Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Jersey - used to be nice up until 20 years ago.. Then all the Brooklyn and Staten Island trash made its way down. Leave while you still can. Prob too late now though.
I wouldn't call them trash, but one of my reasons I had moved out was because after 911 the town I lived in became so filled with NY'ers that it didn't seem like the same town I grew up in. It was la di da to begin with then it just became down right annoying. I will admit though I want to go back, maybe not to the same town though.
Unfortunately, for the first time I feel the same way. I always thought that I would be a NYC-NJ resident for life and had hoped to get involved in solving the structural problems that exist in this state after a successful private career. At this point, I feel like the problems are actually too big to solve, though.
I hear you. I've never wanted to leave and have been arguing this with hubbie for a few years now.
At some point I want to kick back & at least semi retire but still be able to travel, go out for dinner once in awhile.
If we stay here in NJ I either have to work full time til I drop or give up many things we both enjoy....
I am doing a study on the exodus of New Jersey. I read that NJ lost some 250000 residents last year and all of my family that live up there either have plans to move within the year or plan on moving out within 5yrs. Whats up with it?
My husband and I are in our mid-late 50s and we plan to move to central Florida within 18 months. We can't take the cold here much longer (we both have bad backs), and the taxes here are ridiculous (over $8K for a 5000 sq-ft piece of property with a 4-room single-family dwelling in Bayonne).
The fact that you are retiring early with a tiny mortgage balance shows your age. That dont make you bad, Im not teasing you. What I mean is your generation bought thier homes when they got married at 20 and will most often never move ever again in thier life..
You shouldn't make assumptions about any of us who fit into the above description. Like the poster you responded to, I'm retiring early this summer (age 54) -- not because we're rich (we're not -- I'm a career civil servant, my husband was a blue collar worker), but because we live frugally and don't need a lot to live on once we retire. Land and homes are a lot cheaper in the South, the weather is warmer, taxes are lower, and we're both sick to death of dealing with cold winters.
And no, I didn't marry at 20 -- I was 25, my husband was 29, and we bought our house 12 years later -- not when we got married.
Will I miss NJ? Certainly -- I was born and raised here, and I like the lifestyle. I love being able to walk out my door, head to the Light Rail, and be in Yankee Stadium within 90 minutes. But things change.
Regrettably Im kind of stuck here. I'm a city boy at heart and many of the other places I would like to live are just as expensive or more expensive then here in NJ. I have a job that, were I to change employers, no matter where I go in the world, I will most likely make less. My Wife would most likely not take as much of a hit but it would still be less. Even if the money would work out better (income/vs/expenses), I dont think I would be happy. Where I live now in Edison is way too "suburban" for me. Ive been here 4 years and Im still learning to deal with not having a corner bodega to run to and having to drive everywhere. So, I may be more well off if I move but I dont know if I'd be happy.
Last edited by RobRiguez; 03-12-2009 at 03:30 PM..
NJ IS THE BEST. IT'S EXPENSIVE STATE TO LIVE IN, BUT ALSO BETTER QUALITY PEOPLE. I LIVED IN COLONIA FOR 22 1/2 YEAR THEN MY PARENTS DECIDED TO MOVE TO SC. It was sudden and I didnt have enough time to find a full time job. For now im stuck here unless I win the powerball......come on lolPLEASE..
I'm still undecided whether I will leave NJ or not, but if I do I want to move to Manhattan for a while. I know it doesn't make sense since it is even more expensive than NJ, but I love it there. After that, IDK.
I also have seen a lot of my family move to other states, and my parents claim they are next. Most likely I will end up following them once they move. I grew up thousands of miles away from all 4 of my grandparents and delt with the sorrowful and lachrymose goodbyes everytime a vacation was over. I also see how it kills my parents not being able to be next to their parents as they get older. Those are situations I don't want my future kids or myself to go through.
If I went anywhere, it would probably be Boston. It's diverse, loaded with culture, clean, and fun. It may not have the same reputation as NYC or be as "safe" but it is a great environment.
I don't think mass exodus towards Virgina or North Carolina is the answer. The same problems we have here will eventually follow suit. The population is simply too concentrated in one place.
If I went anywhere, it would probably be Boston. It's diverse, loaded with culture, clean, and fun. It may not have the same reputation as NYC or be as "safe" but it is a great environment.
I don't think mass exodus towards Virgina or North Carolina is the answer. The same problems we have here will eventually follow suit. The population is simply too concentrated in one place.
Boston is not that bad. You are right with the population being concentrated in one place. Corporate firms needs to spread out to central and south jersey!
Families in NJ and the NE for that matter seem more tight knit. I have no idea why some people are leaving. If you go to Disney World you become enthralled at how new, sparkley and themed the environment is. It's darn right magical until you spend more than 2 weeks at which time it becomes dull, redundant and soulless. These new valhallas all seem great on the surface and that may even last for a bit to the most spirited of us. As time goes by however, you'll very rudely awake to the cultureless mistake you made. Like I've said before, if having a McMansion isn't that important to you, then a middle class family can definitely make it in NJ. What are the McMansions in FL, NC, TX and AZ going for nowadays anyway? Most bought pre-boom when it was easy to move and get a loan/job. Even if you move now how fast do you think your deflated houses value will go up?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
