So based on what I'm hearing in this thread, Hoboken is more or less the cliche "bridge and tunnel" frat party crowd (are there exceptions to this, e.g. a more mature but still lively area?), and that Jersey City is quieter, has less going on, has a few sketchy areas, but that Grove St, Paulus Hook / Exchange Place, Pavonia, Van Horst Park, and maybe others are good places. And also that JC is cheaper. So since it's closer to where I'll be working and not any less convenient in terms of getting into Manhattan, I'm not sure I see a reason to really consider Hoboken. So it's really between staying in Manhattan and moving to JC. Based on this map of JC, the only areas I'm interested in are the waterfront or downtown - the other areas look like they'll be too far to be convenient to NYC. My main worry about being in Jersey City is that I'll be a little too far away for it to be convenient to go into Manhattan for the things I do now (theatre, music, museums, nightlife, etc.), or even for an impromptu stroll in Central Park or something. How do you JC'ers feel about it - does it hinder your desire/motivation to go into the city? And does that even bother you? Regarding staying in Manhattan and taking the PATH from 33rd street: since I work basically next to the Exchange Place stop, there's really no direct route that I know of from Manhattan other than WTC. My current commute is the 6 to Union Sq, then transfer to the 4 train; the 4 to Fulton St, walk to WTC PATH, and take that to Exchange Place. It takes about 35-40 minutes door to door. Any other suggestions? The issue with 33rd to Grove St currently is that I'm a ~10 minute walk from the 33rd st station, so going 33rd to Grove to Exchange Pl ends up being a little longer. Thanks lots for your suggestions - it was a shockingly good response. Most forums don't bother to reply

Wow, thanks for all the great responses! For some reason I wasn't emailed when people replied, so I figured it got none. Now let me read them all...

Hi All,

I'm going to start a new job in Jersey City (very close to the Exchange Place PATH station), and am also considering a move to JC for a variety of reasons. I'm currently in Murray Hill in Manhattan, which I love for its central location but hate that I have to spend $3,000 / month on a 1 bedroom apartment.

So, my question to you is: if you were in your late 20s/early 30s, doing reasonably well financially (enough to afford a 3k / month apartment, at least), and wanted to be around decent bars and restaurants for the social scene but also in a convenient place for transport to Manhattan for museums, nightlife, other cultural events, etc., where would you move?

Based purely on the PATH maps, I'm seeing that Pavonia and Grove St stations are probably the best. How about Hoboken vs. Jersey City? Or should I just stay put in Murray Hill?

Thanks!