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Old 12-16-2009, 01:18 PM
 
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I'm relocating to New Jersey and will be working in East Hanover. I'm single, in my 30's and looking for an urban area with restuarants/pubs. I will be looking for a 2 bedroom apartment. Is Hoboken or Montclair affordable and worth it? How do I find an apartment, I am am overwhelmed by my search on the internet?
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Old 12-16-2009, 01:40 PM
 
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I definitely think if what you are looking for is a fun area where you can enjoy yourself and go out Montclair and Hoboken are excellent choices and worth the price.

In general, Hoboken is going to cost a little more BUT you also get to be closer to NYC and there a lot more bars and restaurants. However the scene in Hoboken does tend to be a little younger than Montclair. Both neighborhoods have a lot to offer and both have AMAZING luxury rentals, middle of the line places and streets you should think twice about walking down.

Personally I think you need to consider your personality, do you enjoy hanging out in a "party" atmosphere where people tend to act a little younger? Do you want to be able to down to the pub by yourself or a friend? Do you enjoy walking to and from? Do you like having martini's with your dinner? Do you want to stay out late and grab a greasy breakfast at 3am? Then go with Hoboken

Or do you prefer to go out in a little more laid back atmosphere with more mature individuals? Do you want to go to a quiet coffee shop and gab over chai latte's and brownies? Do you want lots of "date night" options? Do you like having wine with dinner (montclair is BYOB) Do you prefer to drive to places? Shop at whole foods? Go with Montclair.

Both towns are awesome and have their individual charm and both will have a little of all the options I mentioned above, just trying to give you a general feel.

Me having a son and being married, i'd go with Montclair. If I was single and childless I'd probably go with Hoboken HTH
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Old 12-16-2009, 03:50 PM
 
Location: Randolph, NJ
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You should give a look at Morristown as well. Not as big as the others you mention but some good restaurant choices, on the train line, and closer to East Hanover.

I'd suggest investing in a weekend down here to look at places. Hurts to pay a fee, but a rental agent might be helpful. Alternatively, try to get a short term rental as you get to know the are better, then commit once you have a better feel for the towns.
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Old 12-16-2009, 04:00 PM
 
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Montclair and Hoboken are both decent choices. I think Montclair may offer more, but I'm much more familiar with Montclair than I am with Hoboken, so that might be bias coming through. Hoboken does have decent, but often quite expensive restaurants.

Morristown's just alright. I'm not a huge fan. It's probably my least favorite place to be in Morris County.

Honestly though, if you could afford East Hanover, I'd much rather live in East Hanover than Montclair, Hoboken, and certainly Morristown. The only real advantage to Morristown is that you're not in Essex or Hudson County.

Why are you leaving Maine though? This might be a difficult transition.
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Old 12-16-2009, 04:24 PM
 
Location: Randolph, NJ
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East Hanover is fine, but doesn't seem to fit your urban target. It has plenty of restaurants (including lots of chains) but it is kind of a congested town that is dominated by shopping centers along Route 10.
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Old 12-16-2009, 06:11 PM
 
Location: St Paul, MN - NJ's Gold Coast
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Montclair would be best. (Hoboken would be a long commute, and the cost of living there is comparable to parts of Manhattan)
Montclair has a great downtown, It's diverse, and the crowd seems as if it would be similar to yourself (young/transplant). Your definitely going to have to stretch your buck in Montclair but it's well worth it if you're looking for a fresh start in the Garden State.

I would search on north jersey apts/housing for rent classifieds - craigslist for any apartments in the area. (watch out for scams)

I hope for the best on your move!
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Old 12-17-2009, 08:58 AM
 
Location: Historic Downtown Jersey City
2,705 posts, read 8,242,451 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ReluctantGardenStater View Post
Montclair and Hoboken are both decent choices. I think Montclair may offer more, but I'm much more familiar with Montclair than I am with Hoboken, so that might be bias coming through. Hoboken does have decent, but often quite expensive restaurants.

Morristown's just alright. I'm not a huge fan. It's probably my least favorite place to be in Morris County.

Honestly though, if you could afford East Hanover, I'd much rather live in East Hanover than Montclair, Hoboken, and certainly Morristown. The only real advantage to Morristown is that you're not in Essex or Hudson County.

Why are you leaving Maine though? This might be a difficult transition.
Dude...she told us why she's leaving Maine...she has a job in East Hanover. And since she specifically mentioned that she is young, single, and "looking for an urban area with lots of pubs"...well, that sounds like a reason to move from Maine, no?

In case you haven't noticed...not everybody finds extreme excitement at the notion of living amongst miles and miles of woodlands and babbling brooks...especially when you are young and SINGLE. That can get a bit old.
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Old 12-17-2009, 09:13 AM
 
Location: Hudson County, NJ
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Montclair is a bit of an older crowd, but hoboken has it all mixed in. Hoboken also offers more places to go out to eat, drink, and NYC is at your fingertips. Despite what you've probably heard, look into areas of JC as well.

I think Montclair is overall a smaller, refined hoboken, but you can't go wrong with either
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Old 12-17-2009, 09:20 AM
 
Location: Historic Downtown Jersey City
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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.
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Old 12-17-2009, 09:24 AM
 
Location: Historic Downtown Jersey City
2,705 posts, read 8,242,451 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nowitsshowtime View Post
Montclair is a bit of an older crowd, but hoboken has it all mixed in. Hoboken also offers more places to go out to eat, drink, and NYC is at your fingertips. Despite what you've probably heard, look into areas of JC as well.

I think Montclair is overall a smaller, refined hoboken, but you can't go wrong with either
With all due respect, Hoboken and Montclair have little, if anything, in common with one another. Suburban versus urban (although sometimes Hoboken can certainly "feel" suburban).
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