bodhipooh

bodhipooh t1_j7h4cxq wrote

Every person that has ever lived and been faced with something they can't afford has probably uttered the same words. And, guess what... as people climb social circles in life and go on to make more and more money, they experience "lifestyle creep" and before you know it, that 80K car that seemed outrageously unnecessary is all of a sudden an accesible possibility, and those 5K rents are no longer ridiculous but within reach, and so and so on. Save the faux outrage and jealousy masquerading as principle... if you could easily afford it, you would likely pay it.

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bodhipooh t1_j78a1ol wrote

TBH, I never got into the details of how it all worked out in the end. In my mind, the real estate agent/agency should be responsible, but I am pretty sure they would simply deny they left a window open and it could have been done by anyone that visited during a showing. From what I recall, he paid for the repairs to expedite everything and I am assuming (hoping?) he submitted everything to his homeowners insurance for reimbursement. He was DESPERATE to unload the house as they had already moved away down south. Luckily for him, he was able to do so in late 2018 and his accountant then suggested that they refile several years of taxes to claim retroactive losses. I do remember him doing that and getting some chunk of cash from the IRS. That was a win. In his own words, if he knew then what he knows now, he wouldn't have bought the property, in spite of the overall gains after 10 years of ownership. When all is said and done, he cleared 100K in net gains after all the usual and unexpected expenses of homeownership. In his own words, for those 10 years they were "house rich, cash poor" and looking back the 10K / year gain (on average) doesn't feel like it was worth it.

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bodhipooh t1_j77umsw wrote

This thread is reminding me of a situation with my best friend, who moved away several years ago but still had a property in BK he was trying to sell. A real estate agent that was showing the house had left a window open to keep the place aired out (so it wouldn't smell stale during showings) and forgot to close it before winter rolled around and, during a serious cold snap, the pipes on the second floor froze, burst, and the place got flooded. Homeownership can be a bitch at times.

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bodhipooh t1_j76wybd wrote

>became known as the windy City because the politicians were long winded...

Not because they were long winded, but because they were supposedly called windbags in a NYC press editorial! A wingbag is someone who talks at length but says little of value. NYC and Chicago were competing against each other to host the World Fair and the Chicago advocates were derided in that editorial as being wingbags. But, the World Fair theory is more like an apocryphal story. Even before the World Fair's shenanigans, Chicago politicians (and residents) had a reputation for being full of hot air, and that's a theory for the Windy City moniker that holds more water.

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bodhipooh t1_j6xibjr wrote

I knew what you were referring to before I even saw the image... daikon is DELICIOUS. I used to go to a late night sushi joint on St Mark's Place that had a veggie roll with chunks of this in it. It was SOOOO good. That's how I first discovered daikon. Now, I get excited anytime I spot it in a dish, which is not often enough. I haven't had the katsu don at Honshu in forever, but I don't recall it ever having daikon, so I will have to go check it out. Thanks for the tip!

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bodhipooh t1_j6oy5y7 wrote

No, they are all different, and each has their own strengths.

Maman and Choc-o-Pain are closer in substance and pricing - and they are nothing like 2nd Street. If I want a huge, and very well priced, sub I am heading to 2nd St. If I want a "fancy" pastry that is going to cost me a pretty penny, I am going to Maman. I never patronize Choc-O-Pain (read about their sordid attitude in the immediate aftermath of Sandy *** ) and Antique is nice/good, but I have a soft spot for 2nd St Bakery.

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*** - I screwed up here by misremembering - same location, different business. It was Made with Love that behave poorly in the aftermath of Sandy, NOT Choc-O-Pain. Notwithstanding my faulty memory recollection, I am still not a regular patron of Choc-O-Pain for different reasons which I didn't mention in my post. Chief among them, my very close Parisian friend used to get enraged anytime I would shop there over what she considered outrageous prices, so over time I stopped patronizing their place altogether. But, their stuff can be really good.

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bodhipooh t1_j6kjhb5 wrote

>If I left my heat on 66 I’m pretty sure any leftover water would freeze lol.

I guess basic, high school chemistry was not your thing.

The Morgan was built quite some time ago, so there is good historical data for what previous tenants in your unit were consuming in terms of energy. Reach out to PSE&G and ask about previous usage in terms of kWh and see how you compare. But, based on on your other responses, I think you are using way too much electricity by keeping your heat way too high.

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bodhipooh t1_j6fhrsr wrote

Uff. Hamilton Park (and, Paulus Hook for that matter) strike me as a much better fit for young families, or people already in a relationship. Also, no that many restaurants or bars near the water that you will want to frequent all that often. Ondo is incredible, Domo Domo is really good, Lokal is good, and so is the place across from it. But, honestly, that's it. Nothing else that way.

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bodhipooh t1_j5z25eb wrote

Reply to comment by jersey385 in path fare evasion ticket by [deleted]

This is the kind of shit that SHOULD NOT happen. If fare enforcement is in effect, focus on people actively seeking to avoid paying a fare. I have also seen situations where a turnstile is slow to respond to a tap and the person ends up tapping twice, paying double fare and then the turnstile stays free for the next person. Should the next person that uses that turnstile with a credit in it be ticketed for not paying? The fare got paid by someone else, so it shouldn't be a problem.

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bodhipooh t1_j5z179x wrote

It is a nice gesture, and commendable. Unfortunately, our stats (and those of most other countries now) are utterly useless in trying to gauge what is actually happening beyond some basic trends. If people are even testing when feeling sick (a big if) they are seldom reporting their results anywhere (whether positive or negative) and the result itself may not change their decision to go out or stay home. I have heard from multiple people that they have tested positive and they didnt think it was worth it or necessary to not go out. Some may not even wear a mask after testing positive and will instead try to keep their distance.

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bodhipooh t1_j5yzttx wrote

Left unmentioned in my post is that the Wegmans in Parsippany has a liquor license, with amazingly good selection (and prices) for beer, wine, etc. Worth checking out. It will damage you because your expectations for a supermarket will render all close by options as subpar, at best.

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Also, in my response to miringanes, I mentioned the other convenient location where you can hit multiple options within a short distance of each other: head towards Plainfield and you can hit TJs and Stop & Shop (next to each other) or ShopRite (a mile away) or Whole Foods three miles away. If you go via Route 22, you can even hit up Costco on your way without having to detour. That TJ location is ~30 minutes away from the LSP area.

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bodhipooh t1_j5yymwj wrote

Agreed that the TJs in Vauxhall is often overran. I try to stop there during times that are not too busy (midday, midweek) but it is SUPER convenient to have WF and TJs close to each other, which is why I suggested that particular location. If I was going to just WF, I would suggest the one in Weehawken (tiny, but usually has everything I need, plus I get to charge my car while shopping) or the ones in Montclair if I feel like shopping at a large location. For TJs, we have Hoboken close by, but it is always crowded, and there's little else in that area, so it becomes a one store trip. I try to maximize my trips by combining them because I generally despise driving in this area.

Alternatively, there is the option of driving to Westfield, where there's a TJs with a liquor license, right next to a Stop & Shop, with a WF down the street a mile away. And, heck, if one is feeling nostalgic, there is a Charlie Brown's Steakhouse down the road from TJs (one of only two surviving locations!) where you can grab a bite after going grocery shopping.

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bodhipooh t1_j5yni26 wrote

You should have added that to your OP. With a car, my recommendation is to drive 20 minutes to WF and TJs in the Vauxhall area, or drive 30 minutes to Wegmans in Woodbridge or the better one in Parsippany. Drive 10 minutes to Bayonne where you can hit up Costco and Lidl (across from each other) or drive a few minutes more and hit up Stop & Shop and/or Walmart. With a car, you have a ton of great options within 30 minutes of BL if you are close to the LSP area.

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bodhipooh t1_j5vpase wrote

the "real Jersey city restaurant week" is even worse. In fact, I 100% blame that abomination as the main reason why Hudson RW sucks so bad now. It used to be that Hudson RW was actually pretty good, with a ton of participation by really good restaurants in JC and Hoboken with great deals (man, I miss the Edward's Restaurant Week deal) but once JC RW came around, most restaurants seem to have reacted by picking one or the other, or putting forth a crappy offering for both.

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bodhipooh t1_j5qkikc wrote

I drove down York Street the other day (surprised to find it was no longer blocked off entirely from Jersey Avenue) and I regretted my decision almost immediately. The condition of that road is not suitable for cars AT ALL. They might as well keep it closed. What a shit show of a project, and I can't believe residents there have had to put up with that.

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bodhipooh t1_j5lm5nz wrote

Reply to comment by Jahooodie in King Sichuan by EliotHudson

Fortune is very hit or miss. I used to really like it (particularly when it was the dual Chinese/tex-mex operation) but over time started to get really crappy, bland combos. I finally gave up on them in November 2014. But, about a year ago, decided to give it another chance and they came through big time. Really flavorful and no issues. Tried it again a month or two later and great again. I am almost afraid to order again and break the spell.

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