So Why Hoboken?

Before I go into all of the pluses of Hoboken let me explain why it took me 18 years to come back. The main reason was commuting distances to the jobs I've had. After school I left the area to serve in the Navy for 6 1/2 years. I then returned to NJ but my job was in Allendale and I thought the commute would be too long so I rented a place in Montclair. Five years ago I moved to Port Jefferson Long Island to work for a medical device start up company out there. A year ago I moved to Manhattan and commuted to my job on Long Island. But this past May I was laid off and my lease was up and since I wanted to move back to NJ I thought Hoboken would be a good place to live.

So why is Hoboken such a good place to live? Here are a few reasons I like Hoboken:

1. Small city feel. You can walk everywhere in Hoboken, its only a square mile! Plus most of the streets are lined with row houses or brownstones that are not much taller than 4 stories. I actually have a maple tree outside my front window. The neighbors are friendly and the two I've met have lived in their homes for 15 and 30 years.
2. Less expensive. My place in Hoboken is larger than my Manhattan apartment but the rent is over $1000 cheaper. Granted my Manhattan apartment was near Lincoln Center with a great view of the NY State theater so we aren't completely comparing apples to apples. In addition restaurants are cheaper here in Hoboken and if you frequent the many byob restaurants you can save a lot on drinks. Lastly, if you work outside of NYC you don't have to pay the city tax.
3. Great waterfront parks. While the waterfront parks are not as large or stretch as far along the coast as the Hudson River park in Manhattan the views are much more impressive from Hoboken, especially at night with a full moon.
4. New York is close by. I have a few friends who live in Manhattan and Brooklyn and its nice to know that I can get to the city quickly via the Path, ferries or buses.
   
5. Closer to family. My family lives in New Jersey, only a 25 minute drive away with no tunnel tolls!

Those are the main reasons I chose to move to Hoboken and after being here a month I think I made a good choice.