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Not all parts-there used to be middle class sections. My husband grew up in Ridgewood-his parents bought their house around 1968 when my husband was born. It was a brand new house and his father was a vet so he got a VA mortgage. They were not wealthy at all-they were middle class. His dad worked in the post office during the day and also worked a job fixing cars at night. They lived in a normal house. Granted- he was middle class and there were a lot of rich families and yes there were mansions even back then. However I do know that today his family would not be able to live there even if his dad worked 3 or 4 jobs. His parents sold the house in the late 80's when his dad retired. The house sold again recently for some ridiculous amount and it is a basic house nothing fancy about it.
My dad used to live in an old tenement in Hoboken that was infested with cockroaches and rats on 5th and Clinton.
This brings up an interesting question. Have these areas (the ones that used to be lower class, like Jersey City, Hoboken, and parts of NYC) eradicated their vermon problems? I can't imagine a home that sells for a million dollars or more having mice and cockroaches. If they do, the buyers are nuts!
This brings up an interesting question. Have these areas (the ones that used to be lower class, like Jersey City, Hoboken, and parts of NYC) eradicated their vermon problems? I can't imagine a home that sells for a million dollars or more having mice and cockroaches. If they do, the buyers are nuts!
I don't know I can't afford to get in them. LOL. People did extensive renovations to these buildings thats one of the reasons the cost is high. I would think they evicted these tenants(cockroaches and rats) along with the lower class and middle class when they bought the building. Silly question gets a silly answer. Many highrises in urban areas, rich or poor, have these problems.
This brings up an interesting question. Have these areas (the ones that used to be lower class, like Jersey City, Hoboken, and parts of NYC) eradicated their vermon problems? I can't imagine a home that sells for a million dollars or more having mice and cockroaches. If they do, the buyers are nuts!
After rereading my own question, I realized how it could be be misunderstood. I NEVER tried to say the buildings had vermin because of the type of people that lived there before. I'm sorry if I offended anybody. And to top it off, I spelled vermin incorrectly in the post too!
One of the places I think we are missing is Weehawken and Edgewater. With all those pricey waterfront properties that were built and the amazing shopping centers and restaurants that were added, these 2 towns have really changed.
Just about any town in suburban Morris County. Florham Park, Hanover, Montville are just a few that come to mind immediately, where you had an abundance of modest Cape Cods from the 60s that are now out of the reach of middle income earning families.
Just about any town in suburban Morris County. Florham Park, Hanover, Montville are just a few that come to mind immediately, where you had an abundance of modest Cape Cods from the 60s that are now out of the reach of middle income earning families.
Montville sure did change didn't it? From the arm pit of Morris COunty to one of the most desirable areas. I personally liked it better farms and dirt roads better then Mansions and condos everywhere.
One of the places I think we are missing is Weehawken and Edgewater. With all those pricey waterfront properties that were built and the amazing shopping centers and restaurants that were added, these 2 towns have really changed.
You are not kidding! When I was growing up no one would admit to living in Edgewater, it was known as an "artistic" and cooky community. A lot of very strange people lived there.
Actually, there are a lot of areas of Bergen County that fit the original question. You only have to look at the properties available in some of the areas to know. They are tiny little capes and the like, wealthy folks of any generation were not looking for them. But now one of those tiny little capes could run you $500,000 and up... and that's really not middle class anymore.
Ironically, I was thinking that in 1992 I was talking to a friend about River Edge and he turned his nose up in the air as if I was talking about a slum. (RE was never a slum...but that was his perception.) In 2008, River Edge may not be considered "wealthy" but it's def upper middle class.
River Edge.. my mom used to live there when she grew up and the houses were all little and it was very spread out... now it has huge mansions and is really beautiful.
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