Spend any time in the Jersey Pine Barrens?
As a kid instead of sitting in church I'd duck a side door and go sit on the shores of the Delaware near Beverly, Nj. Watching the river til it was time to get back so mom could pick us up.

I would return to the Lehigh Valley before I even think about moving back to Jersey.
New Jersey is wonderful for the wealthy

@silverotter11 Nah, mother's side of the family was from Swedesboro, and I was born in Allentown and stayed local.

That sounded like something far better to do than stay in church.

@Unity Can't say I'd blame you.

Allentown was my first residence outside of New Jersey.
It was more affordable

@Unity Speaking of which, the Allentown Fair is just around the corner, and I can hardly wait.

@SpikeTalon When is it?

@Unity Starts last day of this month through Labor Day Monday (six days total). Previous years it used to run for seven days, always the last Tuesday in the month, but since Covid hit it starts now on the last Wednesday in August. Hopefully they'll eventually switch back to the Fair lasting seven days.

My mom is 91 years old. Like me she was born and raised in Newark. I'm convinced that is where she'll spend the rest of her days

It is literally right across the Hudson from NYC.

@Unity That's who's hiking up those rentals. That's where my neighbor's from. To him, my little rowhome in Fishtown is a bargain for $2.5K month. When I moved in my taxes were $600/yr now they're $4K, I can barely afford that because there's no monthly payment, it has to be paid in full annually. Gentrification.

@barjoe @Unity That's happening here in Texas too, property taxes keep going up every year! I agree gentrification is going on almost everywhere in the US, not good!