Need advice about NYC/NJ move (Bergen County)

[BostonBrunette]

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I'm going to be starting residency at columbia-NYP in 2007 and am starting to look at the housing options. I would ideally like to keep my car and pay <$1800 for a 1 bedroom, and so am looking at living in Bergen County right across the GWB at the moment. I am not familiar with NYC much at all, drove through the Fort Lee, UWS, and Washington Heights area briefly, so I would be open to suggestions for other locations within an easy commute to work(White plains? scarsdale?).

I was looking online at the options in Bergen county--rentals, condos, coops, etc, and am seriously starting to feel overwhelmed. Some of the reviews i came across of certain apartment buildings were scary. . .Even a seemingly luxurious high rise "the Crest at Fort Lee" had more than one review warning of a cheating landlady from hell and shady maintenance staff (even a murder of a tenant by a maintenance employee 😱 )

Anyone here have any experience with renting in the area? What high rises are reputable? Realty companies to work with? to stay away from?

I'd also be up for advice on condos or coop complexes, if anyone has had any good experiences with those in the area.

 

[mysophobe]

Bergen County sucks. SoJo represent.

 

[BostonBrunette]

What's SoJo?

 

[rainking]

i feel for you

first of all. the reason why the above poster said bergen county sucks is because it is sooo freakin homogenous.. and the people are soo suburban... but the garden state plaza mall has some of the best stores and the best looking women than any mall i have been to. except the short hills mall in nearby short hills, NJ. I am originally from NYC did my residency in NJ for four years and lived in essex county.. NJ is cool if you are training there.. BUt if you have to travel to NYC every fuc king day that would literally suckk the life out of you. Maybe early in the morning it wouldnt be so bad.. but it woul dhave to be pretty early.. I would imagine you would take the George washington bridge into the city.. that bridge is crowded most of the time.. I was on it the other day at midnite... and there was a 30 minute wait at the toll.. I was like what the fck. how can it be crowded at midnite.. but they find a way. Plus its 6 bucks every time you cross that bridge.. (roundtrip). so unless you have a t errible aversion to living in the bowels of NYC it would be harder on you.. totally doable since a lot of people do the commute.. BUt i would go insane after 1 month of that ****. BUt nearby places you can live.. hackensack, hasbrouck heights, teaneck, leonia, fort lee, paramus .. anywhere close to the george washington bridge.. I would avoid places in hudson county(jersey city, hoboken west new york weehawken. they are closer to the lincoln and holland tunnels and it drops you off in lower manhattan and colunbia is way uptown. cliffside park prolly may not be a bad option..( that was the town in the movie BIG with tom hanks).. anyquestions feel free to pm me

 

[edmadison]

I concur with the above posters. I do not know about the hospital, but I assume you'll have to pay to park, which will not be cheap. Thus, you will pay to park add on paying for the GWB every day. With gas and insurance you will paying huge amounts per month for your car. NJ has some of the highest car insurance rates in the country.

Your hospital is accessible by subway which is great and gives you many options. To the North, Inwood is OK and on the rise, I have a friend who has a decent 1BR there. To the south, your best bet is the upper west side around 92nd. Really cool neighborhood, lots of young people. You could even live in some of the nice neighborhoods in Brooklyn and zip up on the express subway, but they only run locals at late hours.

I lived in Brooklyn and worked in Manhattan for four years. I really wanted a care, but quickly realized that I didn't need one. If I wanted to get away, I could rent a car for the weekend. The Subway in NYC is great. It goes everywhere you want to go (except the airport!).

Ed

 

[stephend7799]

The Subway in NYC is great.

Ed

What have you been smoking? the subway in NYC is one of the nastiest things in existence.. Ive been out on the island for about 2 years and havent got onto a subway in like 7 years and i do not miss it.. ITs a cattle car.. yuck yuck yuck...

 

[tr]

I'm going to be starting residency at columbia-NYP in 2007 and am starting to look at the housing options. I would ideally like to keep my car and pay <$1800 for a 1 bedroom

You could live in Inwood and find a 1-br for about that (or slightly more, but you'll save $100/mo on bridge tolls vs. NJ). You might even be able to keep the car if you scout out the parking situation first.

But you're right, if you don't want to live in the city your best bet for a short commute is the Ft Lee area. Yes, the GW bridge is crowded in the AM (probably a 20-30 minute delay in rush hour), but so is every other entrance to Manhattan.

South Bronx is not too far away either, though less than tony. White Plains/Scarsdale, probably a 40-minute commute at best - I wouldn't do that as a resident.

Really, I would just recommend living in Inwood/"Hudson Heights" for at least your intern year. Can you leave your car with someone until you figure out the situation?

 

[mysophobe]

What's SoJo?

South Jersey. Where the cool people hang out.

 

[stephend7799]

South Jersey. Where the cool people hang out.

the only people that live in south jersey are REDNECKS>. the further away from the shore the redder they become.. . TOMS RIVER IS PREtty rednecky

 

[stephend7799]

I'm going to be starting residency at columbia-NYP in 2007 and am starting to look at the housing options. I would ideally like to keep my car and pay <$1800 for a 1 bedroom, and so am looking at living in Bergen County right across the GWB at the moment. I am not familiar with NYC much at all, drove through the Fort Lee, UWS, and Washington Heights area briefly, so I would be open to suggestions for other locations within an easy commute to work(White plains? scarsdale?).

I was looking online at the options in Bergen county--rentals, condos, coops, etc, and am seriously starting to feel overwhelmed. Some of the reviews i came across of certain apartment buildings were scary. . .Even a seemingly luxurious high rise "the Crest at Fort Lee" had more than one review warning of a cheating landlady from hell and shady maintenance staff (even a murder of a tenant by a maintenance employee 😱 )

Anyone here have any experience with renting in the area? What high rises are reputable? Realty companies to work with? to stay away from?

I'd also be up for advice on condos or coop complexes, if anyone has had any good experiences with those in the area.

I thought columbia had subsidized housing... whats the deal.. but living in nj is totally doable... but traffic will be a pain... and its serious traffic.. just hope the president doesnt come to town during your residency

 

[mysophobe]

the only people that live in south jersey are REDNECKS>. the further away from the shore the redder they become.. . TOMS RIVER IS PREtty rednecky

What are you talking about? Have you ever been to Cherry Hill? Marlton? Medford? Mt. Laurel? Obviously not.

 

[Leukocyte]

Deleted

 

[DrHeartMD]

hi boston brunette,
I dont envy your situation...im starting my res at NYP columbia too and just went through the hassles of finding housing...basically, your budget is pretty decent, abnd surprisingly, you may be able to find a nice place in your budget in a great area like the UWS (but cant keep the car)...alternatively, like many people say here, you can live in inwood and keep the car, and spend the same, but the area isnt as nice (more homogenous, less diverse restaurants bars etc)...parking at columbia is 200 per month for residents, so factor that in, and it is kind of inconvenient since hte garage is very full(though not so bad early in the morning)...UWS very accessible by subway, and people who say the subways are bad (and who self admittedly havent been on them for 7 years) don't know what they are talking about...they are decent, not extremely clean, but VERY VERY good for daily commuting, plus you never worry bout parking, traffic, getting your car stolen (a real risk in wash heights, just recently there was a recent vandalism thing right around there)...seriously consider ditchign the car....

incidentally, mucgh of my fam lives in bergen county, and i considered living there since i went to school in NJ for a while...but to be hoenst, the commuyte in at any time is kind of miserable, and when you factor in car costs, bridge costs (6 bucks per day for 30 days is 180 bucks a month) gas, parking, etc etc etc...your talking about a lot of money...you will get more space but it may not be in aplace u want to be...you wont get any of the benefits of living "int he city"

nevertheless if your itnerested uin jersey, think of leonia/fort lee area because there is a separate exit ramp right onto the GWB so you can avoid the traffic on 80/95 for a bit...dont go farther than that...and btw, there is ALWAYS some truck that gets overturned like everyday there, so traffic is a real concern and it sucks to be coming in late every morning cuz of it...(your chiefs will HATE you)...

PM me if you have mre questions, as I very intricately considered all the options, and have worked stuff out...good luck

(out of curiosity what are you doing til 2007 - prelim? and whats your residency at presby)

 

[DrHeartMD]

btw...south jersey is ok...but not at ALL what the topic of this thread is about...

 

[BostonBrunette]

I thought columbia had subsidized housing... whats the deal.. but living in nj is totally doable... but traffic will be a pain... and its serious traffic.. just hope the president doesnt come to town during your residency

Well, columbia gives a $3000/yr housing stipend, but you have to find your own housing. The $3000 is a drop in the bucket, but I'm allowed to moonlight, so hopefully things wont be so bad. Cornell is the one with subsidized housing, but i hear it's pretty darned disgusting housing and your superiors know you're right there so I hear they are more likely to page residents after they're done at work, to come back to the hospital. So, I guess I prefer the Columbia version, but finding housing is VERY daunting.

Anyway, thanks so much for the all the suggestions so far. I am still leaning towards the Ft. Lee/Englewood/Leonia/etc. vicinity. I know the GWB commute is gonna cost about $300 a month. (If i get EZpass, it's $2 off for the off-peak hours, so $8 round-trip). But I figure the rent in NJ is going to be that much cheaper than Manhattan anyway, plus parking with NJ high rises is usually free (not so with Manhattan, if even available). I will need to pay like $150/month for parking at the med center.

As for depending on the subway to get to work, I do agree with whoever said the subways are disgusting. I could live with disgusting, but my main issue is that in the wee hours of the night or morning, I dont think i'd feel safe with that mode of transportation. And if I live in an area accessible by subway, I am not eligible for a parking spot at NYP. As for traffic, hmm, well, i hear that at 5:00-5:30 am the GWB commute is usually like 10-15 minutes. The problem would thus be for the commute home, but I was thinking I could just find something to do in Manhattan until rush hour blows over (like join a gym there and go work out after work).

I haven't looked into Inwood Park though yet. . .I have heard of some residents living there. I'd have to go check out the area and see if I'd feel safe there. Washington Heights is definitely out in that respect (sorry, I'm a safety freak!!).

 

[stephend7799]

hi boston brunette,
bad early in the morning)...UWS very accessible by subway, and people who say the subways are bad (and who self admittedly havent been on them for 7 years) don't know what they are talking about...they are decent, not extremely clean, but VERY VERY good for daily commuting, plus you never worry bout parking, traffic, getting your car stolen (a real risk in wash heights, just recently there was a recent vandalism thing right around there)...seriously consider ditchign the car....

)

dude, did they do something about the homeless peoples secretions or the homeless people in the last seven years.. I think not.. It is ****** disgusting the NY city subway.. I dont think my life would be worth living if i had to get on that thing on a daily basis again... I left NY for a reason.. Its a cesspool.. I agree with boston brunette.. going 10 miles away into jersey is a world of difference.. its a normal world.. but the commute sucks.. IT may be worth it though if you are a really pretty girl boston.. Prettyu girls do not need to be taking a subway at all.


*****Edited By Administrator for Profanity

 

[mysophobe]

Agreed. Living in Jersey is definitely worth the commute. If I wanted to smell like piss and homeless people, I'd work in the ER.

 

[tr]

I know the GWB commute is gonna cost about $300 a month. (If i get EZpass, it's $2 off for the off-peak hours, so $8 round-trip). But I figure the rent in NJ is going to be that much cheaper than Manhattan anyway, plus parking with NJ high rises is usually free (not so with Manhattan, if even available). I will need to pay like $150/month for parking at the med center.

So you're going to have to pay $450/mo less to break even living in NJ. I doubt you'll find a much bigger discount than that. There are a lot of people who have the same idea you do; rents in areas of NJ close to the bridges and tunnels approach NY prices.

As for depending on the subway to get to work, I do agree with whoever said the subways are disgusting. I could live with disgusting, but my main issue is that in the wee hours of the night or morning, I dont think i'd feel safe with that mode of transportation. And if I live in an area accessible by subway, I am not eligible for a parking spot at NYP.

Subway is very safe. There are people on it at all hours of the night. Yucky, but safe.

As for traffic, hmm, well, i hear that at 5:00-5:30 am the GWB commute is usually like 10-15 minutes. The problem would thus be for the commute home, but I was thinking I could just find something to do in Manhattan until rush hour blows over (like join a gym there and go work out after work).

That is not true. I had to do the 5:30 AM drive over the GWB a few times last month, and it is already way backed up. It typically took me half an hour to get from Leonia to Washington Heights. At 5:30 AM. Not counting parking time. AM rush hour lasts till about 8:45 (bridge clears up after that). PM rush is long too, goes till 7 or so. Do not count on being able to get in in 15 minutes in the morning. It will not happen. I suggest you try the drive once yourself before you commit to an apt.

I haven't looked into Inwood Park though yet. . .I have heard of some residents living there. I'd have to go check out the area and see if I'd feel safe there. Washington Heights is definitely out in that respect (sorry, I'm a safety freak!!).

The area between 181st and Fort Tryon, west of Broadway, is clean, quiet, residential, and safe. Really. (In fact, out of all US cities with populations >500,000, NYC is the fourth safest overall - after San Jose CA, El Paso TX, and Honolulu HI.
http://www.morganquitno.com/cit06pop.htm#25)

I am at CU-Presby right now (as you've prolly figured out) for med school, and there is someone in our program who actually moved out to Ft Lee and then moved back a years later because the commute was so annoying.

 

[stephend7799]

NYC has some great medical centers.. but the quality of life is so poor that i am not sure it is worth it.. in fact i know its not.. I know its discouraging you boston brunette.. But you will be hardened by NY.. I dont know any other city that is so difficult to live in.. even if you are an attending in NY you cannot afford to live in a nice place in manhattan..

If you attend the cleveland clinic you can find phenomenal places to live within a 10 mintue drive.. same thing with pittsburgh same thing with maryland same thing with Los Angeles.. and boston

 

[DrHeartMD]

dude, did they do something about the homeless peoples secretions or the homeless people in the last seven years.. I think not.. It is ***** disgusting the NY city subway.. I dont think my life would be worth living if i had to get on that thing on a daily basis again... I left NY for a reason.. Its a cesspool.. I agree with boston brunette.. going 10 miles away into jersey is a world of difference.. its a normal world.. but the commute sucks.. IT may be worth it though if you are a really pretty girl boston.. Prettyu girls do not need to be taking a subway at all.

everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I am glad you expressed yours...nevertheless, its important that you take some time to check out the subways...actually, Ive taken the subways many times in that area, and its relatively safe...there is always subway security at the 168th st station, and most of the stops on uws are decently located...a city is a city, and filth will always be present...but NY has been improving STEADILY over the past few years, and they actually have done a lot int he last seven years to improve that...perhaps this wouldnt be a bad time to check the subways out again, you may be especially surprised...besides that, they are in fact a very convenient mode of transportation used by millions of people per day, so the reality is that they can't be that bad...incidentally, perhaps your idea of beauty is skewed...I have seen absolutely BEAUTIFUL girls taking the subway...maybe the view has changed in the last 7 years...to be honest...im not sure if people save that much by moving to jersey, and having lived in NJ for a while, I can tell you that there are goods and bads to being there...the reality is its a personal choice, but the commute will be much more than you think, and it always will be...bridges and tunnels are always clogged, and its inconvenient...NYC is just not made to be easily accessed by cars...take care BB, and I will respond to your PM soon...let me know if you have any other questions...good luck to everyone

 

[OUsooner]

What do u people consider a bad commute? Just curious. For me anything over 45 min. (one way) is flat out nuts to pull off on a daily basis during residency.

As far as where u can live: If you want to smell like piss and have a commute from hell you could live in Sewark - easily the most dispicable city in America. 👎

 

[Leukocyte]

NYC has some great medical centers.. but the quality of life is so poor that i am not sure it is worth it.. in fact i know its not.. I know its discouraging you boston brunette.. But you will be hardened by NY.. I dont know any other city that is so difficult to live in....

👍

NYC is just not for everyone. The people I know who like NYC are from NYC/Newark. It is a tough city. I sympathize with the people who HAVE TO live here. I am glad I a leaving soon. This is only my personal opinion.

Good Luck.

 

[Leukocyte]

Prettyu girls do not need to be taking a subway at all.

I was surprized to know that the MTA has a yearly beauty contest for "Ms. Subway." 😱

 

[architbhatt]

best and safest if you are at columbia pres.

 

[neutropenic]

Another random factor to continue.

If you live outside the NY city limits (i.e. not in the 5 boroughs) you won't have to pay NYC income tax on your income, which could save you ~3.5% of your pay.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/business/business_tax_nys_income.shtml

 

[BostonBrunette]

best and safest if you are at columbia pres.

Riverdale looks kinda far though, no?

 

[KluverBucy]

I was surprized to know that the MTA has a yearly beauty contest for "Ms. Subway." 😱

dude, i've never seen any sort of a$$ on the MTA.. even with the assistance of the latest, most revolutionary model of Beer Goggles.

as far as Newark goes, i literally would rather shoot myself than be forced to live in that piece of $hit place. it's a collection of ghettos, combined to form the boundaries of what some would call a city. i prefer to use the term landfill to describe the mess known as Newark. it's devastating. it's def the worst place in america. i would rather live in the best places of third world countries, than reside in Newark. damn, i hate that place. can u tell?

 

[gutonc]

Riverdale is just over the HH bridge from the northern tip of Manhattan. I've never driven it at rush hour but it shouldn't be to long. And you can get on the 1 train and be there shortly. Plus you might be able to find something cheaper than in Teaneck/Ft. Lee.

BE

 

[Retinamark]

Some of the reviews i came across of certain apartment buildings were scary. . .

What website did you use to find reviews of apartment buildings?

I've found these helpful, but would love to find more:
http://www.apartmentratings.com
http://www.thecityreview.com/home.html

 

[OUsooner]

What website did you use to find reviews of apartment buildings?

I've found these helpful, but would love to find more:
http://www.apartmentratings.com
http://www.thecityreview.com/home.html

I used apartment ratings extensively when lookin for an apt in Chicago. I, luckily, found a place with a 93% rating (after >10 opinions). That being said, the ratings need to be taken with a handful of salt. It seems that many of the rants are over the top and honestly I have talked to people (personal friends) living in some of the buildings, with a couple of horror stories, and they honestly had no complaints. A good rule of thumb for apartments (with more than just a couple ratings) is to throw out the two or three best ratings and also the two or three worst ratings. See where the rest fall.

 

[MBK2003]

Riverdale is just over the HH bridge from the northern tip of Manhattan. I've never driven it at rush hour but it shouldn't be to long. And you can get on the 1 train and be there shortly. Plus you might be able to find something cheaper than in Teaneck/Ft. Lee.

BE

Having been at CPMC for the past 3 yrs, having lived in Riverdale and the South Bronx, having driven to campus and taken the subway, and having looked for homes in NJ I can offer my observations.

Campus parking is $196/mo and the GWB is $5-6/day depending on time of day. Time spent waiting to cross the bridge in the morning is totally variable and dependent on whether you're coming from the Fort Lee exit (usually quick until 6:30am), 80/95 (always slow), and the Palisades Parkway (again quick until 7am). I know medicine residents living in NJ who come in at 7am even though they don't have to be in until 8am just because it's impossible to not spend at least 30 min waiting at the NJ tolls at 7:30am. I guess if you're doing surgery or anesthesia it's less of an issue.

Riverdale is a nice area to live - trees, grass, nice park, but no movie theater and limited takeout selection at 8pm. Rents are substantially less than the UWS and the apartments are bigger. Also, it's easier to find street parking in Riverdale. I wouldn't recommend driving from Riverdale simply because it's $4/day on the Henry Hudson Bridge (traffic is okay until 8am or so) and the 1 train is easy and relatively safe. I took it home at 1am many, many times during internship without a problem. The other thing to consider is that living in NYC with a car puts your minimum car insurance at $900/6mo. Also the internal medicine department last year (and I think this year) has a program with a car service that will drive you home if your are leaving after 9pm.

Inwood is better than Washington Heights to live in, up and coming neighborhood arts and improving restaurants. Rents are less than UWS and slightly more than Riverdale. Street parking can be hard sometimes and garage parking is $200-300/mo. Also accessible by A/C, 1 train, or the M4 bus line.

I drive into campus from the South Bronx simply because of the absence of a direct train route. Driving has it's perks, particularly on night float when it's a 20 min drive. However, traffic around campus and the parking garage can be a total nightmare at peak traffic hours and you can spend 20 minutes just trying to get 2 blocks away from the garage. Also, I really hate parting with nearly a $1000 every 6 months for car insurance.

Well, columbia gives a $3000/yr housing stipend, but you have to find your own housing.

This actually turns out to be less than $1500/yr after all the taxes they take out. Columbia does have campus housing, you just have to ask and be persistent. It's around the campus and can be hit or miss in terms of the quality. However, the price is outstanding - slightly less than $1000/mo for 1 bedroom.

Good luck!
MBK2003

 

[radonc]

everyone here who is complaining about 'living in nyc' should stop cuz they had the opportunity to look elsewhere in the US when interviewing for a residency program. that said, living in NYC is an experience, albeit an expensive one. its a unique lifestyle that most people do not get a chance to experience. savor it. and stop complaining.

and those of you who dont live in NYC and are bashing it, you are some ig'nant fools.

 

[stephend7799]

Riverdale looks kinda far though, no?

may not be a bad option.. still the bronx.. but nice part of the bronx.. more convenient then jersey but you wont get the convenience like big supermarkets.. easy shopping.. multiplex movie theatres... easy ass parking. and what knot.. but a lot of history in riverdale...

 

[stephend7799]

everyone here who is complaining about 'living in nyc' should stop cuz they had the opportunity to look elsewhere in the US when interviewing for a residency program. that said, living in NYC is an experience, albeit an expensive one. its a unique lifestyle that most people do not get a chance to experience. savor it. and stop complaining.

and those of you who dont live in NYC and are bashing it, you are some ig'nant fools.

well i DO NOT Live in nYC any i got freakin smart and got out.. It was wayy too inconvenient for me. and i found myself paying through the nose for stuff i dont even use.. i dont know how people deal with all that..

 

[Retinamark]

.. It was wayy too inconvenient for me. and i found myself paying through the nose for stuff i dont even use.. i dont know how people deal with all that..

like what kind of stuff??

like doormen for example, do they constantly have their hands out for tips? I've never lived in NY but am moving there for a year soon, so all this stuff fascinates me.
thanks

 

[BostonBrunette]

Wow thanks to everyone for all the useful advice!! My bad, I was looking at Riverdale, NJ on the map (which is way out in NJ) until I spotted a "Riverdale Ave" and "Riverdale Park" in northern Manhattan and figured that was probably what you guys were referring to. I will look into whether I can get campus housing and actually be able to park there. If the rent is that much cheaper, i guess it'll balance out the higher insurance rate and the ~$200/mo for parking. I'll look into all the suggestions made here--Riverdale, Inwood, etc. Thanks this helps a lot, i think i have a clearer idea of my options.

 

[JKP]

You may also want to consider Edgewater, NJ right across the GWB... there's a CU resident who lives there now and loves it... 15 min door-to-door (but at 5am).

Another resident lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and comes in by subway... how?!

Another one lives in the UWS and rides a cab in every morning! HAHAHAHA!

Forest Hills, Queens was a beautiful and ideal mix of urban/suburban living...
20 min subway ride into Manhattan,
great shopping on Austin Street,
10 min from LGA, 15 from JFK, lots of young stewardesses live here!
drive to CU in 20 min (Grand Central, Triboro Bridge, Cross Bronx, beautiful! but at 5-6 am!)
plenty of street parking in residential area
20 min drive to Robert Moses Beach on LI!

Just moved to Essex/Union Cnty, NJ and loving it here, too!!!

PM me for more details if you'd like!

Wow thanks to everyone for all the useful advice!! My bad, I was looking at Riverdale, NJ on the map (which is way out in NJ) until I spotted a "Riverdale Ave" and "Riverdale Park" in northern Manhattan and figured that was probably what you guys were referring to. I will look into whether I can get campus housing and actually be able to park there. If the rent is that much cheaper, i guess it'll balance out the higher insurance rate and the ~$200/mo for parking. I'll look into all the suggestions made here--Riverdale, Inwood, etc. Thanks this helps a lot, i think i have a clearer idea of my options.

 

[shtarker]

Born and raised in Bergen County - lived there for 28 years. Worked for seveal years before med school. Did the NYC commute daily for a few years. DO NOT DO IT. You'll be miserable. Your day off will be great in Jersey but you will hate life after dealing with that commute and all the psychos on the road in the NY metro area. Also, you only have to pay the GWB (or Lincoln/Holland/etc) toll going into NYC, so only $4 (with EZ-Pass) round-trip. Lastly, most people consider Harlem a dirty word, but I know of a number of people who live in pretty decent apartments there. Check it out.

 

[stephend7799]

Born and raised in Bergen County - lived there for 28 years. Worked for seveal years before med school. Did the NYC commute daily for a few years. DO NOT DO IT. You'll be miserable. Your day off will be great in Jersey but you will hate life after dealing with that commute and all the psychos on the road in the NY metro area. Also, you only have to pay the GWB (or Lincoln/Holland/etc) toll going into NYC, so only $4 (with EZ-Pass) round-trip. Lastly, most people consider Harlem a dirty word, but I know of a number of people who live in pretty decent apartments there. Check it out.

amen to you brother