| Author | Message | ||
     Meandtheboys Citizen Username: Meandtheboys Post Number: 16 Registered: 12-2004 |
Can't help but believe that a personality as clearly miserable as Jay060 might just have started this thread to see what kind of rise he might get out of the rest of us? And it sure worked! Moved around a lot when I was a kid. I've traveled to many different parts of our great country. Came to NJ in '76 and am perfectly happy to be here. I'll defend my home state to all comers--and I've certainly had to do so on occasions too numerous to count. Can't think of any place I'd rather live--while trying to make a living (of course retirement's a completely different story--Costa Rica comes to mind). Found the majority of people around here to be perfectly nice. Perhaps Jay's had such horrible experiences because he is so obviously miserable and people respond in kind? I agree, Jay absolutely deserves the poopyhead award, perhaps the lifetime achievement version! Pity those twins of his haven't experienced the riding mowers. My three boys would stay for hours if I let them.  | ||
| Duncan Supporter Username: Duncanrogers Post Number: 3799 Registered: 12-2001  |
Do I hate Jersey? Some....mostly the nasty attitudes of people in the service industry here. But Maplewood is a little chunk of preetttyyy nice real estate when you think about it. Did a comparison a while back. We could not afford a house the same number of miles outside Boston (our hometown) than we can here outside the capital of the world. But, I must say I am tired of the service industry attitudes here and the completely (apparently) forgotten motto that the customer is always right. Now this knife cuts both ways and one must be able to discern when the customer is right, and when the customer is full of s**T. But still, I often get the feeling that I am bothering the people ON THEIR FREAKING CELL PHONES behind the register when I say excuse me...would like to ring this up. but again thats just me and as Bets has such fun pointing out..it may be a mental thing.  Edited to add.. Jay if you hate it so much and your work keeps you here, why not find a way to like it. You want culture in NJ, I can help big time from the McCarter and NJ SHakes all the way down to NJ REP and What Exit? If you need help with cultural finds in the state of NJ PL me and I will send you the link to the New Jersery Theater Alliance or any number of other organizations devoted to putting on world class produtions, be it dance, music, art, theater. Have you been to the Morris Museum lately? They now own all the Guinness music boxes and we are not talking about the little ones you open up, we are talking about BIg BOld Beautiful mountains of music. So you have a choice Jay. Fish or cut bait. If you are here cause you have to be you can hate it and wish you wer someone ANYWHERE else and tear up your insides or you can learn to appreciate the Newark Bears, a Rutger Big East Conf game., A show at the Bickford theater, a film festival at the Dancing Goat. Do a little work, you will find a bunch of magic. There is better stuff going on in NJ than in NYC sometimes for heavens sake. | ||
| thegoodsgt Citizen Username: Thegoodsgt Post Number: 729 Registered: 2-2002  |
Here are my contributions, many of which, in fairness, are not unique to New Jersey. I've lived in eight different states, and each has its positive and negative points. All things considered, I like it here, but there are factors that could contribute to my moving some day. High taxes Prejudice and intolerance "Jug handle" turns Trash and litter I can't pump my own gas Buses The predisposition to hire people to do what I could do myself The cold water of NJ beaches Impatient drivers The background noise from cars everywhere I go The absolute silence in the middle of the night (i.e., no owls, crickets, frogs, etc.) The constant fear that my car will be stolen The hypocritical and inconsistently applied blue laws in Bergen County Toll roads | ||
| Michael Janay Citizen Username: Childprotect Post Number: 1457 Registered: 1-2003  |
Lizzie, NJ is the state that has more sprawl than almost any other in the country... more and more townhouse communtities go up every day. And they have far more population density than a "gated community" Which taxes the environment far more. Where the people in the stores are so slow and stupid that it makes me want to scream. Have you been to the Home Depot on Springfield? And I forgot the Florida drivers--talking about crazy. And I-95, which is possibly one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in the country. I-95 up here is pretty crazy too... comparing FL and NJ drivers is like comparing the color blue to, well, the color blue. The real problem on FL roads is the old people. Definetly a minus. Not to mention hurricanes Versus Blizzards gigantic flying cockroaches We have the walking kind. Joel, To each his own... To me the negatives of NJ far outweigh the positives, to you they don't. But as for movies... when I was in FL, we went to the Muvico 20 theatre... 16 bucks a person gets you reserved seating in giant comfy couch like loveseats, valet parking, popcorn, and a drink. You can order food from the cafe and they will bring it to your seat when its ready, they serve alchol if you want, and the theatre is so big you don't even know anyone is around you. We felt like we were the only ones in the theatre when it was a sold out show. Truly the way a movie should be seen. Thats quality of life. And restaurants... the best french bistro I've ever been to, $26 for 3 course prix fixe. We have great stuff up here, but we pay for it. Overall, the average quality is far higher for a lower price elsewhere, and it doesn't matter what you're talking about. We may have the best of the best up here, but few can afford it. Oh, and I'm born and bred in NJ. I was born in the Passaic Beth Israel hospital. Grew up in Fairfield and North Caldwell (Soprano land). Phyllis, I've been to just about every beach in NJ from Sandy Hook down to Wildwood. LBI has the best beaches in NJ hands down, but I stand by my statement. They are no comparison to VA beaches, GA beaches, of FL beaches. I've been to CA (from SD up to SF) too, and can't imagine how you can even compare the two. Rehobeth always seems much cleaner, laid back, and less crowded. Every time I've gone, I see dolphins frolicking off shore. I did see dolphins in NJ once too, but down there its commom. | ||
| ffof Citizen Username: Ffof Post Number: 3247 Registered: 5-2001  |
open your eyes! I've seen dolphins everyday in Cape May whenever we're there. Avalon beaches are fantastic. Rehobeth is honky tonk. Maybe you mean Bethany? | ||
| Michael Janay Citizen Username: Childprotect Post Number: 1458 Registered: 1-2003 |
Rehobeth, Bethany, Dewey... All the same. Each has its own charms. Cape May and Rehobeth are so close, its probably the same dolphins  I saw a dolphin once in Manasquan, he was huge from all the steroids in the water. Cape May is nice too... the diamond beach is cute. Not that I think Rehobeth is the way a beach should be mind you, just that its better than the "shore" LBI Beaches are nice too, Just in comparison to beaches in The cape, the hamptons, or VA, SC, GA, FL they are pretty sorry. Don't get me wrong, I love the beach, any beach, but to think Jerseys are world class is just plain silly. | ||
| Bobkat Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 7252 Registered: 5-2001 |
We like Fenwick Island when we go to Delaware. Kind of a classy town, but step over the border into Ocean City when you need your honky tonk fix. Last time we were in Delaware they were rebuilding the beach at Rehobeth. | ||
| mammabear Citizen Username: Mammabear Post Number: 174 Registered: 5-2001  |
I've lived in MA, RI, MD, FL and finally ended up settling in NJ with my dear husband since he is from here. I've been to many beaches up and down the East Coast, and various beaches on the West Coast around SF and San Diego. NJ beaches are far from world class, and compared to other areas, are generally pretty nasty. First, many of the beaches are very small. I can't stand cheesy boardwalks and the clientelle they attract. I also can't stand the dangerous rip tides that are all too common in NJ. I know they occur everywhere, but it always seem so rough here all the time. Finally, the water quality is horrible as well. Have you seen the crap that washes up on our beaches here in NJ? Scary... There are a few exceptions...we love Bay Head and Spring Lake and we spend time each summer in Cape May. Cape May especially reminds me of MA beaches, but with warmer water. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 5150 Registered: 1-2003  |
My ex-wife and I moved from Manhattan, where we both grew up, to NJ. We had kids. Then we divorced. The kids live with me (and my second wife). Now I can't leave NJ until my kids are grown. I might be able to leave if I had a huge reason AND if the court approved. In the meantime, I'm making the most of it. Mostly, it's OK, and I realize that if I traded away NJ's disadvantages, I would get another place's disadvantages, and it isn't clear life would be better. It's moot for me, though. If you're looking for a place where the population has less impact on the environment, look to NYC, where the amount of pollution created per person is low. Of course, you have to live in all the pollution. So there is a tradeoff between how much you create and how much you experience. Living in wide open spaces isn't necessarily kind to the environment, though it is appealing. | ||
| nan Citizen Username: Nan Post Number: 1731 Registered: 2-2001 |
The first time I ever heard of New Jersey I thought it was a joke. Starting from when I was born, I spent a week every year at my Grandmother's summer place on Nantaskett Beach, near Boston in the 1960's and the family across the street were from New Jersey. We always called shirts, "jerseys" so I thought it was hysterical that someone could live in a place that sounded like a giant piece of clothing. Little did I know that New Jersey was considered a joke by a lot of people and it had nothing to do with the name. Years and years later when my husband and I decided to move out of Brooklyn, we were not happy with any of the N-S-E-W choices--Manhattan, Long Island, Staten Island, Westchester, etc. But, the one we kept immediately crossing off the list was New Jersey! I had already hated living there for six years in West New York, NJ (which is a bad nightmare version of the "Ultra West Side") and my husband had lived in another lifetime in Hackensack. So, we both agreed to not ever set foot in the place again. But, then when all the options in all the other places never panned out, and I had an old Maplewoodian coworker whom I liked very much who gave us some helpful info on the town and one of our Brooklyn neighbors came out here to look and told us about "Midtown Direct' where you could get in to midtown as fast as the F train and not be nearly as miserable. And so we came out and decided to move here and bought the first house that we looked at. | ||
| Debby Citizen Username: Debby Post Number: 1553 Registered: 5-2001 |
Michael Janay - life in NJ is about to get better...Muvico just broke ground at the Meadowlands! BTW - I live near the Muvico Palace. We only did the "Premier Level" once - my husband's too cheap. But I thought it was very cool to have sushi and a bottle of wine at the movies - I'd do it again. | ||
| Strawberry Supporter Username: Strawberry Post Number: 4296 Registered: 10-2001 |
Muvico isn't really something classy people do. | ||
| shestheone Citizen Username: Shestheone Post Number: 118 Registered: 5-2003 |
classy people...aww, he makes it too easy. | ||
| Strawberry Supporter Username: Strawberry Post Number: 4297 Registered: 10-2001 |
Care to explain whatever it is you're trying to say? Or is this something you simply don't have the ability to do? | ||
| Dr. Winston O'Boogie Citizen Username: Casey Post Number: 982 Registered: 8-2003  |
subtlety is not lost on classy people. they know how to read between the lines | ||
| Strawberry Supporter Username: Strawberry Post Number: 4298 Registered: 10-2001 |
Is your name Shestheone? | ||
| Dr. Winston O'Boogie Citizen Username: Casey Post Number: 985 Registered: 8-2003 |
sorry, I thought this message board was public. I was under the impression that email was for one-on-one dialogue. thanks for the correction. | ||
| Strawberry Supporter Username: Strawberry Post Number: 4299 Registered: 10-2001 |
no problem. | ||
| Dr. Winston O'Boogie Citizen Username: Casey Post Number: 986 Registered: 8-2003 |
no problem. 'cause I realized you'd never, ever butt in with a response where it wasn't welcome. | ||
| Michael Janay Citizen Username: Childprotect Post Number: 1459 Registered: 1-2003 |
Straw, Plenty of classy people do Muvico. The premiere level is sponsored by Lexus, and when I valet the Porsche (01 Boxter S), its usually one of the crappiest cars there... not that cars=class, but it does say something. The cafe is pretty good with a very decent wine list, and the overall experience is excellent. Debby, Get your hubby to do the Premiere... the few extra bucks is well worth it. Where do you live? We have a family place in the Sanctuary off Federal. I can't believe their coming to the meadowlands... I hope Jersey doesn't screw up yet another great customer service based company. |
