Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have an offer for a company right at Newark Penn but I need to move from Canada. I am a new grad and hoping to look for a neighborhood that safe and has lot of parks. I am willing to commute around 30 minutes each way. Is there such a place that I can live off with $55k, or am I too picky?
Depends on how you want to live. At $55k/year, you'll probably take home slightly less than $4,000/month. How much are your monthly expenses for car payments, credit cards, student loans, etc.? Now figure around $1,000+ for a nice apartment in a safe area, add $3-400/month for gas, electric, water, cable, and phone, and figure out what's left for food, clothing, entertainment, etc.
If those numbers work, you can look in Woodbridge, Rahway or Edison and find a place that's a 25 minute train ride direct to Penn Station.
I would imagine that with $55K a year in salary you would take home more like $3000 per month. ($$K would be $48K per year, and combined taxes would be more than $7K).
Where you look depends on whether you want to be more urban or suburban If you are looking for more of an urban setting you can look at Jersey City, from which you can take the PATH train directly to Newark Penn Station in about 15 minutes. Housing will be more expensive than in the suburbs, but if you look hard enough (and before the rush in August) you may be able to find a decent 1 bedroom for $1200 a month. But if you're looking for lots of parks, Jersey City might not be for you. (It has a great waterfront path, though, with incredible views of Manhattan.)
If you're looking for something more suburban you might want to look into the towns on the NJ Transit Northeast Corridor line. As mentioned before Edison might be a good choice, or potentially Woodbridge. You could also look into a town on the Raritan Valley line (which goes into Newark Penn as well), but the service is not as frequent as the NE Corridor line.
Keep in mind that auto insurance in NJ is quite expensive, and will usually be VERY expensive if you are under 25. $100/mo would be a safe, if maybe a tad high, estimate.
Personally, I would like to live in a suburban town rather than a urban city. I want some place where it is clean and quiet. Would Edison be a good place? I am really thinking of $900-1000 rent...
Personally, I would like to live in a suburban town rather than a urban city. I want some place where it is clean and quiet. Would Edison be a good place? I am really thinking of $900-1000 rent...
Edison is teetering on being a 'suburban downtown' or an inner ring suburb. If you want real suburban living, then I suggest Old Bridge or Matawan.
How about Belleville or Bloomfield. They are pretty suburban and a 7 or 8 minute bus ride to Newark. You might wanna check out Secaucus or Kearny aswell. And if your willing to go a little more urban, Harrison is a decent neighborhood that is about a 5 minute walk to Newark. All of those towns will definatley be in your price range.
Perth Amboy, Belleville, Harrison, Kearny, Secaucus-all have parks but most of the parks are not considered safe by the residents. Those areas are not typical suburban either. If you want an urban feel it would make more sense to look at them. Bloomfield would have more of a suburban feel but I can't imagine anyone young and from out of the area being drawn to it. Montclair or Ft Lee are more expensive but everyone walks around and they have more to offer.
misery1001, you'll want to go in one of two directions from Newark--west or south
To the West:
Montclair or Bloomfield could be good places for you. They're suburban enough but also have little walkable downtown areas where you can find all the services you need.
If you live in Montclair you can take the train to Newark Broad Street Station and then the light rail down to Penn Station or the 11, 28, or 29 bus directly to Newark Penn. From Bloomfield you can take the same buses + the 72 bus or you can take the Newark City Subway to Penn Station.
I share a place in Montclair for $2200 ($1100 each) but there are 1-BRs available in many buildings for $900-1200, and Bloomfield probably has even more in the lower portion of that range.
To the South:
Someone already mentioned places like Edison and Woodbridge. They're nice suburban towns with lots of "garden style" apartment complexes that are certainly in your price range. Places such as Old Bridge and Matawan (also previously mentioned) are even more exurban and quiet, but they're getting much farther than 30 minutes from Newark (closer to 60 minutes).
To the Southwest:
Being that you work in Newark, you could take advantage of towns along the Raritan Valley Line. On that line you can get as far as Bound Brook in 40 minutes, which is a more urban area but surrounded by nice suburbs. Fanwood is a nice town along that line, a little shorter of a commute.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
