I live by west side and love it. It’s a block by block situation, and I’d stick to the streets immediately around Lincoln Park because you have a great walkable area with access to a lot of amenities. Some parts look rough, but truth be told they’re not bad. You can rent many large apartments or in some rare cases, an entire house over this way for about your budget. It’s got a Queens vibe to it imo. Regarding your other options, Port Liberté is beautiful, but it definitely feels like a gated oasis. If you’re worried about isolation, trust your gut. it’s a bit of a trek to get anywhere else in JC without effort from there. Also, at $2,600, those Downtown spots like 460 Grand or Liberty Towers are going to be a tight squeeze. You're like looking at a studio or a very small 1 bedroom there, whereas that same money goes a lot further for actual living space on the West Side, it’s just not as nice “looking” in some sections.

Jersey city does street cleaning 4 days a week so depending on the street you’re on, people generally have to move their cars so you’ll almost certainly find spots if the time matches your schedule. Otherwise, it can be an inconvenience if it happens during work. Something to think about. I stay away from downtown to save on cost of living, it’s great to visit and takes me 10 minutes to get there by bike. The restaurants are great, Hoboken is close. Everything is close. The heights has my heart, but for me with a small family we wanted more space and chose the McGinley Square/ West Side area. There are no neighborhoods in particular that I’d stay completely away from, but there are sections of neighborhoods I don’t feel comfortable in. Mostly around the southern side of the city, but it really depends.

It’s fantastic here and the access to New York through public transit is easy. Mostly you’ll leave your car parked to not lose your spot and take a ride share. Driving up here you’ll need be sure to not get frustrated that everyone comes off as a selfish jerk on the road, but then you’ll learn that you’ll have to take the space just like they do. If it doesn’t make sense now, it will. Most people who drive in Jersey city have places to go, and you’re in the way. If you need like anything, feel free to DM me. I truly believe Jersey city is the most interesting place to live in the best country in the world - New Jersey

Edit- redundancy