Rutgers Newark Forum

[renee15]

Has anyone who plans on attending started looking at housing yet? Find anything reasonable or have any thoughts on the topic? I'm not positive I'm attending yet but I did send in my deposit so I'm trying to get an idea about housing. I'm not trying to live in campus housing but I would like to stay within 15-20 minutes. I live in Essex County but I'm at school so I can't really do any research beyond the internet. Rutgers1L, if you have any insight it would be really helpful. Thanks.

I have started to look...I am planning on moving not long after I sell my car. I have been looking on craigs list but I feel like it is filled with realators. I would prefer to rent directly from a landlord (probably less fees). Anyone have any suggestions on websites to look at? I am going to be around this weekend, so should I be looking while I am down there?

[Jerzeegirl]

There are dozens of NJ rental sites. Bestrentnj.com is one of the better ones. FYI, if you don't mind a 30 minute train commute you can live in Union or Middlesex county for way less than you'll pay in Hoboken or Jersey City. There are tons of rentals in safe, affordable neighborhoods. The commute is minimal, the prices are low, and you won't have to worry about walking around after dark.

[renee15]

There are dozens of NJ rental sites. Bestrentnj.com is one of the better ones. FYI, if you don't mind a 30 minute train commute you can live in Union or Middlesex county for way less than you'll pay in Hoboken or Jersey City. There are tons of rentals in safe, affordable neighborhoods. The commute is minimal, the prices are low, and you won't have to worry about walking around after dark.

I dont mind a train ride much...someone at work who just moved here from NJ said she lived in Union and liked it...I think I will check it out...as well as this website...thanks!

I have another question for anyone from Jersey...My boyfriend works in Yonkers...what would be his best bet in getting to work the quickest and cheapest way? We are curious to know!

[lovaholic]

@wizoz and anyone else who will not make it on Friday-- I'll post info about the event.

I also live close to Newark and will be commuting so if anyone has questions about a particular area-let me know. My friend found a great deal (3 bedroom with nice kitchen, full bathroom) in North Arlington which is exit 7 on Rt. 21 (basically the last exit before you enter Newark) for $1,200.

[renee15]

@wizoz and anyone else who will not make it on Friday-- I'll post info about the event.

I also live close to Newark and will be commuting so if anyone has questions about a particular area-let me know. My friend found a great deal (3 bedroom with nice kitchen, full bathroom) in North Arlington which is exit 7 on Rt. 21 (basically the last exit before you enter Newark) for $1,200.

That's a great deal. What cities and towns around Newark do you suggest avoiding? Also, any opinions on Ironbound?

Anyways...anyone starting to think about Friday? Anyone want to meet up? Roll call of who is going?

[inSouthAmerica]

avoid patterson.

[msv5010]

I would avoid East and South Orange, most parts of Newark...the area right around the school seems okay though. I'm personally thinking of looking in places like Clifton, Nutley, West Orange, Verona...mostly towns along 21 and 280.

[keg411]

I would avoid East and South Orange, most parts of Newark...the area right around the school seems okay though. I'm personally thinking of looking in places like Clifton, Nutley, West Orange, Verona...mostly towns along 21 and 280.

Parts of South Orange are pretty nice... EO is a definite avoid. If you don't mind suburbs, the places listed are fine; but if I go to Rutgers I'll probably live in Hoboken or Jersey City. They're a little pricier but they're right on the PATH line which is great for commuting since it runs 24/7 and you wouldn't have to bring your car to Newark every day.

I've also heard good things from people who live in the Ironbound, but you should probably check it out first.

Anyway, I'll know for sure this weekend whether I seat deposit at RU-N or withdraw. Have to see what happens at Pitt/Camden, but so far I'd say RU-N is the front runner of the schools I've gotten into.

[Rutgers1L_10]

Has anyone who plans on attending started looking at housing yet? Find anything reasonable or have any thoughts on the topic? I'm not positive I'm attending yet but I did send in my deposit so I'm trying to get an idea about housing. I'm not trying to live in campus housing but I would like to stay within 15-20 minutes. I live in Essex County but I'm at school so I can't really do any research beyond the internet. Rutgers1L, if you have any insight it would be really helpful. Thanks.

You live in Essex? Why not just stay and commute?
There's lots of places in Essex that are cheap and affordable. Can you stay in your current spot?
I'm not really sure why you don't want to stay in Essex, But if you're from Jersey I assume you know your way around well enough to know where's a good spot and a bad spot. Commuting is not that hard. Monthly rail passes are about equal to a semester parking permit (I think). But if you just need to live close to campus or don't want to commute then I can understand that too.

If any of you are close to Newark stop by the law school and go to the atrium. There are lots of students trying to rent their apartments. For those of you that are already admitted set up your email accounts as soon as possible, students send out emails about deals on apartment too.

Craigslist is always a good place to start.
Ironbound usually has lots of apartments. Newark does as well, but if you don't know your way around Newark I would be cautious. The area right around the school is ok. The biggest problem is that if you don't have a car on campus with you then you're going to be out of luck trying to get simple things. There isn't a grocery store or Target nearby. You might also be slightly inconvenienced by the fact that everything in newark closes after business hours, and there are some streets you just shouldn't be on in Newark after dark. so definitely know your area.

Easy commutes-Hoboken, Jersey City, Bloomfield, South Orange, Union City
Anything off I-280, PATH, Light Rail, NJ transit stop will be an easy commute to the law school

[msv5010]

To be honest, I just can't imagine I would get anything done at home. Plus, at 22 I'm not trying to live with my parents. I don't mind a short drive into Newark either if I can get housing in a nice area. I think Hoboken is out of my price range, otherwise that would be my first choice. Although I have heard decent things about the Ironbound, I have very little interest in Newark. I just don't feel very comfortable living there.

Unfortunately I just can't look at places myself right now so I wanted to see if anyone has found anything reasonable yet. I've looked at all the websites but I'm hoping for some personal experiences.

[renee15]

avoid patterson.

Haha that is what my boyfriend says too...except for Peruvian food.

[renee15]

I would avoid East and South Orange, most parts of Newark...the area right around the school seems okay though. I'm personally thinking of looking in places like Clifton, Nutley, West Orange, Verona...mostly towns along 21 and 280.

Parts of South Orange are pretty nice... EO is a definite avoid. If you don't mind suburbs, the places listed are fine; but if I go to Rutgers I'll probably live in Hoboken or Jersey City. They're a little pricier but they're right on the PATH line which is great for commuting since it runs 24/7 and you wouldn't have to bring your car to Newark every day.

I've also heard good things from people who live in the Ironbound, but you should probably check it out first.

Anyway, I'll know for sure this weekend whether I seat deposit at RU-N or withdraw. Have to see what happens at Pitt/Camden, but so far I'd say RU-N is the front runner of the schools I've gotten into.

Yeah I am looking for a place nearby public transportation..I am in the process of selling my car (any takers???)...My boyfriend has a car but he will need it for work...so I may want to stick to cities. I am not too picky..I really would just prefer to live in a place without rats and roaches....and some place safe..I'm a small town kid ya know? haha

[msv5010]

Rutgers1L, do you mind sharing a little about your living situation? Are you happy with it?

[keg411]

Hoboken isn't going to be reasonable; it's very expensive (also, if you're looking here, as a law student DO NOT LIVE ON WASHINGTON STREET. It can get LOUD). Jersey City slightly less so, but it's still going to run pricey. TBH, COL is high in this area overall. Not quite NYC-level high, but it's really not cheap. If you go out to the suburbs, you can probably get something for less if you really look (and that's more in renting a house somewhere with a bunch of people), but you're also going to need a car. In fact, unless you're in Hoboken/JC/Ironbound, I'd say you DEFINITELY need a car in NJ. I'm sure people do without, but I personally wouldn't.

[bernie shmegma]

Hoboken isn't going to be reasonable; it's very expensive (also, if you're looking here, as a law student DO NOT LIVE ON WASHINGTON STREET. It can get LOUD). Jersey City slightly less so, but it's still going to run pricey. TBH, COL is high in this area overall. Not quite NYC-level high, but it's really not cheap. If you go out to the suburbs, you can probably get something for less if you really look (and that's more in renting a house somewhere with a bunch of people), but you're also going to need a car. In fact, unless you're in Hoboken/JC/Ironbound, I'd say you DEFINITELY need a car in NJ. I'm sure people do without, but I personally wouldn't.

Find an apartment in a suburban town walking distance from the NJ transit train if you can't have a car, don't want to live in Newark, and can't afford JC/Hoboken. Go to NJ transit and look at the map and look into those towns. I'd Check out Maplewood area if this fits anyone's situation. No idea about apartments by the train there though... just a pointer in the right direction.

[wizoz]

@wizoz and anyone else who will not make it on Friday-- I'll post info about the event.

Thank youuuuuuuuu!

[wizoz]

I would avoid East and South Orange, most parts of Newark...the area right around the school seems okay though. I'm personally thinking of looking in places like Clifton, Nutley, West Orange, Verona...mostly towns along 21 and 280.

Parts of South Orange are pretty nice... EO is a definite avoid. If you don't mind suburbs, the places listed are fine; but if I go to Rutgers I'll probably live in Hoboken or Jersey City. They're a little pricier but they're right on the PATH line which is great for commuting since it runs 24/7 and you wouldn't have to bring your car to Newark every day.

I've also heard good things from people who live in the Ironbound, but you should probably check it out first.

Anyway, I'll know for sure this weekend whether I seat deposit at RU-N or withdraw. Have to see what happens at Pitt/Camden, but so far I'd say RU-N is the front runner of the schools I've gotten into.

Yeah I am looking for a place nearby public transportation..I am in the process of selling my car (any takers???)...My boyfriend has a car but he will need it for work...so I may want to stick to cities. I am not too picky..I really would just prefer to live in a place without rats and roaches....and some place safe..I'm a small town kid ya know? haha

Also, check out Society Hill...it's near school. I just saw a 3-bedroom rental for $1995. That rent split in 3 could be v. affordable [strike]and it's like a posh part of Newark[/strike]. Actually, the link I sent is for JC. It's easy to get to Newark from JC by PT.
http://www.society-hill.com/forrent.html

[renee15]

I would avoid East and South Orange, most parts of Newark...the area right around the school seems okay though. I'm personally thinking of looking in places like Clifton, Nutley, West Orange, Verona...mostly towns along 21 and 280.

Parts of South Orange are pretty nice... EO is a definite avoid. If you don't mind suburbs, the places listed are fine; but if I go to Rutgers I'll probably live in Hoboken or Jersey City. They're a little pricier but they're right on the PATH line which is great for commuting since it runs 24/7 and you wouldn't have to bring your car to Newark every day.

I've also heard good things from people who live in the Ironbound, but you should probably check it out first.

Anyway, I'll know for sure this weekend whether I seat deposit at RU-N or withdraw. Have to see what happens at Pitt/Camden, but so far I'd say RU-N is the front runner of the schools I've gotten into.

Yeah I am looking for a place nearby public transportation..I am in the process of selling my car (any takers???)...My boyfriend has a car but he will need it for work...so I may want to stick to cities. I am not too picky..I really would just prefer to live in a place without rats and roaches....and some place safe..I'm a small town kid ya know? haha

Also, check out Society Hill...it's near school. I just saw a 3-bedroom rental for $1995. That rent split in 3 could be v. affordable [strike]and it's like a posh part of Newark[/strike]. Actually, the link I sent is for JC. It's easy to get to Newark from JC by PT.
http://www.society-hill.com/forrent.html

woah those look nice. Yeah with a room mate it wouldn't be bad! My boyfriend and I are considering finding a room mate. Any takers? I promise my hockey equipment doesn't smell that bad.

[underdog]

I would check out Rahway. I don't know what the rent would cost in the new appts next to the train station but it offers great access to Newark and NYC. really worth checking out.

[oberlin08]

Hoboken isn't going to be reasonable; it's very expensive (also, if you're looking here, as a law student DO NOT LIVE ON WASHINGTON STREET. It can get LOUD). Jersey City slightly less so, but it's still going to run pricey. TBH, COL is high in this area overall. Not quite NYC-level high, but it's really not cheap. If you go out to the suburbs, you can probably get something for less if you really look (and that's more in renting a house somewhere with a bunch of people), but you're also going to need a car. In fact, unless you're in Hoboken/JC/Ironbound, I'd say you DEFINITELY need a car in NJ. I'm sure people do without, but I personally wouldn't.

Find an apartment in a suburban town walking distance from the NJ transit train if you can't have a car, don't want to live in Newark, and can't afford JC/Hoboken. Go to NJ transit and look at the map and look into those towns. I'd Check out Maplewood area if this fits anyone's situation. No idea about apartments by the train there though... just a pointer in the right direction.

Maybe the train station might be in walking distance to your apt, but the grocery store or anything else might not. Just something to consider if youre gonna go the suburban route when choosing a place to live. These places are not set up for pedestrians

[nyjfanjmk]

Hoboken and Jersey City are expensive, yes, but deals can be found. Just looking around on Craigslist yesterday, I found plenty of rooms being rented out in apartments close to public transportation and in nice buildings for $900-$1100. That may sound expensive for anyone from out of the area, but it's really pretty reasonable. For anyone coming from New York, or another urban setting, you'll probably be more interested in living in one of those places as opposed to a more suburban town.

Does anyone know if Rutgers does anything to match students up for housing? If not, hopefully it won't be hard to find other incoming students who are looking for a similar housing situation.

[inSouthAmerica]

about Peruvian food, I live in Peru now, enough Peruvian food for a lifetime, not enough reason to live in Patterson.

Plus, at 22 I'm not trying to live with my parents.

I'm living with my parents, no shame whatsoever. I've got pretty cool parents though.

[msv5010]

Absolutely no shame in living with your parents. In fact, its probably a smart decision. Save money on housing, food, etc. For me, I couldn't be in a better location than at home. Its personal preference. To elaborate - while my parents are great, I don't want to be in a situation where if I go out at night and come home real late or stay somewhere else it could become an issue with my parents. Or if I'm not studying 24/7, they start doubting my dedication.

[badpixie]

Find an apartment in a suburban town walking distance from the NJ transit train if you can't have a car, don't want to live in Newark, and can't afford JC/Hoboken. Go to NJ transit and look at the map and look into those towns. I'd Check out Maplewood area if this fits anyone's situation. No idea about apartments by the train there though... just a pointer in the right direction.

Maybe the train station might be in walking distance to your apt, but the grocery store or anything else might not. Just something to consider if youre gonna go the suburban route when choosing a place to live. These places are not set up for pedestrians

I lived in Maplewood for 5 years (until a few months ago), and it has some definite benefits that not all suburban towns in the area will have. It is about a 15 minute train ride to Newark Broad Street station, and you can take the Newark Light Rail from there to get up to University Heights, where the law school is. By car, it is about 8-10 miles. For the weekends, there are trains that go either to Hoboken or directly into NYC (Penn Station). The express train to NYC-Penn takes about 30-35 minutes.

Maplewood has 2 separate shopping areas, but the Village, where the train station is, also has a small grocery store (Kings), along with a great Irish pub, a couple of good pizza places, a movie theater, a Japanese/sushi place, and great Chinese takeout. It's also a very diverse community with great community spirit. There are apartments above many of the stores inthe Vilalge itself, and I'm pretty sure there are others within reasonable walking/biking distance of the train station. There is also a jitney service that covers much but not all of the town, taking people to and from the train station. Definitely worth a look. Check out http://www.maplewoodonline.com for apartments and more info about the town.

[Rutgers1L_10]

Rutgers1L, do you mind sharing a little about your living situation? Are you happy with it?

Well I'm a non-trad student. So I'm not coming right out of undergrad and I haven't lived in a dorm since, well, most of you were probably in kindergarten. So that wasn't an option. I also had a lot more funds at my disposal for living expenses. That said, I originally was going to do Hoboken, but I thought it was just way to expensive. I could have stayed in NYC for those prices. I stay in downtown JC it's fine. No real complaints. If you get a roommate Hoboken is within the school's cost of living budget. I think the cost of living is set at ~$20-22,000. I have to agree with the assessment that Washington St. in Hoboken is not a good place to live (although people do). Although most apartments are not actually on Washington St. proper, they are on the cross streets or one or two streets off Washington, which makes for lots of loud nights, lots of distraction.

Jersey City is a good spot if you don't have a car. There's lots of places to live if you do have a car also. Downton JC/Exchange Place/Pavonia as it's known for PATH riders is the Jersey equivalent of NYC's downtown/WTC/Financial District. It's a very safe area, lots of bars, lots of hotels, lots of high rises. It can be very expensive, but it can also be pretty affordable if you are flexible. There's a lot of new construction, and also a lot of loft spaces (jclofts.com). The historic downtown/Grove st is a really nice area. It's very trendy, lots of food, night spots, bars, and whatever else you need. The area has some really great new construction and some older buildings (Liberty Harbor/Zenith Lofts, Gulls Cove,The Gotham, Grove Pointe). Those are all full service luxury spots and are on the high end. But there are also lots of brownstones (it's like a small version of Brooklyn) and those can be VERY affordable (mostly the Van Vorst Park area). If you have a roommate you can probably get a really good deal on a spot and get a lot more space than you would in other parts of JC. Also the Grove Path station is there and makes the commute pretty quick to Newark. Also in that area is a small area call "Paulus Hook", there have been some good deals on really nice apartments there . Again, it's a really safe neighborhood and it's easy to search craigslist and such for listings. Journal square in JC is not as nice as Grove or Downtown but is off a PATH line. It's probably one of those places you want to visit and pick an area first. It's more up and coming and there are some really good spots, but also some less desirable spots.

Close to Jersey City is Union, Weehawken, Jersey City Heights and those are all fine if you have a car. The commute from those areas I think may involve a bus to the PATH/NJ Transit, but they have affordable spots. Union is a largely spanish-speaking residents. That area offers a lot of Latino restaurants, stores, and things that I think makes it a popular spot. It's also close to a lot of stores, and main services.
As far as living around Newark I think Kearny and Harrison are decent spots. They are really close to the school, just right over the bridge. The one caveat is that although they're close you're not quite close enough to walk, and you may be too far from the PATH station to make that an option so you may live really close but still need a car. There is no PATH in Kearny and only one in Harrison.

Society Hill is very nice. I know a few people that live there. It's a popular spot for Rutgers, NJIT, Essex CCC and UMDNJ students as it's very close to all. It's about a mile walk from the school. But there is a light rail station about a block from Soc Hill that will take you about a block from the law school.

If you're a true suburbanite, and you don't want to deal with the city then look at West Orange, Bloomfield or Montclair. South Orange is a nice place, and mostly a college town (home of the parent Seton Hall University). West Orange/Montclair which border each other and are northwest of Newark just of I-280 and a quick 10 -15 min drive are very nice. You can probably rent a house and get a roommate and have a great space for really cheap. There are aslo NJ transit stops in those towns that will take you to Newark Penn Station and you can walk or take the light rail to the school from there. Bloomfield is easily accessible via light rail, but you may need a car to drive yourself to the closest lightrail and then just do the "park-n-ride" to Newark. But those are really nice suburbs close to school that are quiet, offer pretty much everything you need.
Other nice suburbs are Livingston/Maplewood. Maplewood I think is a little bit closer than Livingston, but there is a NJ train stop in those towns that goes to Newark Penn stat.

Newark--in my opinion is really expensive. At least in any part of Newark where you want to live. There are people that live in Newark obviously. There are a few high rises right in downtown Newark that I know of but have never seen up close (colleoni, eleven80rentals), and then of course there's lots of small single-family residences for rent, and lots of apartment being rented privately. Newark is just so unpredictable that it's hard to say for sure. I will say the close to the school the better, the further you venture the more likely you are to end up in a bad spot. And you will probably need a car if you live in Newark because there's not a lot near by in terms of stores and services.

There's lots of brokers that you can enlist to do your apartment search. Many apartments may have broker fees which can break the bank. So try and find a "no-fee" apartment, for those of you unfamiliar with how the rental search works in the NY/NJ area.

Although, I can't personally recommend any one company specifically, check these out to help with your search:
gardenstateapartments.com
libertyrealestate.com

Like I said, the more flexible you are the better your chances of getting a good spot in a good area will be. If you plan to move into a studio or 1bd there's lots of affordable options. If you need a bigger place, or more amenities you'll have to pay more.