Bloomfield NJ, a mile north of me is a downtown with bars and restaurants and a couple of dance clubs that I think are closed, NYC is 35 min by train. I pay significantly less in rent then JC or Hobboken.
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Old 11-22-2014, 02:22 PM
 
Location: South Jersey
110 posts, read 174,664 times
Reputation: 138
Quote:
Originally Posted by va_bank View Post
Short answer for a 26 y.o. single male in IT - Jersey City. Great night life, (slowly) gentrifying neighborhoods and enough IT work in JC and NYC across the river. If you are not familiar with local culture, be prepare to live at 5x your normal speed. Most people who have been in this environment long enough are looking to slow down by moving somewhere else. Coincidentally, North Carolina used to be a premier destination for New Jersey refugees.
It still is. Look at NC forums and you will see some "Moving from NJ" posts.
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Old 11-22-2014, 02:56 PM
 
1,174 posts, read 1,742,477 times
Reputation: 505
Quote:
Originally Posted by ialwayswin001 View Post
First I just wanted to thank Atomicdoug. You've given me details to give me a good idea of what to expect. I do like the outdoors, and I do want a faster life pace. I am just tired of the slow boring atmosphere here in NC. We don't have much of an outdoor here neither, if anything it's either the lake or one of the few parks which are too small and too empty. I've searched Jersey City and Hoboken. They do seem nice, they're a little more expensive than I expected. Honestly, I am not too stressed out about the job in my field, I can wait until the opportunity arise. I've worked in grocery stores and a couple of years in warehouses while going to school, so I can tolerate working somewhere I don't want until I find something decent in my field. My main concern is a nice city with a walkable alive neighborhood.
If that is the case, then Hoboken, Jersey City, or NYC are where you want to be. Even if you only do it for a year or two, it will be a great experience and one you cant really get anywhere else. LA isnt close to as walkable as the NYC area.

And there is plenty of IT work here.
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Old 11-22-2014, 05:31 PM
 
595 posts, read 673,962 times
Reputation: 843
A few questions. Where in NC are you currently living? In what aspect of IT do you have experience? Are you looking to get rid of your car or just not use it too often? From a work aspect, if you don't want a car you're mostly likely going to be looking for employment in JC , Newark or of course NYC. Public transportation isn't as cheap as some folks think. If you think you can earn a high enough salary, just get rid of the car and move to NYC. You're young and at the perfect age to enjoy it. Spend a few years living it up! If you're wanting to live in one of those towns and keep your car, you'll soon realize what kind of challenges that can pose.
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Old 11-22-2014, 06:01 PM
 
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,809 posts, read 34,512,107 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by JustMeEC View Post
A few questions. Where in NC are you currently living? In what aspect of IT do you have experience? Are you looking to get rid of your car or just not use it too often? From a work aspect, if you don't want a car you're mostly likely going to be looking for employment in JC , Newark or of course NYC. Public transportation isn't as cheap as some folks think. If you think you can earn a high enough salary, just get rid of the car and move to NYC. You're young and at the perfect age to enjoy it. Spend a few years living it up! If you're wanting to live in one of those towns and keep your car, you'll soon realize what kind of challenges that can pose.
The OP should also be aware that NJ has the highest car insurance in the country. However. . .in NC you have to carry insurance to possess a drivers license. That is not necessary in NJ unless you own a car.
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