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As someone who now lives in Dixon Mills and is a recent Manhattan transplant, I'm just curious how Dixon Mills and the area around it has the reputation of being "inconvenient". Believe me, it's not only you who says that either. Other people I know in downtown JC think its "so far" yet my walk to the Path is no further than theirs from Paulus Hook. Has living in NYC for the last many years just skewed my perspective into not thinking a 3 block walk to pretty much everything (Jersey Ave, Grove St., Newark Ave., Path) is a big deal?

Anyways, sorry for the veer off topic. Having recently made the move across the Hudson myself my perspective may be skewed but it seems to me Jersey City is getting more and more attention from those priced out of prime Brooklyn. Many of my friends who are moving in the near future are now looking at it at the top of their list after having been over to visit. I think once you've lived in NYC for a while you grow up enough to realize you don't have to live in the 5 boroughs at all costs when on the other side of the river you can get the same brownstone neighborhood, more space, a faster commute, and a more laid back vibe for 2/3 the cost.

Just my 2 cents but count me among the NYC transplants, not from the metro area, who are loving Jersey City.

This thread must represent a very vocal minority. I went to Taqueria for the first time last weekend (I'm new here) and actually found the service friendly. We had a takeout order as well as an eat-in order and the staff actually timed the takeout to be ready when we were leaving. That's good service! On top of that the tacos we had (carnitas, bistec, chorizo) were incredible.

Hopefully the crowds at their business make the owners realize that MANY people in Jersey City are very happy to have this place in their backyards and that not everyone is wishing them to shut down and move out.

We just moved from Manhattan and between Taqueria and Zeppelin Hall I'm beginning to wonder if I have a skewed perspective on service and crowds. We've enjoyed both of them and they seem to be two of the most maligned places on this board.

I've been here a few times since moving and really like it. It's large enough where it's easy to isolate yourself from anyone you find obnoxious, even though I personally haven't had any problems with the crowd. As others have said, it seems like a good mix of people to me and is a great place to sit outside and have some drinks on a nice day/night. The food isn't mind blowing but its fairly priced and totally decent beer hall grub. If this place was in NYC it would be insanely packed and obnoxious. Just one of the many reasons I'm really loving Jersey City so far.

OP here. I just wanted to follow up since you were all kind enough to reply to my thread.

My fiancee and I are officially moving to Jersey City. We're in contract on a place in Dixon Mills and will be moving in June. I don't care to rehash the merits (or lack thereof) of Dixon Mills here, we're thrilled with our unit and the development.

We've spent quite a bit of time in JC since this thread was started a couple months ago and we're really excited to be a part of the neighborhood. Everything about it is exactly what we're looking for: quiet and "neghborhood-y" while still having plenty going on. People who are friendly, unpretentious, and cool without needing a NYC address for validation. We really can't wait to get settled into the neighborhood. I also have to say it's amazing how nice the area looks now with all the trees filling in and Spring in the air. Definitely much different than the dead of winter when we first started exploring.

Anyways, just wanted to check in. I regularly read the forum and hope to contribute more once I actually am living in JC. Thanks again for everyone's suggestions in this thread.

Parts of Queens are perfectly nice. Obviously Astoria has a fair number of young people and Sunnyside is aesthetically lovely. I think Queens in general doesn't have the same density of "cool" stuff that the transplants that make up prime Brooklyn and Manhattan expect when they move to NYC. Some day it may get there but it's not there now. Additionally, those same people either want to hang out in Brooklyn or Manhattan below 14th and Queens isn't really convenient to either (except for maybe LIC and the G train). Jersey City or Hoboken is quicker to lower Manhattan than anywhere in Queens which is part of the draw.

Thanks to everyone for the replies. This has all been very helpful.

We spent Friday night in Jersey City walking around. We wanted to get a sense of what it was like on a night when residents might be hanging out locally. I'm happy to say we had a great time. We only went to Barcade and Lucky 7 but we really liked the crowd and the vibe. Much less preening and more laid back and "neighborhoody" than Brooklyn or Manhattan. We walked around Newark Ave and around Dixon Mills, Grove St. and the surrounding areas at about 1am. It was quiet but we felt perfectly comfortable. I could definitely see us ending up in the neighborhood. The Path came right on schedule and we were back in Manhattan in ten minutes.

We'll be making our way back to the neighborhood many times in the next few months and sampling some of the other places around the area. We give JC a big thumbs up! Just wish it hadn't taken us years of living in NYC before we made our way across the river to visit.

Neverleft - Great to hear that us newcomers aren't as maligned as it sometimes sounds. It can seem as if living in JC can make us the bastard children of the NYC metro: our old friends from Manhattan will think it's the hinterlands and won't visit and the long time residents will look down their noses at us and the silly fusion restaurants that follow in our wake. I won't pretend that I won't be looking for a little taste of the Manhattan lifestyle across the river but I do believe there is a happy medium between old and new.

I ASSURE you I'm no MTV scout but I can see how my post could fit the bill. I was actually joking with my fiancee about whether we should get in before the Jersey Shore spinoff raises property values. Her response: "Ummm....I think we should wait til after when home prices are cut in half". I'm obviously not the best judge but from what I've seen of downtown JC it doesn't seem like it caters to the Snooki type.

Tommyc - Thanks! That sounds like quite a comprehensive list. I'm a bit of a beer geek myself and have been told to check out Buy Rite which offers an enormous selection and delivery. Sitting out at Zeppelin or on the roof of Iron Monkey sounds like a great way to spend a summer evening.

We walked around last weekend and went to Hamilton Park, Grove Street, Van Vorst, up by Dixon Mills, and down through Paulus Hook and the waterfront. The brownstone areas were all very charming while also not feeling quite as refined as brownstone Brooklyn. One thing I was actually quite surprised to find was that many restaurants seemed closed (LITM, for one) on a Saturday afternoon. There also wasn't much in the way of pedestrian traffic on what was a pretty nice February weekend afternoon. Is this the norm? Does it come alive in the warmer months? Do people just go out in Manhattan during the weekend days and come home in the evening?

Roslyn - Good to hear that you're happy there. Did you make the move from NYC? How have you found the adjustment?

I've heard great things from those that purchased there and we are very tempted. It's by far the most bang for our buck that we could find in JC or Hoboken. Our only concern is that many say we need a car if we're living there. It seemed quite close to the Path so I don't really get that. I have no intentions of owning a car so I'm hoping that's not the case.

Thanks Ian. We (my finacee and I) are considering Hoboken as well. I like midtown and uptown in Hoboken but it's also a trek to the Path. I honestly want to like JC more since we can get more for the money and because the crowd seems a bit more our speed.

I'm looking at Dixon Mills (apparently a polarizing subject in itself) which seems great for the price. Certainly more than we could get in Hoboken. I like the up and coming vibe in JC and I am just trying to get a sense of where we might meet other people who are/were in similar situations to us. That is, people who are sick of Manhattan prices and would prefer to be somewhere where they can live like human beings on middle class salaries. Proximity to Manhattan is obviously a big draw but we also want to enjoy our neighborhood when we don't feel like getting on the Path.

IanMac - I was definitely over generalizing. In Manhattan I would typically go out in the East Village. Some place like Marshall Stack, Horseshoe Bar, Manitoba's, Mama's, or Croxleys (to watch a game). In Brooklyn my preference would be Carroll Gardens or South Park Slope. Places like Commonwealth, Buttermilk, Boat. Restaurant-wise I'd be looking for a casual spot, not a greasy spoon but not white table-cloth either. Something unique. You can probably infer the type of place by the bars and neighborhoods mentioned above. Marco and Pepe's, as Rosyln suggested, is one that's been recommended a few times to me.

You guys are prompt!

I'll be honest: I'm going to be one of the many Manhattan transplants. I don't expect to be greeted with open arms by the "old guard" of Jersey City but I also am the type who finds the JC waterfront and it's highrises boring and sterile. From reading around it sounds like there are all of the common tensions that are found between newcomers and long time residents in a gentrifying neighborhood. I guess I'm looking for an idea of where other transplants from the city would hang out. I'm familiar with Barcade from the Williamsburg branch which is honestly a bit too young and hip for me (maybe the JC branch has a different vibe?). I've also been told Lucky 7 is a good spot and it sounds like the type of place I'd like. I grew up in blue collar Buffalo and in some ways Jersey City reminds me of the more interesting parts of that city. A plus in my book.

I'd say I'm looking for places that remind me of Brooklyn or Manhattan without the cooler-than-thou attitude. It seems to me that JC has many of the same qualities but without all the pretense. Maybe this isn't the case and I'm just imagining it but that's kind of how it seemed in my brief visits to the area.

Hi All,
I currently live in Manhattan and am considering a move to downtown JC around Grove St. If I wanted to get a good feel for what the area is like and what the "scene" is like what would you recommend for an itinerary to see if it's for me? On a typical weekend I would normally hang around the East Village or Brooklyn, go to a decent restaurant, find a low key but cool bar, etc.

What would the analogous experience in Jersey City be? I'm sure many like me have made this same move in the past. I've lived in Brooklyn or Manhattan for 8 years and am considering a change of pace. I've visited Jersey City a few times but have never really made an afternoon and night of it and would like to give it a whirl.

Full disclosure: I'm also considering Hoboken. I like the town and the amenities but I'm in my early 30s now and worry about the post college vibe. I still haven't ruled it out, though. I am looking to buy a condo and stick around for a while whereever I decide so all of those real estate and financial decisions come in to play as well.

Thanks for any advice!