Author: Brett

Where do Brooklynites go when they are priced out of the boro? To New Jersey, of course! We started looking in The Garden State two years ago. While I spent an entire year living in East Rutherford, NJ the year after college, Andrew has never had the experience of residing on the less glamorous side of the river.

Despite the hideously high property taxes, one can still find more for one’s money and live happily ever after—that is, if you can get over living in “Joisey”. I remember that I was in denial the entire time. It was an election year and I went around the corner from my apartment to vote. When they couldn’t find my name on the roster, I insisted that I was a registered voter. “Not in this state,” The clerk told me tartly. It suddenly dawned on me—I was a resident of New Jersey—yikes!

When you spend your day at your job in Manhattan, the borders tend to blur together. Ultimately, it was no big deal and I am even embarrassed to have been so prejudicial. So what if you can’t pump your own gas or buy beer in the supermarket? We’re all Americans, right?

That’s why I wasn’t surprised when Andrew seemed to be having an existential crisis a la Carrie Bradshaw vis a vis marriage. He didn’t exactly break out into a rash, but when he was handed a crisp folder of new-to-the-neighborhood documents, he started to panic. “My logical side tells me that I’m being silly.” He tries to explain to me. “But I can’t help it if I have this gut reaction.”