Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
LMAO at all the stupid NJ natives who call anyone a troll that dares insult the "only place in the world worth living". Let me tell you how ridiculous you are and how ridiculous you look in the eyes of the rest of the country. Your behavior and "Jersey attitude" is an embarrassment. I can't tell you how many obnoxious Jersey people I met in Arizona who believe that they should "bring New Jersey to wherever they live" and how quickly they lose that attitude. I was in a van going up to the grand canyon, once, and these two women from NJ talked about NJ the entire time.
People from New Jersey (and NYC for that matter) have tunnel vision. They believe that NJ is the greatest place on earth.
I have every right to say that because I am a Jersey native, born and raised. When I left NJ, people were in utter shock as to why in the world would I ever even dream of leaving? "Arizona? What's in Arizona? Sand?" I've moved to California since and I am often met with "So, when are you moving back to Jersey?" and "Don't you miss Jersey?".
New Jersey has turned into a giant rat hole. Property taxes are obscenely high. You all pride yourselves in having the "greatest public schools in the country" and that's quickly changing. No, the world does not end when you cross the state line into PA. There's a whole wide world out there but some of you have never lived or visited outside of a 25 mile radius from where you were born.
The Jersey attitude is stupid. You all look like *******s in the eyes of the rest of the country. Because of your stupid attitude, you've earned the nickname "armpit of the US".
Never have I ever seen people talk more about where they're from than New Jerseyans and New Yorkers.
Visiting NJ is depressing. How can you live with the amount of trash thrown on the streets? Bergen County has gone downhill really fast.
You all can call me whatever you want... you can even accuse me of being a troll... that doesn't change the fact that the Jersey attitude is an embarrassment, your property taxes are outrageous, and more people are leaving than moving to NJ.
with love,
an ex-New Jerseyan
Oddly enough I was looking into Arizona. Places like TX and AZ are growing in their number of diverse ehtnicities and cultures. Pretty open gun laws, hot and dry vs hot and humid, great tech and defense scene (my industries). I am storngly considering it.
I also feel you on the rural aspect, so many trails have disappeared, been 'developed' $100k liability a year for gun ranges. There is nothing to do if you do'nt live in the city, and I mean even if you live in the city how many bars/broadway shows can you ****ing go to ?
My only apprhension is dating as a single ethnic man. That and ethnic food are the two things holding me back.
2nd largest city on the east coast, some of the best schools, strong job market, largest industry (defense) what the hell are you talking about? Go away JerseyGirl
Unless you are a hedge fund manager, investment banker or entrepeneur that NEEDS to be in NYC, the overwhelming middle class would do better in other places.
NYC is one of the most highly regarded cities in the world and up there in prestige with London and Paris. It's what, an Alpha ++ city or whatever that highest classification is. Only a handful of cities are included on the highest classification.
DC is great but nothing in the country comes close to New York. Access to the city is one reason NJ is so expensive. Many of NJ's wealthy work in the city.
How about you "go away" with your false information about DC being the second largest city on the East Coast? It's not in terms of size (seems that would be Philadelphia if we're going by major cities) or population (that would - definitively - also be Philly).
And DC has some of the best schools in terms of... public? Hell no! Universities? Sure, but they have nothing on an Ivy League like Princeton and all other Northeastern Ivies. DC holds its weight in many categories but let's not pretend any city in the country comes close to New York and its power and popularity on a world level. That's what I meant.
Regardless, few people move to the DC area from NJ for reasons other than job transfers and such. It's not much of a cheaper, less congested area than it is here. Like I said, most people move for financial reasons and weather, and the DC area is on a similar level to NJ in both.
Oddly enough I was looking into Arizona. Places like TX and AZ are growing in their number of diverse ehtnicities and cultures. Pretty open gun laws, hot and dry vs hot and humid, great tech and defense scene (my industries). I am storngly considering it.
I also feel you on the rural aspect, so many trails have disappeared, been 'developed' $100k liability a year for gun ranges. There is nothing to do if you do'nt live in the city, and I mean even if you live in the city how many bars/broadway shows can you ****ing go to ?
My only apprhension is dating as a single ethnic man. That and ethnic food are the two things holding me back.
You will be just fine. The Phoenix area is super diverse. Not sure what your ethnicity is but there are plenty of Asians (Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese), Hispanics (mostly Mexican heritage), African American, and even lots of Native Americans. I lived in the Phoenix area. Ethnic food is everywhere. Real Mexican food is very popular as are Indian, Vietnamese, and Turkish due to the large population here. I've also had greek, Japanese (lots of sushi here.. comes from CA), German, and lots of mom and pop old fashioned food, which is a rarity in Jersey. You can also sit outside and enjoy your food all year round. Outdoor bars, malls, and restaurants are very popular on the west coast where the weather is nice. I only had trouble finding a NY Deli type of place but eventually I did find one. The pizza is also pretty good because of the midwestern (Chicago) influence.
Housing is affordable. My property taxes for me 2000 sq ft house were $1400 / year. Yes.. you read that right.. per year. Income tax here is low, too.. almost 4%.
Yes there is a big gun culture but it's not what the east coast imagines it to be. There is less crime in AZ than in NJ overall. Not sure about Texas.
People are very friendly. Your neighbors will say hello to you. Strangers will greet you. The cashier at Target will always have a warm greeting for you. Employees at home depot are eager to help you out. People you pass on the street say good morning or good evening or at the very least smile.
I haven't been to Texas but from what I understand, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas / Ft Worth are very diverse places too.
I recommend you taking a visit and spending a week. You'll love it.. best of all, you never have to shovel snow again wherever you choose to live! All I can say is my life drastically improved when I left Jersey.
If you head over to the Phoenix (or Arizona) forum, you'll see plenty of north easterners asking questions because they're moving there.
NYC is one of the most highly regarded cities in the world and up there in prestige with London and Paris. It's what, an Alpha ++ city or whatever that highest classification is. Only a handful of cities are included on the highest classification.
DC is great but nothing in the country comes close to New York. Access to the city is one reason NJ is so expensive. Many of NJ's wealthy work in the city.
How about you "go away" with your false information about DC being the second largest city on the East Coast? It's not in terms of size (seems that would be Philadelphia if we're going by major cities) or population (that would - definitively - also be Philly).
And DC has some of the best schools in terms of... public? Hell no! Universities? Sure, but they have nothing on an Ivy League like Princeton and all other Northeastern Ivies. DC holds its weight in many categories but let's not pretend any city in the country comes close to New York and its power and popularity on a world level. That's what I meant.
Regardless, few people move to the DC area from NJ for reasons other than job transfers and such. It's not much of a cheaper, less congested area than it is here. Like I said, most people move for financial reasons and weather, and the DC area is on a similar level to NJ in both.
This post proves my point about "Jersey pride" and the notion that "our turf is the greatest turf in the world".
People in LA and San Francisco make the same exact argument about their cities.
It's all what people prefer. I personally think that Phoenix and Boise are better cities to live in than NYC. To me, NYC is not the greatest, most highly regarded city in the world.
You can make high salaries in cities like Austin and Chicago - the same salary as NYC in the high tech field, anyway, and your cost of living would be half of what you'd pay in Jersey if you don't count taxes. Why in the world aren't people flocking to NJ then? Hmm, I wonder.
No, NYC is not the greatest place on earth. NJ is just an expensive place because of political corruption and people's unwillingness to move or change their lives. Politicians know this and raise taxes on everyone because they know that natives won't move from "the promised land".
This post proves my point about "Jersey pride" and the notion that "our turf is the greatest turf in the world".
People in LA and San Francisco make the same exact argument about their cities.
It's all what people prefer. I personally think that Phoenix and Boise are better cities to live in than NYC. To me, NYC is not the greatest, most highly regarded city in the world.
You can make high salaries in cities like Austin and Chicago - the same salary as NYC in the high tech field, anyway, and your cost of living would be half of what you'd pay in Jersey if you don't count taxes. Why in the world aren't people flocking to NJ then? Hmm, I wonder.
No, NYC is not the greatest place on earth. NJ is just an expensive place because of political corruption and people's unwillingness to move or change their lives. Politicians know this and raise taxes on everyone because they know that natives won't move from "the promised land".
Whatever you have to tell yourself Ms. Arizona.
If you need to tell yourself that NYC is not the most popular and influential city in the US and genuinely among the most popular and influential in the world, then that's cool. (Important to note that you don't have to like the city to acknowledge that this is true.) Whatever floats your boat.
population growth isn't everything. Detroit has had population growth as of the last couple of years. Industries aren't saturated, but people still come in, building grow taller, as opposed to out, and the QOL, infastructure, schools suffer, COL increase. That is the crux of the issue. NJ is no geographically a large state, but has a large population, much of it centered around urban centers that aren't invested in long term publically.
Also for all the jobs and population grwoth you speak of where ar ethe complemntary increases in public infastructure, schools, public tranpsort options? Pubic money in NJ seems to evaporate
Also by and large there seems to be a net outflow of young people especially from places like NJ and NY, and maybe even overall (this has been disputed on this forum a lot)At the very least we can agree that there is a high turnover of those who come to NJ and choose to settle here
More of your impression...back it up. Show us any stats that support this outflow of young people.
First you abandon the concept of population declining and just blow more hot air from another orifice.
They are.. and there are a lot of Jersey defectors out there (and everywhere, really) who feel the same way about NJ.
But you embody all the worst things about New Jersey. The abrasive attitude, the capacity for contempt, the rudeness. Not the cool stuff. You're acting like everything you condemn. Rather than embracing the great things about where you're from, you carried all the negatives with you like a giant chip on your shoulder and then tried to fire it back at the people who stayed in the state. I suspect the reason you run into so many abrasive and obnoxious people from New Jersey is because you are abrasive and obnoxious - you attract the energy you put out into the world for the most part. That's not me being hippy dippy - that's just logic.
I mean jeez, look at the anger you injected into a conversation that you CHOSE to join. We're not debating some big political or moral issue. We're just discussing the livability of a particular area in a pretty amiable manner, and you came in screeching about how everyone's an idiot. That's just weird.
Am I proud to be from New Jersey? Pfft. Why would I be proud about where I just happened to pop out of my mother in an incident that I had absolutely no control over? But I am appreciative. I grew up somewhere where I was able to become the person I wanted to be rather than being shaped entirely by my surroundings, and I have a lot of friends with similar experiences.
And the pizza. I revere the pizza. I'm also very thankful for Jon Stewart, who is my spiritual leader.
But yeah, those horrible awful nasty Jersey people who annoy you so much? Try being a nicer person. Maybe you won't attract so many jerks.
CA has a water crisis (so does a lot of the desert SW... which btw does not include Seattle but perhaps they have too much water and depressing weather). I wouldn't brag too much about people moving there considering that poses a problem now and pretty much always will in the future. It's also a very expensive state with extremely liberal policies/government arguably worse than NJ (for anyone who's moving to escape bigger government). CA is no paradise despite its beach culture, which is inexplicable too because the water is cold all year long, even in the summer - NJ has warmer summer water than Southern CA ever has, on average, and Northern CA - forget it. I would not find that enjoyable but that's just me. The only true positive about CA is probably on average warmer all year round air temps and general lack of rain, but again, that's not necessarily a good thing. CA has a lot of issues and I don't think people generally think about that. I think it has a very positive view to the general public - which isn't necessarily a bad thing but that doesn't mean it's the perfect place to live. CA home prices in the most desirable parts are astronomical (yes, worse than here) and COL is also very high. So moving to CA won't get you much more than some warmer air temps compared to here all year long and maybe a more laid back lifestyle.
.
I am a Calif. native who lived in the Garden State for one year in his 20's. Won't bother to counter your delusional post. It will have to suffice to just say that I voted with my feet and got the hell out of New Jersey to return to California. N.J. is not a bad place but it nowhere near as diverse and interesting as California. Not even a contest.
I am a Calif. native who lived in the Garden State for one year in his 20's. Won't bother to counter your delusional post. It will have to suffice to just say that I voted with my feet and got the hell out of New Jersey to return to California. N.J. is not a bad place but it nowhere near as diverse and interesting as California. Not even a contest.
If you claim it's delusional, I would like you to say why (as you try to get out of saying why by saying, "won't bother to counter it"). What exactly did I say that is wrong or "delusional"? Is it false that CA has a water crisis? Is it false that CA ocean temps are cold all year and colder than NJ's in the summer? Is it false that CA has overall warmer weather? Is it false that CA is also a very liberal state? Is it false it's also a very expensive one, with high home prices (in the most desirable areas)? Is it false that it has a more laid back lifestyle? Is it false that it doesn't make much sense to move from NJ to CA for financial reasons (seemingly the #1 reason people move from NJ) because CA is also a very expensive place to live? I'm waiting.
Saying NJ is not as interesting as CA is merely an opinion. Diversity, I don't care about (I talk about it because others care), but interesting - what do you base that opinion off of? I don't care that you feel that way, but you can't come here saying I'm delusional and then making statements yourself and not explaining anything.
Also - you lived here for one year. Wow. I'm sure you learned so much. The CA native isn't as biased as us NJ ones are regarding this...
If you need to tell yourself that NYC is not the most popular and influential city in the US and genuinely among the most popular and influential in the world, then that's cool. (Important to note that you don't have to like the city to acknowledge that this is true.) Whatever floats your boat.
Try telling this to someone in LA or San Francisco... They'll beg to differ.
Jersey girl mentality... Next thing you'll be telling me is that Sleazeside Heights or Lavalette is the best beach in the world.
Contrary to your 25 mile radius mentality, there's a whoooole other world out there once you get your head out of your large ass.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It's not in terms of size (seems that would be Philadelphia if we're going by major cities) or population (that would - definitively - also be Philly). 
The Phoenix area is super diverse. Not sure what your ethnicity is but there are plenty of Asians (Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese), Hispanics (mostly Mexican heritage), African American, and even lots of Native Americans. I lived in the Phoenix area. Ethnic food is everywhere. Real Mexican food is very popular as are Indian, Vietnamese, and Turkish due to the large population here. I've also had greek, Japanese (lots of sushi here.. comes from CA), German, and lots of mom and pop old fashioned food, which is a rarity in Jersey. You can also sit outside and enjoy your food all year round. Outdoor bars, malls, and restaurants are very popular on the west coast where the weather is nice. I only had trouble finding a NY Deli type of place but eventually I did find one. The pizza is also pretty good because of the midwestern (Chicago) influence.
