I'm in the heights, been without a car for like, 8 years. It's not a bad way to live.

Depends where you move to- Downtown/JSQ, and close to the PATH/light rail? It will be more inconvenient to own a car than not have one, unless you move to a high rise and pay for parking in their garage- not sure on specific pricing these days, but its probably somewhere around $250/month.

The Heights, or anything south of walking distance to Journal Square, you may want a car, even if you don't need one. But you can get by without- Via, Citibike, the light rail and Uber can get you around pretty well.

You will, most likely, not need a car, and if you are used to living without a car, you will HATE having one. You'll hate parking it, even if you have plenty of extra money to park it. And more than that, you'll hate DRIVING it. 40% of households in Jersey City do not have cars.

Depends on where you live and your circumstances...

I live around Journal Square but work in Secaucus. Sometimes the #2 bus is a pain in the ass, so I'd rather drive.

I had to get a car for work this year after five years with no car. I only use it a couple times a month that aren't work related. I forgot I had a car one week.

I liken JC to Arlington, VA in many ways (satellite to dominant national city, transit links into town, proximity to national/int’l airport). Car need will be lifestyle dependent. Useful mostly for errand running on weekends, away visits, and a convenience late at night and during inclement weather. Your biggest hassle will be parking so find a place that comes with it.

I sold my car when I got here and purchased an e-bike and I couldn't be happier! There are enough bus lines to get you to a PATH station if you don't live close to one, Citi bike is rather convenient and Via is an affordable and convenient way to get around if you're outside of the central zone.

I’ve been in JC for 12 years without a car. Mostly downtown and in the JSQ area. About 40% of JC does not have a car and in places like JSQ it’s more like 65%.

I had a car when I moved here. It was a pain. I didn’t use it as much as I thought I would. It was expensive to maintain/insure/pay tickets. Not worth it.

Friends have had cars here and they complain about JC all the time. All the complaints are car problems. Traffic is bad, parking sucks, insurance is high, gas is expensive, street sweeping blah blah, bike lanes blah blah blah. If you don’t have a car, you don’t worry or complain about these things all the time.

What part of Northern VA? Just curious. I was living in Alexandria for a bit and found so much of the region deeply unpleasant to navigate without a car, especially compared to what I was used to growing up in NJ.

I'm living in the Heights now, though close enough to Hoboken that I can easily walk to the light rail. I don't have a car, and I don't feel myself itching to get one. Things get dicey with NJ Transit on weekends, but I try to be patient and bring a book.

Depends where you are. I'd say the further south of JSQ area & away from light rail the more likely that you'll want a car.

Personally I'm used to walking everywhere & never owned a car in JC or NYC.

I live downtown and do not have a car. I don't have to drive to work and I don't mind walking or taking public transportation anywhere. My mother has two vehicles and I see what a PITA it is for her.

Welcome to a city. A city with relatively OK public transportation compared to most of the country. A city waaay more densely populated than anything in Virginia. Figure it out.