New Jersey is often treated like New York City’s loud, somewhat gawky younger cousin…but have you seen her lately? Talk about a glow up!
“I love New Jersey—it’s such a hidden gem,” says Jen Tripucka, founder of The Local Girl Media Group, who has lived in Hoboken for a decade and considers it one of the best places to live in New Jersey (near NYC). “It gets a bad rap sometimes, and I think it’s really just an amazing place: there’s mountains, lakes, amazing restaurants, the Jersey shore is beautiful…there’s so much to see here and do, and it’s such an awesome place to live.”
Case in point: these six New Jersey towns, all of which are a quick commute from Manhattan and offer charms galore.
“You get more space for your money, typically,” says StreetEasy Expert and Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker Gregory I. Cohen of these best places to live in New Jersey (near NYC). In Hoboken and Jersey City, Cohen says, “Most [units] are condos so you’re not dealing with co-ops or crazy boards, like you typically would in the city. And there’s awesome nightlife, just like the city.”
Read on to find out why we think you might love living in these New Jersey commuter towns — from Bayonne to Weehawken — so much.
Bayonne
Surrounded on three sides by water, this town really puts the “Bay” in Bayonne. Residents love the proximity to Staten Island’s many thrills (such as Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, the former 19th century estate of shipping magnate Robert Richard Randall), but find there’s plenty to do in Bayonne proper. Something worth considering: the Bayonne Golf Club, where members can play rolling links that look transported from Scotland itself. You also won’t go hungry, thanks to a plethora of crave-inducing restaurants. Do not miss the fiercely authentic stuffed scallops at Rincon de España, or the pink vodka sauce and shrimp pizza at Cafe Bello.
You’ll find all manner of housing styles here, including many single family homes set over garages. (Translation: no more storage wars!) To commute with public transportation into Manhattan, you can hop on an NJ Transit bus or Hudson Bergen Light Rail to Jersey City, where PATH trains and ferries await.
Estimated Commute to Midtown Manhattan: 1 hour by public transit, 30 minutes by car
Median Asking Price (2023): $540,000
Bayonne Homes Under $800K on StreetEasy Article continues below
East Newark
With its international airport and show-stopping art museum, The Newark Museum of Art, on its Rutgers campus, Newark gets all the fanfare. But cross the Passaic River and you’ll find the charm-stocked East Newark, where residents find plenty to obsess over. No wonder East Newark is one of the best places to live in New Jersey near NYC.
Topping our list in this area, quite literally, is the gleaming Tops Diner in Harrison, a regional mecca since 1942 for its Mad Men-ready Art Deco interiors and dishes that will power up your commute (the Jersey Madame sandwich is a local fave). Still hungry? Pic-Nic is as transformative as a trip to Portugal itself, thanks to dishes like chicken breast in lemon sauce and pork steaks in garlic sauce. For East Newark residents whose favorite thing on a Friday night is to DIY cocktails, Liquor Warehouse is a particularly agreeable neighbor.
Housing options range from single family homes to multi-unit apartment buildings, all of which are a fairly quick commute into “the city” via New Jersey Transit.
Editor’s Note: There are currently no listings on StreetEasy in East Newark, but you can save your search for homes in that town and get notified when a listing appears.
Estimated Commute to Midtown Manhattan: 1 hour by public transit, 30 minutes by car
Median Asking Price (2023): Not available due to insufficient data
Fort Lee
If you’re looking for a suburban feeling with all the perks of an urban one, one of the best places to live in New Jersey near NYC is inarguably Fort Lee — perched atop the leafy and lush cliffs of riverside Palisades Park. Towering condos and co-op buildings provide ample housing, most of which is within walking distance of perks aplenty, including beloved Korean restaurants such as BCD Tofu House (known for its addictive bibimbap and bulgogi), hotplate spot Gamja Tang Tang, and Gammeeok, which is open 24/7 — ideal if you’re craving braised pork belly and pickled cabbage at 2 a.m.
Want to get into Manhattan? Just hop aboard a New Jersey Transit bus, which can have you from Fort Lee to Washington Heights in about 10 minutes with a quick trip over the George Washington Bridge.
Estimated Commute to Midtown Manhattan: 40 minutes by public transit, 25 minutes by car
Median Asking Price (2023): $458,888
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Hoboken
Proof Hoboken exudes cool: Frank Sinatra was born here. Just across the Hudson River from the West Village, Hoboken is “a mini city with small town vibes,” says Tripucka, whose media group includes popular Instagram account @thehobokengirl. “It’s a respite from NYC as well as feeling like it’s got its whole own community. Hoboken has its own heartbeat, with a really good quality of life. It’s one of the most walkable cities in the country.”
One of her favorite must-try restaurants is Augustino’s, where dishes like prime rib-eye steak pizzaiola are so coveted that reservations fill up fast (the restaurant reportedly has only eight tables).
Cohen loves Dino & Harry’s, a tin-ceilinged 19th century saloon that feels very “Gangs of New Jersey.” But one of his favorite things about Hoboken that makes it one of the best places to live in New Jersey near NYC is the convenience factor: “PATH buses are literally in and out of the city every 10 to 15 minutes,” he says. “It’s a great place to be.”
Plus, if you live in Hoboken, you can regularly wander Sinatra’s childhood haunts with the walking tour provided by the Hoboken Historical Museum — and even stop by 909 Hudson Street, the glamorous brownstone he bought his parents.
Estimated Commute to Midtown Manhattan: 25 minutes by public transit, 30 minutes by car
Median Asking Price (2023): $865,000
Hoboken Homes Under $800K on StreetEasy Article continues below
Jersey City
Just south of Hoboken, Jersey City offers a dazzling view, especially after dusk, when the Manhattan skyline twinkles across the water. “The views can’t really be beat,” Cohen says (worth noting that he also can’t get enough of the Manhattan views from Sinatra Drive in Hoboken). It’s only the start of the wow factor in Jersey City, where residents love Liberty State Park so much that it has garnered a whopping 27,000 Google Reviews and has no fewer than five stars.
If you’re a foodie, you’re in luck, too — this is one of the best places to live in New Jersey for a true taste of what the NYC metro area has to offer. “Jersey City’s Razza pizza is incredible — and was featured in the New York Times as ‘New York’s best pizza…is in New Jersey,’” says Tripucka. “Jersey City has a plethora of food options, and really the sky is the limit — everything from Bangladeshi food at Korai Kitchen (also NYT acclaimed) to Bread and Salt’s infamous breads and doughs in Jersey City Heights.”
Manhattanites will find plenty of architectural gems in the housing options, including sleek high-rise condos and apartments overlooking the river and standalone single family homes.
Estimated Commute to Midtown Manhattan: 45 minutes by public transit, 20 minutes by car
Median Asking Price (2023): $715,000
Jersey City Homes Under $800K on StreetEasy Article continues below
Weehawken
Set on the span of riverfront overlooking Hudson Yards, Weehawken is just as fun to live in as its name — believed to be a word of the region’s Lenni-Lenape indigenous tribe — is to say. For starters, it’s a quick jump to New York City: a mere 10 minute bus ride from Lincoln Harbor to Port Authority Bus Terminal.
But there are a plethora of reasons you’ll want to stay in Weehawken in your extracurricular hours, including a topnotch park, Weehawken Waterfront Park and Recreation Center, where Midtown Manhattan’s spires twinkle over the Hudson River. The best place to treat yourself to the iconic view while indulging in a toothsome dinner is arguably the glitzy Chart House, where dishes include herb crusted prime rib and the spot is so cinematic it was featured on the TLC show “Cake Boss.” Another recently opened restaurant that wows: Blu on the Hudson, which rolls out covetable sushi (including a Weehawken Roll with spicy hamachi, hokkaido scallops and ichimi potato crunch).
When history obsessives come visit you, be sure to take them to the Weehawken Dueling Grounds, the exact site of (you guessed it) the infamous duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr’s duel in 1804. These days, we’re glad Weehawken’s dueling days are over…unless you count arguments over the best places to live in New Jersey. Our opinion? Like our favorite Sinatra song, it’s impossible to pick.
Estimated Commute to Midtown Manhattan: 10 minutes by public transit, 25 minutes by car
Median Asking Price (2023): $997,000
Weehawken Homes Under $800K on StreetEasy Article continues below
