New Jersey SubUrban housing north or south
We are planning to buy our first house. I work in midtown NYC and live in Jersey City right now. We have identified 2 houses that we like, one is in Emerson, NJ and the other in Princeton, NJ (Southwest Village at Princeton Walk). Both have train stations with service to 34th street. But I have heard that driving from Princeton towards Jersey City or NYC is a big hassle. Please comment on your preferences and reasons. That will help us with a few pointers. Also please comment if you know or have experience owning at southwest village Princeton walk. Thank you
What is the commute like from Jersey City into the city?
10 mins walk to train station and 30 mins from there
The commute is crazy. Rethink yr decision if you need to travel evryday. Princeton walk is v beautiful.. Almost bought a place there in 2020 but decided against it wen I saw the high hoa. Another thing to consider - I heard that the parking in Princeton station is a pain. Something about a lottery system, waiting time for yrs etc etc. Pls do research on this too
Princeton for better QoL and property values long term. NJ Transit from Princeton isn't that bad imo. I used to take it from Hamilton and it was about an hour, so maybe 30 min each way from Princeton.
Thanks. The commute from Princeton Station didn’t seem so bad. But i have heard that the parking at the station is hard to find (mentioned in one of the comments too). Do you know how I can find this before being a resident?
Parking might be tough. I would check with NJ Transit (they operate some of the lots) and also the Township, who may have more info. Not sure if it's possible for you, but a lot of people tend to be dropped off too, and there may be carpooling groups (to the station and back) in the area that you can look into as well
Ridgewood, Holmdel, and Upper Saddle are nice areas to live.
Look into Rutherford - nice town and fairly commutable into the city. I did Rutherford and Edison to wtc for several years, neither was a quick commute but they were semi reasonable. Princeton is a long haul. There are express trains that are like 45min but if you get a local it takes forever.
Princeton definitely is a long commute. Considering Emerson because the property is 5 min walk to the station there. 40 mins to 34th street. I’ll find out more about the township.
OP what did you choose
Dude Princeton to nyc is a 2 hr commute one way. U'll be losing 4 hrs a day. Even if driving its probably a 3 hour commute daily. Emerson isn't much better imo. That's comparable to commuting from Westchester ny. If u value ur time stick to jersey city. Either way it's bad lol. If u take public transportation ur spending like 500 a month and giving up 4 hrs of sleep or time with kids or w/e. If u drive, u spend limited energy and focus on the road.