Let’s be honest – New York City is truly one of the greatest cities on Earth. When it comes to valuable and interesting life experiences, coupled with an abundance of opportunities; you’d be hard-pressed to find a better place anywhere on the planet. Bearing that in mind, though – there are certain situations when NYC may not be the most beneficial for your career, but you’d still want to live there. So, is living in NYC and working in NJ possible? And how would that work? We’ll explore all of the details below!
Living in NYC
Before we tackle all of the complexities of living in NYC while working in NJ; let’s take a look at what life in the Big Apple is actually like. If you’re already working in New Jersey, for example; why wouldn’t you want to move there as well? Naturally, we’ve all got private, specific reasons why we do things. But there are also some objective reasons why people would prefer to rent a place in New York. Namely – the abundance of lifestyle choices it offers.
While New York may not be the numerically biggest city on the planet, it’s truly eponymous with the word “metropolis”. In more ways than one, this is truly a city that never sleeps. In most other places, the nightlife scene is nothing more than a collection of clubs and spots you can go to and have a good time. But in New York, it’s not nightlife; it’s a night life. Here, no matter what you want, you can have it delivered at any time of night and day. Want sushi at 4 AM? No problem! Want your stuff washed and ironed overnight? There’s a place that does that! You can get all the assistance you might need at absolutely any time, without difficulty.
Living in New York is simply too much to pass by!
The Downsides
Before you call up a quality moving company like vanexpressnj.com to relocate you to New York City; you should take a look at the other side of the coin as well. Obviously, regardless of how good a place is – it’s bound to have downsides. No city on Earth is perfect, and New York is no exception. One of the biggest gripes people have with the Big Apple is the huge cost of living. As you probably know already, if you want to experience everything this place has to offer – you’ll need to be a solid earner.
And we’re not talking about the prices of a restaurant meal or regular groceries; your single biggest expense will be rent. If you’re keen on living in a high-profile area like Manhattan, be prepared to set aside a big chunk of your paycheck. Heck, even areas like Brooklyn have been gentrified for quite a while, and their prices have long since risen from their affordable lows.
Working in New Jersey
Putting aside the financial problems which you can face as a rental tenant in NYC, what is working in NJ like? What kind of job opportunities are available for people who decide on such a way of life? Firstly, we’d be remiss not mentioning that the gambling industry is one of the largest employers in the New Jersey service sector. Interestingly enough, New Jersey is home to one of the largest gambling industries in the entire continental United States, second only to Las Vegas and Nevada. Back in the mid-seventies, the New Jersey legislature approved the legalization of gambling, specifically in Atlantic City.
While the legalization of certain kinds of gambling in nearby states has diminished New Jersey’s monopoly of yore in this industry; it still offers plenty of job opportunities. Apart from that, the local economy is further fueled by mining activities, and more recently – solar power installations.
Atlantic City is home to a sprawling service economy!
The Commute
Naturally, as you prepare for living in NYC and working in NJ, one thing is certain – you won’t be in for a difficult commute. The fact that these two cities (and states) are so near each other means that they practically share a common workforce pool. However, you’ll find that most people live in New Jersey and work in New York; not the other way around. While the Big Apple does offer all kinds of amenities, living in New Jersey is simply much, much cheaper; that’s the brass tacks.
But that doesn’t mean that you’re doing anything wrong; on the contrary. Even though you might not feel like a true New Yorker; Once you start going to work, you’ll find that you’re facing absolutely no difficult traffic on your way there. Most other people are headed in the other direction. Apart from that, though, there is one other aspect of this kind of work and home arrangement that you should consider – the taxes.
Unlike those moving across the Brooklyn Bridge, you won’t have a difficult commute!
The Taxes
If you’re going to be living in NYC and working in NJ, you should know all about the taxes you’ll have to pay. And while there’s a lot of misinformation out there regarding the details, here’s the gist of it:
- As a New York City resident, you’re going to be paying the local income tax for all of your income, regardless of where it’s earned.
- As someone who’s working in New Jersey, you will also have to pay a state-level income tax for your income from New Jersey; which, if you’re working there, is all of your income.
Luckily, there are maximum tax rates for both of these that you can pay, and you can file for a tax return in New York City so you don’t exactly pay double taxes. However, this is something to keep in mind.