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im not entirely sure why people would even look to stay in nj. there are places throughout the country that appear to offer much more in terms of quality of life. if i was graduating college, looking for employment i would certainly expand my search to different parts of the country. i am very happy in nj but if i wasnt tied here financially; there would be a very high chance that i would be out of here.
Exactly right. Basically, unless you have a NYC specific career (Wall Street/some types of law) or NJ specific career in pharma, the value proposition in NJ is terrible. Horrible commutes, high COL and not a ton of room to “make it” outside of these fields. When my kids get to college age, I’ll encourage them to focus on going somewhere with more opportunity and value for younger folks and then will probably join them.
Well, I live in New Mexico, and I advise you come here with a job, and that you rent for 6 months. You will be culturally shocked in so many ways here especially if you were raised in a comfortable Northern NJ suburb and have lived there your entire life. As it stands, if that is the case, you have lived a charmed life relative to what many your age have been raised in here.
There is nothing relatively safe not far from ABQ that begins to even approach where you mentioned in NJ. Even Northeast Heights by Sandia has property crimes that someone raised in NJ would ever consider doing. Potanta, for instance, have you ever heard of the term "Porch Pirate"? I think probably not. Someone raised in Morris County NJ would never trail a UPS or a FedEx truck, case the neighborhoods where the packages are being delivered then systematically steal them. You would feel violated. Anyone with a soul would. I have mentioned this term to my sister who lives in Lake Hopatcong, and a good friend of mine who lives in West Caldwell and yet another friend who lives in Bloomingdale. They wouldn't think to steal like this. That's because there is prosperity where they all and you all live. When you start going into the interior in this fading republic, the rules of engagement change.
If you come here, you better come prepared to assimilate into a culture that is foreign to you. Now, you might ask why I would live here? Probably the same reasons you seek for a change. New Jersey is a tough place to live in, but in totally different aspects. If you are born into comfort, though, it is going to be very tough for you to acclimate to a place like this.
I moved from N.J. to NV and though I have zero regrets, one thing I do miss about NJ is the considerably lower crime rate. I was robbed as a tourist in Las Vegas years ago and the cops didn’t care so my eyes were wide-open to the crime issue upon relocating. I live in one of the nicest areas of Vegas but property crime is still a much more common occurrence than in N.J., including porch pirates. We spent $6k+ on Security doors, Security film for windows, and floodlight cameras. Always park our cars in the garage. Never even occurred to me to take such precautions in N.J. With that said, I’d be kicking and screaming if I had to move back to North Jersey - the cost of living / major tax advantages, lack of congestion aside from the Strip, excellent infrastructure (roads and airport), more laid-back attitude, weather and much easier access to world-class outdoor recreation more than make up for the crime issue. Pros and cons to every situation in life. ABQ apparently has much higher crime than Vegas and NM is way up there in terms of poverty - pretty much on par with Alabama and Mississippi. NM has plenty of beauty, but to the OP just beware that there are definite downsides.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say nobody who was raised in Morris Country would resort to being a porch pirate - the heroin epidemic has certainly hit Morris County like so many other communities in the US. However, I would agree that such crimes are much less common in Morris County and the cops actually care and follow up on such issues. They darn well better given their pay and pension. My experience dealing with a local N.J. police department when I was the victim of a minor petty crime was far superior to my experience dealing with LVPD for a more serious crime.
And to the OP, the California junkies aren’t “nice” - they’re just as trashy and desperate as junkies everywhere else and are happy to steal from you if the opportunity presents itself.
Last edited by Cubicle Dweller; 03-27-2019 at 08:50 PM..
I moved from N.J. to NV and though I have zero regrets, one thing I do miss about NJ is the considerably lower crime rate. I was robbed as a tourist in Las Vegas years ago and the cops didn’t care so my eyes were wide-open to the crime issue upon relocating. I live in one of the nicest areas of Vegas but property crime is still a much more common occurrence than in N.J., including porch pirates. We spent $6k+ on Security doors, Security film for windows, and floodlight cameras. Always park our cars in the garage. Never even occurred to me to take such precautions in N.J. With that said, I’d be kicking and screaming if I had to move back to North Jersey - the cost of living / major tax advantages, lack of congestion aside from the Strip, excellent infrastructure (roads and airport), more laid-back attitude, weather and much easier access to world-class outdoor recreation more than make up for the crime issue. Pros and cons to every situation in life. ABQ apparently has much higher crime than Vegas and NM is way up there in terms of poverty - pretty much on par with Alabama and Mississippi. NM has plenty of beauty, but to the OP just beware that there are definite downsides.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say nobody who was raised in Morris Country would resort to being a porch pirate - the heroin epidemic has certainly hit Morris County like so many other communities in the US. However, I would agree that such crimes are much less common in Morris County and the cops actually care and follow up on such issues. They darn well better given their pay and pension. My experience dealing with a local N.J. police department when I was the victim of a minor petty crime was far superior to my experience dealing with LVPD for a more serious crime.
And to the OP, the California junkies aren’t “nice” - they’re just as trashy and desperate as junkies everywhere else and are happy to steal from you if the opportunity presents itself.
As a sheltered North Jerseyan from Morris County, today I learned a new vocab term, which is "porch pirate". Lol. I better watch myself!
California junkies were nice when I hung out with my cousin's junkie friends, but yeah, I don't trust them 100%. But still, I like them more than the attitude of NJ people tbh. Much friendlier and I feel less "suspicious" of people from the West.
As a sheltered North Jerseyan from Morris County, today I learned a new vocab term, which is "porch pirate". Lol. I better watch myself!
California junkies were nice when I hung out with my cousin's junkie friends, but yeah, I don't trust them 100%. But still, I like them more than the attitude of NJ people tbh. Much friendlier and I feel less "suspicious" of people from the West.
Unless you move into a community here as an owner in a gated community, you have to be prepared to accept a completely different way of life than what are used to there. Cubicle Dweller's post is spot on and I wish I could have given it 100 rep points.
Unless you move into a community here as an owner in a gated community, you have to be prepared to accept a completely different way of life than what are used to there. Cubicle Dweller's post is spot on and I wish I could have given it 100 rep points.
+1
And, I will add that "The Geographical Cure" rarely works for chronically unhappy individuals who complain about almost everything that they encounter in their daily lives.
I'm guilty of contributing to this. When I was 23 I had a job in a suburban office park in NJ and HATED HATED HATED being there. After a couple of years I wanted to transfer to the NYC office, and when they refused, I went to a different company in NYC. Been working in the city since, and wouldn't have it any other way.
I have the opposite opinion. I used to work in NYC and absolutely hated it. I got tired of the crowded, packed trains every day, long walk to work, dirty subways, etc. Once I had kids I got out of the city and found a job in NJ. Now I work from home most days with a six-figure salary. I wouldn't want it any other way.
Yup. I have 2 close friends that moved to Raleigh, NC back in early 2000's when that was the "thing" to do. They lasted 3 years and ended up moving back to NJ because they hated the culture down there. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a New Jersey lover, but there are worse places out there for sure.
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