Difference between Essex and Bergen (Newark, East Orange: low crime, how much, buyer)
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Definitely come across as having a chip on your shoulder against Essex County. But I guess that can be expected from someone who is so proud of where they live they use it as their ID...........
Sorry to disappoint you, there's no chip on my shoulder and my ID isn't due to pride so much as identification of where in NJ I'm from. And I'm not out to fight against people from other counties or about counties - I'm just stating my opinion.
What IS definitely clear, as I acknowledged, is that I obviously have a bias, and I explained that it is due to my own experience (which should be a given and understood by anyone reading my opinion anyway). When I commute to Essex I see few neighborhoods that are as nice as Bergen County and the ones I do see have some kind of strange layout, with $500-700K homes sitting right next to a pharma company's office or a corporate park or some kind of water tower or antenna.
As for the traffic, I guess I'm probably going overboard and attributing what is actually more a Morris County traffic Hell to Essex county, so I'll concede that much. There is nothing, NOTHING in Bergen County that is worse than the intersection of 80 and 287. I'd rather be at the intersection of Rt 4 and 17 two evenings before Christmas than be on the 80 and 287 interchange on a regular work morning. Even when there's no problem it's a nasty, heavy flow of traffic with people being more aggressive than I've ever seen, and it's still slow; but it's almost guaranteed that one out of five commutes a week will be met with some kind of accident or other problem that makes what would be a 10-15 minute drive into one that's over an hour. But I have had similar experiences on 10 and 24, also...
Oh well, if you're going to talk about THAT side of Bergen County...
I just did a search on towns on Essex County, and there are some I never realized were part of Essex. I thought Essex was mainly Newark, the Oranges, and a few other more urban towns. I knew Montclair was Essex, and that runs the gamut from mansions to slums, but I didn't realize Cedar Grove or Nutley or Glen Ridge were in Essex, too.
Northwest Bergen County myopia, I guess.
I lived in Montclair for nine years, they have so low rent areas, but to all them slums is quite an exaggeration.
I lived in Montclair for nine years, they have so low rent areas, but to all them slums is quite an exaggeration.
Bloomfield Ave looks very deceiving, but I agree. It is worlds apart from the ghetto. I always thought of Montclair's downtown as kind of a rundown version of Princeton. Although on a large scale in comparison to the quiet areas near the university, there really is no comparison. It's like comparing Hidden Lake (SF), Farrington Lake or Colonial Gardens to Nassau Street area in North Brunswick.
The county infighting is normal too as someone who lives and spends a lot of time in both I can give a nonbiast view. Truthfully the traffic is worse in Bergen 17 and 4 are awful route 10 is not that bad, though 22 in union county is the worst. As for the counties its tough to compare bergen is huge with many towns like theres 10 rich towns 10 upper-middle class 10 lower middle class that kind of stuff. Essex is much smaller in land and the eastern section of it is bad. So theres much less to compare, though the best part of Bergen (apline and saddle river) are probably nicer then the best in essex. A community like short hills is comparable to woodcliff lake. With all that said, i prefer essex county. I like the contrasts and there are many nice diverse communities unlike in Bergen county. Essex is more interesting many towns are larger as well. Its to each's own, I prefer Essex but I like bergen a lot too. Both counties have a very ny feel which is good. Obviously the bad parts of essex (NWK, irvington, East and Orange) are not part of this comparsion they are a billion times worse then anywhere in bergen.
I am no expert on Bergen county, but I have relatives in Alpine and my wife has relatives in Englewood Cliffs so we spend a decent amount of time in those areas. Short Hills and Essex Fells are every bit as nice. Also, the other towns in west essex have very wealthy areas that are comparable. North Caldwell, Montclair, West Orange, South orange, and Livingston all have areas with multimillion dollar homes on at least an acre, if not more, with trees and hills and all that good stuff. Livingston and Milburn usually have people on the Forbes list, why would they choose Essex When Bergen is so much better? A house in Alpine would be a drop in the bucket to guys like David Tepper, David Mandelbaum or the Kushner family. Towns in Essex are a little more Socially/financially integrated than Bergen, and that is a good thing. Obviously, the billionaires who live here, think it is a good thing too.
Last edited by AnesthesiaMD; 09-25-2010 at 06:33 AM..
Sorry to disappoint you, there's no chip on my shoulder and my ID isn't due to pride so much as identification of where in NJ I'm from. And I'm not out to fight against people from other counties or about counties - I'm just stating my opinion.
What IS definitely clear, as I acknowledged, is that I obviously have a bias, and I explained that it is due to my own experience (which should be a given and understood by anyone reading my opinion anyway). When I commute to Essex I see few neighborhoods that are as nice as Bergen County and the ones I do see have some kind of strange layout, with $500-700K homes sitting right next to a pharma company's office or a corporate park or some kind of water tower or antenna.
As for the traffic, I guess I'm probably going overboard and attributing what is actually more a Morris County traffic Hell to Essex county, so I'll concede that much. There is nothing, NOTHING in Bergen County that is worse than the intersection of 80 and 287. I'd rather be at the intersection of Rt 4 and 17 two evenings before Christmas than be on the 80 and 287 interchange on a regular work morning. Even when there's no problem it's a nasty, heavy flow of traffic with people being more aggressive than I've ever seen, and it's still slow; but it's almost guaranteed that one out of five commutes a week will be met with some kind of accident or other problem that makes what would be a 10-15 minute drive into one that's over an hour. But I have had similar experiences on 10 and 24, also...
that is patently false. and yes, i'm at the intersection A LOT. there's a reason 4/17 makes the list of one of the most dangerous merges in the COUNTRY.
that is patently false. and yes, i'm at the intersection A LOT. there's a reason 4/17 makes the list of one of the most dangerous merges in the COUNTRY.
I agree. I am often at the 80/287 merge and I rarely have any traffic there. Only maybe at rush hour, and even then, it still moves. But then, where ISN'T there traffic at rush hour?
I am no expert on Bergen county, but I have relatives in Alpine and my wife has relatives in Englewood Cliffs so we spend a decent amount of time in those areas. Short Hills and Essex Fells are every bit as nice. Also, the other towns in west essex have very wealthy areas that are comparable. North Caldwell, Montclair, West Orange, South orange, and Livingston all have areas with multimillion dollar homes on at least an acre, if not more, with trees and hills and all that good stuff. Livingston and Milburn usually have people on the Forbes list, why would they c<script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/abc.js"></script>hoose Essex When Bergen is so much better? A house in Alpine would be a drop in the bucket to guys like David Tepper, David Mandelbaum or the Kushner family. Towns in Essex are a little more Socially/financially integrated than Bergen, and that is a good thing. Obviously, the billionaires who live here, think it is a good thing too.
I agree that Essex is better but Alpine is the wealthiest town in the state I think and the properties are fancier then in Short Hills. If money was no object I personally would be in a multimillion dollar part of Essex such has Llewyn park over anywhere in Bergen but Apline has the highest values and incomes.
I agree. I am often at the 80/287 merge and I rarely have any traffic there. Only maybe at rush hour, and even then, it still moves. But then, where ISN'T there traffic at rush hour?
exactly.. this goes back to bcj admitting he has a bias because he doesn't know back roads around it. 287/80 is "bad" at rush hour, but not horrendous.
I agree that Essex is better but Alpine is the wealthiest town in the state I think and the properties are fancier then in Short Hills. If money was no object I personally would be in a multimillion dollar part of Essex such has Llewyn park over anywhere in Bergen but Apline has the highest values and incomes.
Llewellyn Park in West Orange is the perfect example. Driving around there, you would think you were in Greenwich CT or something. You really think Alpine has "fancier" properties? Actually, maybe "fancier" in an ostentatious sort of way, but definitely not prettier.
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