We are planning to relocate from Bangalore, India to NYC in couple of months. I will be working in long island city. We are looking for suburbs in NJ closer to LIC that have good elementary schools, closer to train station, and good neighborhoods. What areas should I narrow down our search?

Also if someone can also let me know tentative cost of renting 2BHK ?

Thanks,

Ajay

What is 2BHK?

LIC is in Queens, so getting from NJ to LIC will require one or more changes of train or bus to get there. Your most direct route would be NJ transit train into Penn Station, then subway or Long Island RR to get to LIC.

Start here to see what NJ train lines are direct to NY Penn Station. As you can see, there are no direct trains from northern NJ into NYC - you'd have to change trains in Secaucus, or take a bus into NY.

https://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_serv...SchedulesMapTo

The OP should be looking at suburbs on Long Island, not in NJ. You're talking about an hour-plus commute to LIC regardless of where you might relocate to NJ. There are good school districts further out in Queens.

2BHK is sub-continent shorthand for 2 bedroom apartment.

2 bedroom, hall, kitchen.

In the US we'd call it a 2BR apartment.

Agree that NewJersey is a very bad choice for a job in LIC. It could easily be a 1.5 hour commute either way (you would have to take bus or train into NYC and there change for the subway to LIC). If you don;t want to live in NYC (there are some very nice areas in Queens, in which LIC is located) you are better off finding a place in the near part of Nassau County (where school are often much better than NYC - but you have to check each town) - and driving to work.

Note that both NJ towns and Nassau County towns are suburban and you will definitely need a car to get around.

Cost of 2 BR apt varies significantly from town to town. Those with the lowest rents will probably have poor schools and relatively high crime rates.

2 bedrooms in Forest Hills (a nice area in Queens) start at bout $2200 per month. And you can find similar in nearby nassau areas such as valley stream.

Rents for a 2BR apartment (or as OP says a 2BHK) will vary greatly depending on the town, the location in that town, the access to commuting, proximity to stores and size (sq. footage) of the unit - there's really no "one price fits all" category - you can pay anywhere from around $800 to upwards of $3,000 - it all depends on whether you want to live in the "poor" section of town or in an upscale neighborhood. The more amenities you want and the closer the apartment/rental unit is to public transportation the more costly it will be.

Also, living in NJ and working in LIC will mean a very long commute. As already pointed out if using public transportation you'll have to first make your way from NJ into mid-town NYC by either train or bus then take the subway and perhaps a bus to reach your work place. I lived in Bergen County NJ and commuted to mid-town for 22+ years and it ALWAYS took at least an hour and more often than not 90 minutes EACH WAY. Add another 30 to 45 minute to get from mid-town to some areas in LIC.


Think very carefully before deciding on living in NJ and working in LIC - instead look at areas on Long Island - you'll still have a commute but it will be much, much easier.

Don't know what your budget is… but Roosevelt Island might be of interest. It's in the East River between Manhattan and Long Island City (at its north end).Lots of rental housing… here's the newest offering http://octagonnyc.com/roosevelt-island

NJ is a horrendous option for a job in LIC for the reasons that RoamsAround and NYCtraveler have stated. Long Island (and Queens) is far superior, especially if you're close to an LIRR line that will transit through Jamaica station and connect with the trains to LIC.

Plus if you live in NJ, you'll have more taxes to pay - NY state income tax, NYC income tax, and NJ taxes.

Finally, if you live in Queens, your kids will be eligible for NYC's various top-notch magnet schools: Hunter, Stuyvesant, Bronx Science and Brooklyn Tech.

You might want to look farther out on Long Island as other posters have suggested. For example, the commute from LIRR's Huntington Station to Jamaica is less than an hour. You might look into the following school districts:Elwood, Northport, Half Hollow Hills, Kings Park, Smithtown, Cold Spring Harbor etc.

Adding to the advice of why NJ is a poor choice, the commute will not only be long, but expensive.
I agree that Forest Hills could be a good choice.

Thanks alot for your responses. I am very new to NYC hence i don't have much idea of the near by locations. I am fine with max 1hr commute time.

I am looking for 2BR in the budget of $1800 to $2200.

It is possible the OP has never been to the NYC area if this is his idea of where to live.
I suggest coming and renting something VERY close to his job in LIC on a short term basis in order to see the lay of the land. NJ for LIC job is just not workable.

I lived in northern NJ for years. Some really nice towns, many with excellent schools. However, many of them involve commutes by bus or car, as train service does not touch many of the towns. That means in bad weather, your commute time will increase to perhaps over 2 hours each way. I add my opinion to those saying do not live in NJ.

I would contact the Human Resources department of your new employer and ask them if they had recommendations. In the US, these departments often do more than interview people and process paperwork. I would also contact some realtors in the Long Island City area that handle rentals. You could find some names on Google.

That is where I would start. There are town close to LIC that would likely meet your needs. If you live in NJ you will come to hate your commute, job, and the US very quickly.

As stated above, I suggest you rent in Queens for a year and learn the area. There are a number of subway lines that stop in LIC. There is a large Indian population in Queens, to make the transition for comfortable.

I think your budget is on the low end for 2 BR apts if you want to live in a nicer neighborhood. (In queens $800 is more like a studio unless you live in the cheapest areas). If living in Queens the local schools are very important and I would google to see if you can get info on the various school areas. NYC is overall one large school district with about 1.1 million children - but esp in the elementary grades - there are major differences between one school and another and that will be a major factor for you.

Just so you are aware Queens is the most diverse county in the US, with residents coming from more than 110 different countries. There are sizable neighborhoods with residents from many different areas - including India, China, Korea and several hispanic and eastern european countries - and well as just about anything else you can think of.

You might want to google indian social or religious groups in Queens for more information.

Can't promise a max 1-hour commute from NJ to LIC. Can probably usually see max 90 minutes. And it's a very costly commute. If you drive, at least $15 in tolls.

NYT, he said EIGHTEEN hundred, not 800.

You will not have a max one-hour commute from NJ to LIC, you will likely have a MINIMUM one-hour commute. And G-d save you in bad weather.

Go live on Long Island or in Queens. As I said before, living in Queens makes your kids (this is why you want > 1 bedroom, right?) eligible for NYC's test-based magnets, which are among the top high schools in the WHOLE UNITED STATES, not just the NYC area.

I was responding not to the OP but to someone upthread who said in some areas 2 BRs are $800 - I didn;t want the OP to misunderstand and think that would be a "nice" area.

How about Edgewater, NJ? Is it close to LIC, NY?