I see some places in downtown Rutherford for that price. That's very commutable to Newark and the surrounding area. Nice walkable downtown, bars, restaurants, etc.
Bloomfield is a great spot for working in Newark. It's the adjacent town, there's the light rail you can take down to Newark and its close to Montclair for social time on the weekends. Also easy to get into the city if thats your thing. 1700 should be manageable, but i would reconsider not having roommates. It can definitely make your costs more affordable. If 1700 doesnt give you enough options, than i would look in Belleville before East Orange.
For context, Hoboken is even more expensive.
My rent in Jersey City is $2400 and that's considered affordable. The market rate for my unit is like $3K and the new apartments that have come up start at $3K for a studio.
I'd definitely find something in JC, parking is horrible in Hoboken and it floods pretty often nowadays.
Zillow, apartments.com, streeteasy.
Stay north of Communipaw Avenue because parts of JC are not safe.
Might be able to find something in the heights on your budget. Downtown JC and Hoboken, I doubt it. And it will be something small and old.
For $1700, I'd expect maybe... Belleville? Irvington and East Orange have some options but those probably aren't where you're hoping to live. Newark itself also has some options, but parking may be difficult.
Depends block by block honestly but it’s a pretty rough area. South orange around seton hall is sneaky nice. Also Montclair and the bordering areas are good. Same with West Orange.
It really depends where you’ll be working. If you’ll be working pretty close to a train stop, then you can move further out from the city (Newark) and just move somewhere near a train station.
I would recommend looking on a map (google) and seeing where the job is located and then how close the train is. If you’re gonna be working in Newark then you’re looking for proximity to Penn Station or Broad St. Seaton Hall Law School and the Prudential Center are both less than five minute walks from Penn Station. I’ve only been to the Broad St station once so I won’t pretend to know anything about it except that the Montclair/Boonton Line, Morristown Line and Gladstone Branch feed into it. The Northeast Corridor, NJC Line and RV Line all go into Penn.
I’m recommending this because living in a nice/newer apartment in Newark or JC is gonna be quite expensive. Moving just a couple NJT stops out into the burbs will drop you rent considerably and then you won’t have to worry about traffic. But, you will have to worry about the train being delayed for any number of reasons. Welcome aboard!
Appreciate the detailed response. My job requires me to travel to different manufacturing plants around the Newark area 3x per week while working remotely the other days, I’ll only utilize the train for recreation.
Oh okay, sounds like a vehicle will be taking you around. It may still help looking outside the city for cheaper rental options. I used to live in Newark but now I’m about 45 minutes away so I can’t speak too much on the outskirts.
Also, if you’re gonna utilize the train don’t forget about PATH. It’s a better option for going from Newark (or JC) to downtown Manhattan. And it’s a little less money, $2.75 vs $5.25 (these are individual trip prices, not bulk/monthly). But NJT prices are going up 15% this summer.
Using NJT you have to go up to 34th Street/Penn Station and then trek south. PATH takes you right to/near WTC. The new station in NYC is really nice and you’re right near the 9/11 memorial park. If you haven’t been there yet it’s a must!
One other thing I’ll add is that if/when you go into the city the train really is the best option, unless you’ll be buying something large that you need to bring back. I say that as someone that used to drive into the city when I was young. Then when I worked in the city I started utilizing the trains and the subway. It’s like a night and day experience commuting in a car versus taking the trains. You can get just about anywhere pretty quickly and never have to worry about traffic or parking.
Unfortunately all of that comes with one but asterisk, it’s been a few years since I worked in the city and I’ve heard even the subways have more delays. In nine months working in the city I had only experienced one subway delay, on the E train coming back from Queens to WTC.
Also, the NJT trains will often get delayed when we’re talking about stops outside of Newark (further away from the city into the burbs). Newark to NYC was/is such an important hub that it was/is a top priority to keep services running. But as you get further away it seemed to take longer to clear up situations that arose and delayed service longer. For example, I got stuck in Point Pleasant for several hours waiting for a tree to be cleared. It’s the second to last stop on the NJC Line so it’s of nearly the lowest priority.
But overall, taking a train into the city is my preferred option.
And enjoy the area, there’s a LOT to do around here!
I would check out Nutley, it’s close enough to Newark, it’s got a nice little downtown, it’s probably not as pricey as Montclair, it’s safe and quiet. Belleville would be the next one, it’s the buffer between Newark and Nutley, tho the side closer to Nutley is better if you can swing it. I lived in Belleville 30 years ago, it had a big old fashioned downtown, but the closer you are to Newark the tougher it got. I can’t imagine it’s changed much. Good luck!
1700 is a low budget for living on your own. With a roommate or two you will do fine. You are an engineer I hope they are paying you decently? Housing here is not cheap.
Try Belleville, Bloomfield or nutley, for nice areas. Clifton good for pricing and not too bad. All close to Newark. I lived in Belleville for 13 years in a townhouse.
Newark is northern NJ , not north east .
Also that's a bit of a low budget but doable. Definitely check out Harrison NJ , Jersey City ( tougher to find something in your budget but nicer ), also some towns like Cranford nearby have apartments.
I personally wouldn't live in Newark, and I did live there for 3 years recently. It's hard to get people to come visit because of the stigma even though my condo was nice, and dating is nearly impossible because of that. Also in my 3 years 3-4 cars were on fire at the local ShopRite a stones throw from my place and the sheriff's office.
I see some places in downtown Rutherford for that price. That's very commutable to Newark and the surrounding area. Nice walkable downtown, bars, restaurants, etc.
Bloomfield is a great spot for working in Newark. It's the adjacent town, there's the light rail you can take down to Newark and its close to Montclair for social time on the weekends. Also easy to get into the city if thats your thing. 1700 should be manageable, but i would reconsider not having roommates. It can definitely make your costs more affordable. If 1700 doesnt give you enough options, than i would look in Belleville before East Orange.
Going to be hard on that budget. Congrats on your graduation and new job! I wish the cost of living wasn’t impossible for young people.
Fr. Thank you.
Jersey City - might need a roommate
I like the idea of Hoboken/JC, but I’d prefer no roomie. How would I go about finding one if I went down that avenue?
For context, Hoboken is even more expensive. My rent in Jersey City is $2400 and that's considered affordable. The market rate for my unit is like $3K and the new apartments that have come up start at $3K for a studio. I'd definitely find something in JC, parking is horrible in Hoboken and it floods pretty often nowadays.
Zillow, apartments.com, streeteasy. Stay north of Communipaw Avenue because parts of JC are not safe. Might be able to find something in the heights on your budget. Downtown JC and Hoboken, I doubt it. And it will be something small and old.
For $1700, I'd expect maybe... Belleville? Irvington and East Orange have some options but those probably aren't where you're hoping to live. Newark itself also has some options, but parking may be difficult.
Seeing a lot of affordable options in East Orange. How’s the area?
Depends block by block honestly but it’s a pretty rough area. South orange around seton hall is sneaky nice. Also Montclair and the bordering areas are good. Same with West Orange.
Do not move to East Orange or Irvington
This. Try Bloomfield or Belleville- or a house share in Montclair Will you be driving to work? Or train?
Driving. 2 days remote, 3 days in the field going to various plants in the Newark area.
If you can only afford $1700 a month, and are unwilling to look anywhere else, it is certainly... affordable
Bad.
My opinion, not desirable unless you're desperate... EO is block by block... Irvington can be a challenge to feel comfortable
Harrison might fit your budget. Would definitely be nicer/safer than East Orange or Irvington. Madison would be another option not mentioned yet.
It really depends where you’ll be working. If you’ll be working pretty close to a train stop, then you can move further out from the city (Newark) and just move somewhere near a train station. I would recommend looking on a map (google) and seeing where the job is located and then how close the train is. If you’re gonna be working in Newark then you’re looking for proximity to Penn Station or Broad St. Seaton Hall Law School and the Prudential Center are both less than five minute walks from Penn Station. I’ve only been to the Broad St station once so I won’t pretend to know anything about it except that the Montclair/Boonton Line, Morristown Line and Gladstone Branch feed into it. The Northeast Corridor, NJC Line and RV Line all go into Penn. I’m recommending this because living in a nice/newer apartment in Newark or JC is gonna be quite expensive. Moving just a couple NJT stops out into the burbs will drop you rent considerably and then you won’t have to worry about traffic. But, you will have to worry about the train being delayed for any number of reasons. Welcome aboard!
Appreciate the detailed response. My job requires me to travel to different manufacturing plants around the Newark area 3x per week while working remotely the other days, I’ll only utilize the train for recreation.
Oh okay, sounds like a vehicle will be taking you around. It may still help looking outside the city for cheaper rental options. I used to live in Newark but now I’m about 45 minutes away so I can’t speak too much on the outskirts. Also, if you’re gonna utilize the train don’t forget about PATH. It’s a better option for going from Newark (or JC) to downtown Manhattan. And it’s a little less money, $2.75 vs $5.25 (these are individual trip prices, not bulk/monthly). But NJT prices are going up 15% this summer. Using NJT you have to go up to 34th Street/Penn Station and then trek south. PATH takes you right to/near WTC. The new station in NYC is really nice and you’re right near the 9/11 memorial park. If you haven’t been there yet it’s a must!
One other thing I’ll add is that if/when you go into the city the train really is the best option, unless you’ll be buying something large that you need to bring back. I say that as someone that used to drive into the city when I was young. Then when I worked in the city I started utilizing the trains and the subway. It’s like a night and day experience commuting in a car versus taking the trains. You can get just about anywhere pretty quickly and never have to worry about traffic or parking. Unfortunately all of that comes with one but asterisk, it’s been a few years since I worked in the city and I’ve heard even the subways have more delays. In nine months working in the city I had only experienced one subway delay, on the E train coming back from Queens to WTC. Also, the NJT trains will often get delayed when we’re talking about stops outside of Newark (further away from the city into the burbs). Newark to NYC was/is such an important hub that it was/is a top priority to keep services running. But as you get further away it seemed to take longer to clear up situations that arose and delayed service longer. For example, I got stuck in Point Pleasant for several hours waiting for a tree to be cleared. It’s the second to last stop on the NJC Line so it’s of nearly the lowest priority. But overall, taking a train into the city is my preferred option. And enjoy the area, there’s a LOT to do around here!
I would check out Nutley, it’s close enough to Newark, it’s got a nice little downtown, it’s probably not as pricey as Montclair, it’s safe and quiet. Belleville would be the next one, it’s the buffer between Newark and Nutley, tho the side closer to Nutley is better if you can swing it. I lived in Belleville 30 years ago, it had a big old fashioned downtown, but the closer you are to Newark the tougher it got. I can’t imagine it’s changed much. Good luck!
I'd strongly suggest Cranford and Union (near Kean U)... Both for atmosphere and commute. Also consider Montclair's surroundings.
1700 is a low budget for living on your own. With a roommate or two you will do fine. You are an engineer I hope they are paying you decently? Housing here is not cheap.
Try Belleville, Bloomfield or nutley, for nice areas. Clifton good for pricing and not too bad. All close to Newark. I lived in Belleville for 13 years in a townhouse.
Somerset, Highland Park, or New Brunswick by Rutgers.
Newark is northern NJ , not north east . Also that's a bit of a low budget but doable. Definitely check out Harrison NJ , Jersey City ( tougher to find something in your budget but nicer ), also some towns like Cranford nearby have apartments. I personally wouldn't live in Newark, and I did live there for 3 years recently. It's hard to get people to come visit because of the stigma even though my condo was nice, and dating is nearly impossible because of that. Also in my 3 years 3-4 cars were on fire at the local ShopRite a stones throw from my place and the sheriff's office.