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I would love to leave NJ and try another area. My husband keeps telling me that we would not fit in, the kids would hate us, NJ is the best. We are not very religious, so the Bible Belt would not be a great area for us, even though I would like the weather. He keeps saying that there are no other areas quite like NJ. Amenities surround us, well educated neighbors and good schools, shopping always 5 min. away and of course family. I have traveled to see many different states that I would enjoy, but I agree that they are very large and spread out. Often when you leave a town you are surrounded by nothing but farms and open land, something not often seen in NJ. I am guessing that they have a lot of faults just like NJ do, the grass is maybe not greener???
So for those that have moved, do you find that it's the same crap, just another zip code? Or did you make the best move of your life? Are you financially more happy?? Are your kids growing up and loving the area and not counting the day till they turn 18 to move back to NJ and their old friends?
I know this thread has been up many times but a new perspective is always fun to read. Thanks.
Where it is true that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, I'm not sure it is actually greener here in NJ. NJ has a lot of to offer in terms of geography. We are close to Manhattan, philly and the shore. We also have Atlantic City if you like that kind of thing. The land is abound with malls and shopping centers.
That being said, New Jersey, like all things with a positive side, has its very considerable detriments. Political corruption is out of control in the Soprano State. You will pay the highest property taxes in the country and your kid's vice principle will be making triple digit salaries and will likely be collecting two or three state pensions on top of that. You will pay enormous state income taxes and the sales tax is almost 9 percent. If you drive anywhere you will pay outlandish fees to drive on the turnpike or parkway (increasing this January). If you take the train be prepared to pay 1/4 of your rent payment for public transportation, and be prepared for that transportation to never be on time. Any time you look at a travel distance and estimated travel time add 1 hour for traffic. You will also pay more for everything here, except gas. For example, you can buy alcohol for much, much cheaper in Hawaii than you can in NJ. I went to Las Vegas not long ago and all the travel reports said the number one downside was that it was expensive, but I discovered that food and other things in general were much cheaper in Vegas than they are here in Jersey, so just be prepared for that.
im sure there are great places to live in every state in america. the problem is that as an outsider, how likely are you to find the best place for you? i have my issues with nj, but i am very happy in my town.
That is just BS. I'm sure there are many areas you would fit in. NJ is not some kind of Nirvana. I'm not knocking NJ. I like it. But to say NJ is the best and no where else in the US would someone fit in is just ludicrous.
There's a lot of agreement here from people who frequently disagree. Maybe it's the Christmas Spirit? Like others there are things I like and disilike about New Jersey.
Where else to go? My findings:
Serious:
Pinellas County, Florida = New Jersey with alligators but without snow.
Buffalo = New Jersey in slow motion, but the winters are brutal.
New Hampshire = New Jersey higher education without the taxes!!!
Las Vegas = New Jersey in the desert.
Parts of Arizona = New Jersey; drier and without the shore.
Tongue in Cheek:
El Paso, Texas = New Jersey 'Home on the Range'.
Chicago = New Jersey's Big Brother when it comes to corruption.
I We are not very religious, so the Bible Belt would not be a great area for us, even though I would like the weather. He keeps saying that there are no other areas quite like NJ. Amenities surround us, well educated neighbors and good schools, shopping always 5 min. away and of course family.
So for those that have moved, do you find that it's the same crap, just another zip code? Or did you make the best move of your life? Are you financially more happy?? Are your kids growing up and loving the area and not counting the day till they turn 18 to move back to NJ and their old friends?
We moved to an area about 35 miles north of Atlanta in 2007, and we love it. Technically, we're in the "Bible Belt", and many people are definitely heavily into church, but it's not like they're going to shun you if you don't go. We've been to church maybe 4 times in 4 years, and we get along with everyone just fine.
Are there other areas "quite like" NJ? Well, you may not find another place that's 30 minutes from a major city like NYC, with quick access to the beach, but it depends on how important those things are to you. We never really used NYC other than for an occasional show with the kids, and we're not beach people, so those amenities really meant nothing to us. If you spend every summer weekend at the shore and go to frequent shows in NYC, you may have bigger issues with finding someplace.
We have all the amenities we need, we have more educated neighbors that we did previously (because we're able to afford to live in a better area than we could afford in NJ), the schools in our county are excellent, and there's plenty of shopping nearby.
We're definitely much more happy financially- my salary is virtually the same as it was in NJ, yet we have almost 3x the house we had in NJ (and it's new- not 60 years old), our property taxes are less than 1/2 of what they were, and most other costs are basically the same- some slightly higher, some slightly lower.
Whether you find your move to be "more of the same crap" or "the best move you ever made" will depend on how well you research to find the right area, on making the right selection, and on how receptive you are to change. If you were to move down here and complain about how you can't find a good bagel shop on every corner, or how "everyone say's y'all", you're likely to be unhappy. If you're willing to try new things and make some slight adjustments, you'll be fine.
The one thing you can't fix is the "family" thing. If all of your family is in NJ and not being near them is going to be a rough thing for you, you'll probably never be happy elsewhere, regardless of where you go.
Tahiti, yes it's been a long time on my wishlist to leave NJ. But like most things it get's harder to actually do it when the going gets tough. We stayed to help out some sick parents and now the remaining parents need us even more. We also have a son who is turning 13 and highly objects to any changes, while it would be fun to upset his world=like he does ours! Most people move for a job change, we have never had this offered to us. I keep dreaming and my husband keeps objecting and before we know it another year goes by.
Having traveled as much as I have, for as often as I had, I learned to live out of a suitcase. I learned to keep it simple and not sweat the small stuff. Like accidentally packing only 4 shirts for a 6 day trip or forgetting your toothbrush. You can almost always find what you need wherever you are.
Completely uprooting your life for another place is MUCH more complicated than going on a business trip but the idea is the same. Figure out what is MOST important that you simply cannot live without, then go with the flow for everything else. I moved from inner city Elizabeth to (as far as I am concerned) super suburbia in Edison. After 6 years, I am still not "comfortable" here but Im happy because of the advantages it gave us for our family. I still get weird looks from neighbors and passerbys because of some of my "inner city" habits, but they dont bother me and I am slowly adapting.
I've had opportunities to move to Tulsa, Vegas, Los Angeles, Dubai, London, Dublin and even Johannasburg. I've spent more than a month in each place several times and each time found myself saying, 'I could live here...sure". What has kept me in NJ has been my wife, son, nieces and nephews. If I was single I would have jumped at any of the above opportunities, maybe even moving a few times. But I could not be happy without my little family.
Tahiti, yes it's been a long time on my wishlist to leave NJ. But like most things it get's harder to actually do it when the going gets tough. We stayed to help out some sick parents and now the remaining parents need us even more. We also have a son who is turning 13 and highly objects to any changes, while it would be fun to upset his world=like he does ours! Most people move for a job change, we have never had this offered to us. I keep dreaming and my husband keeps objecting and before we know it another year goes by.
so if you have nothing drawing you out of state, what makes you want to move? it sounds to me like you are a "grass is greener" type of person that wont be happy no matter where you are. a lot of happiness is how you frame things in your own mind. if you want to be unhappy, thats what you will be.
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