Affordable cities near NYC?

I am wondering what areas are affordable. I am interested in areas that are nice and safe, whether it is NJ, RI, CONN, PA or anywhere near the Metro of NYC. And by "cheap" I mean 2 BD for around $800 or close. I know Syracuse, Albany and metro, Poughkeepsie are cheap but it seems that Syracuse is the safest of all but I want to here some input or new places to check out. Providence, RI seems nice but the education system isn't going good right now. Anywhere in Jersey, please any help or feedback is great!