I could not begin to list all the food store in a 10 mile radius of Hatboro... it's probably only slightly bigger then the number of Gamestops!
That's what I do miss about living in a more populous area. In Sterling Heights, there were four major, full-sized grocery stores at the same intersection, and several more a few Michigan blocks away. All of them were usually crazy crowded.
Really? I thought they just had a Stop and Shop. Also, they have a Wal-Mart Super Center?
There are two Stop and Shops, a Price Chopper, a Hannaford, A Shop Rite, a Wal-Mart, an Adam's, and a few others nearby. The Shop Rite is the closest, and it's a perfectly serviceable, full grocery store, so we don't bother with any of the other ones (except occasionally Adam's).
The Shoprite is about 5 miles away, and while serviceable, it's not great. The town would greatly benefit from having a quality full-service store right where the piece of shit Key Foods is. In Albany, I have at least as many options as you named inside of a 10 minute drive, and some of those have products of exemplary quality.
Of course, as befits a larger city, we also have a larger concentration of outrageous hippie bullshit. The hippie bullshit section of the food co-op is the size of the entire Beacon Natural Market. It causes me great internal conflict; I like supporting the local farmer, locally produced food is fantastic (local grass-fed beef is awesome), but I hate supporting hippie bullshit.
The more concentrated the hippie bullshit, the easier it is to avoid it.
Well, it's more concentrated in the sense that there's more of it per capita in Albany, but in the city itself, it's sort of everywhere. It's kind of like this thin film of hippie bullshit that coats everything in the city.
Albany also has smaller quality stores. Two Cousin's Fish Market is in a crappy neighborhood but it's really good fish. They drive down to the NYC fish market daily. Ragonese and Cardona's Italian Market are good and decently priced.
I seriously suggest anyone in the area go to the Asian Supermarket over on Central. OMG! It's freaking amazing. They have everything and the place is spotless bordering on unnaturally clean.
If Beacon gentrifies, you will have made a nice investment indeed! I've got my fingers crossed for you.
Talk to a financial planner before you pay off your mortgage at an accelerated rate. The interest is deductible, and the rates are absurdly low right now. You might get a better return on your money if you do something else with it.
Can you walk to the train station from your house? If so, how long a walk?
Talk to a financial planner before you pay off your mortgage at an accelerated rate. The interest is deductible, and the rates are absurdly low right now. You might get a better return on your money if you do something else with it.
Good call! I didn't even think of that...
My main plan is to pay down enough to drop PMI in the first year. Beyond that... now I have to analyze the situation in more detail.
Years later, Beacon has super gentrified. Whoever bought the house did to it exactly what I would have done. Main street is flourishing.
If I weren't commuting, and were working 100% from home on my own projects, I'd easily consider living in Beacon again. I couldn't stray much further than that, as I really need easy access to the City even if I'm not going there on a daily basis.
So how much more is that house worth now then it was when you were trying to buy it.
It seems to be about the same price (ignoring improvements). There was a big dip after I bailed on the house originally, from which the local market only recently recovered.
The house would totally have been worth it if I'd been willing to live somewhere boring for several years until it became slightly less boring AND have a multi-hour daily commute...
Speaking to the years-old OP, if anyone actually does have questions about living in NJ suburbs w/ ~60 min commute into the city, I am at peak knowledge right now, having just rented around the area in an effort to find the ideal blend of reasonable property value/distance to NYC.
Comments
Of course, as befits a larger city, we also have a larger concentration of outrageous hippie bullshit. The hippie bullshit section of the food co-op is the size of the entire Beacon Natural Market. It causes me great internal conflict; I like supporting the local farmer, locally produced food is fantastic (local grass-fed beef is awesome), but I hate supporting hippie bullshit.
I seriously suggest anyone in the area go to the Asian Supermarket over on Central. OMG! It's freaking amazing. They have everything and the place is spotless bordering on unnaturally clean.
Talk to a financial planner before you pay off your mortgage at an accelerated rate. The interest is deductible, and the rates are absurdly low right now. You might get a better return on your money if you do something else with it.
Can you walk to the train station from your house? If so, how long a walk?
My main plan is to pay down enough to drop PMI in the first year. Beyond that... now I have to analyze the situation in more detail.
If I weren't commuting, and were working 100% from home on my own projects, I'd easily consider living in Beacon again. I couldn't stray much further than that, as I really need easy access to the City even if I'm not going there on a daily basis.
The house would totally have been worth it if I'd been willing to live somewhere boring for several years until it became slightly less boring AND have a multi-hour daily commute...