Went here last night for the first time and highly recommend it. The food was delicious, with several unique offerings, and very reasonably priced and plentiful servings. I particularly enjoyed the pulled pork sandwich. They have a great happy hour, and the staff was friendly, attentive, accommodating. Brightside will be a favorite.

Do you mind sharing again---I am also looking for a cleaning person. Thank you!

Are you sure you weren't smelling the smoldering mulch from the recycling place at exit 14B? That is what I smelled early this morning. I have complained about it in the past and been told that the smell is more pungent and wafting when the outdoor temperatures are uncharacteristically warm.

The owner is clearly not Scottish because he is missing the whole point of the kilt, which is to have the guy's junk hanging out. I might step foot in there if that was the case. Tilted indeed.

At first I was tricked by the interesting food items, but I will never step foot in this place. Ever. Unless I have a medical emergency right outside the door and need to go in there for urgent help.

How did you get MLK and Ocean Ave out of this story? Geez.

I heard it wasn't a ridership issue, but a business plan related decision for Red and Tan. I heard they want to focus more on the megabus type market between major cities. They are also cancelling the #4 route. Another bus company and/or NJ Transit will likely pick up the routes somehow. We hope.

I have lived in the area for over 5 years now, and second Publius' observations. There was a lot of positive energy and the vibe of new construction all over the place when I first bought in 2005, which has certainly slowed since the economy tanked. On my immediate street, it is mostly homeowners, and therefore mostly neat and reasonably quiet. One landlord on the block went with Section 8, and it created a nightmare of a situation that the rest of us have been working at tamping down for over a year. Other than that, and your usual opportunistic wandering thieves, I don't have many complaints, feel pretty safe, and like my neighbors.

That was sort of my tongue-in-cheek point about these eyesore complaints. Really, the solar panels are the only nice looking thing on those poles. And the appearance is the least of the concerns. They apparently are installed quickly and easily, and I was actually pleasantly surprised and somewhat proud to see such a clean initiative in action in JC. Plus there is a whole solar farm down by the 14B turnpike entrance, where all those mulch piles are fermenting. I know there are cost/benefit and vandalism concerns, etc., but "eyesore"?! Be real. We will get used to seeing them, they will blend into the landscape, just like the spaghetti wires and real filth we look at around here.

I have no problem with the sleek-looking solar panels, it is the ugly wooden telephone poles and droopy tangle of wires to which I object blocking my views. Where do I lodge my complaint, please.

I am hoping to get my appeal in before tomorrow's deadline, and am trying to figure out what the real dollar amount is based on the tax assessment total.

If the city has assessed my property at approximately 90,000 what does that translate into when I am determining comparable values, etc.? Is it in the $300,000 range? If I am understanding this correctly, I multiply the 90,000 by the tax percentage, which approximately triples that assessment total.

Thank you in advance for your help!

[Sorry for posting this twice---I just realized I posted in the construction abatement thread and meant to use this one]

I don't really worry about stray bullets. But you can come up with all kinds of scenarios in all kinds of hypothetical situations. I described mine because it is the one I live every day. It is what it is, and I don't want to, nor do I plan to think about, moving to Bayonne or any other neighborhood.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I am glad I bought my house in B-L, and will surely ride out the waves of whatever happens good and/or bad in the years ahead. I will say this much, the value of my house has maintained within reasonable limits over the past 6 years despite the real estate burst. And no one has broken into my car, etc., and I have mostly fine neighbors. And I am a very good neighbor also. Not saying it is perfect, by any stretch, and there are plenty of things I would like to change. But all things considered, there are very few places besides B-L where I could have been able to purchase this great, spacious house, less than a half hour commute to my NYC job, next to LSP, with ample bus and light rail service at the corners.

Based on the newspaper reports, it sounds like there is a process for submission and review of proposals to LSP for events, and this has not even risen to the level of a proposal by F1. F1 has submitted nothing for review---so I don't think public meetings and votes would be an appropriate use of resources, or result in any useful discussion, since there are no facts on the table other than the Tourism Committee's draft---not likely a thorough economic or environmental study.

QUOTE:
?Each year Liberty State Park receives numerous requests for events to be held at this park,? DEP spokesman Larry Ragonese said. ?Each event is considered based on benefit to park users and its impacts on the natural and historic resources on the site.?

While the city?s tourism official forwarded a copy of the draft proposal, that calls for the creation of a 3.6-mile track at the park, to the park?s superintendent who is a DEP employee, Ragonese said no formal application was made to the state.

?At this point I can only say we have not reviewed this proposal. If this proposal comes to us like any other proposal we?ll look at it and consider it,? he said. ?They would have to get state approval to do this.?

What are the Friends of LSP trying to save??? Is that a serious question? I must be going to a different park 3-4 times a week, because I really don't understand the particular criticisms or apathy concerning this park, unless people making these comments have either never been, or maybe did a quick drive through here or there. I see hundreds of people in this park every day for various purposes--maybe thousands on weekends. There are fitness stations that people actually use, really nice open paths with great views for walking/biking, grilling/picnic areas that are always packed on weekends, open fields for sun bathing and sports. Yeah, the trees are short because they were planted in recent years---trees grow. And yes, it is really close to the Statue of Liberty, and a draw for many visitors---is that a bad thing? I really don't get that argument. People go to LIBERTY State Park just to see the Statue of Liberty? I wonder if people go to Niagara Falls State Park just to see Niagara Falls.

I agree Vigilante. There are two issues--JC's economic development, and proper utilization of Liberty State Park--conflating them makes discussion difficult. Maybe bringing F1 racing to JC would in fact create opportunity, envigorate the area and elevate JC's profile. That doesn't mean putting F1 racing at LSP is the right thing to do, or that opposing that location means opposing all the good things F1 racing might do for JC. In looking at these sample sites for F1 racing, I don't see where they have been built in areas that serve a pre-existing AND conflicting purpose to the municipality---which is the case at LSP. Creating this race track and holding racing events at LSP CONFLICTS with the current use and purpose of LSP, as plainly stated here by others, notably Sam Pesin. That doesn't mean there are not other properties that are suitable for a race track. Unfortunately for F1, not in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, right on the Hudson, a stone's throw from NYC. Is it really that surprising that sensible and thoughtful people would want to use such an inherently beautiful and valuable location for something other than a race track?

Oh. And that raceway track is not "mostly on industrial land." Have you been to LSP? I don't object to your visiting my park anytime. It is open early and late.

Parks are called PARKS for a reason. They are not meant to be places to drive and race, or go to watch cars racing. Sorry. It's some new-fangled idea YOU have for using a park. I like the more typical uses, including the APW. I do not oppose concerts in the park. Oh. I mean in MY park.

LSP is a YOUNG park---the trees, flowers and other park vegetation have been recently planted, as compared to older parks. It may look sparse now, but every year it fills in more and more. I am guessing people who like the idea of a race track don't use the park regularly. I do, and I don't like the idea. Grandstands and huge foot traffic will destroy the grass on a larger scale than the APW events have.

I really don't know, Tommy. I haven't been to either, but it seemed like the topic had veered off to discussing the class of patrons, and I recall reading a lot of anecdotes about public urination/vomiting and holla behavior in and around the Beer Garden, which didn't strike me as classy.

I agree. I don't see the point in raising property taxes (resulting in rent increase), AND reducing Section 8-- a major source of funding for those rents. You will see an increase in foreclosures and a blighted community. If you want to reduce Section 8 in some way, fine, but don't increase the amount of money people who pay rent without assistance need to scrape together each month.

Go read the Beer Garden thread on this site. It contains hundreds of postings by a variety of people and is more representative of what goes on there than the opinion of someone who has been there every couple of months. What is that---4 or 5 times since it opened?

Yeah, the truth does suxx doesn't it. And the truth is that Jersey City IS Bergen-Lafayette and Greenville, as much as it is Downtown. That is the truth. Grove St. Path would not be a "major player" in anything in a vacuum. And it will never be in a vacuum. So just accept it, make it better, or b+m on this list all you want.

You can do jail time for Car Scratch Fever.

In New Jersey, criminal mischief is a property damage crime. As the law explains, you could be charged with and possibly found guilty of criminal mischief if you:

Purposely or knowingly damaged someone else?s property, or recklessly or negligently damaged someone else?s property by fire or explosives, or
Purposely, knowingly, or recklessly tampered with someone else?s property so that such tampering endangers someone or some property.
The charge and potential sentence you face depends on the specifics of your case.

NJ Criminal Mischief: 3rd Degree Offense Penalties
Criminal mischief is categorized as a 3rd degree crime if any of the following apply:

If the act knowingly causes loss of $2,000 or more,
If the act causes a substantial interruption or impairment of a public utility, communication system or public transportation,
If the damage involves damaging, defacing, altering, or causes the loss of property used at a research facility or causes disruption to the facility, or
If the act involves tampering with any grave, crypt or mausoleum with the intent of destroying or stealing any part thereof including human remains.
In New Jersey, crimes categorized as 3rd degree carry a potential sentence of up to 3 to 5 years in a state penitentiary.

NJ Criminal Mischief: 4th Degree Offense Penalties

Criminal mischief can be charged as a 4th degree offense under the following circumstances:

If the act knowingly causes loss of between $500 and $2,000,
If it involves damaging, removing, or impairing such air traffic devices as lights, signs, and signals, or
If it involves tampering with any airport, landing field, airport, or aviation facility.
4th degree crimes carry a potential prison sentence of up to 18 months.

NJ Criminal Mischief: Disorderly Person Offense ? Penalties

If you commit criminal mischief and the damage is valued at less than $500, you will be charged with a disorderly person offense. These offenses carry a possible penalty of up to 6 months in county jail.

Can anyone recommend a good refinancing company/bank? I am under some time constraints so am hoping to have this done in the next couple of months without getting fleeced.
Thanks very much.

Thanks for bumping this up, JC123. It is a good reminder, and getting to be that time of year for comfort food. Think I will stop by tonight.

Did anyone else see this article on MSNBC? For what it is worth, Jersey City ranks in at #13.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33385798/ ... day-parenting_and_family/

I am wondering how they will connect Paulus Hook and LSP without impacting boat traffic related to the marina. Either the bridge will have to be built quite high to accommodate ship passage, or built way back, near the current Jersey St. extension.

Agreed, G-chick. I wouldn't choose to go for a stroll on Ocean on a Friday/Saturday night, though I have walked to bodegas on Ocean to pick up a few things at that time. For nice strolling, I go to LSP---via the back entrance near the turnpike. Which is also a rode I travel regularly on the days I am not commuting via Ocean.

I live a block off of Ocean Ave and wait for the bus/get dropped off on Ocean Ave at least 3 days a week. All times of day, in the dark some days. It is not the greatest, not the worst, and I have been doing this for 2+ years without a single incident. Not even stepping in dog gak.

I am just providing this information to offer balance to the Ocean Ave comments, not trying to change anyone's mind or say it is universally safe. I am just telling you what I do regularly in the course of my daily life, versus speculating about a different neighborhood than the one in which I live.