Where to move in Jersey City

November 7, 2018 1:58 PM

So my husband and I want to move to Jersey City from one of the boroughs of New York City. The last time I was in JC was, oh, 1991 or so. We have no idea where to look. Halp please.

So we're a pretty typical professional couple, reasonably far into middle age. No children, so finding the neighborhood with the best schools aren't important to us as such, except insofar as that might help resale value. My husband works from home and I work around Chelsea, so a lot of the reason we're moving is for ease of commuting (my commute now suuuuuucks); I would take the PATH to the 23rd Street station. The last question I could find about Jersey City neighborhoods is from something like 2005, and I assume things have changed quite a bit since then.

Mostly what we're looking for is:

1) reasonably close to a PATH station in Jersey City (ten-minute walk is fine, but a lot more than that would get onerous);
2) reasonably safe neighborhood, especially at night because I work odd hours and often come home rather late;
3) decent places to eat, buy groceries, go to the pharmacy, etc. We'd also like to avoid dudebro sorts of places, like you find in parts of Hoboken. Somewhere with a Long Island City-ish vibe would be ideal.

Oh, and we're looking for a one or two bedroom apartment, and we're looking to buy, not rent. Also, recommendations for a non-sleazy and competent broker would be great.

posted by O Sock My Sock to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

Grove st is going to be your cutest option - it is expensive (looking VERY quickly 1-2 BR apts in the 600k-1.2M range).

Id recommend taking the train over to Grove and wondering around - there are variously farmers markets and other events above the path station there and a neat pedestrian mall full of bars and restaurants which will be winding down its season as the weather gets crappy.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 2:08 PM on November 7, 2018 [1 favorite]

The area around the Grove Street station is probably still the best bet although it really depends on your budget. Anywhere around Van Vorst Park, or many streets between Van Vorst Park and Hamilton Park (although you're starting to get outside of your 10-minute walk the closer you get to Hamilton). Newport if you want a high rise/new construction/a place with parking included. Paulus Hook would be closer to the Exchange Place station which isn't as easy of a commute to 23rd St.
posted by bcwinters at 2:20 PM on November 7, 2018

The problem with commuting from Grove as your starting point (from my perspective as Journal Square PATH commuter) is that you will pretty much never get a seat on the train in the morning. The trains fill up at Journal Square, and the people starting from Grove and/or Newport are routinely shafted, either having to just wait and watch multiple full trains go by or shove their way in to stand crammed by the doors.

Journal Square area isn't as nice and 'neighborhood-y' as Grove Street, but, that might make the prices more reasonable. (I'm a little out of touch with what the current housing prices are, I've been in my condo for over 15 years.)
posted by oh yeah! at 5:37 PM on November 7, 2018

I've always been partial to Pavonia/Newport. Commerce and restaurant options, and quick access to Hoboken. It's gotten pricey, though.
posted by Citrus at 7:36 PM on November 7, 2018

I found Newport very depressing, except for being on the water (admittedly, a real plus). It's just too many malls and big boxes and transitory rental towers. Felt like a way station for NYC professionals who didn't make enough to live right in the city before they had kids and moved out to the suburbs proper.

Hamilton Park has been filling in quite a bit but it's a bit further of a walk from the PATH than you want.
posted by praemunire at 8:45 PM on November 7, 2018 [1 favorite]

The area by Hamilton Park is very nice. It's a reasonable walk to either the Pavonia/Newport station or down to Grove Street. It's safe to do either walk late at night.
posted by vivzan at 7:44 AM on November 8, 2018

I used to live in JC Heights. If you're anywhere near the elevator it's a quick hop down to the PATH and Hoboken in general. I'd recommend it.
posted by bink at 9:22 PM on November 10, 2018

Oh, right - my first Jersey City apartment was on Palisade Ave a block's walk from the bus stop for the 87 down the hill to the Hoboken PATH, which was not a bad commute. (Though quite the hassle in times of major PATH disruptions, where you'd have to get some kind of bus service to Port Authority and back, but that was more of a Hurricane Sandy/major blackout-level situation.)

(p.s., this thread inspired me to propose a Jersey City meetup in IRL, if any of you are interested. And to the OP, I'd be happy to give you a drive around the neighborhoods sometime if you want to get an overview without having to tromp around in the cold.)
posted by oh yeah! at 8:10 AM on November 11, 2018