Maine Girl moving to New Jersey need help where to live!

[babo111]

Not my preference but since we are on city data...
//www.city-data.com/city/Hoboken-New-Jersey.html
Note: Median resident age 30.4 year

You can do similar searches and get a feel. It is lagging data so it does not express current and future indicator of what it is.

[Binkybee]

Whatever you do, don't go to Hoboken! Haha I live in downtown Jersey City so I know the area pretty well. I actually grew up here. Hoboken is definitely a "frat" atmosphere mixed with soccer moms and yuppies. Drinking, music, and parties! If you're looking for that, then that's where you should go.

I think Maine is really beautiful in that people are friendly and cultured. (I have friends in Freeport). That is the opposite in Hoboken. Most people are rude. I've never held the door for someone in Hoboken and heard a "thank you". Parking is way worse than Jersey City or even Manhattan! There is just no parking. It's a nice place to visit if youre a partyer, but I hate it there. The prices are way inflated for really old (not in the cool way) apartments. For try urban living, I'd check out downtown Jersey City, where people aren't "friendly" exactly, but they aren't rude and stuck up. I live in a cute prewar buildin 1br for little over $1200. There are plenty of bars, restaurants of ALLcultures, and a booming art scene. Montclair is a great city. It's the least urban compared to JC and Hoboken, but they have tons of great shops and a pretty cool art scene. It's also more family oriented than the other cities. I am in my late twenties and I would totally live in Montclair over Hoboken in a minute. This is soley based on the rude people of Hoboken. All these cities have a lot to offer, but for peace of mind I'd stay clear of Hoboken. Funny enough, I'm thinking of moving to ME, and that's how I ran into your post!!! Good luck!

[sarakg]

Originally Posted by tommyc_37

Sisterstreams, here are your best 3 choices:

Morristown
This is a suburban, hilly town, but has a pretty bustling downtown area that has a sort of "urban village" feel to it. There are some good bars and restaurants. If you find an apartment in the downtown area, that'd be best, since you won't have to drive into the town to visit such bars. Morristown is also closest to East Hanover, where you will be commuting to. I'd guess it'd be a 15-20 minute drive to E. hanover.

Montclair
Also a suburban town, but has a bustling downtown. Montclair is about 15 miles from NYC. There are some nice restaurants in the downtown Montclair area, a few decent pubs (although, not as many as you'd think), and even a few jazz clubs. Montclair is pretty cool, Upper Montclair has huge mansions, and regular Montclair has modest houses that have character. Commute from Montclair to East hanover will probably be 30 minutes by car.

Hoboken
Hoboken is urban, sits on the Hudson River, right across from NYC. It's full of brownstones....no stand alone houses. It's a nice town, but has changed over the past 5-10 years and I (and many others) feel that it has lost it's character. It's very homogenous, the average resident ranging from 23 year old post-grad, to 40-something soccer mom. It's kind of like a suburban town trapped in Brooklyn's body, if that makes any sense, LOL! There are a zillion bars and pubs in Hoboken, all of which you can walk to, so that is a good thing for you. My main red flag with Hoboken, for you, is that if you are in your 30's, you WILL feel old in most, if not all, of the bars in Hoboken (trust me). Also, having a car in Hoboken is not an asset but a hassle (parking, major pain)...and you will have to drive to East Hanover. This will be a 45-minute drive (I used to drive from Jersey City to Parsippany each day, basically same commute).

I suggest you check out the downtown historic neighborhoods of Jersey City as well, although you will have the same car issues as Hoboken (parking), and the commute will be close to 45 mins.

okay...bear with me, i haven't used blog/forums in awhile so not sure this'll show up correctly...

but it's so funny sisterstreams, i am/was pretty much doing the same exact search! i think tommyc's summary of those places is pretty accurate.

i'm not sure what type of space you were looking for, and what price range, but i found a mix in montclair. we seem to be of a simlar demographic (i'm unmarried early 30's now-!) and i have a mix of priorities. i could hypothetically afford $1000 or so, but realized in my search that if i looked in the right places i could get something for less and safe more money. and i currently also work in north jersey,but wanted to have the option of a commuter town to take public transit (the main options here being NJTransit trains and buses). ...ha, i think i just saw a post below this about 'the commute being worth it for the social scene' and that's exactly why i want to move east towards the city! so,


MORRISTOWN-
i lived in morristown for awhile, and for not having colleges nearby, it is very similar to a college town in that it's become somewhat self-contained with it's own slew of restaurants, tons of bars within walking distance of each other, and definitely the closest to where you'd be working.


HOBOKEN-
i also lived in Hoboken for 4 years. it was fun and i think the only NJ city with more bars than Morristown, plus it's right across from Manhattan. over the years since i moved there, i think the prices have gone up for apartments, and parking really is a commodity and cost on its own! i have a bunch of friends who live there, and there are definitely a range of living and social options. you can definitely still find good deals on apartments, but you better look for one that INCLUDES parking bc that can be a big additional expense, and i'd never want to be back in Hoboken with a car and no designated parking.

the main street here is Washington Street. it runs north-south parallel to the Hudson River/Manhattan. the main transportation as i think ohters mentioned is the station on the southern end. NJTransit trains are for westward trains to NJ suburbs, and the PATH is for subway trains to the Manhattan, Jersey City, and Newark (airport).

If you want more bars, but also rowdy 5-nights-a-week drinkers, there are more of that in the southern half, as ppl joke the "bridge and tunnel" group of commuters. but there are also plenty of smaller bars, hole-in-the-wall venues, and places in the northern half or a couple blocks off Washington that have their own crowds. northern parts i find more chill. that's where there are a lot of older buildings with bay windows and stuff... another joke we had was to not get as far as the other Presidents names. listings can say it's "close to the PATH/trains" but it's really quite a walk from Adams or Jefferson.

i'd stick to (in order from Washington going westward)- Bloomfield, Garden, Park, Willow, and probably as far as Clinton. Oh,and i know this is not so organized an order of t houghts, but if you're in the upper part of Hoboken, or commuting to 42nd-48th street in Manhattan, you'd probably opt for the NJTransit buses which run along all of Washington and other side streets...i think at least Willow too...


MONTCLAIR-
i was looking here bc it does seem to have a sense of community, a layout conducive to walking (not just driving), and the appeal of historical buildings, and some art and music culture. (they have a great music venue, Wellmont Theater, right in the middle of Bloomfield Ave. pretty much, i'd look along Bloomfield Avenue. it's very walkable from up by Bell St, as it runs southeast to Bay Street. i think a lot of ppl commute from that train station, but there's also Walnut Station up by the northern end of the street...

For apartments, there was a mix. For the option of walking there are a couple highrises with new rooms and extra amenities. my favorite was Bellclair up on Bell Street. it was a good price for me, parking included, and right next to Whole Foods. there was a more expensive one...sierra or something, i'll have to ask my roomate the name... Down by Bay Street there isn't as much street lighting but the residents were real friendly. There were Montclair Mews down there and also Montclair Residences at Bay Street station, but i found the latter to be pricier for less space... Then, there are lots of privately owned homes. if you search for 'carriage houses' or people just renting out a floor/rooms there are some options. Depending on how picky/conservative you are, you'd just have to be aware of the location. for me, i'd go on the northern part of Bloomfield Ave, within a couple blocks of it.


JERSEY CITY- and with all that said, i'm opting for Jersey City. i find it to have a more low-key energy, very friendly but unpretentous. i'm totally a yuppie/preppy background, but pretty cosmopolitan and love mixing with different groups and spend a lot of time in the art and music scene. from what i've learned from going to JC, and research online/friends, is that as many ppl have said on this site, "downtown Jersey City" is a good pick. it has the most subway access to Manhattan, and seems to be completely walkable with restaurants and bars not clustered together, but here and there so you stroll around and find them, which i like. also definitely seems better for cars/parking! and i think it's all relative, but overall they seem to have more space for lower prices than hoboken does...

for apartments, in "downtown" i narrowed it down further to Hamilton Park, Grove Street/VanVorst Park, and Paulus Hook. Pavonia/Newport is also nice and where some friends live, i just realized i personally prefer quaint buildings to highrises. Of those 3 just mentioned, i've spent the least time by Hamilton Park, but it's supposed to be really nice, and less crowded for parking too. Grove Street/VVPark has more restaurants and bars, and feels more "nyc" to me with a mix of ppl. The main street here is Christopher Columbus, which has less street lighting as you head westward towards the highway/Rt 78. close to the Grove station and VVPark is nice. lots of brownstones. then Paulus Hook, the place i'm currently set on and actually looking for roomates for!, is east of Grove/VV and south of Exchange Place (another subway station). it felt very "brooklyn" to me. lowkey, open layout, and very friendly. there is a lot more parking down here too, especially if you go as far down as Essex Street which seems to have its own designated "Essex residents" permit.

wow, i guess that's how much info you can accumulate from weeks of apartment hunting haha. hope that helps!

[sarakg]

ah, BinkyBee, if you have any other opinions/insights on the area, i'd appreciate it! particularly, have you had any safety issues or tips? thanks!
ps oh and best wishes for your move!

[metaljaybird]

Actually, Portland, ME could fit the description of those three towns and then some.

Personally, for NJ, I like Hoboken, Montclair, and Morristown for different reasons. Morristown is centered around a town green, so it sort of reminds me of a New England urban square. I live closest to Morristown, and trust me, in the last few years, it has changed quite a bit. It is my favorite because of it's compact, yet robust accessibility.

Hoboken is fun for a night out, but with that trouble of parking, you may as well cross the river. This from my perspective, most people living in Hoboken don't own a car, or pay a tremendous amount to park their car. The waterfront gives you awesome views of Manhattan, and for a tiny city, it also has a lot going on.

Montclair has a few downtowns, actually. Upper Montclair is like Greenwich, CT with rich folks, whereas Bloomfield AVE is more of the yuppy drinking scene. Not as many bars as Hoboken or Morristown, if that's your cup of tea.

Your age demographics will most likely fit in with Morristown. While not technically a college town, Drew and FDU are a few miles away, and this is their local watering hole. It is young, but not as young as Hoboken or Montclair.

[tommyc_37]

Originally Posted by icibiu

Obrero, how often do YOU actually go to Hoboken? I have to disagree with you that mid thirties is too old for Hoboken. In fact with prices the way they are most people that buy there are in their mid thirties as the prices are too high for those in their twenties.

I think Hoboken has a wilder vibe where as Montcliar is a little more refined. It really depends on how the OP likes to party. Does it totally turn you off to see people taking shots, being super loud and lisenting to top 40 type music? Then hoboken might not be for you, but it's not because you're "too old" it's just not your scene. If you're more comfortable listening to soft music drinking a glass of wine than you'll enjoy Montclair more.

But when I go out in Hoboken (late 20's) i'm far from the oldest person there. And the people older than me do not look ridiculous for being there. Sure there are many "frat boy" types but Hoboken is not exactly a college town, those frat boys probably graduated a few years ago and have good jobs if they can afford the area.

And yes OP, Most if not all of the restaurants in Montclair are BYOB. This is good and bad, good because it's a lot cheaper and if you go out with a group and split the bill you don't have to worry about paying for a ton of alcohol one person consumed. But bad because if you didn't plan ahead you might get stuck drinking soda. There are bars though and they obviously sell liquor

Now JC, are certain parts more affordable than Hoboken? YES. But nothing in life is free (especially in the NYC metro area) so ask yourself WHY is it cheaper? You get what you pay for. There are nice areas of Jersey City but the rents will be just as high as Hoboken if not higher. Those really nice places that look like they have just been remodeled for 1/2 of what most places are costing are PROBABLY in an area of JC called Greenville or Bergen-Laffayette. I personally wouldn't live there even if it was free but to each his own. I think if you're considering JC because it's interesting to you then people can help you find nice areas but if you are looking into it just because it's cheaper, just know you will give up a lot to live in those cheaper areas.

Those post-grad "frat boys" are not buying places in Hoboken. They are splitting a 3-bedroom apartment, with roommates, at $800 per month.

Yes, indeed there are many, many 30 & 40-somethings LIVING in Hoboken. But those people are NOT out at the bars. The 20-somethings are (and it's the younger half of "twenty-somethings"). So therefore, the "singles scene" is lower 20's...really not any higher than that.