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kittyglitther t1_iujbom2 wrote

>There's nothing around as far as eyes can see except for residential homes.

We are mostly residential, but if this is your takeaway I think you need to walk around a bit more. Also I have one trick that gives me easy access to the PATH, but it's kind of controversial. I PATH into the city in the morning, bus back home. Never really felt unsafe here.

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JcpaNYC t1_iujkli5 wrote

I don’t live in the heights but I frequent from time to time (restaurants, coffee shops etc). There are at least a handful of good spots (that are worth it enough for me to trek to even though I don’t live there) but as you would expect it’s less than downtown.

Have you tried looking at places in journal square? A few buildings have opened over last few years. It’s close to path, and closer to downtown

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Dudeonbroadway t1_iujla76 wrote

Been at the Heights for almost a year now since moving from Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I live east of Central avenue, close to Palisades ave and would suggest the same too coming from NYC.

Pros:

  • More affordable housing
  • Lots of parks (Riverview, Washington, and Pershing field)
  • Decent restaurants but the diversity of food is nothing compared to NYC. You can order delivery from JC, Hoboken which helps
  • Family-friendly. Lots of daycares, walkability, and safe

Cons:

  • Pain to get back from NYC after midnight and on weekends. Buses run less frequently from the PATH stop and I think the buses from Port Authority become very infrequent after 2AM. BC of this, I find myself staying in Jersey more.
  • You don't need a car but having one really helps and makes your life more convenient. Street parking is a pain though.
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PixelSquish t1_iujn5ag wrote

I'm in my mid forties and have lived in the Heights for a bit. I can post my impressions but how old are you guys and are you planning on having kids? Do you like late night outings often?

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mikevago t1_iujnkfh wrote

I moved out of the Heights about five years ago, after living there for 12. It's a perfectly nice residential neighborhood — a few good restaurants, several nice parks, two good grocery stores that are three blocks apart on the far side of the neighborhood.

And transportation's not terrible — there are shuttle vans every few minutes on JFK and Palisade that go to the PATH, plus the elevator to the light rail (which also goes to the PATH), and lots of city buses going every which way.

But is it worth LUXURY prices? Not really. You've got overpriced modern apartments wedged in between saltbox houses, a few nice places to eat in between fast food and dollar stores. And there's nothing wrong with fast food and dollar stores! But don't expect it to be Brooklyn Heights. Or Prospect Heights. Gentrification has laid its claim, but it still hasn't moved that far from the working-class neighborhood it was 20 years ago.

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tatertot94 t1_iujsgbl wrote

I (29F) have lived on Ogden for 2 years. Here’s my list:

Pros:

  • Cheapish rent (Boyfriend and I pay $2600 for 2 bedroom with private outdoor space with city views)
  • Grocery store is 2 min walk away
  • Riverview Park is very nice. Love the farmers market
  • Solid restaurant and bar options within a 15 min walk
  • Bus to the city a block away, takes 45 mins at rush hour and 30-35 in regular traffic. I find the bus very convenient. Usually comes every 20 mins or less.

Cons:

  • Path is a 25 min walk or Uber
  • Parking is limited if you have a car. My boyfriend does and he complains about that. Sounds like you don’t though.
  • No shops around. You have to go into Hoboken for that. Closest CVS for me is a 16 min walk which sucks sometimes. I usually go to an nearby family pharmacy

Overall, I like living here. It’s definitely up and coming and more people are moving up here to avoid the flooding in Hoboken. I’d say move here vs. there because the property value is riding here quicker.

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Capable_Elk_3070 t1_iujss9o wrote

I personally love the heights, but it really depends what you're looking for. I have no interest in the "luxury" buildings which feel like they are in conflict with the character of the neighborhood (mostly two family homes, many of them from the 19th century). It's primarily a diverse, working class (although gentrifying), relatively safe neighborhood with nice parks and wonderful restaurants from many nationalities on Central Ave. The neighborhood feels pretty similar to Astoria. Personally, Central Ave is my favorite part of living here because we have our own walkable downtown with most things that you need and lots of affordable and interesting food options. But if Central Ave didn't appeal to you, then this might not be the right neighborhood for you-- I love supporting the longstanding mom and pop businesses, and I would hope that people moving here would also have an appreciation for the special qualities of the heights.

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vocabularylessons t1_iujur5l wrote

If you walked along Central Ave, you should next walk along Palisade Ave. It's the other and more 'hip' commercial corridor in the Heights. As for transportation, the NJT buses stop all over and you can take them to midtown or to JSQ for the PATH. You can also take the light rail (9th St or 2nd St) and transfer at either Hoboken or Exchange Pl for the PATH in to Midtown or FiDi. Light rail can be ass but when it's good, it's good. You can also bike or walk to the PATH.

Yes, it's more residential, lower density, way more quiet than Manhattan. Still overwhelmingly working class and immigrant families. It can also be cute af and trendy once you pay attention to all the happenings. Zero night life, getting back from a night out in NYC is always a pain. But if you're considering the Heights, then maybe your already past you 'out till 4am' days.

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LiveTheLifeIShould t1_iujuxg3 wrote

It's filling up with people from NY and Hoboken moving into luxury apartments. Other than that, it's pretty good.

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vocabularylessons t1_iuk0yyg wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#407,902)

From East of Central Ave, it's 30-40 minutes to FiDi or Midtown, plus any additional walking or transit once you're in Manhattan. Choose your own adventure of walking, biking, bus, light rail, train.

The buses will take you to PABT in midtown or to JSQ or Hoboken for PATH to Midtown or FiDi, whichever you need. Light rail pro tip: follow the Hudson Bergen Light Rail twitter account, they post live updates on any issues. The official NJT app only has the light rail schedule, no updates. You can buy tickets for bus and light rail on the NJT app, though the conductors almost never check on the light rail. PATH service is pretty good (most of the time) during peak hours but not late at night.

Here's a map of restaurants/cafe/etc that I made, it's very much a work in progress but I count a dozen well/highly regarded cafes/bakeries along Central and Palisade (you can toggle the map layers to see other establishments). And as others have mentioned, Riverview Park is great (farmer's market and all) and Washington and Pershing parks are also nice.

Parts of the Heights are definitely a food desert, though I anticipate that will change sooner rather than later. A lot of the corner stores / bodegas are kinda trash. Supremo and Stop & Shop are okay. There's a quality Shoprite and Trader Joe's in Hoboken, not convenient but not too far either. Whole Foods in Weehawken (further still). Buy a little push cart, I guess. Grocery shopping is easier if you have a car but having a car in the Heights is a pain.

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JCwhatimsayin t1_iuk3aj9 wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#400,180)

Being comfortable riding bikes is the ultimate hack to making it very easy to live in the heights. And now that Hoboken also uses Citibike, it's even better. If you must commute to NYC , you can ride or walk to two PATH stations, two ferry terminals or take the bus to Port Authority. Do not even consider getting a car. Central Ave is much better than it looks at first pass.

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vocabularylessons t1_iuk823i wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#407,261)

Oh, trust me. It's changed a lot within the past 5, 10, 20 years. I wouldn't walk through Washington Park in daylight 20 years ago. Now it's white women doing yoga on Sunday mornings and kids in daycare having a sing along on the weekdays. No offense to white people, women, yoga, kids, or daycare but the combination is indicative of a new chapter in the history of the Heights. TBH any testimonials of the Heights from even 5 years ago will be slightly dated.

East of Central Ave is changing the most and most quickly. The restaurant LoFi had a block/street party over the summer, in my estimation the crowd was 80% Brooklyn couples with strollers who bought condos/houses in the Heights within the past 5 years.

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Recurringferry t1_iukaz4n wrote

Grew up there and still visit family there multiple times per week:

  • yes it's mostly residential. The commercial area (mostly Central Ave, although lately Palisade Ave has some new bars and eateries) has most of what you'd need without needing to own a car (supermarket, fruit stores, restaurants, fast food)

  • about owning a car: unless your new place has parking, don't bring a car. It's annoying to find parking after 6pm. And if you park too close to the corners you'll get a ticket

  • the morning bus / jitney along JFK Blvd to nyc is slow but dependable. Most days I'd budget about 40 mins into port authority (if you get on near the southern part of the Heights, less if you live farther north). There's other buses on Central Avenue but they're not reliable at all - in the past buses would not show up or would come 2 at a time, or were otherwise too full and wouldn't stop.

  • living withing walking distance of the path is preferable, but you probably wouldn't save much time vs jitney (20 min walk to station, couple minutes to get downstairs, 15 min ride etc).

  • crime isn't much of an issue. But as in any city it will exist. Just be careful and don't walk around buried in your cell phone late at night. Honestly the worst crime is getting your car's catalytic converter stolen (all the more reason to not bring your car).

  • nightlife is limited. The restaurants and bars in the Heights are no frills, but aside from a handful (Renatos, Corto, maybe lo fi), the rest are more of "to go" eateries. Hoboken is a 10 min Uber ride away from the Heights and will be a much better option for Fri night/ date night, but for regular eating the food in the Heights is top notch (in terms of variety and taste)

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