OT: Anyone been to the Jersey Shore yet

[T2Kplus20]

By the way, I think it really is unique to Princeton that people from the surrounding towns say they are from Princeton. Not “just north of Princeton”. I don’t get it. These are generally pretty nice towns.

Ironically, it’s seems like Montgomery and West Windsor people think they are from the greatest towns ever, but they tell people they live in Princeton. I am well-familiar with the convoluted justification for this (articulated well by T2K), but everywhere else people are able to describe where their town is without saying they live in a different town. If you live in New Providence you don’t say “I live in Summit.”

Damnit! It’s just not done! 😊🤷‍♂️😉

Honestly, I worked my ass off to make our town more "Montgomery Proud". Thankfully, only a small portion of Monty has the Princeton zip. We mostly have Skillman and Belle Mead. We put up a ton of new signage around town. Pushed to make sure new parks, developments, or businesses used Montgomery, Skillman, or Belle Mead (not Princeton). We also pushed back on certain development that tried to make Monty more like Princeton. The mayor/team before me had a crazy idea to build a "mini-Palmer Square" in the center of our town (old NPDC land). We proposed that land should become a county park, which is it today. You can't out Princeton Princeton. Gotta be your own community. :)

 

[Scarlet1984]

Completely valid complaint.

Lock’em up if you ask me.

Nobody should have to deal with that kind of thing.

Went for 07762 instead.

 

[e5fdny]

Went for 07762 instead.

Can’t go wrong there.😉

Until it’s time for financial aid for the kids. LOL

 

[fsg2]

By the way, I think it really is unique to Princeton that people from the surrounding towns say they are from Princeton. Not “just north of Princeton”. I don’t get it. These are generally pretty nice towns.

Ironically, it’s seems like Montgomery and West Windsor people think they are from the greatest towns ever, but they tell people they live in Princeton. I am well-familiar with the convoluted justification for this (articulated well by T2K), but everywhere else people are able to describe where their town is without saying they live in a different town. If you live in New Providence you don’t say “I live in Summit.”

Damnit! It’s just not done! 😊🤷‍♂️😉

Silly to do in state, but it's one of the few towns in NJ people from all over the country recognize.

I imagine if you said Montgomery, it would 50/50 end up in, "You mean Al'bama?"

 

[yessir321]

Worked for a New Orleans based firm and dated a couple of girls down there. And that was a regular saying. Yankee carpet bagger etc…Didn't matter if they were white or black. Old line southern families have pride in their southern history. My response to one of the parents that called me a yankee was “ so you would rather your daughter date a descendant of a plantation owner than a yankee?” Their head kinda spun.

Oh don’t get my wife started on “the carpet baggers that came down after Katrina”…. I’ve suffered through that rant bare minimum 14.5 times

 

[yessir321]

Did you grow up on Princeton or in “Princeton”?

In Princeton, lol. Forrester Dr to be exact.

 

[Knight Shift]

Very bad idea. Beyond the mail delivery issues, homes with a Princeton zip are more valuable than ones with a Franklin zip.

Explain Kingston. What is it? Princeton, Franklin/Somerset or South Brunswick/Middlesex? Where do the kids go to school.

 

[Rutgers Chris]

Explain Kingston. What is it? Princeton, Franklin/Somerset or South Brunswick/Middlesex? Where do the kids go to school.

Locals say they are from Southeast Rocky Hill

 

[Knight Shift]

Locals say they are from Southeast Rocky Hill

That makes it worse!
Used to live off of 27 in North Brunswick, and we drove through Kingston quite a bit. Liked that area a lot .

 

[kupuna133]

Explain Kingston. What is it? Princeton, Franklin/Somerset or South Brunswick/Middlesex? Where do the kids go to school.

Kingston proper is South Brunswick Middlesex county.

Better question is explain to me west Windsor Plainsboro high school. 2 towns 2 sending districts 2 counties. West Windsor Mercer County Plainsboro Middlesex County.

 

[Knight Shift]

Kingston proper is South Brunswick Middlesex county.

Better question is explain to me west Windsor Plainsboro high school. 2 towns 2 sending districts 2 counties. West Windsor Mercer County Plainsboro Middlesex County.

An even better question is are Kingston and West Windsor and Plainsboro all Central Jersey, South or North?

 

[Scarlet1984]

Silly to do in state, but it's one of the few towns in NJ people from all over the country recognize.

I imagine if you said Montgomery, it would 50/50 end up in, "You mean Al'bama?"

Of course, out of state they don’t know where Princeton is :)

I guess “halfway between Manhattan and Philly” is too confusing 🕺🤷‍♂️

 

[T2Kplus20]

Explain Kingston. What is it? Princeton, Franklin/Somerset or South Brunswick/Middlesex? Where do the kids go to school.

That area is a freaking mess! Kingston is actually in BOTH South Brunswick and Franklin (different towns and different counties). Famous local story.....a former Mayor of Franklin spent all weekend campaigning in Kingston before a resident told him he was in the South Brunswick section. His quote - "I guess that's why I never got votes from your neighbor".

Kendall Park is all South Brunswick. Somerset is all Franklin.

 

[T2Kplus20]

Kingston proper is South Brunswick Middlesex county.

Better question is explain to me west Windsor Plainsboro high school. 2 towns 2 sending districts 2 counties. West Windsor Mercer County Plainsboro Middlesex County.

No, not true. Kingston covers 2 towns, see above!

 

[T2Kplus20]

An even better question is are Kingston and West Windsor and Plainsboro all Central Jersey, South or North?

Easy one. All in Central Jersey - the BEST part of the state!

 

[Knight Shift]

Easy one. All in Central Jersey - the BEST part of the state!

With the best beaches!! 😜

 

[kupuna133]

An even better question is are Kingston and West Windsor and Plainsboro all Central Jersey, South or North?

Depends on if you use a vanity zip or your true address.

 

[kupuna133]

No, not true. Kingston covers 2 towns, see above!

I grew up in town. Kingston is south Brunswick Middlesex county. Again it’s a zip code versus proper. You can have a Kingston mailing address in Franklin Township Somerset County. And yea I know that story. Mayor was and is an absolute moron for not knowing boundaries of his own town.

 

[retired711]

That makes it worse!
Used to live off of 27 in North Brunswick, and we drove through Kingston quite a bit. Liked that area a lot .

My sister long lived off 27 in North Brunswick -- Jersey Avenue was the road off 1.

 

[rurichdog]

Kingston proper is South Brunswick Middlesex county.

Better question is explain to me west Windsor Plainsboro high school. 2 towns 2 sending districts 2 counties. West Windsor Mercer County Plainsboro Middlesex County.

Then you have Cranbury, located right next to Plainsboro, and they send their kids to...Princeton High School!

 

[Knight Shift]

My sister long lived off 27 in North Brunswick -- Jersey Avenue was the road off 1.

We lived right off of Cozzens Lane in the Hovnanian townhouses while I was in law school and then a year after. Some of the best years of our lives. Volunteered for a fantastic volunteer fire department in town.

 

[T2Kplus20]

I grew up in town. Kingston is south Brunswick Middlesex county. Again it’s a zip code versus proper. You can have a Kingston mailing address in Franklin Township Somerset County. And yea I know that story. Mayor was and is an absolute moron for not knowing boundaries of his own town.

Kingston is not a town, just a zip code. I don't think "Kingston proper" really exists. LOL!

 

[T2Kplus20]

We lived right off of Cozzens Lane in the Hovnanian townhouses while I was in law school and then a year after. Some of the best years of our lives. Volunteered for a fantastic volunteer fire department in town.

I volunteered for OBVFD, which is East Brunswick District 1, for 7-8 years. It was a blast. Started as a 16 year old junior. Primary was at South Old Bridge's school and eventually qualified for drive/operate our main pumper. Good times.

 

[kupuna133]

Kingston is not a town, just a zip code. I don't think "Kingston proper" really exists. LOL!

South Brunswick township is made up of villages. Monmouth junction, Dayton, Deans, Kingston etc.. These historic villages were grouped together to form districts within the township of South Brunswick. And Kingston is properly within South Brunswick township. Don’t know why you are LOL’ing

 

[T2Kplus20]

South Brunswick township is made up of villages. Monmouth junction, Dayton, Deans, Kingston etc.. These villages became zip codes and districts within the township of South Brunswick. And Kingston is properly within South Brunswick township. Don’t know why you are LOL’ing

LOL'ing due to the f'ed up area we live in. All those placed don't legally exist anymore as towns or villages. Monty has a bunch of those old places like Harlingen. Blawenburg is the only one that still survives due to the little zip code and smaller post office.

 

[e5fdny]

I know nothing about this part of the State. Absolutely nothing.🤷‍♂️

 

[kupuna133]

LOL'ing due to the f'ed up area we live in. All those placed don't legally exist anymore as towns or villages. Monty has a bunch of those old places like Harlingen. Blawenburg is the only one that still survives due to the little zip code and smaller post office.

What I figured. Had to explain the township concept to someone from Massachusetts.had his head spinning.

 

[kupuna133]

I know nothing about this part of the State. Absolutely nothing.🤷‍♂️

Liked growing up there but I am so happy I left it for where we now live. Not the same was wide open farm land population was 16-18k now it’s over 50k.

 

[T2Kplus20]

Liked growing up there but I am so happy I left it for where we now live. Not the same was wide open farm land population was 16-18k now it’s over 50k.

My hometown, East Brunswick, had the same fate. It still had a nice open feel with farms and two apple orchards growing up in the 80s. Then it experienced one last development boom and now is a suburban ghetto. Literally every piece of land that could be developed has been built on. Now much open space left. Very sad. South Brunswick may be even worse. And believe it or not, SB is going to get a lot worse. SB got CRUSHED in the last round of COAH/low-income housing mandates. It had to approve a plan for 2500-2800 additional housing units.

Also, it is truly disgusting what SB allowed to happen with all that farmland (now know as.....the warehouse capital of the world).

 

[kupuna133]

My hometown, East Brunswick, had the same fate. It still had a nice open feel with farms and two apple orchards growing up in the 80s. Then, it experiences one last development boom and now it is a suburban ghetto. Literally every piece of land that could be developed has been built on. Now much open space left. Very sad. South Brunswick may be even worse. And believe it or not, SB is going to get a lot worse. SB got CRUSHED in the last round of COAH/low-income housing mandates. It had to approve a plan for 2500-2800 additional housing units.

Also, it is truly disgusting what SB allowed to happen with all that farmland (now know as.....the warehouse capital of the world).

Yea have family in all of those towns. Brother in South Brunswick, Sister in East and Brother in Princeton (hahaha Somerset). Leadership and public planners in South Brunswick should be shot those guys ruined a great town.

 

[T2Kplus20]

Yea have family in all of those towns. Brother in South Brunswick, Sister in East and Brother in Princeton (hahaha Somerset). Leadership and public planners in South Brunswick should be shot those guys ruined a great town.

Amen. During my time serving Monty, my main goal was to prevent it from becoming another EB. Going back to the 40s/50s, Monty and EB were practically identical in pop (7-8k), farmland, sewer service, and having 2 lane main streets. As of now:

EB = 50k pop, 22 sq miles
Monty = 24k pop, 32 sq miles

Amazing what leadership can do (or the lack of leadership).

 

[Knight Shift]

I volunteered for OBVFD, which is East Brunswick District 1, for 7-8 years. It was a blast. Started as a 16 year old junior. Primary was at South Old Bridge's school and eventually qualified for drive/operate our main pumper. Good times.

I would have never guessed you to have been a volunteer firefighter. Tip of the cap to you.
Why did you not continue?

For me, once it was in the blood, I continued everywhere I lived. Back where I started in Wall now. I cannot list all of the things that being a volunteer firefighter has "given" to me and my life. From the colleagues, the friendships, the training, the experience, the exposure to situations and people that you will not come across in other walks of life. Most of all the brotherhood (and sisterhood). Aside from that, driving an engine, rescue or ladder lights and sirens to an emergency is an interesting experience and tests the mettle of a driver.

 

[Knight Shift]

LOL'ing due to the f'ed up area we live in. All those placed don't legally exist anymore as towns or villages. Monty has a bunch of those old places like Harlingen. Blawenburg is the only one that still survives due to the little zip code and smaller post office.

Griggstown is another one. A census-designated, unincorporated community in Franklin Township. As Seinfeld would ask: "Why is it Griggstown, when it is not a town?"

And WTF is up with Zarephath? Another one in Franklin Township. Was is a zarephath, and how the heck is it pronounced. Driving along 287, there used to be (maybe still are) signs that said "Zarephath". Pre-internet, could not find it on paper maps. Was the worldwide headquarters of Pillar of Fire International--according to Wikipedia. Sounds kind of like a movie place.

Does Franklin Township have the largest collection of unincorporated communities in the State?

 

[Knight Shift]

My hometown, East Brunswick, had the same fate. It still had a nice open feel with farms and two apple orchards growing up in the 80s. Then it experienced one last development boom and now is a suburban ghetto. Literally every piece of land that could be developed has been built on. Now much open space left. Very sad. South Brunswick may be even worse. And believe it or not, SB is going to get a lot worse. SB got CRUSHED in the last round of COAH/low-income housing mandates. It had to approve a plan for 2500-2800 additional housing units.

Also, it is truly disgusting what SB allowed to happen with all that farmland (now know as.....the warehouse capital of the world).

Had not been back down Route 1 in NB and SB until several weeks ago. Holy smokes what a mess it has become.

 

[retired711]

Had not been back down Route 1 in NB and SB until several weeks ago. Holy smokes what a mess it has become.

When my sister lived in North Brunswick, I had to either take the Turnpike to Exit 9 and go south on 1, or take 295 and then go north on 1 to visit her. I hated the trip both ways. (Just the process of getting from 18 to 1 South was terrible.) One day three decades ago, I stayed at her house and drove up and down 1 for a couple of days for a conference at Rutgers. Awful! I can't imagine what it's like now.

 

[kupuna133]

Griggstown is another one. A census-designated, unincorporated community in Franklin Township. As Seinfeld would ask: "Why is it Griggstown, when it is not a town?"

And WTF is up with Zarephath? Another one in Franklin Township. Was is a zarephath, and how the heck is it pronounced. Driving along 287, there used to be (maybe still are) signs that said "Zarephath". Pre-internet, could not find it on paper maps. Was the worldwide headquarters of Pillar of Fire International--according to Wikipedia. Sounds kind of like a movie place.

Does Franklin Township have the largest collection of unincorporated communities in the State?

Zarepath is one strange place. Had to go in there in high school for a service project. Here we were a catholic high school assisting a group that I can only describe as a cult or biker gang reconstruct a barn. It was something straight out of Ozark.

 

[Knight Shift]

When my sister lived in North Brunswick, I had to either take the Turnpike to Exit 9 and go south on 1, or take 295 and then go north on 1 to visit her. I hated the trip both ways. (Just the process of getting from 18 to 1 South was terrible.) One day three decades ago, I stayed at her house and drove up and down 1 for a couple of days for a conference at Rutgers. Awful! I can't imagine what it's like now.

Instead of going all the way to 195 to get back to the shore area, we cut through Hightstown to pick up Route 33. The amount of new stores, and what is I think supposed to be a "transit village" that was built on the site of the old J&J Band Aid property was stunning.

 

[kupuna133]

Had not been back down Route 1 in NB and SB until several weeks ago. Holy smokes what a mess it has become.

Yea that section of traffic makes my skin crawl every time I have to visit family.

 

[Knight Shift]

I know nothing about this part of the State. Absolutely nothing.🤷‍♂️

@knightfan7 --the thread about "the shore" has been successfully hijacked and T2K's attention has been diverted.
Mission accomplished.

 

[Knight Shift]

Yea that section of traffic makes my skin crawl every time I have to visit family.

That Car Shop facility/store is absolutely enormous. We had heard that was the best place to unload a car for highest price versus trading the vehicle in for a new one. Boy what a disappointment that place was. It was beautiful inside. I became highly suspicious when I observed Toto brand commodes in mens room. I remarked to my wife that they were going to lowball us to pay for the toilets. They lowballed us, and we did not even try to negotiate.