There was a time when young professionals saw greener pastures as a move from a tiny apartment in Manhattan to a slightly larger apartment in one of Brooklyn’s sprawling neighborhoods. Proximity to Prospect Park, family-oriented eateries, and availability of shops and restaurants was the biggest get for Brooklyn-bound couples looking to start a family. However, as time has gone on, the prices in Brooklyn have skyrocketed. Many couples in their thirties and forties find the environment in Brooklyn to be frustrating. Increasingly, it’s feeling more and more like a rat race. You work as hard as you can to get as much space as you can, which in the end, is not enough. Families are squeezing into small apartments just to be in Brooklyn. Many people are asking: does it have to be this way? Is Brooklyn it?
In recent years, quite a few have found their answer — and no, Brooklyn does not have to be the end all be all. For many of those looking for perks such as an up and coming retail area, a short commute to the city, and beautiful views of the Hudson, Jersey City has been the answer.
Jersey City is New Jersey’s second largest city, and although it didn’t always have the tenets of an alluring area for young families, it’s changed a great deal in recent years. Jersey City now has many of the same accouterments that Brooklyn does – from cute cafes to charming bars to farm-to-table eating. As more families have flocked to Jersey City, so have day care centers and pediatricians. In a matter of only a few years, Jersey City has become a great place for families to call home.
Of course, if Jersey City is taking on many qualities of its New York counterpart, it’s what sets Jersey City apart from Brooklyn that’s spurring this trend. Rent is, by comparison, a great deal more affordable than in Brooklyn. Not only is the month-to-month dollar amount less, but families find themselves more space in Jersey City to boot.
Commutes, on the other hand, have the opposite effect. For one recent implant to Jersey City, the daily commute to midtown Manhattan went from over an hour from Brooklyn to just over a half hour from Jersey City. Some developments even offer free shuttle service from home to the PATH train, which many would-be New Yorkers see as a rather amenable option. Developers are also building complexes to offer other amenities, such as dog parks, spas, and on-site gardens.
Despite the uptick in young professionals moving to Jersey City, the area still has a stigma about it. For many New Yorkers, the idea of getting to and from Jersey City without the use of the subways is confusing. The PATH train, although functional and easy to navigate once one tries, has an air of mystery to it to New Yorkers who have never used it. Still, as many have already found and more will in the future, Jersey City has a lot to it once it’s given a chance.