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.
"Wow! I feel really odd. We went to New Jersey last year for our summer vacation."
Don't feel odd. Tourism is New Jersey's 2nd biggest industry. It's a great state, that has much to offer.
We got a place near me called Damon's Grill sells southern style BBQs. You know, them little burger like shredded pork thingies. used to eat them all the time down in Bama. you ever come up to NJ, I'll partake with ya, but i doubt it will meet southern standards.
Silvio...Bob Dylan/Robert Hunter...
>>>As a matter of fact, even some formerly bad areas (parts of New Brunswick, Jersey City, even Newark) have actually improved.
I think you can add Camden to the improving list now too. I'm not sure if you got to see what they have been doing to the waterfront since you left.
It's a "Savage thing"...
You talking about motorcycle riding or bicycle riding in terms of which states have ideal terrain?
~ Blue Jays ~
Where'd you leave NJ for? After a week in Seattle, I wanted to get back to NY. Now I am finally getting my wish (although I may commute from Connecticut!).
I exercise my rights all the time. Imagine if our founders had asked England's permission. That's not how it works.
Cool tune, eh? You would figure, given its creators.
What is a shellsuit?
That's funny.
I get to knock NJ cause I live there. The property taxes and auto insurance ARE surreal. The corruption and sprawl ARE legendary. But...
I live 30 mins from Center City Philly, 1 hour from some decent beaches (close enough to day-trip), 2 hrs from Baltimore and NYC, 3 hrs from the monuments in DC. The traffic and drivers are not as bad as many other places I've been. Personally, I liked traffic circles. A test of nerves, psychology, and skill.
There's lots of hospitals, schools, and arts and leisure activites to choose from. You're never too far from a drug store, pizza shop, dry cleaner etc. Lots of sports teams. Sometimes they try to win.
The climate is not too harsh, no earthquakes, tornados or mudslides. The air and water have been getting cleaner. Somebody pumps my gas even on the coldest days and it still costs less than anywhere else I ever go. Go figure.
Oh yeah. Lots of jobs and money. So if you're gainfully employed, you can make a pretty decent life. Just gotta put up with some obnoxious BS.
I thought Oklahoma had the highest livability ratings?
It's not quite the same when you have to hide the fact from the authorities. You are deluding yourself if you think so.
There is a choice for ingrates who move to NJ.
Go back where you came from.
Good post. I'm a NNJ guy, but I like south Jersey too. You are so right about our location. Just in the past few months, I've gone to NYC for a concert. I've gone to Philly. I've gone to DC to attend a funeral at Arlington. And it was all a simple day trip.
I didn't say it was the same. I just said I don't ask for permission. My rights are violated in all 50 states. Doesn't stop me from exercising them. No guts, no glory. That's my point. If you bow down, you're a serf.
Oh, OK. So, in other words: Yo, use betta move outta joisey if use don't like it or you gonna get whacked. Is that what use, uuuh, I mean you meant to say?
P.S. If my job didn't take me here, I would go back to where I came from, in a heart beat.
...going in the other direction, Westport CT folks refer to their neighborhood as the UPPER Upper West Side...
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