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For what it's worth I was specifically replying to this irrational post in my above comments. The guy referenced NH and VT as two states that don't have viable cities (which is patently false, at least for NH) and I was making the point that his same logic about NJ being within driving distance can apply to each. Southern NH is much closer to Boston than most of South Jersey is to Philly (or NYC).
That's not true. It's over 50 miles from Amhurst, Manchester or Exeter to Boston. That 50 to 60 miles from Philly reaches about 2/3 of Southern NJ. I didn't check NYC.
Insightful post, most if not all states have public schools that are solid, depending on the area. NJ also has 31 failing "Abbott" school districts that 60% of our taxes go to pay for.
JC waterfront is fine but go a mile inland.
Its surprising to me as well how bad our cities are, based on their location. Atlantic City could have competed with Las Vegas, which is a city in the literal middle of a desert. AC has an ocean. Its mind boggling. From the gas tax, to the $300 million renovation, to $12,000/yr taxes, to the disaster that is Atlantic City, corruption is rampant in this state.
Not every house, property, costs $500,000 and up with taxes over $10,000 a year. You can do a lot better outside of the NYC metro. In 2012, my former neighbor had dropped the price of her 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, family room with wood burning fireplace, in ground pool home to $249,000. The taxes are (New Jersey) decent in that area. They're less than $10,000.
As an aside, the taxes in Monroe County PA are insane for the area. It's New Jersey in Pennsylvania.
That's exactly right. Isn't it nice to be able to see a show, have dinner, go see live music, or go to a museum without paying $15 to cross a bridge, $10 in tolls, and $65 to park a car? When you don't have to cross rivers on rusted out bridges from 1920? It must also be nice also to pass viable businesses, well-kept homes and manicured roadways on the way to an event. And I guess its nice to not be surrounded by toxic, mean-spirited people. But hey, at least we have our cities here in NJ, which some seem to be raving about.
This is just my opinion, but NYC for the win. Boston is not NYC. Montreal is not NYC. No other American city is NYC, though I wouldn't mind living in Los Angeles either. I would compare London or Paris to NYC, but not Philadelphia or any of those other cities. I don't feel a need to have a great city in NJ with NYC just a half hour away.
Plus, we have the beaches as well as skiing in VT just a short 3.5 hour drive away. Though I do like skiing in Northern VT better because it has bigger mountains, but even those are just a 5 or 6 hour drive.
So VT is a "short 3.5 hour drive away" from precious MANHATTAN but people are getting on me about saying parts VT and NH are within less than 90 minutes drive to Boston and Montreal? Keep up the delusions, folks, it's the only way to make it here!
Not every house, property, costs $500,000 and up with taxes over $10,000 a year. You can do a lot better outside of the NYC metro. In 2012, my former neighbor had dropped the price of her 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, family room with wood burning fireplace, in ground pool home to $249,000. The taxes are (New Jersey) decent in that area. They're less than $10,000.
As an aside, the taxes in Monroe County PA are insane for the area. It's New Jersey in Pennsylvania.
I mean the median property tax is $8000 state wide, so that's not too far off. But hey, we're an easy hour+ drive, $16 toll, and $65 parking fee from MANHATTAN (center of the universe), so that's a gosh darned bargain!
So VT is a "short 3.5 hour drive away" from precious MANHATTAN but people are getting on me about saying parts VT and NH are within less than 90 minutes drive to Boston and Montreal? Keep up the delusions, folks, it's the only way to make it here!
I didn't get on you about it. But keep in mind, most people go skiing on weekends and vacations. The vast majority of people aren't looking to hit the slopes after work. My wife and I go out in the city after work, we are back home in bed by 11PM and ready to go to work the next day. So it is a lot different to be a half an hour away from a city and 3.5 hours away from the ski slopes than vice versa.
I mean the median property tax is $8000 state wide, so that's not too far off. But hey, we're an easy hour+ drive, $16 toll, and $65 parking fee from MANHATTAN (center of the universe), so that's a gosh darned bargain!
The problem is if you live in one of the boroughs (depending on which) your COL is way higher, you STILL have to take a bridge toll into Manhattan, you still pay parking going to Manhattan, you pay NYC income tax on top of state tax, you more than likely have a mediocre to poor public school system, which means sending your kids to private school, so there goes the "advantage" of lower property taxes. Trust me, i've done the math. There is a reason NYC bedroom communities attract the people with the means to move to one. So on that score, NJ checks a lot of marks. I won't make excuses for their poor govt management, waste, etc. All true. But everything is relative...and when the relative is NY or CT....well, you see where I'm going.
Your larger point may be to simply "not play the game" and move from the tri-state area completely which is probably a good idea unless family/job ties get in the way.
Since I lived in NJ since my Bday 70+ years ago until 2010 I know exactly what is wrong with NJ and it has everything to do with everybody's complaints.
Too many friggin people.
Everything that people complain about NJ always boils down to too many people.
High RE prices,
High property taxes
Highways crowded
Trains crowded
Beach crowded
Not enough parking at train stations.
People are rude
Too many Republicans
Too many Democrats
When are you people gonna stop crying? Either move for one of those high paying jobs in the South or STHU.
Here is a fact nobody can dispute, NJ has too many crybabies.
I mean the median property tax is $8000 state wide, so that's not too far off. But hey, we're an easy hour+ drive, $16 toll, and $65 parking fee from MANHATTAN (center of the universe), so that's a gosh darned bargain!
I have, but not when I can avoid it. I have to go to Manhattan tomorrow for lunch. I will drive to J.C., where I can park for $15, and take the PATH in. I would take the train, but at non-rush hours, it hits every stop and takes forever.
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or STHU.
