With rising real estate prices in the Big Apple, many New Yorkers are making an exodus from the city to a slower pace in nearby New Jersey. Only fifteen miles separate Newark from Manhattan, and the slightly smaller and less cosmopolitan Jersey City is a mere eight miles from the Upper East Side. With the city so close and commuter trains running daily, it’s no surprise that plenty of young professionals are relocating to New Jersey.
In addition, born-and-bred Jersey kids are settling down here, too. If you thought that millennials born in a town with one liquor store would be chomping at the bit to move to Brooklyn, you’d be wrong. Considering relocation yourself? This moving company in Hamilton, NJ can help you make your dreams a reality.
Affordability
This is a no-brainer for anyone who has so much as gone out for dinner in the city that never sleeps. The cost of living in New York City is simply not realistic for plenty of millennial working professionals, and it is next to impossible to afford to buy a home in the affluent, family-friendly neighborhoods of Brooklyn where young families may wish to raise children.
New Jersey, on the other hand, boasts a lower cost of living while still offering plenty of safe and aesthetically pleasing neighborhood choices, including some of the most coveted beach towns in the country. Camden and Essex counties are the most affordable in the state, while Middlesex and Somerset are the wealthiest. Where you choose to settle will depend entirely on your income.
Proximity to New York
With an increasing number of millennials choosing self-employment, freelance gigs, and remote working for companies based in New York, it makes sense that many are opting to live in nearby Jersey.
If you are a remote worker like 70% of the global population, you might see the appeal of living close to the action while distant enough that the hassle of living in the middle of the city won’t impact you on a day-to-day basis. If you need to commute into the city to attend a business meeting or a networking event, you can easily do so in half an hour or less.
Laidback Lifestyle
If you’re a fan of beach towns with fun nightlife, exciting activities, and great dining, New Jersey is an obvious choice. Asbury Park is a popular spring break destination, and your grandparents may have chosen to retire in one of the quirky towns along the coast.
While an assisted living community in Boonton, NJ might not be your end game for a few decades, you can find plenty to occupy your time as a young person. In fact, Jersey is becoming pretty hipster-friendly overall. Highland Park is a leafy urban area with a farmer’s market, multiple yoga studios, and a thriving arts community. The fitness center in Flemington, NJ is representative of the type of progressive culture that exists in modern New Jersey.
Watersports
If you’re into swimming, sailing, surfing, or simply relaxing on the beach, Jersey is the obvious option for you. There are countless opportunities to gain practical boating skills, even if you’re an amateur; after only a few months living in New Jersey, you’ll understand why so many people here consider the sea a way of life.
During the summer months, Ocean City, NJ boasts thousands of tourists keen to get wet and wild. If you’re in the market for a new boat to take out on the water, there are many new and used boats for sale in Brick, NJ.
Music History
The first American composers hailed from the Garden State, and while you’re not likely to know any of them by name, chances are you’re familiar with Jersey’s biggest names in contemporary music: from Bruce Springsteen to Whitney Houston, this state boasts an impressive array of globally successful musicians.
Living in Jersey means access to some of the most fascinating cultural landmarks in music, including Springsteen’s home recording studio in rural Colts Neck, NJ, and Newark’s many original historic jazz clubs.
