Laid off. Need to move from NYC to NJ to save $$. Where to live? (Newark: cheap apartments, to rent)
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HI everyone, I need some good advice about which cities I should consider to live in NJ.
I currently live in NYC. But unfortunately I just got laid off. Since I do not think I can find a job very soon in this market, saving money is a big thing for me. Therefore, I am thinking about moving to NJ. Although I understand that it won't be inexpensive either, I've heard that there are more affordable places in NJ.
I don't own a car, and do not have a budget to buy one.
Ok, that's the background. Here are my requirements/hopes/dreams:
1. I don't mind the size of the city/town, however, I need to be able to get around without a car. I don't mind travelling, but I hope I can use public transportation to come visit my friends in NYC once a while.
2. Price: I am thinking about renting a studio-1br for a range b/t $600-800. Of course, the cheaper the better.
3. Safety: I am a single woman so safe neighbothood is an important factor.
Since I don't have kids, schools is not a factor for me.
OK, that's about it. If the city/town also has good environment and lots of trees, that would really be my dream come true.
As a single woman wo kids and a car myself I suggest focusing your search in the Northern NJ area. More specifically I suggest the following places because of their vacinity to the City and access to public transportation: Jersey City, Newark, Hoboken, East Orange, Montclair, and some of the surrounding towns. I'm sorry I can't offer specific neighborhoods but hope this provides a good start. Happy hunting!!
Eek, I, personally, have yet to find any places with decent public transportation - especially what you'll need to visit NYC now and then, in that price range.
$600 is an awfully low budget if you're not going to have a roommate, while $800 might be possible (not sure). you might want to look into renting a room within a multi-bedroom apartment or house.
i'd look first in jersey city heights, which is located just north and northeast of the journal square PATH station in jersey city. the neighborhood is not bad (some streets are really nice, while others are a bit seedy) and it's a 20 minute PATH ride to 33rd street in manhattan and 10 minutes to the world trade center (no transfers required).
if you can't find anything there, i'd look in harrison, which is a town west of jersey city and just east of downtown newark. harrison also has a PATH station with 24/7 train service; from there, it's 20 minutes (direct) to the world trade center and 30-40 minutes (including a transfer at journal square) to 33rd street in midtown.
harrison is not the most aesthetically appealing town (it kind of looks like williamsburg from the 1980s, way before there were any artists/hipsters) but it's pretty safe and has managed to remain relatively under the radar all these years - even with the PATH station and the new soccer stadium and accompanying development across the street. i would classify it as "light urban", i.e. not as dense and ultra-urban as manhattan, brooklyn, jersey city, hoboken, etc.
i'd also look into lyndhurst and rutherford. both are extremely safe towns - lyndhurst is more blue collar/lower middle class while rutherford is more solidly middle class (upper middle in certain areas). rutherford in particular has a nice downtown area and plenty of lovely tree-lined streets with attractive older homes (victorians, colonials, etc). lyndhurst's housing stock is more generic; for the most part, it isn't as attractive as rutherford, but it's super safe and quiet.
both towns have nj transit train stations in their downtown area. the train takes about 20 minutes to hoboken w/o a transfer; at hoboken, you can switch to the PATH or a ferry to get to downtown manhattan, or you can switch to another train in secaucus to get to penn station in midtown.
one big negative about lyndhurst and rutherford is that the nj transit trains run on a fixed schedule, which is fine during rush hour (perhaps 3 trains per hour) but can be a pain during off-peak hours (1 train every 1-2 hours, especially on weekends). also, the nj transit train doesn't run between 1am and 5am.
there is reliable bus service from rutherford to the port authority bus terminal in midtown (the 190 bus is one of the few nj transit buses that runs 24/7, even between 1am and 5am), while lyndhurst has more spotty bus service to the city (i think the only bus service is by coach usa, which primarily runs during rush hour).
another thing is that lyndhurst and rutherford are both suburban, albeit walkable inner-ring suburbs with mass transit and a bit of character. still, while you might get bored in suburbia, at least you'll be able to get to the city and to other nj destinations (such as malls) via nj transit's intrastate bus system.
As a single woman wo kids and a car myself I suggest focusing your search in the Northern NJ area. More specifically I suggest the following places because of their vacinity to the City and access to public transportation: Jersey City, Newark, Hoboken, East Orange, Montclair, and some of the surrounding towns. I'm sorry I can't offer specific neighborhoods but hope this provides a good start. Happy hunting!!
scratch east orange off the list - while it has a few decent neighborhoods, it is not safe for the most part, including the area near the train station, particularly late at night.
the only newark neighborhood that makes sense for the OP is the ironbound district, since it's within walking distance of newark penn station (PATH, nj transit to ny penn station, and amtrak are all available there) and is a lively portuguese/brazilian neighborhood with lots of ethnic restaurants and cafes. the downside is that even the ironbound can be a little bit seedy in certain areas (it varies on a street-by-street basis).
by contrast, harrison, which is literally right across the river from newark penn station and the ironbound, is a much safer option, although kind of dull and worn-looking. it's cheap because it's so unremarkable, but it's really an excellent location. fwiw, you can definitely find cheap apartments in the ironbound district, too, if you'd prefer to be in an area that's more lively than harrison.
montclair is a terrific town with multiple train stations and direct rail service to midtown manhattan, but i'm not sure if the OP will find anything in her budget. it's worth a look, though - montclair is considered to be one of the hipper areas in the burbs for relocated city residents, and has a ton of great restaurants, cafes, bars, etc. it's also quite walkable and is diverse and mostly safe. the only problem is that these are nj transit trains, which run on a fixed schedule and do not operate 24/7. weekends and late hours will be especially annoying if you want to get into the city.
hoboken is great for young singles w/o a car, but good luck finding something within your budget unless you rent a room within a multi-bedroom apartment. it's a great choice in a number of ways, though: very lively, lots to do, plenty of bars and restaurants, super convenient to nyc (both the PATH and the ferry goes to the city), a young populace, etc.
if you're going to look in harrison, you may as well check into downtown jersey city, too. there are several nice, tree-lined brownstone neighborhoods within the downtown area that are pretty safe, aesthetically appealing, and a short walk to the PATH stations. the problem, of course, is finding a place within your budget. again, try looking for a room within a larger apartment.
fwiw, the only areas that have PATH service (i.e. 24/7 subway-style rail) are newark, harrison, jersey city, and hoboken.
I'd say go for Jersey City.. but I think you will find Jersey to be a bit pricier than you might have thought - But then housing values have dipped over the years, but Jersey City's been heavily refined in certain areas, so it might even out - The PATH is always running into NYC right to WTC with easy transfers to the subway. I would avoid having to make any further bus/train transfers really.
There are a lot of shared arrangements in Montclair. You could certainly get around without a car. The only issue would be getting a landlord to rent to you if you're unemployed. Good luck to you!
Without a car, NJ is hard. Our public transportation isn't really up to par. As others mentioned your price range is also a little low to be in a place on your own. A shared place would help that.
Have you thought about moving out of NYC to the other side - Brooklyn or Queens. You will have better luck with the public transportation.
West New York but $600-$800 is tough if you're including utilities/food etc as well
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