Expat Life - New Jersey - Love vs Hate
To be fair, before I left UK I probably wouldn't have been able to pinpoint New Jersey on a map. "Somewhere near New York" might have been my intelligent response! In fact it is just the other side of the Hudson river from Manhattan!
The people that live in New Jersey are very proud of their state. They love to tell you it is called The Garden State because once you explore further than the ugly NJ Turnpike (motorway) and the surrounds of Newark there really is a lot of beauty here. It generally has a bad rap from New Yorkers. Like Londoners are often unkind and derogatory about Essex and its girls, New Jersey suffers the same problem.
However in my eyes there is a lot to love. We knew nothing of the cruel taunts when we moved here and of course it is not totally unfair, but it's far from the whole truth as well.
We Love....
However in my eyes there is a lot to love. We knew nothing of the cruel taunts when we moved here and of course it is not totally unfair, but it's far from the whole truth as well.
We Love....
1. Short commute to Manhattan
Simply this is the main reason for choosing our town in the first place. We wanted to get to Manhattan for work in less than 40 minutes and we wanted access to an international airport like Newark. Our express train takes 29 minutes. Having lived in St Albans in UK, I was used to a 19 minute train commute into central London so I'm fussy! However the trains in UK cost double the fare here and we have Double Decker trains in New Jersey so although busy there is a chance of getting a seat! NJ Trains: www.njtransit.com
2. Seasons/Geography
It is wonderful to feel and see the beauty of the 4 seasons. Tourism is the second largest industry with the benefit of Atlantic City and it's casinos, beaches and mountains. There are beautiful beaches on the Jersey Shore and ski mountains up in the Poconos. With the choice of either skiing in the winter or seaside in summer in less than an hour, we are spoilt for choice. The colors of the leaves in Autumn is stunning and scenic drives are all the more beautiful.
It is wonderful to feel and see the beauty of the 4 seasons. Tourism is the second largest industry with the benefit of Atlantic City and it's casinos, beaches and mountains. There are beautiful beaches on the Jersey Shore and ski mountains up in the Poconos. With the choice of either skiing in the winter or seaside in summer in less than an hour, we are spoilt for choice. The colors of the leaves in Autumn is stunning and scenic drives are all the more beautiful.
Farmland covers about 16% of NJ. This produces garden vegetables such as Jersey corn and tomatoes and fruits like apples and pumpkins and blueberries etc. Hills for sledging are abundant!
3. We never pump our own gas!
It is illegal to fill your own car with petrol in NJ. It is called Full Service and a Pump Attendant will fill it for you.
4. Shopping malls
There are malls for shopping all over the place. Upscale malls like Short Hills, regular malls like Livingston and countless strip malls. When my kids were little they provided hours of indoor entertainment and window shopping during the winter months!
5. Large portions
You will not go hungry here! Eating out is cheaper than the UK generally, although I do miss finding country pubs and beer gardens to try. There are a lot of chain restaurants. The Cheesecake Factory has to be the most famous for oversized portions when eating out. They truly provide enough food in one entree to share with a friend. Or take the extra home! Yes, restaurants encourage you to take the leftovers for dinner at home another day! Many restaurants locally are Bring Your Own and don't charge a corkage fee. There are very few licenses to sell booze in a restaurant in NJ which helps the cost of eating out!
6. Houses
There are no Wimpey estates in my town so the houses do not look the same. Most streets have distinct styles of architecture and a multitude of different color facades which adds to the charm of the town.
7. Talent!
Michael Douglas was born here so was Bruce Springsteen and Whitney Houston. There are singers and actors galore that started out in this state and went on to share their amazing talent with the world. If you've got it, come and flaunt it here. Or take the train to Broadway and see the professionals do it!
8. Neighbours
I did wonder if our neighbours might be something out of the TV/movie world - Brady Bunch, Stepford Wives, Melrose Place. I wasn't sure what to expect. However I could not ask for a nicer bunch of people. There are a number of families who are not native to NJ like me and the general friendliness and community feel here is fabulous for me.
Michael Douglas was born here so was Bruce Springsteen and Whitney Houston. There are singers and actors galore that started out in this state and went on to share their amazing talent with the world. If you've got it, come and flaunt it here. Or take the train to Broadway and see the professionals do it!
8. Neighbours
I did wonder if our neighbours might be something out of the TV/movie world - Brady Bunch, Stepford Wives, Melrose Place. I wasn't sure what to expect. However I could not ask for a nicer bunch of people. There are a number of families who are not native to NJ like me and the general friendliness and community feel here is fabulous for me.
We Hate.....
1. Property tax
Here in New Jersey there is something called Property Tax. This is a big fee paid every month. Think about $20k per year. Yes. Seriously. You can roll it into your monthly mortgage payments, but it hurts! You pay it every year that you own the house.
2. Insurance bills
Car insurance seems particularly steep. Without the NHS you are responsible for covering your own medical bills. Health Insurance may be offered as part of your benefits package if you have a full time job, but you still have to contribute to the payments every month. You also pay the doctor every time you go to an appointment.
3. You have to pay to go on a NJ beach
3. You have to pay to go on a NJ beach
Yes, they charge you an entry fee to walk on the beach.
4. Driving
I seem to constantly be looking for other crazy drivers, worry about icy roads in Winter, plus there is the incredible NJ Jughandle which is to help you to turn left or do a U-turn. You swoop off right and join the traffic that is then crossing over the street you were just on. I think it adds to the congestion and confuses the hell out of me, but they are everywhere in NJ. There are very few roundabouts (called Circles here) and again these cause confusion because nobody knows what to do. Basically you go round anti-clockwise - the opposite to the UK. Keep right on those roads!
Not content with having spawned Bruce Springsteen, Tom Cruise and other talented actors and musicians we had to go and start the reality show 'Jersey Shore' and sell the rights all over the blinking world! 'Real Housewives of NJ' and 'Jerseylicious' seem to bolster a tacky NJ image too! Thankfully it's not like that everywhere here!
6. Home maintenance
Those multicolored shingles on the outside of your house are usually wood and need painting every ten years or so. This is a big expense that brick house owners in the UK do not have to worry about. Also you need a new vocabulary when you enter the DIY store as everything has a different name in American!
7. Ignorance
I am often complemented on my accent and asked where I am from. "London," I say. "That's in Paris isn't it?" is often their response. Huh? They ofcourse then do their very best British accent. I actually don't mind if they want to sound like a right old plonker giving the Queen's English a going over, but it is something to get used to.
8. Eating
It is bizarre to me that adults cut up their food with a knife and fork, then put down their knife and switch hands and eat with the fork only. When the meal is finished the knife and fork are just abandoned on the plate. Waiters take away plates from the table before everybody is finished. It's just the way it is here.
Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
6. Home maintenance
Those multicolored shingles on the outside of your house are usually wood and need painting every ten years or so. This is a big expense that brick house owners in the UK do not have to worry about. Also you need a new vocabulary when you enter the DIY store as everything has a different name in American!
7. Ignorance
I am often complemented on my accent and asked where I am from. "London," I say. "That's in Paris isn't it?" is often their response. Huh? They ofcourse then do their very best British accent. I actually don't mind if they want to sound like a right old plonker giving the Queen's English a going over, but it is something to get used to.
8. Eating
It is bizarre to me that adults cut up their food with a knife and fork, then put down their knife and switch hands and eat with the fork only. When the meal is finished the knife and fork are just abandoned on the plate. Waiters take away plates from the table before everybody is finished. It's just the way it is here.
Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
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