New Jersey? Getting Better Or Worse!? (Alpha: property taxes, house, rent)

[Amarsir]

Well I think it's unfair to mix "getting built up" with "deteriorating." Sometimes they are related but it's really not the same issue - especially since the former is really inevitable anywhere.

I mean specifically to speak of the traffic on 35 - sure it's growing. The road has also developed a bit to handle that. (Speaking of the Laurel Ave jughandle, I remember about 15 years ago it was re-done - before that it was tighter and smaller, and using it for a U-turn was actually harder then than it is now because the lanes didn't flow well.

That's the yardstick we have to measure with - not whether the area is getting built up, but whether it's being done well. I remember growing up in Middletown, it was a few minutes walk around the block with my mother (and the unleashed dog running alongside) and I could visit the horses grazing on the farm nearby. Well before I was a teen that was developed into more houses. The woods in the area have been hollowed out so instead of dense acres there are thin strips separating the dropped-in cul-de-sacs.

And this is happening all over the state. Western and Southern parts I'd formerly think were "too far from NY/Philly to get developed" are always surprising me whenever I go through and see the new construction. And it varies - high end standalones by Toll Brothers and Regal, or townhouse condos by Hovnanian, Centex, and Kaplan. (And many others, those are just the big developers.)

So there's no question that New Jersey is getting built up. But this doesn't add up to "deteriorating" to me. To compare bad areas there are plenty of places I wouldn't want to live, or work, or visit, or drive through today. Sure. But most of those I wouldn't have wanted to be in 10, 20, 30 years ago either. Meanwhile so many things just seem better. I live in Jersey City now. (Society Hill, so yes rather removed from it, but still.) My family living here 20 years ago would have been laughable. (And yet, 45 years ago my father as a boy took the train here from Clark to go to school.) And if I had money to invest, I would build retail or office space in this city as well.

If I was to call an overall trend, I think the 60s, 70, into the early 80s were bad and deteriorating times in general. Areas that got "built up" during those periods were done poorly. I look at the less desireable areas of Rahway, Elizabeth, etc, and this is the period that comes to mind. And what has happened to exacerbate it is all the aforementioned construction around the state. Rural has become suburban, but a lot of people moved from more urban areas to those suburbs. And what was left behind has gone down.

Now I'm no fan of the NJ government. But I do think they have done some things right and the way parts of Newark and Jersey City have become revitalized are good (if rare) examples of how government can direct things positively. I think the state is getting better and am plenty optimistic on the future.

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by CarolinaOnMyMind

The poster I was responding to had used a lyric from the Beatles' song " Getting Better All The Time" in which Paul sings "gotta admit its gettin betta, gettin betta all the time." John follows that with "it cant get no worse." I was being sarcastic. I certainly do believe it can get worse in Jersey, but I really dont want to stick around to find out if it will. It doesnt have to get any worse for me to want to get the heck out of here and hence I have Carolina on my mind.

You'll get no arguement from me- I'm right behind you (or ahead of you depending on your timing...lol). We're moving to NW Georgia in 3 weeks. I'll watch the developments here in NJ via the internet.....lol.

Bob

[njchick]

bye bye y'all! Sheesh you'd think the world is going to fall apart here without you!

[66nexus]

Peace out...

[jstar41]

some comments in here are just plain funny and ignorant.. I guess some of you are scare of diversified communities.. I see how close minded some of you are.. Asians, Hispanics, Indians etc.. move in and immediately the area has gone bad.. without realizing that some of them are brighter than many of you.. you complain about crime going up, taxes going up.. guess what if a society grows then it'll cost more to maintain the city.. the higher the population the more the crime.. Jersey's population is still growing.. so if you are scare of future changes then move to NC or SC.. like many others.. but be ready to move in about 5-10 yrs because eventually those areas will too become infested with foreigners.. and crime will go up.. LMAO

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by njchick

bye bye y'all! Sheesh you'd think the world is going to fall apart here without you!

Nope- never said it'd fall apart without me- but the state is doing that all by itself even while I'm here.

Bob

[Carat98]

Originally Posted by Summer16

Hi, Carat, where are you moving back from?

I didn't see this post. I don't visit very often. I've moved back to NJ from Georgia. Those that think Ga is a picnic will learn soon enough. Hah! It certainly has its problems also. The grass is not always greener on the other side. I love Jersey and I'm glad to be back!!!

[JERSEY MAN]

Welcome home Carot, Now lets see if you could help us lower are property taxes than maybe the exodus will slow down.

[Carat98]

Originally Posted by JERSEY MAN

Welcome home Carot, Now lets see if you could help us lower are property taxes than maybe the exodus will slow down.

Glad to be back!!! Can't promise anything about the taxes though. By the way, some of us are noting that the grass is not greener anywhere else. Some move away because they simply cannot afford to live here - families and all. I say more power to them - make more room for us. Taxes elsewhere will be rising too in order to improve the infrastructure.

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by Carat98

Glad to be back!!! Can't promise anything about the taxes though. By the way, some of us are noting that the grass is not greener anywhere else. Some move away because they simply cannot afford to live here - families and all. I say more power to them - make more room for us. Taxes elsewhere will be rising too in order to improve the infrastructure.

My property taxes actually went DOWN this year! Only 9 dollars, but when was the last time you heard that happen in NJ? In fact, the deed to my house in the assessor's office shows in 11 years (age of home) taxes have increased 6 out of the 11 years, and fallen the other 5. All I am saying is that infrastructure can be improved without increasing local property taxes.