It's definitely not an apples to apples comparison between DTJC and Brooklyn. And yes, you can find cheap places in either when you forego some luxuries and depending how old/what condition the space is. Also, places like Williamsburg will be more than Crowne Heights just like Paulus Hook is more than the Village.

I was able to find an apartment on the border of Bed-stuy and clinton hill that is a duplex, 1200 sqft, 2 bedroom, central air, washer/dryer, balcony, 1.5 bathrooms, dog friendly, and brand new construction with wood floors, and ss appliances for under 3K (i feel funny saying the exact rent, so i'll just say that).

While that isn't necessarily cheap, when i compared what that would get me in JC and what the neighborhood and surrounding areas had to offer, it was definitely more bang for my buck in Brooklyn because there is just so much more going on.

After 10 years in DTJC in the same apartment, decided to make a switch. Looking at rentals in both DTJC and Brooklyn and was shocked to see that they were pretty comparable (and much more dog friendly in BK).

Sadly, while I love DTJC and always will, there just isn't enough going on downtown or surrounding neighborhoods for me to justify those prices. I ended up choosing Brooklyn because at least there's access to more restaurants, bars, shops, music, etc. If I'm going to pay the same price, i minus well have more. And yes, the size of the apartment and amenities are comparable. You used to get more home for your money in DTJC but that's not really the case anymore.

Also, while the subway isn't exactly a prize, the trains from JC are just becoming way too crowded and will just continue to get worse.

Do we really need yet another ramen place?

Um... shit like this happens everywhere. Not just Hoboken.

Scumbags exist in all towns.

The only person that can answer the question is you.

It's fairly quiet in the heights with some great new places popping up. But it's not as lively as other areas. You get more bang for you buck in terms of space and there are more single family homes so you will find more families living there.

As for the bus, I'm also not a fan as it would add a lot of extra time to my commute. Jersey City traffic is become worse year after year and I prefer the (sometimes accurate and reliable) schedules of the trains.

Buying a home is an investment financially and of your time. So test it out - do your commute a few times from where you're thinking of buying and see how you like it.

As for resale, you'll probably pay less than something closer to the train and sell it for less than property that are closer to a train. It's all relative and you'll either make money or lose money based on which way the market goes and how long you plan to stay (i.e., if a bubble bursts and you need to sell, well sucks to be you!)

Having just been on the selling side in DTJC I can tell you that real estate agents in general are just scum. When the market is hot, every person with 1/2 a brain becomes an agent and so there are a lot of amateurs out there.

Also, going to the listing agent isn't always a plus because the seller knows they are a double dipping on commission and only have their best interest in mind (not the sellers or buyers). Mine actually tried to convince me that I'd never get what I wanted for it so that i'd take her double commission clients offer. The next day she was proven wrong.