What a great 4th of July! Our social recreation committee outdid themselves. The residents of The Beacon and our guests were treated to free hot dogs, burgers and sodas and the cooks were great! And our view of the blimps and fireworks is so awesome. It's a really nice community here.

Well, that wasn't my experience but perhaps they have upgraded. My neighbor says he only gets 1080p sometimes so I will stick with FIOS. Also when we had a 42 inch we didn't notice as much, now with the 65 inch we really appreciate the signal. The prices are basically the same and I have the same internet speed so...I guess it's 6 of one, half a dozen of another.

If you have a 1080p TV FIOS is for you. Comcast only broadcasts in 720p, which is still considered high definition. Also you need an HD cable box to get the full picture even with a 1080p TV. So if you don't have these, or something similar, you wouldn't notice the difference.

To get the optimum picture we have FIOS, a 1080p plasma TV, an HD DVR, and a PS3. For audiophiles we have Magnepan surround sound speakers, a B&W sub-woofer, and a NAD receiver.

The picture and sound are noticably better than Comcast, but I agree they have better customer service.

There are parking permits for various things. If you get a zoned parking permit for $15 a year, you have to have a JC registered license. BUT you can then park in a spot that says zoned or permit parking only--still gotta pay the meter though.
Go to jcparking.org for more info.

I agree that Jersey Wine and Spirits are wonderful. The customer service is unmatched.

[quote]That doesn't sound very promising since they reported 5 had been sold in an article posted above from February of last year, only one sold in a year?[quote]

I don't know how many sold, I wrote at least half a dozen as a safe guess. I am not a realtor, I live here.

Hi! At least half a dozen lofts have been sold but move in is planned for the Fall. The bar is not open yet. I agree with BillC that the property values everywhere have gone down, but our place is pretty cool with all the amenities and really good building maintenance. Some things that aren't advertised are personal things like sponsored free get togethers, sometimes with free cocktails and food. We also have owner based parties where folk invite people and they spread the word and before you know it there are people waiting in the hall! The only downsides to living here are that underground parking won't be available until the economy comes back and the neighborhood isn't that pretty for walking. Walking to VanVoorst Park or Liberty State Park is delightful.

The Newport Macy's doesn't carry the same quality clothing as the Mall in Short Hills or the NYC venue. Why not? Are we second class citizens? I have actually written to company headquarters about that. It's not like I am looking for a Saks just a place where I can get clothes that are stylish and will last.

Not again!!!! You write like there aren't any black and hispanic folk living in The Beacon. You write as if we have done something wrong by living in a clean, comfortable building. I have nothing against low income folk, nor am I afraid of them. I am just not comfortable with violent criminals from any walks of life--who is? If someone in The Beacon is violent they may be arrested more quickly than in MG because it is harder to hide here.

You write as if you disrespect us because of whatever amount of success we have achieved, never bothering to care how hard we worked or what sacrifices we made to attain it. I was poor most of my life, and I mean 'no food' poor. My life is better, not because of what I have, but because of who I have. I have them because I respect people and myself today. Life is tough for everyone, we just have bigger TV's.

Okay, I have to admit that is funny and clever BUT it could be used for ALL valet parking ANYWHERE. It's no worse at The Beacon and better than many places.

My hubby and I went out and weeded the area and pulled out some dead vegetation. We were rewarded with a great eggplant, green pepper, a few plum tomatos, and wild mint. We had fried eggplant and pepper sandwiches. YUMMY.

For trying to get away from a warrant so he wouldn't have to do time, this poor guy is facing an extra possible 5 years. We really need to look at alternatives that are less expensive for taxpayers and less traumatic for transitioning populations.

I said it was good he was taken off the street. What I feel bad about is a sytem that may have prevented all of that if we focused on health care, including mental health care, rather than on prisons and busting prostitutes and pot smokers.

Jesus--noone gives a damn that this guy hung himself? Even if he was guilty, he had no previous record and maybe he was in declining mental health and this was the first time. I am NOT saying he shouldn't have been taken off the streets but perhaps if he had been on medications under psychiatric care things would be different. If we stopped building jails we could afford to get people into treatment. And his mom sure deserves a prayer.

Tommyc_37 wrote "Well, going by statistics, 1stStGuy's fear would be legitimate:Black people are 7x more likely to commit a violent crime than white people.Latino people are 3x more likely to commit a violent crime than white people. And for those who cry racism ... White people are 4x more likely to commit a violent crime than Asian people are. I'm a realist."

Sorry to intrude on your reality but those statistics are based on arrests--and guess who the cops target. For instance the majority of drug dealers are white males between the ages of 18-45 but the majority who get arrested for dealing are black and hispanic. That skews the attaistics BIG TIME. Also most white males are not reported for violent crimes against women because those women believe that the system will fail them.

Oh-- and why is it even mentioned that the guy that was stabbed was going to a bar? If he was stabbed in the bar that would be one thing but he was stabbed on his way there. is that another way to issue propaganda about the EVILS of liqour and/or pubs in general?

Oh yeah, let's put all the mentally ill and retarded (is that still a socially acceptable term?) in prison where they will be raped and beaten. That will show them, and what a cure! AND of course no one else will do the crimes that others are imprisoned for RIGHT?

Oh that explains the mess politicians get us in. And a great argument for giving ex-offenders a job so they can have a life.

The guy is mentally ill allright. BUT I always hate it when they throw the ex-con thing in there. It reinforces all the prejudice. It's like when someone breaks a law and they mention they were once arrested for marijuana--so what does that have to do with anything? It just keeps folk from legalizing mj and does nothing to solve the crimes being committed now.

I don't use the heat in my place at The Beacon and it usually stays around 70 degrees with the bill being around $60.00. Maybe it's the location I am in. I do need to use the air in Summer but my bill has never been more than $160. Of course my space is only a one bedroom but I am home all day and so use more electricity than most folk.

The rich get away with WAAAAY too much and so do friends of the rich. Until we change that dynamic this kind of crap will keep happening.

As far as the odd coupling of politicos it's more like the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Moral of the story---DONT DRINK AND DRIVE. Take a cab or have a designated driver. NOT the bartenders fault. Some folk are fine sitting inside and once they get out in the open air BAM it hits them. It's ridiculous to charge bartenders unless the guy is staggering and he doesn't insist to call a car service.

Doesn't matter the age or size it matters what they are willing to do and they were willing to be violent. Pluse they weren't going one on one--cowards. This is a question of what the f are the parents doing and hopefully this will be a wake up call for them.

No matter what your opinion on illegal drug use (those of you chugging a six pack in front of the tube for instance) our tax dollars shouldn't go to imprisoning folk, they should go to prevention, job skills and rehabilitation. Other countries have clinics where addicts and recreational users can get thier drugs and/or use them safely. These areas have 65% less crime than ours. We need to stop doing the same thing expecting different results. As long as there is demand for a product people will sell it. Let drugs be a health concern and not a legal one and then we will start to see positive results within a generation. Otherwise nothing changes if nothing changes.

I think this belongs in the crime section but will say that many men think a drunk woman is okay to molest/rape. It is statistically one of the major causes of STD and unwanted pregnancies. Often the woman will not remember the man and can't press charges. And adult women don't forget this can happen to you. If you know you are going to party hardy, go with trusted friends, have a designated driver who will also be able to convince you to leave with who you came with.

And to the men who do this--OINK is probably the largest word in your vocabulary.

There are a few places where I would not use the theaters--Newport Mall is one and Secaucus is the other (in Secaucus the quality was bad). Now secaucus has a new theater I will try out soon. Edgewater crowds are nice. The quality of the films and cleanliness aren't too bad, but it depends on who is managing that day/night.

I do go to the Macy's at Newport Mall but only during the week and it is fine then as far as crowds and such. My main problem is there are some ladies who yell in the dressing rooms at the top of thier lungs for us to hang up our clothes and place them on the rack if we are not buying them. They are loud and obnoxious. Also, while I am sure they don't get paid enough, I am paying. I don't go there to work. If I have a few items that's okay but if I am shopping for the season I would be exhausted, especially since they keep the heat up too high all year round. I have written to Macy's management and corporation and recieve a form letter back. So like others I go to Short Hills where I always have good experiences and selection. Too bad because I really want to support Jersey City places.

I would say no just because it pisses me off. I don't break any laws but it is scary to me to give enforcement even MORE power. I've seen it abused frequently.

That's right spend more of my tax dollars arresting folk for MJ while first time rapists get 12 months, first time assaults get 14, and first time drug offenses 7 years. These are national averages but we follow. It's amazing we continue as a species.

YOU are honest.

I understand that the argument was supposedly based on the fact that the zoning is for residential--however if that was the only problem folk would not have argued so strongly against it. I get that youths are villainized but come up with an alternative if you care.

Just an aside about who cares about what when it comes to handicapped. I once forgot to put my handicapped sign on the rearview and returned to find a ticket -- $250.00!!!! I went to court figuring they would do something--I dunno maybe reduce it. Instead I found 20 other handicapped who had forgotten to put thiers up too, and a judge who basically said tough luck, don't forget next time. It really slayed me that everyone paying the fine for parking in a handicapped zone was handicapped!!!!! ARGH!!!!!