Tips When Looking for A Good Apartment in Jersey City

For many considering moving to NYC, living right in Manhattan is not a wallet-friendly option. Often the logical alternative is to set up home in one of the cheaper surrounding areas, such as Jersey City in New Jersey. The place is big enough to rival Manhattan, stretching from the Hudson River in the east to the Hackensack River in the west. There’s also a lot to experience and enjoy if you’re planning to stick around for a while, including superb restaurants, cozy coffee shops, well-outfitted gyms, loads of outdoor attractions, and exciting nightlife.

There are a few things you should be paying attention to when looking at Jersey City apartments for rent. Below are a few JC-specific tips for finding the best apartment based on your needs and preferences. Don’t forget to pay attention to general rules of thumb as well, such as ensuring your income is at least thrice as much as your monthly rent. Also, if you don’t have much to shell out initially, you’ll need to find a roommate.

1. Getting familiar with the neighborhoods: There’s lots of areas surrounding the PATH stations, but they don’t even come close to what Chilltown has to offer. Take your time acclimating to the places spanning the expanse between and including The Heights and Greenville. You may have questions regarding the safety of a specific neighborhood, which can be answered by looking it up on NeighborhoodScout, or some other website or app that delivers a similar service where you can see overall crime rates and other statistics.
2. Finding out stuff on the internet: There’s a lot of research to be done surrounding the types and price points of different apartments filling Jersey City, and you can get tons of info and plenty of listings online. You may have doubts regarding whether or how to get a roommate, transportation, etc. There’s always Reddit and JCList to check out for the most relevant information.
3. Using a broker (or not): Jersey City has scores of high-rises with some of the finest amenities on offer. Most of these buildings come with their own leasing offices, meaning you have the option to set up appointments directly whenever you wish to see a unit. Set aside the weekend to tour those buildings that go well with your neighborhood preference (as well as price point), and you’d be surprised at how soon you land on an option that works for you.

Smaller buildings, on the other hand, usually use brokers, who are the only way you can get at the listings you wish to check out. But if you decide to take that path, the typical broker could find you options that would otherwise have been proverbial needles in a haystack. The only downside is a fee that’s generally equal to a month’s rent.

4. Take a walk around: Run-of-the-mill high-rises not quite what you’re searching for? Before enlisting the help of a broker in your search, try spending some time walking the streets, and figure out which neighborhood appeals to you the most. And there’s a small-town feel to Jersey City, which means apartment ads aplenty. It’s almost like being bombarded by ads if you let your feet take you a few blocks, because of the fact that there are still many landlords who don’t advertise online. Also check out the local neighborhood spots; go to a laundromat or a coffee shop and chat with the employees for some idea on where to look next.
5. The PATH isn’t the only mode of transport: It’s obviously highly convenient if you find a place near a PATH station, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be bothered much if your apartment isn’t within walking distance of a station. There’s a light rail system too, offering access to parts of the city located away from the PATH. There’s also the Citi Bike bicycle share system, which incidentally is the largest in the country, with stations across Jersey City, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens.

Follow the above tips and you should do just fine when it comes to finding a better-than-average Jersey City apartment. Make sure to take your time and consult with friends and trusted acquaintances, but if you see a great deal that makes all the sense in the world to take, do yourself a favor and jump on it.