Need relocation help from fellow New Yorkers

[DancingJools]

Assuming I do move to NYC - I am trying to decide where to live. I am tending towards NJ, because of the lower taxes. I will be working around the area of 42nd and 1st Ave. We have parking at work, and I plan on living in an area where I can drive to work, because it will fit more into my lifestyle after hours.
I don't want to live in an area where the morning commute is likely to take longer than an hour. Evening commute is unimportant.
1- My top selection now is Secaucus, if only because I am familiar with the area. This area is very close to the Lincoln Tunnel (and from there cross-town to 1st Ave.).
2- A second option is an area called Bergenfield, and/or Closter, in Bergen County. They are both somewhat north of the GW Bridge (and from there to the FDR south).
3- I need to be at work at 10:00 am in the morning (not at 9:00, as most people do).
Barring the bridge/tunnel bottleneck, either commute should take no more than 40 minutes (including city traffic) door-to-door, by my estimate.
So, my question, for those of you familiar with these things - which is a better or a worse commute to NYC from NJ, in the morning: going through the GW Bridge from the north, or going through the Lincoln Tunnel from the west?
If the Lincoln Tunnel is easier, that still leaves the option of moving to the Bergen County area and still taking the Lincoln Tunnel (by driving further south, instead of hopping onto the GW Bridge).
I hope this is not too complicated. I am tempted to go for the northern area because the houses seem to come with more land. Like this:

http://photos.njmls.com/2634565.2.jpg

Oh - I forgot to mention. The reason for this search is that I will ONLY move into a (suburban type) house with a yard. No apartment houses, no townhouses, nothing like that. And I couldn't care less about how many restaurants or shops are in the area. I just want the nice house and yard, and the reasonable commute.
Advice, please????
And, MQ - the house (assuming I do get there) WILL have an extra parking space, and most likely a guest bedroom too. :-)

[mamboqueen]

Glad to hear you're progressing in your search. I've worked in Secaucus (eons ago) and have relatives in Dumont (right next to Bergenfield). The drag about Bergenfield, IMO, is the main strip which can get very congested and has lots of traffic lights. Secaucus seems to me that it would be easier in and out, but again, it's been a long time since I lived there. I am sure one of the Jerseyites/NYers can offer more help.

Very excited for you!

[saludas]

North Jersey, specifically Bergen County, has some of the highest taxes in the nation, so that's not a good reason to move to Jersey!

You'll also require a car and the insurance for New Jersey is indeed the highest in the US as well...

But assuming you need to find a yard and a house to take care of, there are many cheaper areas that have better transportation systems etc, like Jersey City. Secaucus is not known for quality of life, and Closter is very far from NY midtown. Figure a 1 to 1.5 hour commute from Closter. One hour from Secaucus.

Jersey does have less expensive gas, tho.

[mamboqueen]

North Jersey, specifically Bergen County, has some of the highest taxes in the nation, so that's not a good reason to move to Jersey!

You'll also require a car and the insurance for New Jersey is indeed the highest in the US as well...

But assuming you need to find a yard and a house to take care of, there are many cheaper areas that have better transportation systems etc, like Jersey City. Secaucus is not known for quality of life, and Closter is very far from NY midtown. Figure a 1 to 1.5 hour commute from Closter. One hour from Secaucus.

Jersey does have less expensive gas, tho.

You are absolutely right on the taxes in Bergen County. It's pretty ridiculous. Maybe even North Bergen/West New York/Union City/Hoboken area might be good -- actually Hoboken is a very hip place to be...just not sure about yard sizes. But, if you're living by yourself, trust me a big yard is not all it's cracked up to be unless you can afford to have it taken care of. We have 1/3 of an acre and it's a huge amount of work for just 2 people. I would try to talk you into a townhouse if I though I'd cause you to change your mind -- all your maintenance is done by others. No shoveling, raking, etc. But....I think you have your mind made up!

Also agree on the car insurance. Maybe you can keep your car insured in your state for a bit...I also think you get nailed with some sort of commuter tax when you live in NJ and work in NY.


If you end up in Bergen County, I'll have to introduce you to some of my family, who will all adopt you and cook you wonderful Italian food every Sunday ;)

[Chris Stratton]

North Jersey, specifically Bergen County, has some of the highest taxes in the nation, so that's not a good reason to move to Jersey!


Not compared to NYC it doesn't!

Property taxes may be high, but you save a lot on income taxes.

[Chris Stratton]

Barring the bridge/tunnel bottleneck, either commute should take no more than 40 minutes (including city traffic) door-to-door, by my estimate.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, tell me another one.

I've managed Fort Lee to Ballroom on Fifth in under 40 minutes on a few rare occasions, but I wouldn't even count on it in the middle of the night!

[mamboqueen]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, tell me another one.

I've managed Fort Lee to Ballroom on Fifth in under 40 minutes on a few rare occasions, but I wouldn't even count on it in the middle of the night!

A Trans Am with nitrous and a blower will cut that trip in half ;)

[saludas]

I seriously doubt that if this person is looking in Closter or Secaucus that she is in the same income bracket and house-value region that someone looking in Westchester County or Manhattan is looking at - and even then, the property taxes are STILL lower there than in Bergen County. Plus, the value for services is very low.

Also, Secaucus is a very car-centric area. You should look at proximity to restaurants and stores and the quality of these, as they determine the value of your home (especially in resale) and the quality of life around you - if you need to cross over a highway, for instance, to go food shopping, or the food store is only open till 9pm, it might make a serious dent in your time. Lack of amenities like restaurants and such usually means that the area is either poor or mostly blue collar, and this might not be a good area to buy in (but it MIGHT get better, and be a good investment, but if the major shopping in Secaucus is the Home Depot and outlet stores, which it is, I'd really be concerned. Schools are not really very good either.) The joke is "You live in Jersey? What exit?"

Some other alternatives (and these include public transportation to NYC for instance - you DO realize that driving into NYC costs you not only the $6 bridge-and-tunnel fee but you'll need to find and/or pay for parking) include Newark and New City NJ, and Yonkers and South Bronx, NY.

Agreed with CS - driving in from NJ is a 1.5 hour ride to the West Side on an average day. And if you're going across NY to the East Side, figure 30 mins of driving (to get to, for instance, the east side). 0At 5pm, you'll take an hour to cross town, if you're lucky, and then wait in line at the tunnel for a half hour. Then, you get to drive to your home which can be another 30 or 4o mins. BTW, Closter is closer to the GWB and NOT a good choice to drive to the Lincoln Tunnel during rush hour and once you get over the bridge, you will be at 165th and 12th Avenue, and the ride to 42nd and First is at least 45 minutes...- and Finally, congestion pricing is (thankfully) coming to NYC, so in addition, you may pay up to $25 to drive your car in below 60th Street (if the London model is followed). At approx $50 per trip in (including gas and the depreciation on your car) and if you need to be in NY every day, then you might figire that you could actually live in Manhattan for the extra $1000 per month in per-trip driving expenses alone (not to mention your car note).

Zipcars are a great alternative.

Of course, if you are an SUV driver <<soccer mom-guy with serious masculinity issues-rap poseur>>, then you'll also be driving a gas guzzler with the attendent issues of spacehogging (it's pretty hard to park those in NY, and be prepared for the widespread 'braille' method of parallel parking to make your bumper look like a pointillist painting) and then problem of explaining your lifestyle choices and disregard for the future of the world to the more enlightened in the NY area, and your own kids... but that's another topic.

All this is from a former Jerseyite, BTW. You might try driving aound these areas a bit during times you might need to be 'on the road' to see how awful, for instance, it can be to pass near a middle school where every mom double parks so that Mary and Joey get into school ok, or see what traffic looks like on 495 coming towards the Lincoln Tunnel on a weeknight. Delays to Lincoln Tunnel from an extry point is typically 30 mins to almost an hour during the week - and Sat nite can be almost an hour.

If you plan to work on the East Side, then perhaps a home in Brooklyn or Queens (which are just 'over the river' from the East Side) might be good. Crossing the entire island can take hours during rush hour, and still will take 30 mins ion a reg day. Plus, you'll be closer to the FDR drive which, while still congested, is very close to the Brooklyn Bridge (1 mile)... and there are express buses to get to your office directly from places like Queens (which is how almost everyone gets to NY).

[mamboqueen]

All this is from a former Jerseyite, BTW.

What exit? Bwah ha ha!!! (If I had a dime for everytime I was asked...I'd be dancing 8 lessons a week!).

[DancingJools]

Well, thanks for your help, everyone.
Especially Saludas, for referring to me as "this person".
But seriously :-)
Not a trans am with nitrous, MQ. But a Z4, perhaps?
And yes, I do drive an SUV. I'm a single-person household who usually owns two cars. (My next car will be a hybrid, through. REALLY seriously). And, BTW, I won't be paying taxes in NYC, or NJ for that matter. Not even insurance. Just RE taxes. So eat your hearts out, all ye New Yorkers.
For the quality of life I want (emphasis on I, not what the Joneses think about me), I wouldn't mind paying the $50/day commuter tax, either, if and when.
I know what a pain it is to maintain a yard. I have one now. Can't see myself living without it. Have lived in condos and the like, and don't see myself going back there till I'm in my eighties, perhaps.
Anyway, thanks for your help, ye all.
BTW, when I'm in NYC (this person actually does spend months on end working there), I often stay in Secaucus, for the hotels, and take the express bus to the Port Authority, then cross-town via public transportation. Door to door, it's under an hour.
When I stay in Jersey City, it's 45 minutes (my friend drives, and she's no fiend behind a wheel). But I don't like the density of Jersey City. I am looking for as close to a country feel as I can get in the Big Apple.
Friends in Westchester (Mamaroneck) tell me it takes them one hour, door to door, but I would budget additional time for that particular commute, just in case. Friends who live in Teaneck and Leonia also tell me it takes about an hour.
I think the best way to judge for myself is go to Bergenfield, and Closter, etc., and spend a week or two there, commuting to the East side at 9:00 am, and see how long it takes, on average.
I will always live in a place where public transportation IS available, because there will always be days (winter, especially), when I won't feel like driving.
Decisions, decisions.

[samina]

And, BTW, I won't be paying taxes in NYC, or NJ for that matter.

you'll be working in nyc but not paying nyc taxes...? how are you lucky enuf to get past that? when i lived in hoboken/jersey city and my ex & i worked in the city, we were required to pay nyc taxes.

I know what a pain it is to maintain a yard. I have one now. Can't see myself living without it.

where are you moving from, jools? you are not moving to a back-yard friendly area, if you are hoping for a 40-minute commute to work. actually, when i lived in jersey city (which is literally 5 minutes from downtown by car), it would take my husband 45 minutes to get to work (midtown) via subway. you might want to adjust your commute-time paradigm.

you could look for something in weehawken, which is just north of hoboken... you might find a lower-level apartment that opens onto a yard. or in the jersey city heights -- those houses often have back yards. no country feel, tho. again... you want country, drive an hour west of the city where i live. lol
but secausus... yeesh. talk about congestion. i hate going anywhere near secaucus -- would take j.c. any day instead of driving through that maze of shopping & traffic.

I think the best way to judge for myself is go to Bergenfield, and Closter, etc., and spend a week or two there, commuting to the East side at 9:00 am, and see how long it takes, on average.

i think that's a *great* idea!

[saludas]

Upu could also do what many NYers do - get a summer place, and use that for the weekends.

[mamboqueen]

Leonia

Yeow! My hometown! All one-square mile of it! You know, I'll ask a few of the relatives if they know of any houses going on the market. I have a cousin who is a real estate lawyer...and in fact, he owned my childhood house in Leonia for awhile. I'll pm you later on....

[mamboqueen]

Upu could also do what many NYers do - get a summer place, and use that for the weekends.

you mean a love shack??!! :raisebro:

[Joe]

Tin roof, rusted!

[Joe]

A Trans Am with nitrous and a blower will cut that trip in half ;)
I think a TA with nitrous and a blower would explode.

[tanya_the_dancer]

you'll be working in nyc but not paying nyc taxes...? how are you lucky enuf to get past that? when i lived in hoboken/jersey city and my ex & i worked in the city, we were required to pay nyc taxes.

I thought NYC city tax for commuter workers was repealed in March of 2000. I was working for a lower Manhattan firm at that point, commuting from Suffolk county, so that's why I know, our net paycheck increased because of that. Also, I remember that at first it was only for NY residents who lived outside NYC but worked there, but NY govt put a clause in the measure that if NJ and Connecticut govt challenge the measure in court as unfair (which they did), then it will be repealed for everyone.

[mamboqueen]

I think a TA with nitrous and a blower would explode.

and they should ;)