So I’m moving to New Jersey. I don’t have much experience with the area, though I know that (like NYC) there are a lot of brokers operating. How likely is it to get a decent apartment without one somewhere along the Northeast corridor line b/t New Brunswick and the city? Anyone know anything about Rahway or Linden?
Thanks,
Josh
Since you’re looking for personal experiences, I’ll move this thread to IMHO.
There have been several threads on this recently. You might try doing a search.
You can find a decent apartment anywhere you want - but your gonna pay.
Rahway - Run-down, dirty, filthy no-man’s land. The only thing it’s got going for it is a prison. That’s where they film the Sylvester Stallone prison movie (I forget the name).
Linden (neighbor of Rahway) - more garbage. Ford plant (It may have just closed) which would make the people of Linden very angry.
Hope this helps.
Yeah, I agree. In all the recent NJ threads, we NJ residents have been vociferously asserting that only a small part of the state is horrible and ugly. Linden and Rahway are part of that part. Linden isn’t really so bad–it has an active downtown and lots of decent working-class housing. But I can’t see any reason to move there.
I believe the Ford plant that just closed is in Edison, but of course would draw tons of its workers from Linden.
I would ask why you want to work without a broker. I used one to find my first NJ apartment and found the arrangement satisfactory. I didn’t have to pay–the landlord did. I got a cute apartment in Highland Park for a very reasonable price with no hassle.
New Brunswick has a lot of apartments and houses divided up into apartments for student rental. The portion in between the train station and Douglass/Cook campuses is pretty slummy, but train station to College Avenue campus is fine. Highland Park is very accesibly to the New Brunswick train station, and Edison, which is also pretty nice (at least the parts I’ve been in), has its own station, although about half of the trains skip the Edison stop. I don’t know if it has apartments, though. I don’t think Metuchen has much in the way of apartments, and I don’t know the residential parts of Iselin/Woodbridge (aka “Metropark”) at all. Rahway and Linden have already been covered by others. Downtown Elizabeth (by the main Elizabeth train station) is pretty scuzzy (Newark-esque), but the Elmora neighborhood (a mile from the downtown station) is fine, and the portion of Hillside nearest the North Elizabeth train station is also nice. Both have some apartment buildings, although the North Elizabeth ones are more numerous and in walking distance to the train. (The North Elizabeth station is a commuter-type stop, though, and only a few trains stop there outside of morning rush hour into NY and afternoon rush hour out of it.) Although parts of Newark are having something of a rennaissance (I can never spell that right), I wouldn’t live there either.
Would you consider living on one of the train lines that dump into Newark Penn Station, thus connecting to the Northeast corridor line? That’s a popular commuter route as well.
How about Highland Park? It’s right next to New Brunswick? Really cool little community there.
OK, let me say more about the situation: my gf will be attending Rutgers in New Brunswick. I will (probably) be working in NYC. Where would you live, assuming that you were going to have to take the train to work?
Josh
There’s only one answer for you, then–Highland Park!
I lived there for 2 years when I was just out of college. It is a great great place to live–it’s a real community with all the amenities, but it is still sort of a college town. You’ll find lots of college and grad students there, and the types of businesses that cater to them. I found that people were really friendly, and it was very easy to make friends.
It’s a short walk to New Brunswick, where you can go to your classes and catch the train. New Brunswick also has a great nightlife. Tons of bars, bands, restaurants, the State Theater, etc. Both Highland Park and New Brunswick are very diverse communities, too. I don’t know what you’re into, but you’ll likely be able to find some like-minded individuals.
There are plenty of apartments to be had in Highland Park. It’s not the cheapest place to live, but it is not especially pricey either.
You could also live in New Brunswick, but some parts of it aren’t so great. It’s worth looking there, too, I suppose.
Jeez, I just realized that you may not know why we are touting Highland Park as a great place to live if you need to be in New Brunswick…
New Brunswick is right on the banks of the Raritan River. Highland Park is on the other side of the river, kind of tucked into a bend in the river. In other words, it’s right next door, connected by convenient bridges that are fun to spit off of.
My own personal opinion would be Iselin or Metuchin; there’s a large train station on Rt 657, just off Wood Ave. The area’s pretty nice, too.
Be prepared for some serious outlay of bucks. My fiance and I were looking for a 3-bd, 1-bath apartment and we kept running into: $1600/month with first month, last month and security deposit up front.
Who the hell has $5000 just to move into an apartment?! For us (going VA) it’s literally cheaper to buy a house.
Whole 'nother thread there…sorry for the lame attempt at a hijack…