Anybody live in NJ and commute to NYC area?

We live in Hackensack and commute to the City every day. Hubby drives and I take the express bus. Our rent (a 1BR) is under $1000 a month, and my monthly NJ Transit express bus ticket is only $99 a month. The bus picks me up across the street from my building, and drops me right in front of my door. (Fortunately, my job is walking distance from the Port Authority so I no longer have to take the subway - hallelujah!)

When I lived in Queens, I HATED the subway and the LIRR was walking distance from my house. My monthly LIRR ticket from QUEENS was $147 a month, then I needed a metro card ($70 unlimited). So my commute went from $217 a month to $99 a month, and I live in a whole different state.

Rents in Hackensack are lower than NY, but to buy a house is E-X-P-E-N-S-I-V-E. We are saving up to move further out in NJ or maybe to Pennsylvania.

I lived in Rutherford, NJ before I got married and although I don't work in the city, it was a very easy commute because it was so close. My rent for a nice sized 1BR apartment was under $1000 a month.

House prices I would say in a commutable area are comparable to Long Island. And I believe the taxes are higher. We bought a house last summer in Essex County (South Orange) (which by train is under a 30 minute commute and the train station is about a mile and a half away).