Other than stocking up on spray tan and big hair, what else do I need to know?
March 28, 2012 7:34 AM Subscribe
I'm moving to New Jersey! Unfortunately, I'm a 22-year-old midwesterner who's pretty clueless about New Jersey. I'm going to grad school in Madison, but am not sure where to live. Snowflakey details inside.
Right now, my tentative plan is living in Drew's grad student housing initially and then after my first semester or year finding people to move in with off-campus. However, it looks like rent in a lot of nearby communities is significantly lower than in Madison. The thing is, I don't know which communities are places to avoid and which aren't. Anywhere in particular I should look for apartments? Any communities that are must-avoids? I'll only have class one or two days a week, but would like to be pretty close to school anyways. Being on the train line (or some other form of public transit) is a must. Walkable/bikeable communities would be excellent, since I probably won't have a car. I'm not really concerned about nightlife or anything, but the town should be relatively queer-friendly.
(Also, if you're a current/former History & Culture student, I'd love to talk to you about the program/grad student life at Drew! So PM me.)
Right now, my tentative plan is living in Drew's grad student housing initially and then after my first semester or year finding people to move in with off-campus. However, it looks like rent in a lot of nearby communities is significantly lower than in Madison. The thing is, I don't know which communities are places to avoid and which aren't. Anywhere in particular I should look for apartments? Any communities that are must-avoids? I'll only have class one or two days a week, but would like to be pretty close to school anyways. Being on the train line (or some other form of public transit) is a must. Walkable/bikeable communities would be excellent, since I probably won't have a car. I'm not really concerned about nightlife or anything, but the town should be relatively queer-friendly.
(Also, if you're a current/former History & Culture student, I'd love to talk to you about the program/grad student life at Drew! So PM me.)
It's been a few years since I've lived in NJ, but I did grow up around there. Basically, you're going to be in a pretty standard east-coast-liberal affluent suburb, for better or worse. You really, really shouldn't have any trouble being out, but conversely, you're not going to find much nightlife in Madison. Public transportation is really focused on moving commuters in and out of NYC, but since they opened the Secaucus transfer a few years ago, it's much easier to get in and out of the city at non-peak times. You've got a decent but not spectacular bus system. It'll be serviceable, but I highly, highly recommend having a car.
Oh, and as far as Jersey Shore goes, you have to realize that any one of those...people would have been the worst person at my high school.
posted by Oktober at 8:10 AM on March 28, 2012
Oh, and as far as Jersey Shore goes, you have to realize that any one of those...people would have been the worst person at my high school.
posted by Oktober at 8:10 AM on March 28, 2012
where I'd have to worry about walking down the street
FWIW, you're talking about suburban NYC here. It would be very surprising if you had any real trouble.
posted by zvs at 8:37 AM on March 28, 2012
FWIW, you're talking about suburban NYC here. It would be very surprising if you had any real trouble.
posted by zvs at 8:37 AM on March 28, 2012
Best answer: Madison is a very nice town, also Morristown, also Chatham. No problem for dykes here, I had lesbian friends who lived here for years, and if you are interested there is a nice Unitarian Fellowship in Morristown and also a queer-friendly inclusive Episcopal church, Church of the Redeemer. Madison is great for bikes, and Morristown is pretty good too. My son rides with a bike group there once a month, Critical Mass.
I'd avoid Florham Park, Whippany, Parsippany because they are very suburban, not bike-friendly, and do not have a real downtown like Madison and Morristown. They are boring places and impossible without a car.
As to "Jersey Shore", those types were why we were leery of meeting anyone from Seaside Heights in high school and college. Some things never change, but college towns like Madison are nothing like that.
posted by mermayd at 8:38 AM on March 28, 2012
I'd avoid Florham Park, Whippany, Parsippany because they are very suburban, not bike-friendly, and do not have a real downtown like Madison and Morristown. They are boring places and impossible without a car.
As to "Jersey Shore", those types were why we were leery of meeting anyone from Seaside Heights in high school and college. Some things never change, but college towns like Madison are nothing like that.
posted by mermayd at 8:38 AM on March 28, 2012
One note: the towns you mention with the lower rent are towns that do not have direct train access to NYC. So if being on a train line is important you have to pay up for that.
posted by Busmick at 8:41 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by Busmick at 8:41 AM on March 28, 2012
You won't have trouble being out and queer in that area of north Jersey.
This train map might help. You should know that most of NJ isn't really very walkable. Denville is, a little, if you're right at the center of town (though it's very suburban). Morristown is even better. Chatham is good, too.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:42 AM on March 28, 2012
This train map might help. You should know that most of NJ isn't really very walkable. Denville is, a little, if you're right at the center of town (though it's very suburban). Morristown is even better. Chatham is good, too.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:42 AM on March 28, 2012
Best answer: Madison might be a little pricey, but it has a nice walkable downtown, a whole foods that is about a half mile (totally walkable) outside the central downtown, and good train service right into NYC with a station right in the center of that downtown.
Drew itself is a little closer to Convent Station, which is not a terrible walk from Madison. (The traction line park pretty much connects Morristown, Convent Station, and Madison via a paved walk that runs along the tracks for a ways.)
Next stop on that train line, also with a nice downtown, is Chatam. Next one after that is Summit, which is a train junction, and so has even more train service into NYC.
All three of those towns are fairly swanky, and apartments within walking distance to the train stations are going to be fairly expensive. They're nice, though, and very livable.
In the opposite direction from Convent Station is Morristown - one of the bigger towns in the area. I went to high school there, it's got a great downtown with the train station right on the edge, nice restaurants, a nice Kings grocery store, good parks, etc. Good place to live.
Northern NJ is pretty queer friendly. I wouldn't especially worry about walking around any of those towns.
posted by lyra4 at 8:43 AM on March 28, 2012
Drew itself is a little closer to Convent Station, which is not a terrible walk from Madison. (The traction line park pretty much connects Morristown, Convent Station, and Madison via a paved walk that runs along the tracks for a ways.)
Next stop on that train line, also with a nice downtown, is Chatam. Next one after that is Summit, which is a train junction, and so has even more train service into NYC.
All three of those towns are fairly swanky, and apartments within walking distance to the train stations are going to be fairly expensive. They're nice, though, and very livable.
In the opposite direction from Convent Station is Morristown - one of the bigger towns in the area. I went to high school there, it's got a great downtown with the train station right on the edge, nice restaurants, a nice Kings grocery store, good parks, etc. Good place to live.
Northern NJ is pretty queer friendly. I wouldn't especially worry about walking around any of those towns.
posted by lyra4 at 8:43 AM on March 28, 2012
This is fairly harsh advice, but situate yourself near an NJT station so that you can get out of town (and into NYC) easily. Madison and the surrounding environs are fairly tame and boring. As far as I know, there's no gay scene to speak of.
That said, you're unlikely to be harassed because of your orientation, even if you display it in a fairly public manner. The area's rolling in money (old and new), and is therefore very conservative politically; however, NJ leans pretty far left when it comes to social issues. However, I don't think you'll be subjected to much more than a nasty glare from old ladies every now and again. Chatham's (Republican) mayor is openly gay, and it's completely-not-an-issue.
The NJT rail line predates many of the towns along it. As a result, most of the areas around the station are old, quaint, walkable, and expensive. Madison, Chatham, Maplewood, and Summit all have very cute old-timey downtowns.
Morristown's the most "urban" place nearby, although you may still find that basic amenities (ie. food) are not very accessible by walking there. This actually holds true for much of this area; local public transportation is basically nonexistent, and things are not planned/built for people who do not have cars; even the "cute" downtowns in Madison and Maplewood have become fairly auto-centric. Downtown Chatham might be the closest thing you'll find to a truly walkable city in the area.
A bike can help you bridge the gap, but might not be adequate, especially in the winter.
posted by schmod at 8:52 AM on March 28, 2012
That said, you're unlikely to be harassed because of your orientation, even if you display it in a fairly public manner. The area's rolling in money (old and new), and is therefore very conservative politically; however, NJ leans pretty far left when it comes to social issues. However, I don't think you'll be subjected to much more than a nasty glare from old ladies every now and again. Chatham's (Republican) mayor is openly gay, and it's completely-not-an-issue.
The NJT rail line predates many of the towns along it. As a result, most of the areas around the station are old, quaint, walkable, and expensive. Madison, Chatham, Maplewood, and Summit all have very cute old-timey downtowns.
Morristown's the most "urban" place nearby, although you may still find that basic amenities (ie. food) are not very accessible by walking there. This actually holds true for much of this area; local public transportation is basically nonexistent, and things are not planned/built for people who do not have cars; even the "cute" downtowns in Madison and Maplewood have become fairly auto-centric. Downtown Chatham might be the closest thing you'll find to a truly walkable city in the area.
A bike can help you bridge the gap, but might not be adequate, especially in the winter.
posted by schmod at 8:52 AM on March 28, 2012
Yeah, I just want to chime in to say that, while I am not very familiar with that part of NJ, I grew up in the NYC 'burbs and I would not live in New Jersey, outside of Hudson County and maybe a few other places, without a car. The transit in NJ is all very focused on getting people to and from Manhattan. Commuting to school on an NJT line off-peak would be a huge pain, I'd think, to say nothing of grocery shopping, having as social life, etc.
Maybe you think you can get by without a car, because it's a college town and near NYC. And maybe you could get by, but you'd be just doing that, barely. Seriously, you're going to be living deep in suburbia. Your quality of life will be immeasurably better with a car than without one.
posted by breakin' the law at 9:07 AM on March 28, 2012
Maybe you think you can get by without a car, because it's a college town and near NYC. And maybe you could get by, but you'd be just doing that, barely. Seriously, you're going to be living deep in suburbia. Your quality of life will be immeasurably better with a car than without one.
posted by breakin' the law at 9:07 AM on March 28, 2012
Response by poster: Also, does anyone have an idea for what average utility (power, water, gas) costs would be for, say, a two-bedroom apartment? (I'm figuring that if I was living off-campus, I'd have a roommate.)
posted by naturalog at 9:15 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by naturalog at 9:15 AM on March 28, 2012
Check out www.citydata.com for statistics - lots of statistics - on things like crime in various areas. Not a lot of it, happy to report, but still.
posted by IndigoJones at 10:38 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by IndigoJones at 10:38 AM on March 28, 2012
Best answer: Hi, I've lived in/around Madison/Chatham/Morristown for about 10 years. Feel free to memail me if I can help.
Be aware that any apartment that is a "walkable" distance away from a NJ transit train stationis in demand and will be priced accordingly. Typical 2-bedroom apartments in big complexes are $1,200 to $1,600 per month. The "standard" seems to be heat and hot water included, all other utilities your responsibility.
IIRC, my electric bill ran around $60 a month, but I usually had at least one and usually more computers on 24/7. Cable or FIOS internet tends right around $50 per month.
The main road ("Main Street" aka "124" aka "Old Route 24") that runs in front of Drew cuts through Morristown, Convent Station, Madison and Chatham. Between Madison and Chatham I think there's approximately 10-15 separate apartment complexes on that road.
Many apartment complexes do not advertise much at all, so don't be afraid to call/knock on their doors when hunting. Some complexes utilize local real estate brokers, who will want to charge you one month's rent as their fee. Use a broker only as a last resort.
Morristown has some areas that I would be hesitant to hang around in at night - I wouldn't explore too far away from the town center there without hanging with someone who knows the area.
Outside of the Drew campus itself your best bet for a gay scene is to head into NYC. Like the other posters, I don't think you'll be hassled anywhere in the area, but you'll definitely find more of a scene in NYC.
posted by de void at 12:56 PM on March 28, 2012
Be aware that any apartment that is a "walkable" distance away from a NJ transit train stationis in demand and will be priced accordingly. Typical 2-bedroom apartments in big complexes are $1,200 to $1,600 per month. The "standard" seems to be heat and hot water included, all other utilities your responsibility.
IIRC, my electric bill ran around $60 a month, but I usually had at least one and usually more computers on 24/7. Cable or FIOS internet tends right around $50 per month.
The main road ("Main Street" aka "124" aka "Old Route 24") that runs in front of Drew cuts through Morristown, Convent Station, Madison and Chatham. Between Madison and Chatham I think there's approximately 10-15 separate apartment complexes on that road.
Many apartment complexes do not advertise much at all, so don't be afraid to call/knock on their doors when hunting. Some complexes utilize local real estate brokers, who will want to charge you one month's rent as their fee. Use a broker only as a last resort.
Morristown has some areas that I would be hesitant to hang around in at night - I wouldn't explore too far away from the town center there without hanging with someone who knows the area.
Outside of the Drew campus itself your best bet for a gay scene is to head into NYC. Like the other posters, I don't think you'll be hassled anywhere in the area, but you'll definitely find more of a scene in NYC.
posted by de void at 12:56 PM on March 28, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
(Also, I do know that most of New Jersey isn't like Jersey Shore.)
posted by naturalog at 7:48 AM on March 28, 2012