2bd in newish building with amenities (ie, LUXURY HOUSING) at 4K or below is impossible. 1bd in those building is ~3.3K. A 2-bed will run you closer to 4.5K, and higher.

Downtown JC by Liberty State Park would probably be ideal. Not sure what your budget is, but maybe somewhere around Zeppelin Hall, Surf City, Golden Cicada. You’d be close to a Light Rail stop and walking/biking distance to the PATH.

We’re in Paulus Hook (downtown JC). We live in a duplex apartment in a brownstone that gives us a small back yard. This set up isn’t easy to find but it exists (Van Vorst and Hamilton Park, too). Best part of Paulus Hook for us is the amount of dogs (and I know people will yell at me) but you’ll find lots of dog and dog space at Morris Canal Park.

You are getting a ton of misinformation: in the State of NJ, dogs are not legally allowed in any establishment where food is prepared or served, even outside. A few places in JC still allow this, but it is technically not legal for them to do so. About 10 years ago, some Karen made it her mission to get this addressed and (after enough complaints/reports) the State started sending letters to pretty much all food establishments reminding them of the rules, and there was a marked change (ie, drop) in places that continued this practice. As far as off leash, definitely not legal to do so outside of dog runs. We have those at Van Vorst Park, Hamilton Park, and a few other smaller parks, but they can get a little crowded at times and, as with everything, some dog owners are shit and don't really mind their dogs or how they are behaving. I have personally witnessed heated arguments and altercations in dog runs due to some careless, asshole owner allowing their dog to run amok disrupting the vibe of the other dogs.

Overall, JC is definitely great for owning a dog, and you will meet a ton of fellow dog owners, and it is also an easy way to get to know locals. You will learn very quickly that there are also a bunch of c*nts around town that refuse to pick up after their doggos. Some street sidewalks are sometimes akin to shit minefields, and we are soon to enter "snowy season" when a ton of additional people simply stop picking after their dogs. In the spring, or during the first hot snap, as the snow thaws and starts to melt, we are greeted with the glorious sight of turd fossils that have been encased in snow and ice for weeks/months. It's another JC thing.

Please don't hesitate to DM if you have any questions- happy to help.

What's your take home income? That'll play a factor in to your location. A space big enough for 2 dogs will most likely be a ground floor or basement level apartment, with hopefully a shared (with neighbors) backyard.

Downtown Jersey City is fun; you’ll have access to a good number of restaurants/bars in dtJC & can be in Manhattan in 20 to 30 minutes, and then you can also enjoy awesome hikes, and trails in NJ in the spring or fall. You can also have a fun beach day with your partner & dogs at the Jersey Shore in the summer.

Zillow & other apartment searching apps have a Dogs/Cats filter, but be sure to also ask the broker/landlord/management if dogs are allowed.

If you embrace diversity, you'll love JC. Amazing variety of cuisines, cultural celebrations, etc.

Also- you can use the Turo app to rent a car/sub/truck for a day or two, if you're not looking to take on car ownership

Depending on your budget, the Newport area is expensive but convenient to the train and very close to lots of restaurants and the grove street area. Plus it’s on the water, so you can rent apartments with some killer views.

For the pups, our building had a dog run that makes walking them very easy

When are you moving? We’re leaving our apt in Paulus Hook in February. It has a yard, 1bed, den and 2 baths and a block from the water. DM if you’d like more info.

Gotcha, thank you!!

Yep!

Is it called lucky laundromat?

There’s a drop off place at jersey and 4th I always use.

I try not to drive as much as possible.

I’m from South Orange originally. I always thought that Maplewood had more going on, but I haven’t spent significant time in the area since 2008 so maybe things changed or my memory is wrong

Check out the heights

City life is not for everyone. And finding an apartment in the suburbs is not easy either, as most of it is zoned for single-family housing.

It’s extremely dog friendly, not so much for off leash except a strip of park by Morris Canal that’s seemingly the unspoken off leash dog area. Most businesses don’t mind them inside except for food establishments because of health codes…still see people trying at certain spots though (not a dog owner but my kid is terrified of them so I’m hyper aware of their presence at all times)

It's crazy that there's nowhere to get food or a beverage right there. Even a NYC-style newsstand would do good business!

If you are already in midtown my favorite trick is to take ANY bus across the Lincoln Tunnel ( they usually stop at the Speedway gas station on N. Marginal in Weehawken, but there are other first stops in Union city / Weehawken - just request the bus driver to drop you across the tunnel) - then the Uber from there is just $15-20 !

good morning - I had another recent thread as we just got a dog 10 days ago. One of the things I was curious about was bringing a dog into establishments - what kinds of place are good with dogs? I know places that prepare food are supposed to be a no-no but what other places are good? My dog is about 10 pounds and we are getting her used to carrying case.

people have given you good advice and commentary already. how dog friendly is purely relative, i have not lived in the UK but i found europe overall to be more dog friendly than america as a whole, and jersey city slightly less dog friendly than america as a whole but purely because of population density and lack of space (as opposed to social stigma or anything)

there is nowhere you are allowed to have the dog off leash other than dog parks. dog parks themselves are very small, most commonly the size of a 1 bedroom apartment. there are a couple of larger one, i.e. 1/2 an acre etc. you'll obviously not be the only dog

furthermore there are restrictions on the number, type, and size of dogs in high rise apartment buildings. you said 2 but did not specify the size, generally limit is 50lbs. pitbulls and certain other types of sometimes banned. several buildings only allow 1 dog per unit. smaller buildings and individual landlords will have their own specific rules so you'll find more variation and therefore more flexibility if needed

finally dogs are not allowed on the train or subway unless they are transported in a carrier. again it therefore depends on the size of the dog. this restriction therefore makes it impossible to move some dog around without a car, though uber does work

Maplewood is a good town with lots of culture but is decidedly quieter and less urban-feeling than the ones mentioned above - it’s mostly classic early 1900s suburbia. It shares a school district with South Orange though and the two towns function as one in many ways.

Super dog friendly. Off leash is really not permitted unless you are in a dog park or fenced in play zone for doggos. I take mine with me in and out of so many establishments while running errands.

I agree that South Orange, Montclair, west orange, and Bloomfield are all solid options depending on budget. Just want to add that Maplewood is a cool town too and it’s right in the area

Assuming your budget is sufficient which it seems like it is and based on what you are looking for, I would strongly suggest anywhere downtown Jersey city. Suburbs would probably be disappointing as would other neighborhoods like the heights or other towns like Bayonne