April 15
...serving up your daily dish.
Not us of course. But it seems Beverly Brown has had enough, according to a Star Ledger piece today about folks abandoning the Garden State in droves.
From the high cost of living to the little indignities -- like the massive pothole on her street that she can't get the town to fix -- she believes life will be better elsewhere. She's building a 3,800-square-foot home on an acre of land in East Stroudsburg, Pa., for about $400,000 less than a similar house would cost in Montclair.
"This is just a better lifestyle," she said. "The house I'm getting I couldn't afford here. I don't have any children in the schools, so why should I pay these high taxes?"
Beverly, say it ain't so. And for the Poconos! After 58 years, we're sure she made a pretty penny on that home, potholes or not. And there's no art house movie theaters in East Stroudsburg (although Montclair's may be in danger if a certain curly-haired gent has anything to do with it -- more on that later).
April 15, 2005 in Comings and Goings | Permalink
Oh great, she's bringing her gentrifying McMansion ways to my little corner of Summer. Next thing you know there'll be a Kandy Kones opening up.
Posted by: Lex | Apr 15, 2005 10:20:14 AM
Lex - Standing Athwart (real estate) History and yelling "STOP!".
Posted by: Right of Center | Apr 15, 2005 10:32:30 AM
No, it was just satire. Shady real estate developers have already inundated the Poconos with shoddy housing projects and lured people who couldn't afford them and didn't realize that the NYC commute is more than 2 1/2 hours on a weekday morning.
The personal bankruptcy rate (and the crime rate) have both skyrocketed. By the time the law catches up to the developers there's going to be a trail of devastation along route 80.
I can hardly complain about her building a house on an acre plot. As long as she's not going to start dealing in an effort to pay the mortgage, that is.
Posted by: Lex | Apr 15, 2005 10:39:10 AM
(She's building a 3,800-square-foot home on an acre of land in East Stroudsburg, Pa., for about $400,000 less than a similar house would cost in Montclair... I don't have any children in the schools, so why should I pay these high taxes?")
I totally agree with her point about seeking property tax relief, especially with no kids in the school system...
What I don't get, is why would someone with no kids need a 3,800 square foot house?
Not saying it's wrong... free country and all that...
Posted by: pam | Apr 15, 2005 10:48:34 AM
If you didn't have to work here, and you didn't have to send kids to good public schools (though one could argue whether Montclair has those), and what you wanted was a big house on an acre of land near a town that, if my memory serves me, is a dump, then why should we be surprised? And why should we care?
Posted by: walleroo | Apr 15, 2005 10:57:23 AM
I dont really care...
I just don't understand why someone would want such a huge house with no kids to fill it... it's a pain to clean... it's a pain to maintain... it's a pain
Thats all ...you are right...don't really care.
Posted by: pam | Apr 15, 2005 11:05:32 AM
She'll be in for a surprise when she realizes Pennsylvania is aka "the Pothole State".
Ugh, those little indignities!
Posted by: GRme | Apr 15, 2005 11:26:08 AM
btw--I don't care either!!!
Or, I dont care either. (hmm...pronounced how?)
Posted by: GRme | Apr 15, 2005 11:28:03 AM
By the way, they DO have an "art house" very artsy cinema in East Stroudsburg.. =)You can see Melinda and Melinda or a French film entitled, "The Chorus." They actually have a college in that town, too! Wow! To think that no one outside Montclair has claim to such arts is the true sign of a Montclairion.
http://www.poconocinema.com/
Posted by: Jessica | Apr 15, 2005 11:30:26 AM
Stroudsburg, after a downturn in the eighties (and earlier?), has actually come back quite nicely. The downtown, while not quite quaint, is serviceable. There are some decent restaurants in the area although some of them go out of business every winter, and theres plentiful deer and hunting licenses to go around if your family is going hungry (and you know how to work a rifle.)
Some of the better skiing in the area is just down the road, the mountain biking is pretty good (not during deer season, please) and there are some good golf courses. You are right near the Water Gap, which is absolutely beautiful if you are deaf and cant hear the highway noise. And there is excellent antiquing nearby.
Its not bad. A little quiet for my tastes, and you have to buy all your books online, but not bad.
Posted by: Lex | Apr 15, 2005 2:20:58 PM
