Hi all — I’m moving down from the Hudson Valley in a few weeks for a job in Jersey City, and I’m trying to pin down a first spot in NYC. I have a paid-off car I’d like to keep at least for the first year, and a very scaredy cat. Two friends told me completely different things: one says Bay Ridge is the answer, the other says just do Staten Island and keep the car. I don’t need wild nightlife, but I’d like to be able to walk to a coffee place and not feel like I live in a parking lot. Are either of these actually workable for the Jersey City commute? Do small landlords care about a cat? I keep seeing listings that say no pets or pets on approval. What does approval even mean?

Both are workable if you’re honest about your mornings. From Bay Ridge you’re looking at the Verrazzano to the Bayonne or Goethals, and that little stretch by the bridge can eat time unpredictably. Staten Island is much easier with a car, but then you’re on Staten Island. If you want city life, you’ll be taking the ferry or bus just to feel like you’re in NYC. Pets on approval usually means the landlord or super wants to meet the animal or see a photo and vet records. A cat is easier than a dog; don’t volunteer too much but don’t lie either. Bay Ridge is more walkable coffee, no contest.

Bay Ridge, Bay Ridge, Bay Ridge!! You want the 80s and 90s streets near Third Ave, or the low 90s up by Shore Road if you can find a place. Actual bagel shops, fruit stands, bakeries, and some buildings have those deep windowsills a cat will love. Parking is the catch: after 6 p.m. it’s alternate side and everyone is circling, but if you get home before that you can find something. Have you tried looking near 86th Street or Shore Parkway? You can walk to the promenade and the bridge view. I’d take a smaller prewar with a good super over a big building with a parking garage; the big buildings often have pet restrictions and then the car is another fee. Ask about the super’s cat policy!

You’re getting strong Bay Ridge answers, but let me lay out the Staten Island case and then the fine print, because I’ve done a version of both commutes. Staten Island is the more natural choice for keeping a car, especially if your job is in the western or central part of Jersey City. From neighborhoods like St. George, Tompkinsville, or Silver Lake you can be on the Bayonne Bridge or the Goethals without first fighting your way down Fourth Avenue and the Verrazzano approach. You’ll still fight traffic, but it’s more predictable in the morning. The street parking is generally easier, but not everywhere; near the ferry in St. George it can be tight and alternate side still applies. If you want walkable coffee and some evening life, you must pick very carefully — St. George has more of it, but much of the island is drive-everywhere residential. A cat is usually not a dealbreaker, but the same rule applies everywhere: the best odds are small landlords in two- or three-family homes, not large managed buildings. Ask before you pay an application fee whether there are any extra monthly pet charges or a one-time deposit, and get it in writing. The most important thing: don’t choose Staten Island just because it feels easier for the car. If you want to be in NYC properly, Bay Ridge will give you more of that, but the commute will test you on a rainy Tuesday. Either way, do a Tuesday alternate-side and a Thursday 5:30 p.m. parking lap before signing.

Thanks, this is the kind of detail I needed. Sue, when you say alternate side applies, it’s not just moving your car across the street? You have to actually move it off a whole side or find a spot on the other side? I grew up where we moved cars for the street sweeper but only on our side. And BayRidgeBakes, I’m going to look at the 90s next week — is Shore Road too far from the train or is the R okay? I don’t need the subway daily since I’m driving, but if it snows I’d like a backup. Also thanks EastHarlem_E on the cat thing: I’ll bring a photo and her latest vet record.

I’d be careful about the ‘I’ll just keep the car’ plan with a Jersey City job. The tolls and bridge time add up, and parking will make you hate your neighborhood if you’re doing it at night. If you’re going to keep the car, Staten Island makes more sense logistically, no argument. But if you want NYC life and can accept that the car is a twice-a-week errand vehicle, Bay Ridge is better. Another option nobody mentioned: look around Journal Square or the Heights in Jersey City itself. Not NYC, but your commute becomes short and you can still get into Manhattan fast on PATH. But if your heart is in the five boroughs, Bay Ridge. Just don’t pretend the car is free just because it’s paid off.

I just did a version of this two months ago — moved to Bay Ridge from Ohio with a car and an older cat. I ended up in a small two-family off Shore Road. The landlord didn’t charge extra for the cat, but he did ask to meet her and wanted proof of spay and vaccines. Parking for me hasn’t been the horror story yet, but I get home around 6:30 and sometimes circle for 10 minutes. I go to Jersey City twice a week and use the Bayonne; my commute back around 4:30 has been worse than the morning. My advice is pick the place, then do the commute from that exact address at the real time before signing. Good luck!