well about 2 to 3 years ago there was a guy that shot up the the police station on communipaw...

For a nice apartment in a nice neighborhood in your price range, I think a one bedroom is more realistic than a two bedroom. Otherwise, you're looking at dumps and/or scary neighborhoods. Then again, you'll definitely get more for your money than in New York.

Have you tried the Jersey City Reporter for rental listings?

Hope you find something!

you should check out journal square or jersey city heights...not as ghetto-ey. isn't there like a shooting every week on martin luther king or communipaw.

two single women...it's safe as long as you move in next door to me.

Yes, we will have a car. We walked to the apartment from the PATH and it took about 10-15 minutes, which isn't bad. But then of course we were basically walking through the ghetto. The bus also stops directly across the street from the apartment.

that area is a bit scary even during the daytime (but then again, i'm chicken). you may find yourself just using the apartment to sleep, and not really getting to know the neighborhood. plus the walk to the PATH looks pretty far - are you going to drive in/out of JC?

i would advise you to look for places closer to downtown or journal square, or even the heights. summitt near belmont can be quite iffy. the fact that you're asking suggests that you may have doubts about the area.

Thanks for your replies. I heard Hamilton Park is pretty nice but can't seem to find anything there within my price range, at least not on Craig's List. Can anyone recommend another website or source to find decent apartments in that area? I am pretty clueless (obviously) when it comes to apartment hunting in JC, and don't want to keep wasting my time checking out horrible apartments in seedy neighborhoods.

Also another suggestion, you could visit the desk sergeant at the police station in your district to get an idea of what crime is like in the area. If you tell them that you're a single woman, JCPD generally tend to be very straight up.

I think that it's important to remember that there are a lot of neighborhoods outside of downtown that are safe. If your commute is not so much of an issue you may want to consider an area like Country Village or Franklin Park which are to the Southwest and border Bayonne. Both of those communities are convenient to the NYC bus; however, there is little in terms of social life there.

I'm a little biased but for the monthly rent you're looking to spend I would check out Hamilton Park first. Lots of people like you. Lots of places to eat close by. Lots of people out walking their dogs. The park is a nice place to hang out. Easy commute to NYC. I think as safe as it gets in JC. Get to shop every afternoon on the way home (at least my girlfriend does :) ).

When friends ask about where they should live in Jersey City, I usually suggest they stay east of Coles Street. For the more adventurous, east of Monmouth, or east of Brunswick. But then again there are plenty of people who live west of there.

I just moved in to the Hamilton Park area with my girlfriend and we feel pretty safe. Still have to remember that it is a city and so you have to be smart, but I really like our area. There seems to be a lot of 20/30 year olds commuting to the city in the morning and at night.

Other parts of Jersey City are very iffy (browse the Crime Forums), so I personally wouldn't move anywhere west/south of Hamilton and Von Vorst Parks. Walk around where you're looking both during the day and at night so you get a sense of the area before you take the plunge.

Good luck!

I think that if you're nervous about the area, then you have to go with your gut. I'm also single and I looked in that area when I first moved to JC. One thing that I didn't like is that it was a bit too cramped. I think the best advice that I could give you is if you have a car to go through the area at different times of the day and particularly on a weekend night and ask yourself if it's an area that you would be comfortable walking through if you have to come home alone.

I don't currently rent, but I know that there are a lot of people on the board that are very knowledgeable about what you can get in different areas so I'm sure you could also get some advice on what areas would be within your budget.

Good Luck

My roommate and I are both single, professional women in our 20s who currently live/work in the city and are searching for more spacious and affordable housing in Jersey City. We've been apartment hunting for weeks and most of the places we've seen in our price range (<$1350/month, preferably) have either been dumps or in areas that seemed pretty shady. But last week we found a place we absolutely love---it's a relatively affordable and gorgeous two-bedroom apartment in a beautifully maintained brownstone. The only thing is, other than the one block (and side of the street) the building is on, the neighborhood seems pretty awful. The apartment is located on Summit Ave between Gardner and Belmont Sts. We are really caught between a rock and a hard place because this is literally the apartment of our dreams, but we're really nervous about the area. Is this area as bad as is seems? Is it not worth the risk, or is the neighborhood really "developing" as I've read/heard from some people? Any feedback anyone could give would be really appreciated, as we have to make a decision soon! Thanks!