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For me, it is not just about NJ specifically, but about living in the Northeast versus a different part of the country. Living in the south or the midwest does not appeal to me at all (Country music? Fundamentalist Christians trying to teach creationism in schools instead of actual science? No good ethnic food except Mexican? Salary scales well below those in the Northeast? Living in a "red" state that voted for Bush in the last two elections?) Not for me...
Living in New England is nice, but the cold and snow can be excessive. I like the balance between urban and rural lifestyle - I can easily get to good farm markets and to midtown Manhattan or Philly. Public schools, as a whole, are top-notch, as are many of the universities. Things are not so far apart as they are in the Midwest or West. We get 4 distinctive seasons - I love the fall foliage and the crisp autumn air, the beauty of the countryside after a snowfall, trees budding in the spring, and hot but not excessively hot summers.
We also never seem to get the natural disasters that wreak havoc in other parts of the country (hurricanes in the Southeast, tornados in the Midwest, earthquakes in the West). Blizzards are much more manageable...
I really like NJ's ethnic diversity, at least in central NJ where I live. A nice mix of people, a nice quality of life.
Let's see...This is more northeast in general but applies to NJ too
- Pace. Nice and fast.
- Convenience. Everything you need is close by. Generally if you have to travel more than a few minutes for something you didn't look hard enough.
- Food. mmmmmmmmmmm. Still looking for places in Atlanta that even serve as a poor substitute for things you take for granted in the Northeast.
- Convenience again. Beaches, mountains, NYC all close. Easy interesting day trip options to places like Boston, DC or rural spots like Saratoga.
It seems like somebody stars a thread like this once a week or so. Just scroll down and select topics about NJ that interest you and peruse them instead to get a flaovor for the question that you ask..
So sorry, I am not completely understand your post. If I understand correctly, it was not intended for sometype of favor nor trying to gain information for my benefit. Caveat is just public information. Thx.
So sorry, I am not completely understand your post. If I understand correctly, it was not intended for sometype of favor nor trying to gain information for my benefit. Caveat is just public information. Thx.
It was a typo on my part..I should have said that many of the posts headers give a "flavor" of NJ...and I would encourage you to scroll down and select several that appeal to questions that you may have.On any given day I can come here and find an interesting topic about a specific aspect about living or leaving NJ. I live in NJ and happen to love it. Yes the taxes are ghastly and the pace can be frantic but I love the beaches, the food and the people. I live in Hunterdon County and I can be anywhere in the state in about 2 hours and in Manhatten in about 45 minutes and yet it's very calm and beautiful here in my little part NJ.
many of the posts headers give a "flavor" of NJ...and I would encourage you to scroll down and select several that appeal to questions that you may have.On any given day I can come here and find an interesting topic about a specific aspect about living or leaving NJ. I live in NJ and happen to love it. Yes the taxes are ghastly and the pace can be frantic but I love the beaches, the food and the people. I live in Hunterdon County and I can be anywhere in the state in about 2 hours and in Manhatten in about 45 minutes and yet it's very calm and beautiful here in my little part NJ.[/quote]
I just read "New Jersey Exit Tax" thread. It sounds like New Jersy is doing everything to keep families in because New Jersey loves their citizen.
You right!. I've never heard of a such thing until now and I didn't read all posts. It sure seemed like many people paid "Exit Tax." and they are as confused as I. Exit Tax or Transfer Tax in New Jersey? I am not familiar with it and this thread and posts are educating me. Thanks all.
To each his own. You made the choice you needed to make for your family. I'm retired USMC, left East Orange in 1970, retired at Camp Pendleton in 1994. Kids begged us to stay in Cali, so we did. They had pulled up stakes for me all those years. And I REALLY wanted to go back to Jersey. Of course, they grew up and moved away! Of four kids, only one lives within driving distance! But no regrets.
I visited my oldest last July in Jersey. All the memories came flooding back, the family history, the nostalgia, and of course the food! To me, New Jersey is what made me, what shaped me. I love everything about New Jersey, the seasons, the "attitude", the atmosphere, the culture. There is something indefinable about the people of New Jersey that instilled in me the way I am. Though not as important as that of my parents; real and indisputable nonetheless. I will always be grateful that I hail from the greatest state in this country; that I knew such humble, tough, pragmatic blue collar folk as who surrounded me. I am a better man because I lived there.
I've done duty in El Paso. Like you, I know it has it's merits and charms. But as with any place, there are drawbacks as well. The heat, the smog, the illegal immigrant issue. The large swaths of ugly slab/"adobe" tract homes, plain utilitarian strip malls, rival the blight of the older urban setting in New Jersey as you well know. Just seems a tad more depressing in 110 degree heat if you ask me. And at least New Jersey gets rain, so the greenery gives SOME camoflage to the ugliness.
For me, it is not just about NJ specifically, but about living in the Northeast versus a different part of the country. Living in the south or the midwest does not appeal to me at all (Country music? Fundamentalist Christians trying to teach creationism in schools instead of actual science? No good ethnic food except Mexican? Salary scales well below those in the Northeast? Living in a "red" state that voted for Bush in the last two elections?) Not for me...
Living in New England is nice, but the cold and snow can be excessive. I like the balance between urban and rural lifestyle - I can easily get to good farm markets and to midtown Manhattan or Philly. Public schools, as a whole, are top-notch, as are many of the universities. Things are not so far apart as they are in the Midwest or West. We get 4 distinctive seasons - I love the fall foliage and the crisp autumn air, the beauty of the countryside after a snowfall, trees budding in the spring, and hot but not excessively hot summers.
We also never seem to get the natural disasters that wreak havoc in other parts of the country (hurricanes in the Southeast, tornados in the Midwest, earthquakes in the West). Blizzards are much more manageable...
I really like NJ's ethnic diversity, at least in central NJ where I live. A nice mix of people, a nice quality of life.
I think when it comes to politics and using it as a corollary as to where one should live, one should consider voting at the county instead of the state level. You state you live in Central NJ. 9 out of 21 counties in NJ voted for Bush over Kerry in the 2004 election, including some really beautiful ones, ex: Hunterdon, Warren, Sussex, and in central NJ, Monmouth and Ocean. The other 4 counties are Morris, Somerset, Cape May, and Salem. In contrast, El Paso County Texas voted 61% for Kerry in the 2004 election, a very blue county. Neighboring Dona Ana County New Mexico (where I live) went 52% for Kerry. These two counties are completely different from Sussex, Warren, etc, and many lifelong NJ residents who vote for Democrats would likely prefer living in these places as opposed to West Texas/Southern NM. My .02
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many of the posts headers give a "flavor" of NJ...and I would encourage you to scroll down and select several that appeal to questions that you may have.On any given day I can come here and find an interesting topic about a specific aspect about living or leaving NJ. I live in NJ and happen to love it. Yes the taxes are ghastly and the pace can be frantic but I love the beaches, the food and the people. I live in Hunterdon County and I can be anywhere in the state in about 2 hours and in Manhatten in about 45 minutes and yet it's very calm and beautiful here in my little part NJ.[/quote]
