Ridgewood NJ, Saturday September 3rd ,from 10 am to 2 pm, stop by and meet Yaxel Ortiz and watch the master cigar roller make fresh Y.O.’s.
Yaxel Ortiz the super boutique cigar maker from Cuba has now produced his first blend fro his new factory in Nicaragua available in only a select group of retailers .
The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood
10 Chestnut Street
Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450
Ridgewood NJ, Anybody ready for Fall? Before you get your sweaters out of storage, visit the Ridgewood Public Library in person or online and get your reserves in for some of the best new literary Fall releases. Here’s an insider tip: reserve The Nix by Nathan Hill. It’s a horrible title, but a great book about a man trying to either ruin or reconnect with the mother who left him.https://buff.ly/2bMLvdt
Looking for something new to read? Try a new novel by a debut author.
We all know the best place to go for book recommendations is the Ridgewood Public Library, but when you can’t get to us, check out some of these awesome sites for book lovers.
Do you want to join a book group? Are you in a book group and want some book recommendations? The Ridgewood Public Library can help. Visit our Book Group page online to see what we’re reading this month https://buff.ly/2bABnHM or stop by the Circulation Desk and ask for one of our Reader’s Advisors who can help you find your book group’s next great read.
Ridgewood schools are still ranked highly, and even are ranked above Tenafly by several organizations. Niche.com also rates the entire Ridgewood public school district as 7th best in the state (Tenafly is 15).
As far as the real estate market goes, I am certainly no realtor, but I can tell you that homes around $1M in the Upper Ridgewood area (near Willard School) are still going in bidding wars and for above asking price. I have several friends who recently purchased in the area and some who are currently looking for a larger house within Ridgewood, and these are the stories I hear. In some cases I have heard that 20% down isn’t even enough for houses $1M+.
Some countervailing thoughts:
1. Wall St/Finance mostly drives the top of the market. That end is definitely soft and will remain that way. One might argue that the huge bonuses created a market segment that is inherently unsustainable. The 4k-5k sq ft homes are definitely going to be hard to sell. If you are around the $1MM mark there remains a robust market
2. A home should not be viewed as a real estate investment. Historically, residential real estate keeps pace with inflation over time (decades). In the short term there are of course peaks and valleys. I have been in Ridgewood for almost 40 years, so I have seen dramatic increases and long flat periods. that’s real estate.
3. School system is in decline? Based on these arbitrary metrics from magazines trying to sell copy? I don’t see it.
4. Taxes in Ridgewood have always been high. This is not a new development.
5. I am an early baby boomer. I am still here. When and if I leave Ridgewood it will have nothing to do with the real estate market or the school system–it will be a lifestyle decision.
6. Apart from the unpleasant crew (Aronsohn et al) that recently tried to disrupt the fabric and culture of this village, this has been a very nice place to live and raise kids for many years. It will continue to be. Take the long view–don’t plan your life around the ups and downs of the real estate cycle.
TRAFFIC ALERT – MILLING AND PAVING ON VILLAGE ROADS – SCHEDULE
August 31,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, In preparation for road paving, on Monday, August 29th milling and paving will begin on Kenilworth Road, Linwood Avenue (between Oak and Maple) and Robinson Lane (between Walnut and Cottage ). See planned schedule below.
Schedule –
August 29th – Kenilworth – Milling
August 30th – Kenilworth – Paving
August 31st – Linwood (Oak to Maple), Robinson (Walnut to Cottage) – Milling
September 1st – Linwood (Oak to Maple), Robinson (Walnut to Cottage) – Paving
This work could take several days.
Please allow time for potential delays in traveling on or near these roads.
The economic argument above is all I needed to counter your complete fantasy of $1MM houses being in great demand, but let me also comment on the rest.
2. The 40 years that you claim to have been in Ridgewood for happened to be the 40 years when the financial sector exploded in size, and NYC being the financial center benefited tremendously. Additionally, home ownership steadily increased to an all time high in 2004. Unless you have not read the news for 8 year now – all of that is GONE. That is history. Finance is rapidly shrinking, homeownership is at lower than it has ever been since 1984. This despite mortgage rate being lower than it has been in forever.
3. Those ‘arbitrary rankings’ are what new homeonwers make their decision based on. And who will I believe – what multiple magazines claim or what you claim? And how is it that school districts like Short Hills, West Windsor and Tenafly are unaffected by the randomness of those surveys?
4. If taxes were already ‘high’ shouldn’t they stop rising then? What is the logic of already ‘high’ taxes going even higher – for no additional services whatsoever?
5. For a vast majority of people without money to burn, it is a rational decision based on their own income and costs vs. quality of services. I just pointed out that the equation is very unfavorable right now when it comes to Ridgewood.
6. The long view is that the state of NJ is bankrupt given how horribly underfunded its pensions are. Militant union will not let their benefits be haircut. So you are looking at combination of significantly higher taxes, fewer services and constant disruptions from striking unions. Math is math. The bill will come due – the can can only be kicked down just so much further down the road!
Ridgewood NJ, The Village of Ridgewood, in an effort to expidite the conclusion of this project and to minimize traffic interference, has met with PSE&G and has agreed to allow working on Saturdays to expedite the upgrade project.
Saturday work takes place generally from 7am to 5pm; with some need to mobilize in advance to be ready to work. PSEG has brought in extra manpower and will be working on Saturdays into the 3rd week of September.
“High Performing” is a second tier ranking. Valley was not ranked or rated in any of those adult specialties. Sorry Audrey, a little research goes a long way. “In addition to broader specialty categories like orthopedics and urology, U.S. News evaluates hospitals in certain common medical procedures and conditions. Rather than a numerical ranking, hospitals are given a rating of high performing, average or below average in each category.”
Audrey is overpaid for running a single hospital not a system. Why aren’t they paying Village property taxes? Where’s our new Council in this? $4mn is 10% of the annual Municipal budget. Would mean property tax cuts for residents.
TRAFFIC ALERT – N. MONROE AND W. GLEN INTERSECTION – AUGUST 30 & SEPT 1
August 30,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Tuesday, August 30 and Thursday , September 1 – PSEG will be working in the intersection of N. Monroe St. and W. Glen Ave. Travel through that intersection is going to be difficult and at some times not available. Wednesday they will be working between N. Monroe St. and Erie Ave. Ridgewood Police are coordinating with Midland Park during this entire time for traffic control. A detour plan has been put in place and posted.
1) Historicall (pre-07) people still hung around because home prices were going up. 2% a year in taxes does not matter as long as your house’s value is going by by 6-7% a year. Home prices are at best flat now, if not declining. The 2.5% and ever growing property tax is coming out of people’s pockets now.
2) Wall St (finance generally) was on a 30 year tear till 2007. That is the NYC area’s main driver. Accordingly, the riches drifted to places like Ridgewood. That gig is OVER. I work in the industry – trust me. That gig is done. People are lucky to hang on to their jobs, forget compensation. The replacement tech folks want to live in ‘city-like’ environments. Condo prices in NYC and surrounding towns have gone up at double-digit rates per year for 4-5 years running now. Home prices are at best flat in Ridgewood.
3) Schools are not a function of teachers, they are a function of students. Being a top school district attracts parents who are interested in education, and that is a self reinforcing dynamic. The reverse is also true – once you drop out of the top rankings, you stop attracting top students. Ridgewood is no longer a ‘top school district’ compared to places like Teaneck, Short Hills, Baskin Ridge etc.
4) Ridgewood taxes are higher (on a % of property market value basis) than even Short Hills, let alone neighborhood Bergen County towns, all with similarly rated schools. And despite paying higher taxes than everywhere else, and more than ever paid in Ridgewood’s history, you have greedy teachers striking and looking for various ways to make life difficult for students as payback. And this will only get worse once Obamacare taxes kick in and the teachers force taxpayers to pick up the 40% excise tax tab on their platinum insurance plans.
So to summarize,
1) The main supporting industry is in sharp decline
2) Home prices are no longer increasing
3) Taxes are at national highs and only likely to increase further
4) School district ranking is falling and will get worse
This combination has not existed so far. In fact, the reverse did. That was history. This is reality.
I curse the day I bought a house in the place. My kids are still too young so I am likely stuck, and am going to live through the decline. Assuming, of course, my industry even has a place for me till then.
Ridgewood NJ, according to the website ,”LEON Mexican is a modern Mexican Restaurant offering its customers a large variety of fresh vegetables, meats, pleasing dining area with striking contemporary design. Our Restaurant features Classical Mexican favorites such as tacos, quesadillas, fajitas, burritos, ceviche, table side guacamole, tortilla chips and tomato salsa which are freshly prepared on premises. All of our vegetarian dishes contain no meat stock including our rice & beans.”
LEON Mexican is a modern Mexican Restaurant with a fairly simple mission statement.
“We believe in fresh, and we believe in quality. Our ingredients are one of the finest ones chosen from a large variety of fresh vegetables & all natural meats. We never pre-cook or pre-freeze any food on our premises. Everything on the menu is made once order is placed.
Leon features classic Mexican favorites such as tacos, quesadillas, fajitas, burritos, ceviche, table side guacamole, tortilla chips and tomato salsa which are freshly prepared everyday. Unlike most Mexican restaurants, all of our vegetarian dishes contain no meat stock including our rice & beans.Colorful rustic walls, antique mirrors, cactus pots and spice jars ,elaborate indoor bougainvilleas add up to a very authentic ambience, along with some folk mariachi music in the background, welcome to our little Mexico in the heart of Ridgewood.”
HOURS
Everyday: 12Noon – 10PM
ADDRESS
16 Chestnut Street
(Between E. Ridgewood & Franklin Avenue)
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Ridgewoood NJ, The Valley Hospital has been recognized as one of the best hospitals in the region, ranking as the fifth best hospital in New Jersey and the 14th best hospital in the New York metropolitan area for 2016-2017, according to U.S. News & World Report.
In addition, Valley achieved the highest possible rating – high performing – in all nine common procedures and conditions that are rated by U.S. News & World Report: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), colon cancer surgery, heart bypass surgery, heart failure, hip replacement, knee replacement and lung cancer surgery.
“These distinctions are a reflection of our longstanding commitment to providing excellent clinical care and service,” said Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System.
U.S. News evaluates nearly 5,000 hospitals nationwide, said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis at U.S. News. “A hospital that emerged from our analysis as one of the best has much to be proud of.”
The U.S. News Best Hospital rankings, now in their 27th year, help guide patients to hospitals that deliver outstanding care across 25 specialties, procedures and conditions. The Best Hospitals methodologies factor in objective measures such as patient survival, the number of times a given procedure is performed, infection rates, adequacy of nurse staffing and more.
For 2016-17, 153 hospitals were ranked in at least one specialty, while 1,628 received a high performing rating in one or more specialties, procedures or conditions. In rankings by state and metro area, U.S. News recognized hospitals that were high-performing across multiple areas of care.
Best Hospitals was produced by U.S. News with RTI International, a leading research organization based in Research Triangle Park, N.C.
Simply put..People will sell and move..lock in gains here and bank that result into a lower taxed town and in some cases another State.Boomers will avalanche out of here in the next 5 years.School issues costs and declining standings are a ticking time bomb..
Ridgewood NJ , September is an exciting month at Bookends in Ridgewood .
Tennis Great Rod Laver Tuesday, September 6th @ 7:00pm Tennis Champion, Rob Laver will sign his new book: Rob Laver: An Authobography
Jesse Ventura Thursday, September 8th @ 7:00pm Former Governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura, will sign his new book: Jesse Ventura’s Marijuana Manifesto
Dr. Terry Dubrow & Heather Dubrow Friday, September 9th @ 7:00pm From Botched and Star on The Real Housewives of Orange County will sign their new book: The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need to the Best Anti-Aging Treatments
Abby Wambach Thursday, September 15th @ 6:00pm 2 X Olympic Gold Medalitst, Abby Wambach, will be signing her new book: FORWARD
Jamie Lee Curtis Monday, September 19th @ 7:00pm #1 New York Times Bestselling Author & Actress, Jamie Lee Curtis, will sign her new book: This is Me
Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.
Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change. First In Line Certificate use is the the discretion of Bookends. Blackout dates may apply. Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings. Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable.
While we try to ensure that all customers coming to Bookends’ signings will meet authors and get their books signed, we cannot guarantee that all attendees will meet the author or that all books will be signed. We cannot control inclement weather, author travel schedules or authors who leave prematurely.
Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 201-445-0726
Ridgewood NJ, Several readers continue to claim the “Majority” of residents are against all development. Its nice to see that Ridgewood residents have now graduated to a “Majority” from gadfly, loud mouth ,minority status.
Reader says , “I think it is time to look around at all the empty stores in Ridgewood and realize there is a need to revamp the CBD. Soon all the shops will move to malls and replaced by housing; think…..is that what you want? Someone, most likely a shop keeper , is going to come up with ideas to improve the town, what is the problem. Make your own suggestions, welcome those of other residents, and have a discussion rather than complain. Get real people you are losing your central business district!”
Shops moved to malls in the 1970’s , and shopping has moved online since 1994 when Al Gore discovered the internet .
If you are worried about empty stores talk to the landlords not tax payers. The simple fact is that tax payers are not responsible for a companies business plans. What I would suggest is that in this day and age stores need to make themselves destination businesses ie like Bookends and The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood & Davidoff Lounge . Retailers also need to build an online presence , websites, social media , press releases and they need to tell their story ; think why would I want to go here when I have to pay for parking? This is one of the reasons there are so many great restaurants in Ridgewood ,chefs have great stories to tell.
My biggest suggestion for Ridgewood merchants is to be open more hours. No one is home by 5pm. I can not tell you how many businesses have opened and closed that I have never seen open. The fact is most people who can afford to live in Ridgewood need to work a lot or hours , anywhere from 65 -80 hours per week and odd hours early am to late pm. So merchants need to develop strategies ,be it home or Train station delivery or open by appointment what ever it takes that is the new reality.
Destroying Van Nest Square will do nothing to help business and will most likely hurt business as much or more than the so called “traffic easing” ,that now backs traffic up into Midland Park. Making access to the almost CBD impossible from the West side of Town .
Another reader says, “James, you’re ignoring the facts. What is worth preserving of the old car dealers, old Town Garage and its toxic site, etc? What about all the empty shops and gold pawn shops? Why is this worth preserving? The majority rule wants to keep the status quo… which clearly isn’t working.”
First I was only posting comments and turning them into posts , so how exactly is destroying Van Nest square going to get rid of old car dealers,a toxic site, gold pawn shops and empty stores ? This maybe your problem you keep wanting to fix things that are not broken yet you ignore all the things that need fixing ? The solutions have to fit the problems. If the Village wants to clean up a toxic site it needs to take the steps to clean it up, not build a parking lot.
Now in New York City developers who wish to build non-conforming structures can often make a deal with the city by adding to public spaces, fixing subways or adding and maintaining new plantings. In New Jersey we socialize the investment ie taxpayer funded yet we capitalize the profits. So taxpayers pay and developers make the money. Another words Ridgewood taxpayers build a parking garage so developers can reduce the amount of parking they offer and save money. and thus the continued rejection of a parking garage.
Now what you should be asking yourself is how could a bureaucratic organization like NJT fix the train trestle, raise the tracks , and renovate the train station while preserving and improving its historic nature in a relatively short amount of time. How could New Jersey Transit do all that yet Valley Hospital , a handful of developers, and a cadre of council members could not get anything done at all what so ever. NJT was willing to work with the town ,meet objections compromise and get the job done.
TRAFFIC ALERT – MILLING AND PAVING ON VILLAGE ROADS
August 28,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, In preparation for road paving, on Monday, August 29th milling and paving will begin on Kenilworth Road, Linwood Avenue (between Oak and Maple) and Robinson Lane (between Walnut and Cottage ). This work could take several days.
Please allow time for potential delays in traveling on or near these roads.
