Hi- I'm interested in moving to New York, however my job is in Hoboken. I've been looking at Brooklyn just for financial reasons... I feel like you get the most "bang for your buck". I have friends in Manhattan and I need easy access to nightlife and transportation. I was hoping someone could give me tips on A) areas that I should be looking into that are safe and "cool", and what the commute to Hoboken would be like. Ultimately I need to determine if an extra $500 a month is worth it to have a lighter commute.

The commute from Manhattan to Hoboken is easy and pretty quick via the Path train but it would be a bit of a trip from Brooklyn to Hoboken. Have you thought of living in Hoboken, it is a nice area with plenty of nightlife as well as great views of Manhattan and you could then commute to Manhattan to party as well.

Yes I have thought about it. I guess I just think there's something more appealing about being a "New Yorker". I have a number of friends in the LES and will joining a band that rehearses at least once a week in that area. Could you perhaps suggest a few places in Manhattan that are maybe a little less "hip" but have easy access to PATH and the LES. Ideally I'd like to keep my rent under $1700 for a 1 bedroom. Possible??

It really doesn't make a whole lot of sense to live in Brooklyn and get the honor of paying NYC taxes just to say that you're a New Yorker when you have to commute through Manhattan to get to Hoboken. For you, Hoboken has things going for it that Brooklyn can't match. If that doesn't convince you, then take the traditional (as in old-time) NY attitude that only Manhattan matters, so Brooklyn isn't cool.

Okay, okay. I'm not interested in getting into a debate over which city is cooler, I'm more than willing to give Hoboken a shot. I've really never spent any time there, so I can't can't have an opinion. The main reason I'm moving is for this band, and the band is based in New York therefore all of my "New York friends" are in Manhattan (LES), and I thought Brooklyn would be the affordable way to live in New York and still be able to socialize without a great deal of traveling. It just so happens that my work has an office in Hoboken, so I'm just trying to gather opinions on what makes the most sense given my particular situation. You suggest NOT living in Brooklyn, so thank you for your input. I will take that into consideration. Are there somewhat "up and coming" areas of Manhattan that are accessible to PATH? People have mentioned Indwood, but I'm not familiar at all. What can i expect to pay for a 1 bedroom there? Other suggestions? Thanks!!

Unfortunately, no. The PATH only covers downtown and lower Midtown, which are very expensive parts of Manhattan. If you live all the way up in Inwood, your commute will be even longer than if you lived in Brooklyn. Pretty much all of Manhattan is unaffordable nowadays - most people who aren't rich or willing to live in ridiculous conditions go to Brooklyn, Queens, Hoboken or Jersey City. Living in Hoboken or Jersey City would probably be best for you, because the commute to Hoboken from Brooklyn or Queens would be quite long.

Really, the best idea is to live in Hoboken or Jersey City.

The commute from Hoboken or Jersey Ciy to the lower East Side wouldn't be too bad you could catch the Path to 14th Street and then catch either the F or V (can't remember which) to 2nd Ave, hey presto you're there. Probably 30 minutes all up.

Marea's presence reminds me that I shouldn't make assumptions about what's "affordable." Rather, how about just a list of Manhattan neighborhoods that are near the PATH?

* West Village
* Tribeca
* Battery Park City
* Greenwich Village
* Chelsea
* North Chelsea/South Midtown/Penn Station area

Red, you've made me think about it a bit more, last November I looked at apartments in all those areas except Battery Park, they were all expensive with Tribeca being the cheapest. Couldn't say what it would be for a 1 bed or studio but the cheapest I saw for a 2 bed was around $4000. Maybe Battery Park city would be cheaper than the others, I always forget that it is in reach of the Path.

Revising my earlier post you could catch the Path to 9th Street and then catch the F from 4th Street to 2nd Ave, I'm pretty sure there is an entry to 4th street station at 8th St and 6th Ave

Thank you all very much. Just out of curiosity, If I lived in Brooklyn.. what's my best case scenario for a commute time.. assuming I lived near whatever train/subway I'd need to get to the PATH with minimal transfers... and what area of Brooklyn would that be?

Second question is: Since, Hoboken appears to cost almost as much as Manhattan these day (unbelievable), is it possible to live in Jersey City, or some of the places a LITTLE further out without a car? If not I might as well just take the $500+ I spend on my car a month (Payment, Insurance, Gas, Repairs. etc) and apply that toward rent in an area that I'll have more fun... right?!

The best commute from Brooklyn to the Path would be Williamsburg or somewhere on the L train, then change to the Path at 14th St and 6th Ave. I lived in Pavonia Newport very briefly a few years ago, don't know what the rents are like there but it is very close to Manhattan, Journal Square, near the station should also be okay.