When I first moved to Hoboken from Brooklyn Heights, my immediate instinct was to stay as close to the PATH train as possible. My husband and I rented a two-bedroom apartment at Hudson Square South, two blocks away. We paid a $500 nonrefundable pet fee and $250 per month for indoor parking.

After two years of paying exorbitant rents, we decided to buy an apartment. Our goal was to duplicate or improve upon the space and amenities we had in our rental for the same monthly payment. We decided our best price/amenities confluence was a 1,050 square foot two-bedroom apartment at the Hoboken Grande in South West Hoboken, complete with a full-size washer/dryer, gas range, gym with jacuzzi and steam room, and enormous private outdoor patio that was almost as large as the interior space. I have to admit, we were nervous about moving so far from the PATH train, but the Grande has a private PATH shuttle that operates during rush hour, so the distance from Washington Street was never a problem. As a bonus, the morning driver doubles as the building concierge and could not be more friendly and helpful, so we had a wonderful experience during our five years as Hoboken Grande residents.

I was vaguely aware a few years ago that a Light Rail stop had been built a few blocks away but never bothered to check it out since we had the building shuttle. However, when we started looking into buying a large apartment to accommodate our growing family, I drove through the Second Street light rail station to get a sense of the area. I was pleasantly surprised by the large circular drive and suburban feel of the station with its large, colorful ball sculptures.

A year after purchasing our four-bedroom apartment, I don't know how we ever lived without the light rail station at our doorstep. My husband takes it each morning to the PATH train and ferry, and he says it is always on schedule. The light rail has expanded my horizons beyond Hoboken since it obviates the parking crunch in Jersey City. The kids and I often walk over to Newport Mall via the new walkway between Hoboken and Jersey City, and the highlight of our day is to take the light rail home. My kids love seeing it pass by on our rambles around Hoboken and Jersey City. It is a highly affordable and comfortable replacement for our old PATH shuttle, and is even more convenient since it operates from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Children under age five ride for free, so the $2.10 single ride fare works well for us since it never expires.

After my daughter's Kidville preschool classes end next week, I am planning a series of day outings with another mom and her toddlers, and the light rail factors heavily into our itinerary. We will be going to Liberty Science Center and Jersey City Museum, along with trips into NYC to places like Bryant Park, the American Girl store and the Battery Park City playground. The light rail is very stroller-friendly, so I am looking forward to a summer of speedy, inexpensive trips around the Hoboken area.

To read more about what makes Kathy Zucker tick, check out her blog at http://hobokenmomcondo.com/momblog and follow her at http://twitter.com/zhobokenmom