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BerryFit3491 OP t1_j23hsxc wrote

Reply to comment by jcnative in Moving to Jersey City from UK by BerryFit3491

Thanks if I was to consider suburbs, which areas are worth a look?

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DavidPuddy666 t1_j23lbiw wrote

Depends on your income and home budget, whether or not you have kids/need good public schools, etc.

You said you are craving something a little “different”. If you can afford it, Montclair has the most “urban” amenities of any suburb in the area, and has trains that run into Hoboken. Montclair is pricey though. Adjacent Bloomfield can give you access to Montclair’s amenities for a cheaper price.

South Orange is another good choice for an urban/suburban mix. While its downtown isn’t quite as vibrant as Montclair’s, it has a lot going for it, and has really good train service. West Orange is between South Orange and Montclair and is a bit cheaper than both.

You might be able to find a nice house in a yard for a reasonable price in Bayonne too, which is the city just to the south of Jersey City. It’s on the light rail, which will give you a quick, easy, and inexpensive commute to downtown JC. This is probably the best option if you want a yard but see yourself doing most of your socializing in JC and Hoboken.

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TheTuccIsLoose t1_j23no5d wrote

I agree that South Orange, Montclair, west orange, and Bloomfield are all solid options depending on budget. Just want to add that Maplewood is a cool town too and it’s right in the area

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DavidPuddy666 t1_j23pca9 wrote

Maplewood is a good town with lots of culture but is decidedly quieter and less urban-feeling than the ones mentioned above - it’s mostly classic early 1900s suburbia. It shares a school district with South Orange though and the two towns function as one in many ways.

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TheTuccIsLoose t1_j23s8n2 wrote

I’m from South Orange originally. I always thought that Maplewood had more going on, but I haven’t spent significant time in the area since 2008 so maybe things changed or my memory is wrong

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DavidPuddy666 t1_j245img wrote

Things have flip flopped a bit. All the new apartments in South Orange have meant SO has gotten younger and more hip, while Maplewood’s NIMBYism has meant it has just gotten older and wealthier. The trajectory is not dissimilar to how Hoboken has gotten wealthier and stuffier (RIP Maxwell’s) while Jersey City has became more culturally relevant.

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jcnative t1_j256ln4 wrote

If you like the beach, somewhere down the end of the Monmouth line. Mountains end of Morristown, Bergen or Pascack lines. Northeast goes to Princeton. Expensive suburbs like Summit, Short Hills, Milburn. Nice suburbs out from there. Bergen County has classic upper/middle America. Essex more like city fringe. This is a big city that covers a lot of space.

Its worth saying the trains a slow and infrequent compared to UK so JC is actually pretty good. :)

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