When you work in the lower Manhattan area you have to find alternative areas to live to avoid spending a significant percentage of your salary on rent, so I decided, the best option is living in New Jersey.
The rent in downtown NYC can be extremely high and you could pay more than $1500 even for a room in a shared apartment. For this reason, some people prefer moving to other NYC boroughs accessible by subway such as Brooklyn, where some areas are already as expensive as Manhattan or go to Queens or The Bronx, which are a bit farther and you pay less, but the commute time is longer. However, there is another option than can we work perfectly for you and it’s living in New Jersey!
I researched and visited different areas in both (no comma) New York and New Jersey, and I found out that move to living in New Jersey City, Hoboken (which is really nice area to go out) or Union City, was very convenient. Those are very good locations in New Jersey, and not far at all from downtown New York. Just keep in mind that the closer to the river the more expensive the rent is going to be.
Commuting?… It’s very easy and cheaper. To cross the Hudson River you can take the Path train, a bus or the ferry. I particularly recommend the Path train since it connects New York and New Jersey 24/7. It also doesn’t make many stops so it’s very quick to get to the World Trade Center area or even to the 23rd or 33rd streets. The unlimited monthly pass is only 89USD, which is 30 dollars cheaper than the NYC Metrocard. Normally it takes me 30-35min to get to the World Trade Center Transit Station from Jersey City.
If you work in midtown, you can also consider living in West New York or Weehawken, which are more residential and quiet streets, and walking distance to some of the most stunning views of The City. I stayed for 2 weeks in an Airbnb on the edge of West New York, Union City and Weehawken, I really loved it, but the commute is not so convenient to downtown Manhattan. I totally recommend not just seeing the photos online when looking for apartments, but also reading reviews of the areas and visiting the places in person so you can get a feel of the area. It’s very nice to find your new home in a lively and walkable area.
