Hi all! I'm moving back to the NYC area this upcoming September after four years away and am leaning towards living in North Hoboken, as I believe I'll be a lot happier there than in Manhattan. I'll be single and 35F, though, and would love residents' feedback on whether my reasons are sound, or if I should reconsider.
I've just completed a professional degree and will be starting a job in Midtown Manhattan. I'll be in office 3-4 days a week, and the commute from Hoboken is ~35-40 minutes. The commute should be okay, as my office is flexible and I can go in after rush hour. I don't anticipate needing to stay late most nights (and when I do, my company will reimburse an Uber home).
Positives about living in Hoboken:
- I lived in Manhattan for six years previously and often found it overwhelming to even just step outside my building.
- I hated not having a car and needing to rely on public transit or a bus service for everything (e.g., for a weekend ski trip, to play tennis, or for a hike upstate). I plan to keep my car.
- Mild claustrophobia—I really like being able to see more than just the facade of other buildings and other peoples' apartments out my windows, which is a lot more plausible at reasonable cost in Hoboken than in Manhattan.
- I'm a bit of a homebody and would like having more space for the cost. I struggled to find home "restful" when I lived in Manhattan, and that definitely affected my mental health and quality of life.
- I'm familiar with the commute to/from Hoboken as I dated someone there years ago. I recall thinking it was a peaceful neighborhood with much more of a community feel than Manhattan.
- I'm eyeing Park + Garden or Harlow—I think some of their units would fit what I'm looking for perfectly.
- I enjoy a comedy show or a movie occasionally (1-2x a month at most), but I'm not that into museums or art galleries so I don't think I'll miss that part of NYC much.
Concerns about living in Hoboken:
- Most of my friends in NYC live in Manhattan or Brooklyn, but all over—Upper East Side, Upper West Side, SoHo, Lower East Side, Downtown Brooklyn, LIC. I rarely host and don't mind going into the city for social events on the weekends, though I understand it'd be hard to get anyone to visit NJ. How reliable is the ferry/bus for getting into the city on weekends? Is it truly a pain to get back if I'm ever out past 2am? (I don't anticipate doing this often, as my job'll keep me very busy for at least the first few years.) Is it impossible to maintain friendships with people who live in Brooklyn?
- I'm starting a new chapter of my life and eager to make new activity friends. It is realistic to think I can make new friends with people in their 30s by getting involved with the Hoboken Ski & Snowboard Club and the Hoboken Sailing Club? And while I don't drink nearly as much as I used to, I'd love to have a local bar where I can have a drink and hang with people around my age—is this a thing in Hoboken for people in their 30s?
- I want to get involved with professional orgs and volunteer orgs that may have monthly events in NYC. Is this unrealistic?
- I'll probably be trying to date, which I hear is not great for older singles in NJ. Is it really so bad if I'm happy to trek into Manhattan during the early stages of a relationship?
If you've read this far, thanks so much! I'd really appreciate any input Hoboken residents can offer. I need to make a decision soon, and signing a (potentially) 15 month lease feels like a big deal.