I wonder if they'll be charged with trespassing

I've had the fried chicken at Soul Flavors, and it is delicious, but where would you suggest someone go when they're just looking for a quick fried chicken meal?

I've used Hoboken Lock and Supply for a number of years and have always been happy with their service.

Hoboken Lock

I'm pretty sure the walk-up window closes at 11pm

I stopped in the Embankment last week for a burger and thought that overall it was pretty good. My only complaint, and it's a pretty stupid complaint, is that they put way too much cheese on the burger. Other than that, I thought the service was very nice and accomodating, and the quality of the food was very good. The bread they use for the hamburger buns was unusual, but excellent. I think they're really trying to offer a nice thing over there, and will be happy to go back soon.

Looks like it's up for sale....

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/off/678935783.html

Alb Wrote:
Quote:

+1

Actually, I'll go even further, I like their food a lot. I'm no expert on Caribbean food, so I can't attest to it's authenticity, but as far as taste and value, they're great. They offer large portions and everything I've tried was delicious.

I've been to Skinner's loft twice so far and both times the service has been very nice and accomodating. That said, they did screw up my order the first time I went there, but as soon as I brought it to their attention they offered to correct it and bought me a drink. I'll go back.

Not sure if this helps much with the discussion, but here's a link to the NJ DOE site offering spending data.
New Jersey DOE

Ianmac47:

I'm not sure I follow your argument, earlier you said we need a re-val but stressed that it would not affect an individual's tax bill (I guess by adjusting the assessed value and the tax rate inorder to net out everything), but more recently you're suggesting that someone who owns a brownstone that is assessed at $100-200K is paying a fraction of their fair share. So what, a re-val will raise their tax bill?

The way I see it, while a re-val is due, if it's accompanied by an appropriate change in the tax rate, those brownstone owners will end up paying the same taxes they did before, no?

The problem is that because of the PILOTS, the city has fewer taxpayers that it can turn to in order to raise revenue for its programs. As far as the amount of $/student between here and Ridgewood, I'd assume a lot of that is due to the size and inefficiency of our school system. Ridgewood's a pretty small town.

I disagree with the reasoning that since there are likely to be fewer school-age children in the new developments it's not a problem that they pay less towards the school system. We're all in this town together and it's fair that we all pull our equal share.
Our Mayor, and councelpersons who passed through PILOTS with the assumption that we didn't need a budget that could support itself fairly have gotten us into this unpleasent situation. I'm also going to say some of this is on us for letting it go on this long as well. It's one thing to complain on a message board about how much this sucks (which I am doing right now), it's another thing to make your feelings heard through attending board meetings, and writing the people in charge (which I haven't).

The other problem I'm expecting, is that even after we get hit up for a tax increase, we're probably still going to have a bloated, crappy school system.

Is the new construction really selling for $1,000/sf?

Your best bet is trying the JC Office of Landlord Tenant Relations at 30 Montgomery, (201) 547-5127. They'll be able to tell you if your apartment is subject to rent control laws.

Mike_55s: I don't think it makes me cool, I just happen to like Caddyshack and My-T-Fine Pudding. If you haven't tried either I think you ought to.

Regarding both of th articles you post, they do paint a very rosey picture for the Manhattan market, and I agree that we benefit from it's success, but they both acknowledge that there is already a national housing slump going on, and try to suggest that Manhattan is different.
First of all, we're not Manhattan, the bonuses and foreign dollars won't be as influential over here. There are also fears that the bonuses won't be as big this year, meaning that there would be even less to go around.
Second, one of the articles points to the co-op boards contribution to maintaining "value" by restricting riskier buyers. That's not going on over here so much.

We're going to have a lot of inventory come into this market in the next few years, just as the credit rug is getting pulled out from under a lot of buyers. In the last few years, our heads have been filled with the notion that our houses are "investments" and that they will continue to gain value and be a source of leverage indefinatly. Where are all the buyers going to come from? How are they going to pay for a half million 1 br walkup? Wages aren't climbing as fast as prices did.

Nothing about alb's post was bitter or had a hint of schadenfreude (love the big words). I understand that the state of the housing market hits pretty close to home for many of us, but dismissing someone's opinion of what's down the road as simply the words of a "bitter renter" isn't going to change what may or may not happen, and doesn't really offer much in the way of dialogue. I think alb's numbers may be a bit extreem, but at least she's offering some reasoning behind her statements.

Personally, I'd be surprised if we didn't see some sort of correction in the near term. Credit's probably going to tighten and the notion that the housing market is invincible seems to finally be losing steam. I think alot of what we've seen recently hasn't been appreciation in housing value, so much as inflation due to easy money and hype. Prices ought to drop for awhile.

Granted, we all seem to have short memories, so who knows when things might get crazy again.

I gotta say, Taz's posts aren't all that bad when he's actually writing, and not just posting links and snappy one-liners.

FAB Wrote:
Quote:

He did finish his education, and then put his carer on hold to join the reserves. That alone should suggest that he had his values before entering politics.

injcsince81 wrote

Quote:

Not to get in the middle of this, but I think you can short real estate through futures contracts. I think they break it down into several submarkets nation-wide.

Actually, I used RWC several times and they were pretty helpful. From time to time it can be difficult to get someone on the phone, but all in all they showed up when they said they would, did a neat and professional job, and in one case where they cracked a couple tiles installing a bathroom window, they were quick to make the necessary repairs. I'll use them again.

As someone who lives on 8th right in front of the South East entrance of the park who has neither children or a dog I gotta go with Plan D, but would prefer it if the bump that Brewster suggested in post 233 were possible. At first I didn't like the idea of the dog run near my place, but of the proposed layouts, it seems to work the best for the most people. I can't imagine the Exiter folks would go for closing that spoke off, but by moving the courts further east, the runs (by brewster's numbers) would gain quite a bit of space.
Either way, there's no way I'm voting for anything that includes a putting green (what's that gonna look like in 2 months) and I don't think we should give up a tennis court in exchange for a garden.

Washington Square Park's size from the NYC Site:

http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_p ... park_info.php?propID=M098

I believe they re-assess the property at its correct level. As I understand it, the county/state was always getting something, just less than what they would normally because taxes weren't being levied against the full value of the property, Once the abatement expires, the property gets re-assessed and is responsible for it's full tax share. I could be completely off the mark on this, but I think the PILOTS are sort of like a payoff to the city to value a property at a lower level for a fixed period of time.

I don't think it's a matter of paying more in taxes under a PILOT agreement, instead I believe these PILOTS charge the properties less overall, but the city collects a larger amount without having to share it with the state/county.

I'm in, I've got a great leek soup recipe (although I've never frozen it). I'll do a test run beforehand.

this is awful, I feel terrible for these people, but the "Don't hit me! I'm pregnant!" part kinda made me laugh.

probably

I see that the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria is showing Delivered Vacant this Sunday at 3pm, granted, it's on the other end of the earth, but if anyone missed it here's your second chance, and you can always get drunk at the bavarian beer garden afterward.

last year or so, Hoboken added mounted police. Maybe he's got something to do with them. BTW, I don't know anything about boarding horses and what their needs are, but has anyone seen the "stable" where they're kept on Observer? One of the most depressing sights I've seen, a parking lot with some straw and a cyclone fence.

I've seen this guy too. Kinda surreal seeing the Marlboro man riding through JC

Quote:

The problem I see here is that the constitution provides that private property can be taken for public use so long as there is just compensation. Over time the courts have read use to mean benefit, and in doing so have seriously compromised property owners rights. So long as the owner is using the land for it's allowed purpose, I don't feel it's the government is right to determine when they should have to sell it.