Where to Live in Jersey City for NYC Big Law Forum

[etemchenko]

Hey everyone. I am looking for advice regarding apartment rentals in Jersey City. I will be working in Manhattan, near Times Square, but am planning to live in New Jersey, within a 40-50 minute commute. Why? First, I own a car and would like to be able to drive around when I have a free weekend (if that will ever happen). I imagine that it is impossible to own a car affordably in Manhattan. Second, I heard that living in New Jersey would allow me to avoid paying the NYC residency tax, or something like that, saving a few thousand dollars a year. Third, I would prefer a slightly larger and nicer place for roughly the same price. I am guessing a budget of under $2800 per month should suffice and not break bank?

So, for those who rented in Jersey City area or, more generally, to those familiar with renting in the are:
1. Are my assumptions correct--that I should live in Jersey?
2. Are there apartments that I definitely should avoid? I've read reviews, but it's like every apartment is plagued with broken elevators, pipes, etc.
3. Are there apartments that you would recommend?

Thanks to all those who take the time to respond.

[minnbills]

Can't speak to the area itself but the NYC residency tax is 4%/year which is $7,200, or $600 a month. So yeah, it's substantial. (EDIT: assuming your base salary is 180)

I considered living in Hoboken next year (commute would be to midtown east) but decided against it because of the long commute. 40-50 minutes is a very long commute for a biglaw associate. You should carefully consider whether you are really okay spending that much time on the PATH (which sucks) and subway every day. Also, the PATH doesn't run as regularly as the subway, you will definitely end up taking alternative transportation back and forth sometimes, particularly at night.

[ughbugchugplug]

Hey everyone. I am looking for advice regarding apartment rentals in Jersey City. I will be working in Manhattan, near Times Square, but am planning to live in New Jersey, within a 40-50 minute commute. Why? First, I own a car and would like to be able to drive around when I have a free weekend (if that will ever happen). I imagine that it is impossible to own a car affordably in Manhattan. Second, I heard that living in New Jersey would allow me to avoid paying the NYC residency tax, or something like that, saving a few thousand dollars a year. Third, I would prefer a slightly larger and nicer place for roughly the same price. I am guessing a budget of under $2800 per month should suffice and not break bank?

So, for those who rented in Jersey City area or, more generally, to those familiar with renting in the are:
1. Are my assumptions correct--that I should live in Jersey?
2. Are there apartments that I definitely should avoid? I've read reviews, but it's like every apartment is plagued with broken elevators, pipes, etc.
3. Are there apartments that you would recommend?

Thanks to all those who take the time to respond.

Current JC big lawyer. Your assumptions are correct, not only because you’ll save money but because you’ll experience the hidden gem of the east coast. NJ is the finest state in the country and subject to frequent, baseless attacks by the uninitiated, meaning it will never get too crowded.

You should shoot to live in JC near the grove street or exchange place path or in Hoboken - both are the most interesting areas with great nightlife. Grove street is near liberty state park where you can walk within 200 feet of the Statue of Liberty. The views are unparalleled. Avoid journal square, which is up and coming but hasn’t come up completely yet. Also avoid Newport because it’s just high rises and boring people. Probably the nicest place in JC is Hamilton park, but I’d recommend the brownstones on Columbus drive as a nice place right near Newark st and pretty roomy for a decent price.

The biggest issue is finding a good broker/apartment because most are run by incompetents. The housing market is so good any moron could make a living being the worst landlord possible, so you need to dig to find people that are willing to put in the work. I’ve never had a problem with piping/rats but I have had several landlords that never respond to requests.

2800 would get you a very nice luxury place. You can get nice places for 2-2.5k and with a roommate could easily stay under 1200.

[ughbugchugplug]

In response to the Path issues:

The commute isn’t that bad - about 40 minutes. I found it very bearable, especially since I can work from home once a week. It runs about as regularly as the subway except on weekends, when it runs on a very slow schedule. However, it’s pretty rare that you HAVE to go into the office on a weekend, so I don’t think that’s a big deal.

One thing to consider is that if you need to take the bus to someone (I have family in NJ so I take the bus home every so often) you’ll almost certainly have to go into port authority. That’s a pain. Most trains run through Newark, though, so if you can take the train there’s no difference

[WokeUpInACar]

The PATH has been terrible lately. If I had it to do over, I’d live by the waterfront and take the ferry. Ferry to midtown is only 10 minutes and then they have free shuttle busses that go through midtown on 42nd and 34th streets. Being able to work on the ferry/bus if necessary is very nice, and on a good day the commute can be even faster than PATH+subway, plus it’s way more chill and less stressful.

[thelastlaugh]

I lived in JC for two years while working in midtown (on the east side). Commute was about 35-40 minutes, and although I've read the PATH has gotten worse, I found it to often be more reliable than the subway. I echo what was said above that you want to be at Grove St. or Exchange. I think JC is nicer than Hoboken (different crowds). Your budget will definitely get you into one of the luxury buildings (The One, Urby, etc.), and I have friends who live in those and like them. I lived in a brownstone (three units total) on Mercer/Jersey Ave. and if you can find one I think it has it's benefits over a high rise (and a little cheaper). Grove St. is closer to many of the restaurants/bars, and exchange has more hotels/offices/shopping.

The salary difference is a REAL benefit. I moved from Manhattan and it was about a 10% swing in net based on no resident tax and a decrease in rent cost. Anyone who shits on NJ has no idea what they are talking about, and I pray they never find out.

[Anonymous User]

If you are living with a significant other or have some friends in NJ, I would recommend other areas than just Hoboken/Weehawken/Jersey City, which are everyone's knee-jerk go-to's. Areas like Rutherford/East Rutherford are great and very close (9 miles total....30 minute bus ride into port authority or Rutherford train station one stop to Secaucus and switch to city). Very nice apartment complexes for cheaper than H/W/JC and bigger too. Lots to do in the area, especially if you have a car. Also plenty of people commute from other areas like Montclair, Ridgewood, Bloomfield, etc. Plenty of nice apartment complexes in these areas, but higher cost of living. But yeah, if you're just a single 25 year old dude not from the area who is looking to save a little money, Jersey City may be best option.

[etemchenko]

Thank you all for your responses!