moobycow wrote:
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Lenovo wrote:
Anyone know anything about the Alexan City View complex in Bayonne?

Nothing specific, but I think they flooded during Sandy (then again almost everywhere in the area flooded) and it's next to the port so I would assume you get some noise from that.

Should be easy in an out from there.

pacoYtaco wrote:
I know a few people who rent off of Sip ave near 440 and they all have 2-3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, full laundry, stainless appliances, driveways and garage spots, all under 1700 a month. Keep looking and if you want to be in Jersey City you will catch a deal sooner or later.

jo3_13 wrote:
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Lenovo wrote:
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jo3_13 wrote:
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I looked into Heights, but don't see much that fits our needs for rent. DJTC parking is hard on the street - there is no denying this.

I don't think Jersey City is the place for you. Try Westfield or Cranford, NJ. They are nice/safe towns. You can rent a place relatively inexpensively and they both have a walkable "downtown" area. It's roughly halfway between NYC and New Brunswick and is on the NJ Transit Raritan Valley line.

I am not sure where you are moving from... but based on your unique criteria it doesn't sound like you will be happy with Jersey City. Granted its not for everyone... but I LOVE it!!!

Thanks for your brilliant advice. I wasn't sure that I had to get your approval before moving anywhere.

Quite frankly, you asked people for input, yet you continue to provide nasty remarks based on the input received. I don't care where you move, nor does anyone else... people took time to respond to your message out of kindness and you respond with jerky comments???

Get lost!

user1111 wrote:
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Lenovo wrote:
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user1111 wrote:
I'm confused, didn't the OP grow up in JC? He/She should know JC inside out.

Way back in the day...JC has changed a lot in the last 15-20 yrs and just wanted to see if I was missing any info.

Well then you need to really take a 2nd look around, I don't think most of us on this board would be living in Jersey City, or GV, BL, TH, or JS if it was the 1990's.

Alot has change since the 90's. The secret to looking outside of downtown is to see how far the nearest section 8 housing is to the place you want to buy or rent.

The closest one near me is 3 blocks away and its for seniors. When I lived downtown I lived across from the projects which was a nightmare at times. When I lived in JSQ I lived near 12 section 8 buildings total fucking nightmare all the time.

Asif wrote:
I replied to this guys post cause he was just looking for a safe and convenient place to move to. You figure this posting was no big deal and yet its turned some what ugly.

I'll get flamed and blasted for this ....but whatever.

I am going to assume this doofus is a passive aggressive douche!

ianmac47 wrote:
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user1111 wrote:
In all fairness to the poster, most of the advice that was given to him/her was to get rid of the cars or car, take mass transit or downsize, but with no real answer to his/her question.

Also Jclisters can be just as nasty and sometimes nastier.

2 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 parking spaces -- no problem. $5,000 a month should do the trick in any of the waterfront buildings.

$2,000 -- no problem. 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 1 parking space fits that in many of Jersey City's neighborhoods.

Not willing to compromise on anything? Either Jersey City isn't for you or you are too stupid for life.

Atsushi wrote:
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user1111 wrote:
In all fairness to the poster, most of the advice that was given to him/her was to get rid of the cars or car, take mass transit or downsize, but with no real answer to his/her question.

Also Jclisters can be just as nasty and sometimes nastier.

Reading his responses, I sensed that the OP had a chip on shoulder. Maybe he felt defensive when people suggested that what we are attempting to do is not smart.

I sensed (this is all speculation) that he is someone who is coming from a suburb and hasn't realized that he has to change his thinking when he lives in an urban environment.

user1111 wrote:
I'm confused, didn't the OP grow up in JC? He/She should know JC inside out.

Pebble wrote:
The OP seems to have a specific requirements however someone?s budget must always dictate which options are the highest priority. Is the town the most important? Safety? Space?

I have a large dog so an apartment or condo was somewhat out of the equation. I felt like my best bet would be to buy something in an area that was safe enough though my budget dictated areas that are more on the border. I chose a beautiful building that just requires some work inside.

I am able to get almost everything I want, including a yard for my dog. As the area around me continues to improve I?ll be able to benefit from an increase in property value. It would be great if a lot of other people see my area the same and jump on the opportunity, but it?s not going to happen overnight.

I know the OP was asking about areas of JC, however they might want to look in Harrison. There is a ton of new construction going in. It?s already safe and the prices are dirt cheap for renting. They?d be able to get a large place with easy access to highways for commuting south and into Manhattan.

Susan_N wrote:
Hi Lenovo,

You wondered why jcmiles brought up Lafayette, but in your original thread you asked: "Are there any other neighborhoods we should be considering?" I live in Lafayette, and actually thought about responding to your original post, but I was lazy and did not. When jcmiles wrote the first post about Lafayette, I agreed, but was still lazy. But given your questioning as to why anyone would mention a neighborhood other than PL or SL, I thought I would point out that you seemed to have asked for this kind of information.

So, I will now answer your question about whether there are other neighborhoods to consider, knowing full well from your earlier responses that you are not likely to be interested in Lafayette. But maybe someone else will. It's too bad because I actually think that this neighborhood fits all of your criteria.

My husband and I have lived here for almost five years after years in Manhattan and a stint in downtown JC. We have two cars. He commutes to Manhattan (by bus and PATH) and I commute to Jersey suburbia (by car; super easy access to 78/Turnpike extension). There's tons of street parking and we were able to buy a three-story row house (three bedrooms, three full baths) with mortgage and taxes together that are well below your limit. I frequently walk or jog by myself and have never once felt unsafe or had a problem. I find this to be a tight-knit community. I know all of my neighbors, and everyone keeps an eye out for everyone else. I've become friends with a number of neighbors, more than I did in Manhattan or downtown JC. The connections among neighbors may be why we have had fairly minimal crime in my immediate part of the neighborhood. Nobody I know has been directly affected by crime in the years I've lived here.

In any case, I suspect you will now attack me as well, so please let me apologize in advance for bothering you. I hope, though, that this information will be useful to others who are reading this thread. I know that Lafayette is not for everyone, but many of us truly love it. In case you think that I'm all about Lafayette because I bought here, I want to mention that my husband and I rented for a year before buying; when we bought, we already knew we loved the neighborhood.

Best of luck in your search,
Susan

jcmiles wrote:
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Lenovo wrote:
"Urban Pioneer mindset" - haha you should coin the term and maybe it will make everyone on here feel like real champs.

Lenovo = pompous ignoramus

FKSJC wrote:
Lenovo- reading through posts it seems IMO that you are rather judgemental! Very entertaining :)

Know this is going to start a huge "thing", but BL is many things but safe is not one of them. Yes by definitiion all generalizations are false, and IMO you have to be of the urban pioneer mindset to thrive there. It sounds like you and your cars (note plural) are not that (urban pioneers that is). Not a bad thing- just a statement of perceived fact. BL is great, but at least IMO not there "yet".

Both PL and SH- beautiful yes. Isolated- yes too!

jo3_13 wrote:
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I looked into Heights, but don't see much that fits our needs for rent. DJTC parking is hard on the street - there is no denying this.

I don't think Jersey City is the place for you. Try Westfield or Cranford, NJ. They are nice/safe towns. You can rent a place relatively inexpensively and they both have a walkable "downtown" area. It's roughly halfway between NYC and New Brunswick and is on the NJ Transit Raritan Valley line.

I am not sure where you are moving from... but based on your unique criteria it doesn't sound like you will be happy with Jersey City. Granted its not for everyone... but I LOVE it!!!

user1111 wrote:
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Lenovo wrote:
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user1111 wrote:
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pacoYtaco wrote:
If you look at Bayonne and even in Greenville you can find places with driveways.

Agreed, and many of those places are minutes from the rail.

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Jersey City wise the area around the border of Bayonne and JC isn't so bad. And lots of folks keep saying good things about the Heights.

+1 I also like the area near the Liberty State Park rail off Communipaw but just be careful to choose something high around there, the area is known for flooding.

I live 5 min away from PL and yes it is secluded but I am guessing folks who live there they want that secluded vibe. I prefer neighborhoods than a gated community after living in DM for many years.

So if I had to choose between SH or PL I would choose PL which has a few more amenities than SH. PL has a cafe, gym, & its own ferry service.

SH which is also a gated community, sits in the middle of RT 440 which is noisy and sometimes smelly from all the traffic. There is also no way to get out of SH without a car.

The plus side to living in SH you are across the road from wonder bagels and Vinny's Piza which are quite good. PL and SH are two popular condo complexes within Greenville but neither of them add anything to the surrounding areas they are located. Good Luck!

Thanks for the input. PL is a bit more expensive though and you only get one parking spot.

Which exact area are you talking about off Communipaw?

The neighborhood is called Bergen Lafayette the light rail stop is Liberty State Park, to rent a home would cost you about 2k a month and most have garages or parking spots and everything else on your wishlist. IMO I think its safe enough.

Also I think if you hit all the lightrail stops after Jersey ave going towards 8th street or Westside you will find homes for rent with garages.
The best advise I can give you is for you and your partner to explore each stop and get a feel for the area. If you don't like it you keep searching, but do not take most of these people seriously here, so many of them have never been outside of their neighborhoods.

Believe it or not most of Jersey City is getting better and if you are not a drug dealer or drug buyer your chances of getting involve in a crime are slim to none. .

tommyc_37 wrote:
Two people without kids living in Jersey City with two cars is a bit too much. Why even live in JC? The advantage of JC is walkability and public transportation. Why not live in the suburbs if you both prefer to zip around in cars? Especially if you are looking at gated communities like Society Hill. What is the advantage of living in an urban area?

Also, why drive to Gramercy Park in Manhattan? If you live near a Path station, the 14th Street and 23rd Street stations offer really good accesibility to that neighborhood.

Also, if you live near a Path station, the commute by rail to New Brunswick is about 45 minutes, which is the same as the commute by car, or even faster if you account for bad traffic every now and then (which you will encounter). This is, of course, assuming you work in downtown New Brunswick near the train station.

jcmiles wrote:
With two cars I would look at opportunities to rent or buy in Bergen/Lafayette. You can find quite a few properties with their own driveways, or at least easy, free street parking right in front of your dwelling.

PathH8Tr wrote:
Parking isn't necessarily a problem if you have one car. Also, in DTJC. There are parking garages in that area too. (Do a search on this site, you'll find threads about it). I recommend doing a search on this site anyways to get more opinions on areas. People have already been more specific about Greenville, Journal Square etc. PL is like a retirement community. It has no city flavor. We always tease it's for retirees with boats and people from the 'burbs too scared to come any further. You'd be isolated there, unless that's what you want.

There are possibilities in DTJC. I've had friends find amazing things for less than you imagine. Outdoor space and all. This is the time right now. If I had to move to Jersey City with what I know now about all the areas my first choice would be DTJC near Grove Street PATH. My friends who couldn't afford it there chose Journal Square, then the Heights.

AngelSauce wrote:
Have you considered Journal Square?

Atsushi wrote:
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Lenovo wrote:
We are a young couple looking for a safe neighborhood to live in JC. One of us will be commuting into NYC driving daily to east side around Gramercy, while the other will drive south towards New Brunswick.

You guys must have a reason that one of you want to commute to NYC by car, but for the life of me, I can't guess what it might be!

A smart thing to do would be to get rid of one car because driving to New Brunswick does make sense.

As a matter of fact, my wife and I have only one car. I drive to Somerset and she takes PATH and MTA.

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Currently, we are looking at places in Society Hill and Port Liberte. Budget is no more than 2500, but would really prefer something closer to 2K, for a 2bed 2bath with parking spots. No kids and one small dog.

$2000 sounds like enough budget for a nice 1 bed room apartment. Again, you must have a good reason for looking for 2 bed 2 bath, but I can't figure out what that might be.

And if you have only one car, and if you use it to commute, having a parking spot is NOT necessary in JCDT. I live in Van Vorst Park neighborhood, and when I come home around 6PM, there are plenty of spots available (the longest I ever spent looking for a spot is 3 minutes). The only minor inconvenience is when you take a day off for whatever the reason. Then you need to know where you park because of street cleaning. But you can either move your car, or better, plan ahead when you come home. When I know I'm not going to work the next day, I park where I won't have to move it next day.

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We looked at a couple of places in PL and they are all 2.5K or more with only one parking spot. Overall, the place seems safe, but secluded. We have not had a chance to venture into Society Hill yet, but have read mixed reviews about the place. It seems the commute to Holland Tunnel will be quicker with PL, but not sure about paying the premium to live there as opposed to SH.

If you are a young couple with no kids, I just don't see why you want to live in a gated community. Again, you must have your reasons...

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Can you guys provide some insight about either place or which one would be better overall choice? DTJC is out because it is too expensive and parking will be almost impossible to find there. Also, can anyone recommend a good Realtor to use? Are there any other neighborhoods we should be considering? Any other comments/insights and jokes are also welcome

Have you heard of "down-sizing?" If you change your ideas about certain things, like why do we need a 2 bedroom apartment? or why do we need 2 cars? You can enjoy your life in a different but better way.

Well, it's just my opinion.

moobycow wrote:
I'm going to guess someone who wanted a 'safe' neighborhood isn't going to like Greenville too much (outside of the gated communities).

Bayonne is a good choice as is the Heights. You probably can't afford DTJC with your wish list, but you could get lucky.

The one suggestion is you could give up one car and that gives might give you a wider range of places. It's relatively simply to find a place with one spot, but pretty hard to find a space with two.

user1111 wrote:
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pacoYtaco wrote:
If you look at Bayonne and even in Greenville you can find places with driveways.

Agreed, and many of those places are minutes from the rail.

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Jersey City wise the area around the border of Bayonne and JC isn't so bad. And lots of folks keep saying good things about the Heights.

+1 I also like the area near the Liberty State Park rail off Communipaw but just be careful to choose something high around there, the area is known for flooding.

I live 5 min away from PL and yes it is secluded but I am guessing folks who live there they want that secluded vibe. I prefer neighborhoods than a gated community after living in DM for many years.

So if I had to choose between SH or PL I would choose PL which has a few more amenities than SH. PL has a cafe, gym, & its own ferry service.

SH which is also a gated community, sits in the middle of RT 440 which is noisy and sometimes smelly from all the traffic. There is also no way to get out of SH without a car.

The plus side to living in SH you are across the road from wonder bagels and Vinny's Piza which are quite good. PL and SH are two popular condo complexes within Greenville but neither of them add anything to the surrounding areas they are located. Good Luck!

pacoYtaco wrote:
We rent in the heights, 2br, 2 parking spots, only one bathroom though, laundry, storage, dishwasher, living/dining room for under 1600. Downtown you can just get the $15 street permit but parking is hard to come by on the street on some nights. If you look at Bayonne and even in Greenville you can find places with driveways.

Asif wrote:


You shouldn't overlook Bayonne. I suggest you visit and look around a bit. You will definitely find a great place with parking spots. Bayonne has a bit of everything, but without the higher crime. And of course you will have access to HBLR and are minutes away from JC.


Jersey City wise the area around the border of Bayonne and JC isn't so bad. And lots of folks keep saying good things about the Heights.