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Hi All,

I'll be working in Trenton this summer for a 1L internship, and will be getting a grant/work study to do so.

I have a question on living arrangements. What would be my smartest move here, assuming I'm trying to keep costs low? I've heard Trenton isn't the best of places, so I've dabbled with the idea of living in Philly and commuting to Trenton each day. I've also thought of living in one of the Trenton suburbs/Princeton area as another alternative. And then obviously living in Trenton would make the most sense since I'm working in Trenton, but I have no idea what parts of Trenton are "safe" and what parts aren't.

Does anyone have any advice/insight? Anything would be much appreciated.

ETA: I think I'll also have some loan money saved up from the last 2 semesters, in addition to the grant.

Trenton and Philly are not that far away, but they're really not that close either and I wouldn't recommend commuting from Philly because that seems like it would be your most expensive and inconvenient option. Would you be taking SEPTA? SEPTA passes are expensive and you're trying to keep costs low. If you're driving I would say that the traffic on the commute would be a nightmare, but then again you would be heading in the opposite direction as everyone else, so probably not.

I can't help you with where to live in Trenton because I only go there to take NJ Transit to New York.

plenty of places in NJ

Definitely avoid living in Trenton--not sure there is a "safe" or "nice" part (sorry to any Trentonians). The surrounding towns are much better options (e.g., Princeton, Lawrence, Ewing). Each of those towns mentioned has a college in it, so finding something affordable shouldn't be much of an issue. And if you don't have a car, Princeton has a train station and so does nearby Hamilton, both short (inexpensive) trips into Trenton.

As far as Philly is concerned, I can't imagine that commute would be that much fun. Maybe if you knew people in Philly it would make sense, because the Trenton suburbs don't really have a lot going on compared to a city like Philly. There are some other towns on the PA side of the border that have pretty cheap rents, and are still a quick 10 min ride from Trenton.

Again, don't live in the actual town of Trenton! Cannot stress this enough.

You could easily live in New Brunswick and commute to Trenton by train. Housing is cheap and there are lots of places to go out.

OP Here. Thanks for the responses. Sounds like Philly may be out of the question. Is the commute via train from New Brunswick to Trenton pretty affordable? The housing is definitely on par with what i'm looking for.

NB to Trenton is about 10 bucks and 45 minutes. Might be less if you get a pass. New Brunswick is also a pretty fun town but it's kinda dead in the summer. You should be able to sublet a room for stupid cheap though.