[Seif Hassan]

Greetings community! I am a college student who hails from Edison, New Jersey. I recently got accepted into New York University (NYU). Knowing how the traffic and housing price like in Manhattan, I have to, unfortunately, think about the idea of commuting to and from Jersey City/Edison. Since Jersey City is closer to Manhattan, that would be my main alternative. Is it worth it to get part-time jobs to stay in Manhattan while I am studying? Is the commute too long and not worth it? Help this broke college student figure out the right way LOL

[Marissa Santos]

Hello there! I used to live in Lower Manhattan for a couple of years before moving to San Francisco. What I can say is that I totally agree with the rent being super expensive! I preferred the city lifestyle so I chose to live in Lower Manhattan despite having the choice to commute. However, I know a lot of my friends who do commute using the train system that they have to connect NY with NJ. If I am not mistaken, there is also the transit bus and commuter vans alternatives. But then, you also need to consider if your apartment is not directly close to the bus/van/train stops, then you would technically be vehicle-less, and need to find alternative transportation to get you home. Same thing with the stops in NY. You might need to find alternative transportation methods if it is not within close proximity to your campus. While it may seem relatively cheap, you need to actually sit down and do the monthly expenditure calculations (add all transportation costs with the rent and utilities) and see if the cost is worth the trouble. Also, this may not be a surprise to you, but, more people are also having the same thought process as you, so, inevitably the rent in Jersey City will also rise considerably. Some friends told me that while you may have more space in Jersey City, the rent amounts to about the same price now due to the location’s high popularity among commuters. Again, you might want to wait for someone who actually commutes to come up with their insight but that is my two cents on your question. Hope that helps! 

[Seif Hassan]

Thank you, Marissa, for your insights. I tried researching all the different points that you shared and got pointed to some amazing resources. Keep in touch maybe you might be able to help me further clarify some of the points you’ve eloquently shared.