I was born and raised a New Yorker (Bronx, NY). After 3 year of religiously saving money, it was time to purchase real estate and I had a real dilemma: where should I live? I work in lower Manhattan and was mostly familiar with The Bronx and Westchester. I narrowed my search to White Plains, Brooklyn (Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, or Park Slope), and Jersey City. White Plains seemed perfect because it was an up and coming city and is close to my family, but the commute and commuting costs (bus to Metro North to MTA) was bound to add up. I have always loved Brooklyn for its brownstones and have family there, but the maintenance costs ($1,000+) seemed staggering. I decided on Jersey City because of its minimal commute (30 minutes door to door), lower real estate / maintenance costs, and nothing beats the water view of Manhattan and the Statute of Liberty. I patiently did my research and decided on the Paulus Hook neighborhood with its historic brownstones and family atmosphere (it seems like everyone either has a dog or a young child - I have neither, but it makes the neighborhood quaint). It is also within the boundaries of the Urban Enterprise Zone - it allows business to charge only 50% of the sales tax rate (3.5%). I've lived in Jersey City since 2007 - I'm still slowly exploring and finding great new things to do.
I was born and raised a New Yorker (Bronx, NY). After 3 year of religiously saving money, it was time to purchase real estate and I had a real dilemma: where should I live? I work in lower Manhattan and was mostly familiar with The Bronx and Westchester. I narrowed my search to White Plains, Brooklyn (Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, or Park Slope), and Jersey City. White Plains seemed perfect because it was an up and coming city and is close to my family, but the commute and commuting costs (bus to Metro North to MTA) was bound to add up. I have always loved Brooklyn for its brownstones and have family there, but the maintenance costs ($1,000+) seemed staggering. I decided on Jersey City because of its minimal commute (30 minutes door to door), lower real estate / maintenance costs, and nothing beats the water view of Manhattan and the Statute of Liberty. I patiently did my research and decided on the Paulus Hook neighborhood with its historic brownstones and family atmosphere (it seems like everyone either has a dog or a young child - I have neither, but it makes the neighborhood quaint). It is also within the boundaries of the Urban Enterprise Zone - it allows business to charge only 50% of the sales tax rate (3.5%). I've lived in Jersey City since 2007 - I'm still slowly exploring and finding great new things to do.
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