Bergen Lafayette-ish vs downtown

Submitted by nokinok t3_102iikw in jerseycity

I’m sincerely thinking about moving to JC and am weighing my options. I’ve been looking at some of the nicer new buildings near the liberty state park light rail but am wondering what that part of the neighborhood is like. I lived in Washington Heights and Flatbush both for a few years and I would like to try to avoid neighborhoods with similar vibes. I don’t mind a little grit but I don’t want to have to step over bodies on my way back from the train station or see drug deals go down.

I’m looking downtown too, but I wouldn’t be able to afford a nicer place that has the amenities that I’d like. Another thing that gives me pause about living downtown is that on weekends I’ll be out deeper in NJ and will likely be driving back home on Sunday evenings. Getting stuck in the downtown Sunday gridlock sounds really unappealing to me.

Can anyone who lives near the Liberty State Park stop chime in? What’s it like around there?

8

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

badquarter t1_j2tr9g9 wrote

The closer to LSP the better but honestly east of Berry Lane or Lafayette Park is totally safe.

9

JourneymanHunt t1_j2u8ai1 wrote

BL is great, been here for 8 years. It's def gotten better and there are some spots that are better than others, but so happy with our space and neighbors.

​

Never had a problem in years of waiting at the Garfield station.

9

mookybelltolls t1_j2tsg72 wrote

Drive there around 10 pm and see what you think.

7

Maleficent-Baby-1926 t1_j2tji3r wrote

Bergen Lafayette is fine for what you’re looking for. more bang for you buck, central travel point via public transit or car. some spotty airs but close to light rails are fine

6

SyndicalistCPA t1_j2tlhkn wrote

Do you know anything about how it is near the Garfield station? Meaning to check it out as a potential forever home.

1

badquarter t1_j2tr3p6 wrote

Still rough by Garfield but totally fine from like Berry Lane Park to Liberty State Park.

5

SyndicalistCPA t1_j2trl00 wrote

Def need to check it out. I'm from Newark and gf is from Brooklyn (before gentrification) so "rough" might be good enough for the price point haha.

5

Maleficent-Baby-1926 t1_j2uh0ne wrote

lol yeah. I’m originally from bk and i think the definition of rough is very subjective on here 😂. most places in JC dnt compare to some places in brooklyn like FB, Brownsville or East NY but most on here arent coming from that perspective. havent been in JC super long so i wouldnt be able to give you best read but personally im not sure my forever home would be anywhere in JC lol. however if you are looking for a neighborhood with upside potential, space, less traffic, and in convenient location to most things you need -whether that’s convenient access going to/from JC, or going dwntwn/manhattan (that’s not already super expensive or with high taxes) Bergen Lafayette / Greenville near transit is a fair bet. you’ll see grit but likely not as bad.

3

SyndicalistCPA t1_j2wuqky wrote

Just really like the city and being able to traverse mostly without a car. 100% not a suburbs guy.

3

marullos t1_j31ths2 wrote

Garfield station area is fine. Very residential. Lovely houses and several parks nearby. Light rail Cafe and Olearys have good food. You can also walk to 902 brewery and corgis

1

SyndicalistCPA t1_j320or6 wrote

Thanks. I'll take a stroll over there when it gets warmer and check it out. I definitely like the location because you can walk either way to Lincoln or Liberty State Park. Also, everything is like a 15 minute bike ride.

1

beansncoffee t1_j2ydcar wrote

Hi, I lived in one of the new apartments off Monitor and Maple for 3+ years. Right next to Liberty State Park stop. Just moved out of state though. Area has been built up a lot even in the short time I was there. Very safe. There is very little to do though and not a lot of food options. Groceries are limited and you will have to do bodegas or Amazon Fresh delivery or drive to Bayonne to Costco/Lidl weekly. Rent went up a lot in lux bldgs and I don’t think it’s worth what they’re trying to charge now to be honest, but it is what it is. Same company owns Solaris Lofts and Hazel, and is scooping stuff up before Sci Tech City becomes a real thing. It still feels like it is 5 years away and there will be a lot of construction on every street for a while. Pinwheel and Nurish (new to area) are run by a bunch of nice guys, stop in both and say hi.

6

Empty_Smoke_6249 t1_j2uy94k wrote

I live in the area not too far from the LSP light rail stop and it’s a really chill part of JC. I used to live in Flatbush too, and I would say, this part of Bergen is not that vibe at all. It’s more like Greenpoint had a baby with parts of Bedstuy. Just much less stuff going on, of course.

4

ManchurianPandaDate t1_j2trj1h wrote

If you can find a place between clerk and Garfield in Bergen Lafayette it’s not bad there. Or the communipaw area isn’t terrible at all especially right around communipaw ave

3

driftwoodnyc t1_j2v6uoi wrote

Check out McGinley Square - we just bought there and it's a 20 min walk/10 min bus ride to Journal Sq. 87 bus is fairly reliable

1

edgertor t1_j3ue39p wrote

the low-lying areas of bergen lafayette totally flooded in 2012 during the Sandy storm surge. just fyi. as you hit grand/garfield the elevation rises a bit, though.

1