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bodhipooh

Re: Jersey City teachers union seeks 19% pay hike over 3 years, sources say

#2851

Home away from home

Quote:

bill wrote:
Quote:

bodhipooh wrote:
Did you notice that our neighbors to the North have MORE children living in poverty, and yet manage to graduate many more of them?

Jersey City: 30.2% in poverty, 67.5% graduation rate
West New York: 34.5% in poverty, 78.4% graduation rate
Union City: 36.5% in poverty, 79.2% graduation rate

The problem with facts is that they can't be easily dismissed... Face it. We have a corruption and/or mismanagement issue in JC.

I think if you include racial makeup of those in poverty you will get a better picture of what we are dealing with. Both UC and WNY have similar demographics, but JC's is different.

The impact teachers have on students is overrated (I myself went to a greatschools.org rated high school of only 5, yet went to an Ivy). However I had a mother and a father that I lived with and help/pushed me with my studies.

So, what exactly is your point? The lower graduation rates are due to the race of kids? It's no longer a poverty issue, but one of race?

As for your personal experience, I happen to agree with you fully (and, I think, many others as well) and that is that the involvement (or, lack of) by parents makes a HUGE difference. I was equally fortunate to have parents who valued education and relentlessly pushed us to excel and expected nothing but top grades. We can't replace the parents of kids, though. We can try and come up with social policies that encourage/reward parental involvement, or somehow make it easier for that to happen.

Posted on: 2014/10/7 14:37

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Jersey City teachers union seeks 19% pay hike over 3 years, sources say

#2852

Home away from home

Quote:

linky wrote:
"The people who say poverty is no excuse for low performance are now using teacher accountability as an excuse for doing nothing about poverty". David Berliner's (former academic dean of education at Arizona State) comment regarding the passage of No Child Left Behind. I'm a teacher, and I've worked for in the JC public schools. Excellent article which sheds light on the situation. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/07/21/wrong-answer

Wow. Talk about cherry picking an article. That's all you got from that article?? The essence of the article, for those who will not bother reading the lengthy text, is that corruption in Atlanta reached the highest levels. Teachers chose to cheat by changing test scores, for many different reasons. But, test cheating by teachers is a form of CORRUPTION.

Posted on: 2014/10/7 14:31

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Funding Cut by $83,560 To Our Local Animal Shelter LHS

#2853

Home away from home

Quote:

dtjcview wrote:
Is LHS a kill shelter? Because if it is - they lose every single penny from me.

A "kill shelter"? Really, this is how you want to frame it?? Are you one of those people that frames the abortion debate as "pro-life" and "pro-death"???

Some shelters choose to be "no kill", but that doesn't make the other shelters "pro kill"!!

For historical perspective on this issue, you should search the forums here. The former head of LHS tried to implement a "no kill" policy without a mandate to do so. The results were disastrous. In order to become a "no kill" shelter, you must have a HUGE network of fostering volunteers, plus on site volunteers, plus strong relations with local rescue organizations. Overnight, she tried to make LHS into a "no kill" shelter and the obvious, logical results were an overabundance of cats (at one point, they had over 300!) excessive volunteer turnover and spread of disease. I know of two volunteers that contracted ring worms after being there for brief periods of time.

People love to have lofty dreams of how things should be, but fail to account for the complexities of reality.

Oh, sorry, forgot to address your question: Is LHS a kill shelter? No, they are a humane shelter doing the best it can to provide a much needed service to our community and that of surrounding towns.

Posted on: 2014/10/7 12:50

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Black community responds to police shooting of unarmed black teenager by looting businesses

#2854

Home away from home

Quote:

Monroe wrote:
Quote:

dtjcview wrote:
Quote:

JCMan8 wrote:
...

But according to the link your buddy/alter ego posted, the facts will show the Grand Jury that Big Brown was in the wrong. Likely his fingerprints were found on Officer Wilson's gun. You can't arrest and try someone for a crime he did not commit.
...

Can't see how Wilson won't get charged. If the state doesn't, the feds will.

And as far as alter-egos go, you still eating out those other circle-jerks? Never told us which JCMan you ate.

It's been reported lately that the Feds aren't going to charge Zimmerman in Florida, so don't be so sure about Officer Wilson being charged.

I have stayed out of this thread (for all the obvious reasons) but felt compelled to address this one topic: if the local grand jury fails to file charges, I doubt the feds will bring any charges. George Zimmerman is a perfect example of this. The feds got involved in the case because of political and societal pressure, but the facts alone (the facts that could be supported by evidence and eyewitness accounts) couldn't support the filing of charges. From the last article I read on the topic, the investigators in charge essentially admitted that the investigation was started (and kept alive) to calm things down until it would blow over. You can argue if this right or wrong, but it did serve some purposes.

Posted on: 2014/10/7 12:40

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bodhipooh

Re: New York waste transfer deal to bring $10 million to Jersey City

#2855

Home away from home

I think to focus on the 10 millions for the Reservoir and ignoring the other benefits is being blind by choice. In addition to the additional money for the Reservoir, the Greenville Yards will see some benefit in the expanding of operations there, which should translate into additional jobs and labor taxes, and there is also the added benefit of removing heavy traffic from our roads, not to mention that traffic is unsightly and smelly. This is great news for JC.

Posted on: 2014/10/7 12:32

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bodhipooh

Re: Jersey City marketing campaign: ‘Make It Yours’

#2856

Home away from home

Quote:

CdeCoincy wrote:
Quote:

jcman420 wrote:
Is the New York Times capable of writing anything about Jersey City without stating in the first sentence what a dump the rest of the world considers it?

True or not-- it's hackneyed, cliched writing at this point.

I think it is more insidious than that. In a major article about where Asians are investing in US real estate, 3 of the 4 pictures (= 3000 words) were of Jersey City.

I was more put off by the oft-used "bedroom community" description. I don't think that DTJC, or most other neighborhoods for that matter, are bedroom communities. For many (most?) of those that choose to live here, JC has become a place not just to lay down our heads, but a place to enjoy, eat, drink, relax. To call JC a bedroom community is very inaccurate. Yes, I am sure that many people move here and only sleep here, but many others make JC a true home. We have great restaurants and a fairly decent selection of bars. When I go out for dinner or a drink, I often eschew the city and choose to stay local. We do lack entertainment options: museums, lounges, more art galleries, etc.

Posted on: 2014/10/7 12:24

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Taqueria on Grove & Bay Street

#2857

Home away from home

Quote:

JC_Livin wrote:
Quote:

bodhipooh wrote:

But, seriously, if you want food that truly approximates the real thing, check out Aguila Dorada in Bayonne.

Anyway... thanks for the tip Bodhipooh. Right now I'm a big fan of Los Tres Chilitos, but I will definitely check out Aguila Dorada.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/los-tres-chilitos-jersey-city

Thank you for that recommendation! I will swing by to try out this place. From looking at the Yelp pictures of the menu, they have really authentic stuff listed (huaraches, sopes, chilaquiles) which also happen to be some of my favorites. I love a hearty pozole, as well.

Posted on: 2014/10/6 18:20

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Assessed Value of homes help?

#2858

Home away from home

Quote:

Yvonne wrote: Why should anyone live with this while Fulop is giving out long term tax abatement to newer developments? Even with affordable housing, Salem Lafayette got an additional 30 years bringing the total to 66 years because the developer changed kitchens, windows, and did upgrades. One group of citizens is punished for upgrades but another group gets a longer tax abatement. This is nothing but tax discrimination.

And, yet, so many old timers cheered when the reval was cancelled. You want taxes to be fair? Then, advocate for the reval!! All this talk of yours about abatements and such ignores the very serious issue of tax disparity. Fulop pandered to his base when he cancelled the reval. I get it... some old timers would be affected, and particularly some senior citizens, and may have been forced to move out. That's tough politically, and perhaps morally. But, it is WRONG to have cancelled the reval, and it is wrong that someone living in a million+ brownstone pays the same in taxes as someone living in a condo one third the size or value.

Posted on: 2014/10/6 17:22

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Jersey City teachers union seeks 19% pay hike over 3 years, sources say

#2859

Home away from home

Quote:

brewster wrote:
Quote:

Binky wrote:
I did think that was covered in "The problem is the populations we are trying to serve."
Like I said, Everyone is right.
The challenge is deciding what we are going to do about it.

Add to that "population" column the children of immigrants who are not literate in their native language (as often are their parents), so expecting them to quickly become literate in our is unrealistic. Yet the ESL teachers are expected to take a teen with no english and have them pass the standardized tests. This is not a suburban problem.

That issue you highlight is actually quite complex. Unbeknownst to many people, many immigrants from Central America and South America, speak native dialects not rooted in Spanish. These are people that live in mountainous regions, or far away from metropolitan centers in their native countries. Mexico has over 300 such dialects. Peru over 100. Sometimes, these immigrants make it as far North as NYC, and they are essentially incapable of communicating with anyone, with a very rudimentary grasp of Spanish. I have personally witnessed a family visiting a doctor, and their little girl acting as the translator because the assigned hospital translator was useless in such a situation. Often times, the oldest kid in these families is saddled with acting as a liaison with the rest of the world. There are no easy answers to some of these issues. But, some issues we could address and possibly solve. I believe that corruption and mismanagement fall into that category.

Posted on: 2014/10/6 17:09

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Jersey City teachers union seeks 19% pay hike over 3 years, sources say

#2860

Home away from home

Quote:

jcdd wrote:

I would also gather that 100% of the comments on here complaining of the high cost of educating kids comes from older individuals that don't have children in this school system - and particularly those who, if they had children, those children have already received he benefit of a public or private education and are now grown. As I've said before, people are generally self interested.

Wait, so you don't believe that young professionals choosing to live in JC are concerned about their taxes and how that money is (mis)spent??? Talk about broad strokes. I guarantee you that within 5 or 10 years, as JC gets more and more gentrified, you will start to see similar results to what has transpired in the gentrified areas of NYC: young parents getting involved, demanding better performance and stewardship, and expecting results. It's only a matter of time before the people coming over actually choose to stay in large enough numbers to make a difference in local politics. I am sure that scares the hell out of some long time residents and the entrenched politicians.

Posted on: 2014/10/6 17:00

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Hudson County's first public golf course getting closer to tee off time

#2861

Home away from home

Quote:

jcguy05 wrote:
they built a golf course in the middle of the ghetto? does bullet proof jackets come standard.

can you imagine golfers getting shot at or mugged while playing.

Politics at work...

Resized Image

Posted on: 2014/10/6 15:58

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: The Coffee Shop near Grove PATH

#2862

Home away from home

Quote:

JCbiscuit wrote:
Quote:

bodhipooh wrote:
Quote:

mrasg1 wrote:
Newark Avenue will soon be like Hoboken
and not in a good way with all these bars.

Oh, please. So many Chicken Littles in JCLIST. Newark Avenue will NEVER be like Hoboken. There are a ton of restaurants interspersed with the bars. We don't have any clubs on Newark Ave. If anything, Newark Ave is blooming very nicely with a nice combination of restaurants, bars and other businesses.

Hoboken never set out to be Bro'boken. Restaurant owners noticed how much the ever-younger clientele was spending on booze, and adjusted their business model - and TV count - accordingly.

It can absolutely happen here.

Our restaurant row contains how many liquor licenses? And what's the average lifespan of a Jersey City restaurant? If owners don't see a fast profit on their fine-restaurants-that-serve-booze, you can be damn sure they'll morph into bars-that-serve-food.

People have prophesying this for the past five years. It hasn't happened, and it will not happen. Come find me in five years. I guarantee you we are still not Hoboken.

Posted on: 2014/10/6 15:36

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Jersey City teachers union seeks 19% pay hike over 3 years, sources say

#2863

Home away from home

Quote:

trambone wrote:
Quote:

bodhipooh wrote:
Quote:

trambone wrote:
Quote:

bodhipooh wrote:
Quote:

trambone wrote:
Did you also notice the poverty rate is also at 30%? Many of these children only eat at school. Have access to the internet at school. Access to other educational needs at school.

Did you notice that our neighbors to the North have MORE children living in poverty, and yet manage to graduate many more of them?

Jersey City: 30.2% in poverty, 67.5% graduation rate
West New York: 34.5% in poverty, 78.4% graduation rate
Union City: 36.5% in poverty, 79.2% graduation rate

The problem with facts is that they can't be easily dismissed... Face it. We have a corruption and/or mismanagement issue in JC.

Let me ask this question. Why are they dropping out? Are they flunking out at 21? Are they leaving to pursue other options?(Some of which do not always require a HS diploma or they would rather just get a GED)

Also on the other hand how do we not know other poorer districts are just pushing students through? Other more affluent districts have been known to make their "advanced" students have better grades then they have earned so they can apply for top universities to bring accolades to that district. Many of these numbers that are provided have no real context.

As someone else already stated, you are now changing goal posts. First, you questioned the graduation rate stat. Once evidence of it is quoted, you throw out poverty as the reason. When poorer towns with much better graduation rates are highlighted, you change the reasoning to kids dropping out voluntarily and questioning all of the stats.

Why not simply admit (and, then, try to address) the issue of corruption and mismanagement?? There is just NO WAY that we have to spend SO MUCH money per pupil. JC now spends the equivalent of college tuition per student. We should stop the madness. Especially before things change (and, I have no doubt they will at some point) and the courts get rid of Abbott or heavily rework it.

Its football season, but i'll change the sports analogy to baseball. You always have to question the meaning behind the stats. What do the numbers mean and how do you come up with them and then how should value them. If a player in baseball has a ton of RBIs is he really a good player or just getting lucky because men get on before him? You just want to assume there are just tons of bad teachers.

a few reasons why a student may drop out.

1. They turned 18 and are forced out of the house.
2. Teen Pregnancy. Not completely an education issue.
3. They want to pursue other interests and a high school diploma may not be completely necessary.
4. Influence of outside gangs.

Education is funny because everyone comments on it, but have no experience with it.

I will agree that stats should always be questioned (source, process, etc) but the fact remains that we are talking about three municipalities within a stone throw of each other. All those things you listed should be (more or less) applicable to all three. The numbers are quite different.

I doubt we can reach an agreement, but I will simply say that you are assuming much about me. I never said we have a TON of bad teachers. I said we have a corruption and/or mismanagement issue. I believe that is so crystal clear as to be obvious. Perhaps you disagree. If so, let the status quo remain. I believe that if JC residents were forced to pay their "real" share of education taxes, people would leave in droves and/or demand changes.

Posted on: 2014/10/6 9:58

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Taqueria on Grove & Bay Street

#2864

Home away from home

Yeah, more or less what jmiz just said. All this talk about "authentic" Mexican food is laughable. If you want REAL, truly authentic Mexican food, just go to Aguila Dorada in Bayonne. You can find a few real taquerias in NYC, as well. I have not tried the spots on Central, but I will have to check them out at some point.

After traveling all over Mexico for many years, I will tell you this: anytime someone tells me that a restaurant (in the States) serves authentic Mexican food my brain instantly thinks "huh, I think you mean what you THINK is authentic Mexican food".

Besides, talking about authentic Mexican is like talking about authentic American food. What exactly is THAT? Mexico is a HUGE country, divided into 32 different states/districts, with well over 100 million people. What people eat in the North is completely different from what is eaten in the Caribbean coast states, or the Pacific coast states, or further South.

Reading a few posts before about creamy refried beans made me chuckle ("real" refried beans in Mexico are lumpy and thick) and anyone that considers burritos (a staple of Cal Mex) remotely Mexican is quite confused, just as with the so-called quesadillas served at most restaurants in the States. I guess it is the same with what passes for Chinese food.

But, seriously, if you want food that truly approximates the real thing, check out Aguila Dorada in Bayonne, or follow a (Mexican) day laborer where he goes to eat and drink after work. You will find the real deal.

Posted on: 2014/10/6 9:53

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: The Coffee Shop near Grove PATH

#2865

Home away from home

Quote:

mrasg1 wrote: What other businesses? Quote:
bodhipooh wrote: Quote:
mrasg1 wrote: Newark Avenue will soon be like Hoboken and not in a good way with all these bars.
Oh, please. So many Chicken Littles in JCLIST. Newark Avenue will NEVER be like Hoboken. There are a ton of restaurants interspersed with the bars. We don't have any clubs on Newark Ave. If anything, Newark Ave is blooming very nicely with a nice combination of restaurants, bars and other businesses.

Are you serious? Talk about spewing nonsense without having a clue: - New frozen yogurt place at the corner of Newark and Grove (Downtown Yogurt) - Next to Skinner's is a pet shop (Fussy Friends) - Next to Roman Nose is Word (Bookstore and coffee shop) - The Tea Shop - Gia Gelato - the new organic market a just west of Union Republic - various real estate offices There are many other new ( <5 years) businesses that are not restaurants or bars. These are just the ones I could think of while typing this reply.

Posted on: 2014/10/6 0:18

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: NJ Transit light rail rams into car in Jersey City

#2866

Home away from home

This is right in front of where I live. I regularly see cars run the red light at this intersection. You have cars speeding out of the parking lot trying to beat the red light, cars that refuse to wait at the red light to make a right, and all other kinds of nonsense.

I don't derive pleasure from seeing someone get into a wreck, but that is the unfortunate consequence of driving like an idiot.

Posted on: 2014/10/5 15:30

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Jersey City teachers union seeks 19% pay hike over 3 years, sources say

#2867

Home away from home

Quote:

trambone wrote:
Quote:

bodhipooh wrote:
Quote:

trambone wrote:
Did you also notice the poverty rate is also at 30%? Many of these children only eat at school. Have access to the internet at school. Access to other educational needs at school.

Did you notice that our neighbors to the North have MORE children living in poverty, and yet manage to graduate many more of them?

Jersey City: 30.2% in poverty, 67.5% graduation rate
West New York: 34.5% in poverty, 78.4% graduation rate
Union City: 36.5% in poverty, 79.2% graduation rate

The problem with facts is that they can't be easily dismissed... Face it. We have a corruption and/or mismanagement issue in JC.

Let me ask this question. Why are they dropping out? Are they flunking out at 21? Are they leaving to pursue other options?(Some of which do not always require a HS diploma or they would rather just get a GED)

Also on the other hand how do we not know other poorer districts are just pushing students through? Other more affluent districts have been known to make their "advanced" students have better grades then they have earned so they can apply for top universities to bring accolades to that district. Many of these numbers that are provided have no real context.

As someone else already stated, you are now changing goal posts. First, you questioned the graduation rate stat. Once evidence of it is quoted, you throw out poverty as the reason. When poorer towns with much better graduation rates are highlighted, you change the reasoning to kids dropping out voluntarily and questioning all of the stats.

Why not simply admit (and, then, try to address) the issue of corruption and mismanagement?? There is just NO WAY that we have to spend SO MUCH money per pupil. JC now spends the equivalent of college tuition per student. We should stop the madness. Especially before things change (and, I have no doubt they will at some point) and the courts get rid of Abbott or heavily rework it.

Posted on: 2014/10/5 15:26

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: All 4 tires stolen from Jersey City woman's brand new car

#2868

Home away from home

Quote:

LoKo498 wrote:
The wheels wouldn't of gotten stolen if they didn't leave the wheel lock in a easy place to be found and used. It was probably left in the glove compartment.

Ugh. Two things. First of all, "wouldn't of" DOES NOT exist. You meant to use "wouldn't have", just like "would of" doesn't exist and you should use "would've" or "would have". The same goes for "should", "could", etc.

Wouldn't of Reference

Second, nice way to blame the victim. And, on top of everything, you are wrong. The so-called secure wheel locks are anything but foolproof. They sell generic ones for all makes and models, and there are ways to undo wheel locks with a hammer, a tire iron and some elbow grease. Search online for the YouTube videos.

Posted on: 2014/10/5 15:20

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Jersey City teachers union seeks 19% pay hike over 3 years, sources say

#2869

Home away from home

Quote:

trambone wrote:
Did you also notice the poverty rate is also at 30%? Many of these children only eat at school. Have access to the internet at school. Access to other educational needs at school.

Did you notice that our neighbors to the North have MORE children living in poverty, and yet manage to graduate many more of them?

Jersey City: 30.2% in poverty, 67.5% graduation rate
West New York: 34.5% in poverty, 78.4% graduation rate
Union City: 36.5% in poverty, 79.2% graduation rate

The problem with facts is that they can't be easily dismissed... Face it. We have a corruption and/or mismanagement issue in JC.

Posted on: 2014/10/4 17:37

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Jersey City teachers union seeks 19% pay hike over 3 years, sources say

#2870

Home away from home

As much as people like to bash Monroe for his oft repeated stats, the fact remains that JC has a 2/3 graduation rate, and the per-pupil costs are way higher. I am sure that if JC residents were forced to pay their "full" school tax, everyone would be up in arms. As it is, LOTS of people here love to bitch and moan about their "high" taxes. Imagine if your school taxes were to go up 4 or 5 times...

In any case, I think it would be GOOD if the school taxes were raised to the appropriate levels that cover actual spending. The outrage from the citizenship would lead to real reform and improvements. Guaranteed.

Also, before people keep repeating the "JC has high poverty and that accounts for some of the higher costs", how do you explain that West New York has a higher percentage of kids living in poverty, yet a graduation rate that is 15% better? Or, Union City which has 20% more kids living in poverty, yet graduates 20% more kids, when compared to JC. Simply put, the politics of this city, and the BOE, are rotten to the core. I wish people would direct their ire and outrage at the proper people.

Posted on: 2014/10/4 17:32

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: The Coffee Shop near Grove PATH

#2871

Home away from home

Quote:

mrasg1 wrote:
Newark Avenue will soon be like Hoboken
and not in a good way with all these bars.

Oh, please. So many Chicken Littles in JCLIST. Newark Avenue will NEVER be like Hoboken. There are a ton of restaurants interspersed with the bars. We don't have any clubs on Newark Ave. If anything, Newark Ave is blooming very nicely with a nice combination of restaurants, bars and other businesses.

Posted on: 2014/10/4 17:22

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Port-O Lounge

#2872

Home away from home

I have previously reviewed this place right here on JCList, with glowing praise. I was even accused of being a shill. Overall, I think their food is great and their portions are HUGE for what you pay. The last time I visited some of the dishes were not as great (one was a bit cold, even) but it still tasted great. Portions may be a bit smaller now, which is fine too.

As for the atmosphere, I will say that it changes quickly. It is usually well attended for dinner, then it tapers off greatly, and around midnight, a DJ sets up and it can get crowded and loud. The bartenders are always friendly. They take care of the customers and run a tight ship at the bar.

I haven't been there on a while, so maybe I will stop in this weekend.

Posted on: 2014/10/4 9:41

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Join us in Fixing the PATH (Directly reply to join)

#2873

Home away from home

Quote:

JCMan2013 wrote:
I think its clear to us all now that the Path issues of the past few years are here to stay--unless we do something about it.

While Jersey City is experiencing a major growth spurt and finally coming again into its own...the PATH is working hard to undue all the work that the community has put into improving JC.

I'm reaching out to propose a community group focused on
FIXING the PATH. See below some initial ideas.

If you are interested in helping me start this community group, please directly reply and I'll email everyone. We can then organize a meeting somewhere in DTJC.

Some of the ideas I would propose include:

1. Providing Consistent Reliable Service

-Port Authority telling us once and for all what the signal and equipment problems are and what they are doing to fix them in the long-run.

-Considering other route options like Express service from main departure hubs to main arrival hubs (Express from JSQ to 33, or Grove to 33, etc). These could be particularly useful during delays

2. Better communication

-Their tweets and alerts are well after the fact.
-Not all people use technology--can the red jacket folks come out of the station and put up a sign that says the path is delayed?

3. Long-term improvements

-Jersey City is growing. On its way to be the largest city in New Jersey. What is the PATH doing about planning for this? More trains, more staff?

Hate to be a Debbie Downer, but the express train idea has already been shown to be a non-starter. How can you run express trains on a system that has a SINGLE line??? How do you propose a train will leapfrog another train that is already ahead of it??

Posted on: 2014/10/2 16:27

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Could a Walking Bridge to NYC Be Jersey City’s Golden Ticket?

#2874

Home away from home

Quote:

devilsadvocate wrote:
We should go for something like this: http://thumb1.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/62578/62578,1228056050,4/stock-photo-underwater-tunnel-21300307.jpg

Dude, that's an aquarium tunnel. Any tunnel built to cross the Hudson would have to be able to sustain the pressure you encounter at 90+ feet of water. At a depth of ~30 meters, the pressure is about 3 atmospheres. That's not a crazy number (average people regularly dive to that depth without special equipment, other than fins, mask and tanks) but it would definitely require a thick shell, plus this being the USA it will likely be required to be able to withstand pressures in excess of twice the depth and god knows what other new requirements we have due to security. A few years ago, some hush hush work was done along the Holland tunnel tubes to safeguard against terrorism. I wonder what was actually done.

In any case, an underwater glass tunnel would be AWESOME. The Hudson is too murky for one to be able to see much, or anything, but it would be cool nonetheless. Oh well.

Posted on: 2014/9/30 19:56

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Whole Foods in JC?

#2875

Home away from home

Quote:

fraulein wrote:
WF delivers to JC? I just tried using that on the site, and it says they don't. Has anyone used that service?

Unless something has changed, the Tribeca WF delivers to JC. I believe it is a $20 or $25 fee. It is posted inside the store as such. Perhaps the online ordering system is not set up for the service. You may want to call the store. Here is the pertinent information.

Posted on: 2014/9/30 19:48

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Bike Share System

#2876

Home away from home

Quote:

hero69 wrote:
citibikes is not perfect and can be frustrating at times, but its better than nothing. i would gladly be a lot more if necessary

You are clearly in the minority. Citibike is, and has been, a financial and engineering failure.

The numbers don't lie: only about 40% of annual subscribers have renewed their memberships. Read more here. Key metric: out of 52,000+ subscriber the first year, only 22,000 have renewed. It doesn't bode well for their long term survival. Simply put, they will need government assistance. A program like this will not survive without it.

But, DiBlasio is playing hardball and has gone on record saying he will not come to the rescue. Despite his liberal credentials, he will rather go against a populist move (subsidies for a bike share program is as populist as you can get, really) than to follow a policy stance from Bloomberg, the fake Republican with liberal leanings. The old adage is so true: politics makes strange bedfellows.

Posted on: 2014/9/30 18:47

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Whole Foods in JC?

#2877

Home away from home

Quote:

CatDog wrote:
I don't think anyone will move to Newark for Whole Foods, but plenty of people drive past or through Newark during their commute, or live close enough to head to Whole Foods. If it becomes a bit of a destination, then that will help improve the neighborhood, which brings more business, and eventually people might want to move there.

Who are these people you speak of?? Let's take ANY location in JC: Newark's WF may be closer (as the crow flies) but getting to it (raymond blvd, traffic, lights, etc) is definitely longer than simply going to Millburn (< 15 minutes on I-78). Heck, even for someone in Bayonne, you would get to Millburn faster than to Newark. And, once in Millburn, you have OTHER places you can visit (TJs, half mile from WF, Short Hills Mall, as well as the usual suspects: Target, Home Depot, etc) all within 5 or 10 minutes. Easy parking, little to no concern for your person or property. If you live north of Newark, you have two WFs in Montclair, as well as the on in Millburn. If you live South of Newark, you can visit other WFs or, even better, Wegman's in Woodbridge. Seriously, I do not understand who will visit this WF other than local residents, which dont quite fit the demographic.

At the end of the day, this was a politically-motivated development. Who knows what deal was struck between the Booker administration and WF, but both obviously benefited from this (WF gets to drum up their forward thinking, community-focused policies, while Booker got the positive press of attracting a company like WF to invest in Newark.)

Posted on: 2014/9/30 18:36

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Historic Downtown Jersey City and Hoboken are locked in battle for most outstanding downtown

#2878

Home away from home

Quote:

jcguy05 wrote:
Quote:

vindication15 wrote:
Quote:

Yvonne wrote:
I was raised in Hoboken and Washington St and Newark St were always the shopping districts packed by shoppers. However, if you wanted to do serious shopping, you left Hoboken and went to JC and shopped at Newark Avenue and then Journal Square. Fantastic stores and places to eat.

What are you talking about? Unless you are homeless and looking to update the look of your shopping cart, no one shops on Newark Avenue. In fact, most of those stores that sell junk are always empty.

People shop at Newport, Target, or drive elsewhere.

exactly, i honestly not sure what yvonne is smoking. If you want to do serious shopping you goto newark ave and jsq in jersey city? shopping for what? used mattresses?

I am not one to defend Yvonne, but seriously guys: she explicitly and clearly said she was referring to olden times. Probably referring to 50 years ago, or even further back.

Posted on: 2014/9/30 18:22

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: 70 Green Street

#2879

Home away from home

Quote:

HamiltonParker wrote:
"GV" and "BL" are what? Please spell it out for those of us wondering. Thanks.

Not sure if you are being facetious, or serious. So, I will assume the best and assume you really are asking for an explanation.

GV = Greenville
BL = Bergen Lafayette

Posted on: 2014/9/30 16:55

Topic | Forum

bodhipooh

Re: Bike Share System

#2880

Home away from home

The answer lies in the astronomical costs associated with initial deployment and required on-going maintenance. I read somewhere recently that, at any given time, over 15% of bikes are off the road undergoing repairs and/or maintenance. Docks are incredibly susceptible to damage and malfunctions. It is actually quite comical to hang out at a dock and watch an endless stream of people get flustered trying to dock a bike (under the pressure of time to avoid the additional fees) and try three or four docks within the same row and NONE are working.

Not sure what the issue is, but I get the sense that this system needs a re-engineering for longer, sustained usage and abuse.

The other HUGE issue is that the revenue stream is nowhere near the necessary levels for the system to survive. The people in charge overestimated the amount of tourists or casual users that would rent the bikes (they were too expensive, but I believe pricing has been adjusted) and the amount of annual subscriptions exceeded expectations (it is priced way too low).

Citibike is not likely to survive without a serious cash injection from someone, and NYC has already said they are not coming to the rescue. I wonder if JC government has factored all of this into the decision. Are we hitching our cart to the wrong horse?

Posted on: 2014/9/30 16:52

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