Please remind me about New Jersey.... (Newark, Jersey City: apartment, insurance, mortgage)
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Moved west three months ago, leaving behind forty years in NJ. I was happy to leave, having whined about NJ for years, but must admit I'm a bit homesick. It's ok where I am, but not home. Can't believe I would ever, ever miss New Jersey! Remind me why Jersey is frustrating. Or, make me feel worse and remind me of all the things that only Jersey has to offer.
Moved west three months ago, leaving behind forty years in NJ. I was happy to leave, having whined about NJ for years, but must admit I'm a bit homesick. It's ok where I am, but not home. Can't believe I would ever, ever miss New Jersey! Remind me why Jersey is frustrating. Or, make me feel worse and remind me of all the things that only Jersey has to offer.
Moved a year and a half ago to Philly metro. Here's a quick summary of what I miss/don't miss. On the balance, the stuff I like about my new home is much more important than the stuff I miss about the old one.
Stuff that I miss
Good Indian food: Newark Avenue in Jersey City has a really strong selection of grocery stores and restaurants. For those further out from the city, there are comparable alternatives (e.g. Edison). There's nothing comparable in Philly metro
NYC had a really strong running scene, with some very active running clubs. There are very few places elsewhere that have anything comparable.
Whole foods in lower Manhattan: this place was right near where I worked. The place is enormous, and features a stunning array of fresh goods, including for example their in-house coffee roasting operation. They have a system of chopping through the queue where the cashier isn't tied to any given checkout, so if one cashier gets held up, your line is still being served by the other cashiers.
and that's about it really.
Stuff I thought I'd miss but don't
Coffee shops: for quite a while, Brooklyn has had some outstanding coffee shops. I'd often drop by these on my run after work -- Oslo Coffee and Cafe Grumpy for example. These eventually spilled over into Manhattan with 9th St Espresso and it's sister "Everyman espresso" opening near Union Square, then Cafe Grumpy opening places around Manhattan. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find comparable places in Philly. In addition to the more established La Colombe, there are some stellar upstarts such as Chestnut Hill Coffee that serve shots similar to 9th st Espresso. There is even a top notch place walking distance from my place.
Stuff I don't miss
Horrendously expensive housing: I was paying 1300 for a one bedroom apartment in Jersey City. Not even the "nice" part of Jersey City. Of course you can live in the nice part of Jersey City or Hoboken but it will cost you. Or you can live in the burbs in which case the commute will kill you.
Horrible commutes if you live in the 'burbs: in my new home, my drive to work is less than 15 minutes. There are a broad range of nice housing options, from suburban to city living, all which would be no more than a 15 minute commute. Nice suburban homes in the NY metro usually means you have a 1 hour commute if you work in the city.
Pervasive rat race culture: where but the NY metro is it possible to earn 6 figures, live a modest lifestyle, and still feel like you're struggling to keep your head above water ? The whole "school system" issue becomes a zero sum game which encourages everyone to get in over their head so that they can move into a school district that has successfully priced out the "undesirables". Where I am now, there are decent (if modest) housing options in good school districts for under 300k.
If I were still single, I'd probably miss the dating scene in NY.
Stuff that I'm neutral about
The suburbs in NJ are very pretty, especially around the Watchung slopes. Walkable downtowns, rolling hills, tree lined streets, and the gaslit street lamps in South Orange. But they are pretty nice where I am now too. The difference is that you can actually live in these towns where I am now, without being crushed by the commute, property taxes or mortgage payments.
Moved a year and a half ago to Philly metro. Here's a quick summary of what I miss/don't miss. On the balance, the stuff I like about my new home is much more important than the stuff I miss about the old one.
Stuff that I miss
Good Indian food: Newark Avenue in Jersey City has a really strong selection of grocery stores and restaurants. For those further out from the city, there are comparable alternatives (e.g. Edison). There's nothing comparable in Philly metro
NYC had a really strong running scene, with some very active running clubs. There are very few places elsewhere that have anything comparable.
Whole foods in lower Manhattan: this place was right near where I worked. The place is enormous, and features a stunning array of fresh goods, including for example their in-house coffee roasting operation. They have a system of chopping through the queue where the cashier isn't tied to any given checkout, so if one cashier gets held up, your line is still being served by the other cashiers.
and that's about it really.
Stuff I thought I'd miss but don't
Coffee shops: for quite a while, Brooklyn has had some outstanding coffee shops. I'd often drop by these on my run after work -- Oslo Coffee and Cafe Grumpy for example. These eventually spilled over into Manhattan with 9th St Espresso and it's sister "Everyman espresso" opening near Union Square, then Cafe Grumpy opening places around Manhattan. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find comparable places in Philly. In addition to the more established La Colombe, there are some stellar upstarts such as Chestnut Hill Coffee that serve shots similar to 9th st Espresso. There is even a top notch place walking distance from my place.
Stuff I don't miss
Horrendously expensive housing: I was paying 1300 for a one bedroom apartment in Jersey City. Not even the "nice" part of Jersey City. Of course you can live in the nice part of Jersey City or Hoboken but it will cost you. Or you can live in the burbs in which case the commute will kill you.
Horrible commutes if you live in the 'burbs: in my new home, my drive to work is less than 15 minutes. There are a broad range of nice housing options, from suburban to city living, all which would be no more than a 15 minute commute. Nice suburban homes in the NY metro usually means you have a 1 hour commute if you work in the city.
Pervasive rat race culture: where but the NY metro is it possible to earn 6 figures, live a modest lifestyle, and still feel like you're struggling to keep your head above water ? The whole "school system" issue becomes a zero sum game which encourages everyone to get in over their head so that they can move into a school district that has successfully priced out the "undesirables". Where I am now, there are decent (if modest) housing options in good school districts for under 300k.
If I were still single, I'd probably miss the dating scene in NY.
Stuff that I'm neutral about
The suburbs in NJ are very pretty, especially around the Watchung slopes. Walkable downtowns, rolling hills, tree lined streets, and the gaslit street lamps in South Orange. But they are pretty nice where I am now too. The difference is that you can actually live in these towns where I am now, without being crushed by the commute, property taxes or mortgage payments.
Great post but do you realize that everything you miss (apart from Newark Italian food) is actually in NY, not New Jersey?
Yeah, there's plenty of good stuff in NJ too, but nothing that they don't have in Philly and its suburbs.
OP's asking specifically about Jersey stuff. And after having lived in Philly, I'd have to disagree. There's plenty in Jersey that you just won't find in or around Philly. But it also goes the other way!
For those who either live in NJ and commute to Manhattan, or live near the Hudson river, NYC and all it offers is part of the package deal.
Quote:
And after having lived in Philly, I'd have to disagree. There's plenty in Jersey that you just won't find in or around Philly. But it also goes the other way!
Perhaps you could contribute to the thread by elaborating on this. I'd be interested to hear it.
After moving to ATL 3 years ago, I miss being so close to NYC and all it has to offer. Don't miss the high taxes, auto insurance, weather....I wished I made the move years ago.
OP: Where specifically is the 'west' you moved too?
Dunkin Donuts? How about macaroni salad?
How's the water? Breathing fresh air?
No criticisms; just food for comparison, no pun intended.
MaverickDD---I moved to Nevada fyi. Have vacationed here many times and love the desert. Enticed by low cost of living (as compared to NJ/NY area), tons to do outdoors, and slower pace of life. I do miss Dunkin Donuts though----terribly!!! There is one in Vegas that I know of and it's quite a drive my place (I'm about as far from the strip as one can get). Air quality is very good (I'm in the mountains, so no smog). We have had several days of heavy rain in the few months I've lived here---more than I imaged would occur in the desert. I do like that most people I've encountered here are water conservationists and recognize they live in the desert and act accordingly when it comes to natural resources.
Location: Splitting time between Dayton, NJ and Needmore, PA
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Stuff to make you feel better:
Taxes,
Cronyism,
Traffic on Routes 1&9, the GSP, and the NJTPK from Exit 9 - 16W
The "fishbowl neighborhoods" made by developers who threw up tens of thousands of homes over the last 40 years
The payoffs and backroom deals that made those developments possible
Insufferable Bennies at the Jersey Shore
The smell from sewers that haven't bee properly maintained
Bad drivers putting on make up, making phone calls, eating MickieD's, using their notebook computers while speeding through school zones
The surly, obnoxious people who push their way to the front of lines in just about every store
The unreasonable rules and regulations promulgated through judicial fiat by the NJ Supreme Court
The efforts of departments and officers on the State level to promulgate administrative requirements that are tantamount to unfunded mandates on local communities
Stuff to make you want to come back (maybe):
Pork Roll, egg & cheese sandwiches from the local convenience store
The Balloon Festival in Reddington
Cherry blossoms in Branch Brook Park, Newark
Finding the rare friendly person who talks to you like a normal person
Places like Highpoint and Cape May
The aromas from local bakeries and pastry shops on Sunday mornings
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