Posted on 03/09/2006 6:48:25 AM PST by Huck
Who's laughing now?
New Jersey, the state that spawned a thousand wise-guy bumper stickers and became the butt of a million late-night jokes, is actually a nice place to live.
The research group Morgan Quitno crunched the numbers this year and yesterday ranked New Jersey the fifth-most-livable state.
As for its neighbors?
Pennsylvania finished 30th, New York 32d.
"The people we talk to say they wouldn't live anywhere else, and I have to go along with that," said Mark Moran, a Bloomfield resident and one of the editors of Weird New Jersey magazine. "Whether it grows on you or people just don't know any better, I don't know."
New Jersey has long had a tragically poor reputation, earned by corrupt politicians, homicidal mobsters (real and fictional), surreal traffic patterns (who invented the jughandle, anyway?), toxic waste, and big hair.
The state's image has been so bad that even then-acting Gov. Richard Codey took the time last year to rollick in some of the more humorous entries in his public slogan contest.
Among the favorites: "New Jersey: You got a problem with that?" and "New Jersey: Most of our elected officials have not been indicted."
Morgan Quitno, a Kansas-based publisher of statistical data, based its rankings on 44 factors, and New Jersey shined in many.
The state moved up from eighth place a year ago. New Hampshire was judged the most livable state for the third year in a row.
The study determined that New Jersey has excellent schools; an educated, wealthy population; and relatively low rates of crime and poverty.
"We don't claim to be finding the most exciting place or the best place to take a vacation," said Scott Morgan, president of Morgan Quitno. "It's just looking at very basic things. Other people can choose to look at other factors."
In other words, the things that make Jersey so Jersey didn't count against it. (Except for the toxic waste: Morgan found New Jersey had the most "hazardous waste sites on the National Priority List per 10,000 square miles.")
Moran also noted that if auto insurance and property tax rates had been considered, New Jersey's ranking would have sunk like a stone.
But in Morgan Quitno's world, livability is measured by factors such as student-teacher ratios and per-capita spending on the arts, and New Jersey excelled in both.
For Moran, there is no conflict in a state's combining livability with a tradition for the weird and absurd.
"You've got to take the good with the bad," he said. "The fact that it's such an odd and unique place... certainly makes it more livable for me."
Morgan visited the state last year and made a swing through Camden, the city his publishing company has famously labeled the most dangerous the last two years.
"We didn't advertise who we were," he said.
The view of the Turnpike is awesome. And the menfolk wear their shellsuits with such grace and elegance.
Yes, but they are WAY outnumbered by the New Yorkers, immigrants and corporate relocations moving to Jersey. The folks moving to the Lehigh valley aint exactly the classiest folks in the state if you ask me (certain freepers excluded!).
If you haven't seen this old story, you may enjoy this:
http://www.weirdnj.com/stories/_underground02.asp
Totally. I got a 3 day time out! LOL
You affirm the point that Sarastro made earlier...what is important to YOU! Mountains and the beach, I have 14,000 ft peaks in 4 hrs and the beach in 45 minutes where I'm writing this in the SF Bay Area. And yet, I'd leave here if it were not for an elderly mother-in-law that needs care and a married daughter and her family who leave just a block from us. Why would I do that with great attractions, great weather, low property taxes, almost no mortgage? One reason that is significant to me...TRAFFIC. Cars everywhere. I need to exercise great care just backing out of my driveway in a residential neighborhood. So, different factors for different people.
I thought you moved back to Ol' Blighty?
These NJ dustups are fun. I'm just hoping I don't go psycho and get another time out! Actally, I totally knew I was gonna get a time out last time, but I felt it was worth it.
Has there been a change recently where your gov't has given it's subjects the right to defend themselves.
And Hoboken is now more upscale than Brooklyn Heights!
New Jersey's summer is exactly the same as everyone else's. But if you are using warmth as a criteria, then the state does have more than "3 month's of summer". It is warm in New Jersey from late April to mid/late October. Some trees are already starting to bud here and the crokus plants have already popped out of the ground. New Jersey is mid-Atlantic state, not a New England state. It's weather is basically similar to Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Six months of summer (warm), six months of winter (cold).
Yeah, it's definitely blue in that regard. But the second amendment is a Federally protected right. If it's being violated at the state level, sure the state is culpable, but so are the feds. After all, the 2nd amendment is in the US Constitution.
Again, I don't see inalienable rights as something you ask permission for.
My LEAST favorite regions of the country are the Great Plains (nice people, awful weather, no trees) and the Pacific Northwest (weird, douchy people, no sun for nine months, bad food).
I know. :(
Don't forget Montclair, aka Park Slope West.
Go ahead and exercise them in NJ. Let us know when you get out of prison.
I can tell you fancy,
I can tell you plain,
You give something up,
For everything you gain,
Since every pleasure,
has an edge of pain,
Pay for your ticket,
And don't complain.
There's always tradeoffs. I know the SF area is mucho expensive, and then there's that San Andreas thingy.
I've got a standing offer for some BBQ from a generous FReeper in NJ. I'll be partaking when I get up that way.
I think my least fave is the midwest. I like the people of the south, although I find the land very unappealing. I love the mountain states.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.