nyc: My budget is $1200/Month and I need a 2 bedroom apartment or condo in a safe area. Id like to maximize my dollar while getting something as nice as I can. Id like to have the feeling I am getting a lot of bang for my buck, so to speak. -Any City or State is fine as long as its less than 2 hours from NYC.|||Well as the person stated above me, new jersey. i would suggest seaside heights (yes, the cast of jersey shore films there, but they really dont cause any problems) i live there, and its very safe. rent is around 1000 a month, its about an hour away from the city, and its a very quiet town. plus theres practicallly a beach in your backyard, a boardwalk, and fun town (fun town is like a mini amusment part on the boardwalk). if you dont want to live here because of the cast of jersey shore (agian, they really dont cause problems, just dont be in clubs with them cuz they may start fights) then some amazing towns are long beach island, belmar, and point plesant (idk how far their away from the city bit its probs less that 2 hours) they are nicer than seaside heights, and their very quiet cute towns.|||New Jersey: Jersey City, Hoboken, Ironbound in Newark, Clifton, the Brunswicks, Edison, etc. What exactly do you consider safe? I'd recommend starting your search by looking at areas around the PATH train and the Northeast Corridor or Bergen/Main Lines on NJTransit. I would recommend staying close to the trains, otherwise you'll be battling horrible traffic and a wallet-busting toll across the bridges and tunnels.|||It's a tough question. The further out you go, generally the more value you get for your money. You can try Dover or Morristown, or possibly somewhere on the Jersey Shore like Bay Head or Point Pleasant Beach. You can also try areas like Freehold. I hope this information was very helpful.|||I would recommend Staten Island. Your about a 30 minute drive (depending on traffic) from NYC, or you can take public transportation, express bus gets you to the financial district pretty quickly.|||Possibly Newark NJ, or maybe even in Bloomfield Nj, that is a low budget for an apartment in the tri-state area... What about Pennsylvania then|||definitely try Jersey City. You will have to walk to mass transit, but its less expensive than Hoboken.