>There's nothing around as far as eyes can see except for residential homes.

We are mostly residential, but if this is your takeaway I think you need to walk around a bit more. Also I have one trick that gives me easy access to the PATH, but it's kind of controversial. I PATH into the city in the morning, bus back home. Never really felt unsafe here.

Been at the Heights for almost a year now since moving from Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I live east of Central avenue, close to Palisades ave and would suggest the same too coming from NYC.

Pros:

• More affordable housing
• Lots of parks (Riverview, Washington, and Pershing field)
• Decent restaurants but the diversity of food is nothing compared to NYC. You can order delivery from JC, Hoboken which helps
• Family-friendly. Lots of daycares, walkability, and safe

Cons:

• Pain to get back from NYC after midnight and on weekends. Buses run less frequently from the PATH stop and I think the buses from Port Authority become very infrequent after 2AM. BC of this, I find myself staying in Jersey more.
• You don't need a car but having one really helps and makes your life more convenient. Street parking is a pain though.

I moved out of the Heights about five years ago, after living there for 12. It's a perfectly nice residential neighborhood — a few good restaurants, several nice parks, two good grocery stores that are three blocks apart on the far side of the neighborhood.

And transportation's not terrible — there are shuttle vans every few minutes on JFK and Palisade that go to the PATH, plus the elevator to the light rail (which also goes to the PATH), and lots of city buses going every which way.

But is it worth LUXURY prices? Not really. You've got overpriced modern apartments wedged in between saltbox houses, a few nice places to eat in between fast food and dollar stores. And there's nothing wrong with fast food and dollar stores! But don't expect it to be Brooklyn Heights. Or Prospect Heights. Gentrification has laid its claim, but it still hasn't moved that far from the working-class neighborhood it was 20 years ago.

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I personally love the heights, but it really depends what you're looking for. I have no interest in the "luxury" buildings which feel like they are in conflict with the character of the neighborhood (mostly two family homes, many of them from the 19th century). It's primarily a diverse, working class (although gentrifying), relatively safe neighborhood with nice parks and wonderful restaurants from many nationalities on Central Ave. The neighborhood feels pretty similar to Astoria. Personally, Central Ave is my favorite part of living here because we have our own walkable downtown with most things that you need and lots of affordable and interesting food options. But if Central Ave didn't appeal to you, then this might not be the right neighborhood for you-- I love supporting the longstanding mom and pop businesses, and I would hope that people moving here would also have an appreciation for the special qualities of the heights.

It's filling up with people from NY and Hoboken moving into luxury apartments. Other than that, it's pretty good.

If you walked along Central Ave, you should next walk along Palisade Ave. It's the other and more 'hip' commercial corridor in the Heights. As for transportation, the NJT buses stop all over and you can take them to midtown or to JSQ for the PATH. You can also take the light rail (9th St or 2nd St) and transfer at either Hoboken or Exchange Pl for the PATH in to Midtown or FiDi. Light rail can be ass but when it's good, it's good. You can also bike or walk to the PATH.

Yes, it's more residential, lower density, way more quiet than Manhattan. Still overwhelmingly working class and immigrant families. It can also be cute af and trendy once you pay attention to all the happenings. Zero night life, getting back from a night out in NYC is always a pain. But if you're considering the Heights, then maybe your already past you 'out till 4am' days.

I don’t live in the heights but I frequent from time to time (restaurants, coffee shops etc). There are at least a handful of good spots (that are worth it enough for me to trek to even though I don’t live there) but as you would expect it’s less than downtown.

Have you tried looking at places in journal square? A few buildings have opened over last few years. It’s close to path, and closer to downtown

I'm in my mid forties and have lived in the Heights for a bit. I can post my impressions but how old are you guys and are you planning on having kids? Do you like late night outings often?

I (29F) have lived on Ogden for 2 years. Here’s my list:

Pros:

• Cheapish rent (Boyfriend and I pay $2600 for 2 bedroom with private outdoor space with city views)
• Grocery store is 2 min walk away
• Riverview Park is very nice. Love the farmers market
• Solid restaurant and bar options within a 15 min walk
• Bus to the city a block away, takes 45 mins at rush hour and 30-35 in regular traffic. I find the bus very convenient. Usually comes every 20 mins or less.

Cons:

• Path is a 25 min walk or Uber
• Parking is limited if you have a car. My boyfriend does and he complains about that. Sounds like you don’t though.
• No shops around. You have to go into Hoboken for that. Closest CVS for me is a 16 min walk which sucks sometimes. I usually go to an nearby family pharmacy

Overall, I like living here. It’s definitely up and coming and more people are moving up here to avoid the flooding in Hoboken. I’d say move here vs. there because the property value is riding here quicker.

Good info:

https://jcheights.com/

Grew up there and still visit family there multiple times per week:

• yes it's mostly residential. The commercial area (mostly Central Ave, although lately Palisade Ave has some new bars and eateries) has most of what you'd need without needing to own a car (supermarket, fruit stores, restaurants, fast food)

• about owning a car: unless your new place has parking, don't bring a car. It's annoying to find parking after 6pm. And if you park too close to the corners you'll get a ticket

• the morning bus / jitney along JFK Blvd to nyc is slow but dependable. Most days I'd budget about 40 mins into port authority (if you get on near the southern part of the Heights, less if you live farther north). There's other buses on Central Avenue but they're not reliable at all - in the past buses would not show up or would come 2 at a time, or were otherwise too full and wouldn't stop.

• living withing walking distance of the path is preferable, but you probably wouldn't save much time vs jitney (20 min walk to station, couple minutes to get downstairs, 15 min ride etc).

• crime isn't much of an issue. But as in any city it will exist. Just be careful and don't walk around buried in your cell phone late at night. Honestly the worst crime is getting your car's catalytic converter stolen (all the more reason to not bring your car).

• nightlife is limited. The restaurants and bars in the Heights are no frills, but aside from a handful (Renatos, Corto, maybe lo fi), the rest are more of "to go" eateries. Hoboken is a 10 min Uber ride away from the Heights and will be a much better option for Fri night/ date night, but for regular eating the food in the Heights is top notch (in terms of variety and taste)