CH rising?

[CarlD]

Oh,
I'm just sitting here watching this ice storm shut down the state...How you can have an ice storm when it's 17 deg F is a mystery to me---that's 10 to 15 degrees too cold. But Hey! This is New Jersey! Our state flower is Poison Ivy. Our state bird is the greenhead mosquito.

But we are getting this nasty dangerous wet sleet. Even snow is easier.

We live in New Jersey because it's better to live in the Jughandle State than the Ripoff State (NY--where I was born and grew up). We pay high taxes, but lower than NY. NJ is actually an economic powerhouse and housing prices are STILL going up. Our public schools are among the best. All the drug companies are here in a big way, there are the oil refineries over on the coast, and it's all within easy reach of NYC and Philly, not to mention the vacation areas here, in PA, NY, Ct, and Mass.

While it's very densely populated, especially the eastern side of the state, people don't think to move here...that's OK with us!

We used to live on 4 acres further west. It was beautiful, on what passes for a mountain here, with all kinds of wildlife--the black bears were quite the nuisance. Even here in the 'burbs the deer are like pigeons and the wild turkeys show up regularly.

If you move to NJ, be sure to live on a hill, not a flood plain, and REALLY learn defensive driving! The NJ drivers are bad but the New York and Pa drivers are really crazy!

[waterbear]

Carl,
I was born in Millburn (NOT Short Hill, which used to be a part of Millburn, that was the NEW money. My parents lived in the Estates). It's a beautiful state! I can remember seeing deer and other wildlife nearby and can still remember the Maple trees everywhere and the Oaks! (Florida just has a lot of pine and mangrove, it's not all Palm trees like you northerner's think!) One thing though, the people that live in NJ have finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel and it has them very upset.....
they realize it's New York!
(Appologies to any New Yorkers out there but I just couldn't resist this joke....at least it's not as bad as the one about the Jersey girl and the garbage.)

[waste]

Evan, what's the difference? (sorry to blow your 'punchline') FWIW - I grew up in N NJ, so I can say what I want to about the 'armpit of america'.
Truely, NJ is a beatiful state, if one takes the time to go a little way off of the interstates.
For all in the NE, enjoy the long awaiated snow/ ice (to y'all in more southern or western climates - *&()^%$ - um, I mean, enjoy your 'non iced over' pools)

[edit]Evan, my kin come from Short Hill, and I think thier money was old before Millburn was established , but you're right, get a few miles off of the highway and anyone would realize why it's called the 'Garden State' [ silly me -end edit]

[CarlD]

Oh No!!!! You guys are gonna get people thinking they need to move here! We are already the densest state in the union...Think Sopranos and "Fugeddaboudit" and Joe Piscapo...and the Turnpike..

[aylad]

Oh No!!!! You guys are gonna get people thinking they need to move here! We are already the densest state in the union...Think Sopranos and "Fugeddaboudit" and Joe Piscapo...and the Turnpike..

No, thanks...I'd rather stay down here and enjoy my non-iced-over pool that I get 7 months a year use out of...without a heat pump!

Jan

[waterbear]

Evan, what's the difference? (sorry to blow your 'punchline')

You asked for it then--the garbage gets taken out once a week!) FWIW - I grew up in N NJ, so I can say what I want to about the 'armpit of america'.
Truely, NJ is a beatiful state, if one takes the time to go a little way off of the interstates.
For all in the NE, enjoy the long awaiated snow/ ice (to y'all in more southern or western climates - *&()^%$ - um, I mean, enjoy your 'non iced over' pools)

[edit]Evan, my kin come from Short Hill, and I think thier money was old before Millburn was established , but you're right, get a few miles off of the highway and anyone would realize why it's called the 'Garden State' [ silly me -end edit]

When I was a kid I can remember when most of Short Hills was being built! (Before the Sorpranos moved in there) Short Hills started as the 'new' section of Millburn before it broke off and became it's own town. This is why the 'Millburn Mall' is actually located in Short Hills (or have they finally changed the name to Short Hills Mall?)

[waterbear]

Oh No!!!! You guys are gonna get people thinking they need to move here! We are already the densest state in the union...Think Sopranos and "Fugeddaboudit" and Joe Piscapo...and the Turnpike..

Carl, are you implying that you tink people from New Joisey talk funny? (I will resist taking the very easy cheap shot you left me about 'densest state in the union', but is it tempting since I AM from there! ROFL!)
As far as the Turnpike goes, take a spin on I-95 in Miami or the vast parking lot known as the L.A. freeway (other places I have lived) or try driving through Atlanta during rush hour and you might find it ain't that bad!

Anyone from NJ will understand the love/hate relationship people from there have for the state. It truely is beatuiful and blighted at the same time. I still have kin there and go back every year or two for the holidays.

[CarlD]

Yes, it's been Short Hills Mall since we moved up here 14 years ago. Despite having grown up nearby, when we moved back up from Virginia, it was like moving to a new country--completely different. We moved back up here for my wife's career and to be halfway between our ageing parents.

Anybody who thinks things move slower Down South never stood in line at a Home Depot or Staples up here! And, until recently, the DMV was the WORST in the nation--every transaction (License renewal, registration renewal) took 1 hour on a good day. So if you had to renew your license, the registration for 2 cars, and (in my case) 1 motorcycle, that was 4 transactions, 4 hours. No joke, it was THAT bad--and corrupt to boot--it was faster to get a license by bribing someone inside to make you one...a whole bunch of people went to jail for that.

Amazingly, the efforts to fix it and clean it up have worked. I renewed a car the other day at the local MV office and was in and out in 10 minutes, despite the place being full.

Actually, the REAL reason NJ has a bad rep is that it's to the west of NYC, and there's a river between them. So New Yorkers only ventured across with trepidation (Until I was 12 I think I went to NJ maybe 3 times). Between the swamps and the decaying Hudson River towns (all of which are having a HUGE renaissance), NJ became the punchline of a lot of hip, NY comedians' jokes. "You from Jersey? What exit?" These days, Tony Soprano doesn't help! (tho the Tick-Tock Diner is a VERY real place). And, no, Jimmy Hoffa isn't really buried under the West goal post at Giant Stadium--at least we think he isn't....

Plus there is our VERY interesting version of politics here. Still, it is one little dynamo of a state, and having grown up and gone to college in Upstate New York, I find NJ far preferable.

But there are STILL some things here you just couldn't make up! Like they put the sign for an exit on the FAR side of the exit so that when you finally SEE it, you've missed it! And this is the only state without self-serve gas--an attendant (who tops your tank, spill gas down the fender, and keeps your change without permission) is considered "safer" somehow.
We probably have more diners per capita than any other state, too. And here's a little secret: Good NJ pizza is just as good as good NY pizza--sometimes better!

[Poconos]

I can't resist throwing my 2 cents at NJ. Lived across the river from Northeast Philly most of my life and finally left for the sticks of Northeast PA 10 years ago after working here for 5 years before that. Real Estate taxes less that half, auto insurance the same and I have the right to protect myself and have a lot more property. I'm glad to hear the DMV has gotten its act together...but here I do business online. I used to dread the lines at the state inspection stations too. And Carl, you left out one comment...about the gas station attendant pumping gas with a smoke in his mouth. Unless it has changed I think Oregon or some state out there was the other one that didn't allow pumping your own. PA isn't perfect but I sure like it better here and could kick myself for not leaving the 'Garden State' sooner.
The vent felt good.
Al

[CarlD]

Don't see so many anymore smoking and pumping gas--guess that proves Darwin was right!!!

(can you say KA-BOOM!!!??)