Talk to me about (living in) NJ

[plain jane]

I hesitate to post this because I hate counting my chickens before they hatch, but I know this is such a great place for information.

 

My dh, who works in IT, has a very real possibility of being offered his dream job!! Of course, there are a few catches. :( First of all, the offer would only be part time for now (with potential to go full time after a year). We would be leaving a very comfortable situation to take a big risk- this is both exciting and scary for us as you can well imagine.

 

Next, the job is in NJ. :willy_nilly: That's pretty far from where we are now. :w00t: I'm freaked out at the possibility of leaving my current life and go so far away when we've never lived there before. We are already a 6-8 hour drive away from both sets of our parents... however, this would put us at a 24 hour drive (or cross country flight with lots of kids) from family.

 

So, I'd like to get some more information about what the job situation/economy is like in NJ. Are IT jobs fairly easy to come by? What is the housing market like? What sort of (ballpark) salary would dh have to earn to be able to be able to live fairly comfortably? What is the COL like? If this job doesn't pan out I'd like to have some sort of idea as to how easy it would be to find something to fall back on.

 

I've never been to NJ so I'd also like to know what people in NJ are like? (loaded question, I know :D but humor me :lol:) What about the weather? Do people who live there like it, for the most part?

 

What can you tell me about homeschooling in NJ?

 

Basically, anything you want to tell me about NJ would be great. :D :lol:

Edited June 20, 2012 by plain jane

[elegantlion]

I've never been to NJ either, but I know some great people there.:D Besides that I hear the beaches are good.

[Carrie12345]

I know nothing about IT, but I LOVE NJ. :D Wanna go to the beach? The city? The country? Hop in the car, get there in an hour or so.

 

The state is incredibly diverse in every imaginable way, so you have to narrow down the location a bit to get better feedback.

 

Homeschooling? Just do it. The end.

[JudoMom]

I've never been to NJ either, but I know some great people there.:D Besides that I hear the beaches are good.

 

:iagree:

[MariannNOVA]

Born and raised there. Jersey girls, best in the world.

 

Anyway, alot would depend on what part of NJ - which I know, folks are probably rolling their eyes, but NJ can be totally different from one area to another....the outlying areas of Manhattan (bergen county, for instance) are incredibly different from the bucolic Hunterdon County and that is quite different from Atlantic County and Ocean County and Morris County and Middlesex County, oh, and suburban essex county and even parts of union county. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned cumberland county, Salem County or whatever county it is where Cherry Hill and Voorhees are.

 

I'm not being difficult or snarky, that's just the way it is.

 

One can live there and be in a suburb (for lack of a better word) of Manhattan, Philadelphia, or Newark (Delaware).

 

And, suffice to say, COL also depends on where you are (and of course it is relative regarding where you are now --).

 

I think it is an incredibly diverse state -- beaches, farms, close to the city, -- I am from suburban essex county we travel back to visit friends in morris county frequently - I always feel like I am 'home' when I am there.:)

[nono]

I know nothing about IT, but I LOVE NJ. :D Wanna go to the beach? The city? The country? Hop in the car, get there in an hour or so.

 

The state is incredibly diverse in every imaginable way, so you have to narrow down the location a bit to get better feedback.

 

Homeschooling? Just do it. The end.

 

Yeah, for some of us, going to to beach doesn't involve a car. ;)

 

For homeschooling, the law is states for us to "produce and equivalent outcome." At the present time, there's no reporting or oversight. You can read the NJ Dept. of Education's FAQ on homeschooling here.

 

New Jersey isn't cheap. If you are coming from LA or the Bay Area, well, then you wouldn't blink much at the difference. From anyplace else, you probably will.

[speedmom4]

My neighbor just moved here from New Jersey a little over a year ago. We have gotten to know each other quite well. She is 71 years old and is the hardest working person I know. She is a retired nurse but works in her yard, exercises, cleans all the time. She has a very strong New Jersey accent and is very blunt (which I like). She is Italian and only about 5 feet tall. I just love her.

 

She loves New Jersey but was glad to get away from the incredibly high property taxes. She lived in Tom's River. She does miss the great deli foods that she cannot get in the south. Also she cannot stand the way Southerners pronounce ricotta cheese.

 

Anyway, I'm sure this isn't very helpful making your decision but I thought I would share.

 

God Bless,

Elise in NC

[MariannNOVA]

NJ is very expensive. The housing bubble probably has affected costs of housing but we rented two different ojuses in central NJ and our rents were 2200 and 1800/ month. Our utilities were regularly 400/ month for heat (we heated to 62 degrees). This was for a newer (15 yr old) home in Burlington.

 

If we had chosen to live where dh worked, Princeton, we would have qualified for public housing on dh's PhD scientist salary.

 

food costs were not unreasonable.

 

I loved not pumping gas.[/QUOTE]

 

in red: :lol::lol::lol: The first time I ever pumped my own gas was 10/1/2002 - in Haymarket, Va. Dh was on travel and I brought our babysitter (she was 17) with us to show me how to do it.:auto:

[justamouse]

Born and raised there. Jersey girls, best in the world.

 

Anyway, alot would depend on what part of NJ - which I know, folks are probably rolling their eyes, but NJ can be totally different from one area to another....the outlying areas of Manhattan (bergen county, for instance) are incredibly different from the bucolic Hunterdon County and that is quite different from Atlantic County and Ocean County and Morris County and Middlesex County, oh, and suburban essex county and even parts of union county. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned cumberland county, Salem County or whatever county it is where Cherry Hill and Voorhees are.

 

I'm not being difficult or snarky, that's just the way it is.

 

One can live there and be in a suburb (for lack of a better word) of Manhattan, Philadelphia, or Newark (Delaware).

 

And, suffice to say, COL also depends on where you are (and of course it is relative regarding where you are now --).

 

I think it is an incredibly diverse state -- beaches, farms, close to the city, -- I am from suburban essex county we travel back to visit friends in morris county frequently - I always feel like I am 'home' when I am there.:)

 

:iagree:

 

My neighbor just moved here from New Jersey a little over a year ago. We have gotten to know each other quite well. She is 71 years old and is the hardest working person I know. She is a retired nurse but works in her yard, exercises, cleans all the time. She has a very strong New Jersey accent and is very blunt (which I like). She is Italian and only about 5 feet tall. I just love her.

 

She loves New Jersey but was glad to get away from the incredibly high property taxes. She lived in Tom's River. She does miss the great deli foods that she cannot get in the south. Also she cannot stand the way Southerners pronounce ricotta cheese.

 

Anyway, I'm sure this isn't very helpful making your decision but I thought I would share.

 

God Bless,

Elise in NC

:lol: Yup. We're blunt and move fast.

 

It really depends on where-as PPs have said, we are extremely diverse for such a tiny state. Get in the car and you can be in a totally different environment in no time at all.

 

I live in the northwest. We have lots of farms, tiny towns, galleries, farmers markets and lots of state parks to hike and bike in. I can walk around town and go carless. :D Did I mention lots of farmers? I can be at the beach or NYC in about 1.5 hours. Yet I battle deer in my garden and had a bear under my porch.

 

Taxes are high. Especially in places like Hunterdon. Housing costs have hit bottom and where I am, are starting to bounce along that bottom, but it depends on where you live. The house next to me sold in two weeks-but I live on a highly desirable street. (location, location, location!) Even still, that house sold for about 350, in what before the bubble would have been in the high 600s.

 

Dell is here. :001_smile:

 

Again, we're blunt. Just watch vids of our gov. And we do have the best delis. The bread? Swoonworthy.

 

Homeschooling? Just do it. That's it. If you were moving here, you wouldn't even have to send a letter to anyone. And not pumping gas is blissful!

Edited June 20, 2012 by justamouse

[kewb]

We have been in NJ for 14 years now. There are many things I love about the State. It has everything. Mountains, beaches, lakes, and the city. I live in Bergen County which is close to the city and well developed. It is cramped in places, loaded with traffic, and has high property taxes. On the flip side-whatever kind of food I want is within 20 minutes, I don't have to drive far to run errands of any kind, and I am close to the city. We love NYC and go in fairly frequently.

 

As for IT jobs, being close to the city gives more opportunity then some of the areas that are more rural. For years my dh was a consultant and he found it fairly easy to get consulting jobs in NJ and in the city. I know there are websites dedicated to IT and consulting in the area.

 

Salary and cost of living will depend on what area you settle in.

 

People-all kinds of people. Diversity abounds.

[Wheres Toto]

Born and raised there. Jersey girls, best in the world.

 

Anyway, alot would depend on what part of NJ - which I know, folks are probably rolling their eyes, but NJ can be totally different from one area to another....the outlying areas of Manhattan (bergen county, for instance) are incredibly different from the bucolic Hunterdon County and that is quite different from Atlantic County and Ocean County and Morris County and Middlesex County, oh, and suburban essex county and even parts of union county. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned cumberland county, Salem County or whatever county it is where Cherry Hill and Voorhees are.

 

I'm not being difficult or snarky, that's just the way it is.

 

One can live there and be in a suburb (for lack of a better word) of Manhattan, Philadelphia, or Newark (Delaware).

 

And, suffice to say, COL also depends on where you are (and of course it is relative regarding where you are now --).

 

I think it is an incredibly diverse state -- beaches, farms, close to the city, -- I am from suburban essex county we travel back to visit friends in morris county frequently - I always feel like I am 'home' when I am there.:)

 

:iagree:

 

 

:lol: Yup. We're blunt and move fast.

 

It really depends on where-as PPs have said, we are extremely diverse for such a tiny state. Get in the car and you can be in a totally different environment in no time at all.

 

I live in the northwest. We have lots of farms, tiny towns, galleries, farmers markets and lots of state parks to hike and bike in. I can walk around town and go carless. Did I mention lots of farmers? I can be at the beach or NYC in about 1.5 hours. Yet I battle deer in my garden and had a bear under my porch.

 

Taxes are high. Especially in places like Hunterdon. Housing costs have hit bottom and where I am, are starting to bounce along that bottom, but it depends on where you live. The house next to me sold in two weeks-but I live on a highly desirable street. (location, location, location!) Even still, that house sold for about 350, in what before the bubble would have been in the high 600s.

 

Dell is here.

 

Again, we're blunt. Just watch vids of our gov. And we do have the best delis. The bread? Swoonworthy.

 

Homeschooling? Just do it. That's it. If you were moving here, you wouldn't even have to send a letter to anyone. And not pumping gas is blissful!

 

:iagree:

 

We have been in NJ for 14 years now. There are many things I love about the State. It has everything. Mountains, beaches, lakes, and the city. I live in Bergen County which is close to the city and well developed. It is cramped in places, loaded with traffic, and has high property taxes. On the flip side-whatever kind of food I want is within 20 minutes, I don't have to drive far to run errands of any kind, and I am close to the city. We love NYC and go in fairly frequently.

 

As for IT jobs, being close to the city gives more opportunity then some of the areas that are more rural. For years my dh was a consultant and he found it fairly easy to get consulting jobs in NJ and in the city. I know there are websites dedicated to IT and consulting in the area.

 

Salary and cost of living will depend on what area you settle in.

 

People-all kinds of people. Diversity abounds.

 

:iagree:

 

I love living in NJ. I'm from north Jersey which is where we live now. We have farms right outside our neighborhood and it's nice and quiet but we can find any store we need within 10 miles.

 

Dh is from South Jersey on the shore side and things are more spread out there once you get away from Atlantic City but housing is also cheaper.

 

Extreme Northwest (Sussex County) and South Jersey tend to have the lower cost of living but jobs are also harder to come by. From just about anywhere in northern NJ you can hop a train that will take you right into Manhattan. Cost of living is high but salaries also tend to be better than other areas. Even my 18 year old has had no problem getting a job that pays over minimum wage (even when she was 16).

 

No pumping your own gas and our prices tend to be slightly lower than the rest of the country. No premium paid for not having to get out of your car. :D

 

Homeschooling is super easy and there are a ton of homeschool specific classes and activities. They just recently passed a law that homeschoolers can do sports in the local high school.

 

Very very diverse. Most groups are inclusive.

 

There was a thread recently on the Networking board about NJ.

[gingersmom]

They just recently passed a law that homeschoolers can do sports in the local high school.

 

 

Really?

 

My town just passed a law that homeschoolers cannot participate in high school sports.

[bzymom]

I am in Southern NJ. There are a lot of great people, beautiful beaches, access to Philadelphia and NYC quickly, and lots more.

 

BUT it is very expensive. Unreasonably so for most of us. Property taxes are outrageously high. Car insurance is the highest in the nation, and toll booths multiply like rabbits. Many of our schools have slashed programs and instituted pay-to-play policies, if you do have any in PS.

 

I don't mean to be discouraging. Do lots of research of the area you are seeking and be well-informed coming in. If there is something or someplace specific you need information about in my neck of the woods, feel free to PM me and I will answer if I can.

 

ETA: Reading the PP, I have to add that our town does not allow homeschoolers to participate in sports or other school programs. While they do not prohibit it, the policy is that they MAY choose to allow participants if there is room and it is not a financial burden on the school. I have never seen it happen. I know some other areas are more welcoming.

[justamouse]

Here's the Garden State Multiple Listing. You can get some ideas of where, and we'll be able to help you.

[kewb]

Really?

 

My town just passed a law that homeschoolers cannot participate in high school sports.

 

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/schooled_in_sports/2011/11/homeschooled_nj_students_can_now_play_public_high_school_sports.html

 

According to this, as long as your homeschooled student meets the requirements they are allowed to participate.

[Jeannie in NJ]

I'm from Texas but have lived in NJ for almost 30 years and I love it here. We live on a barrier island but are looking to move just offshore. We will get a better house for less money but there is a huge difference in property taxes. On the island we pay just under 4000 but offshore in less expensive houses the taxes range from 7000 to 12,000. Most of the jobs in this area are in the casinos,. Dh is a college professor in the Philly area and commuts 1 1/2 to 2 hours. On his college salary we are just barely making it each month. Our mortage is 2800 a month and we have baseboard electric heat which can be as high as $800 a month in the winter. Family offshore have gas and pay about 200 per month. We do have the beach and the boardwalk which is great. I love all the trees and green areas, lots of wildlife.

 

I love the people here. It is very diverse. My dc are Asian and there is a very large Asian community here. Lots of Italians here (dh 's family, most of our neighbors). Deli is great. We are having our kitchen remodeled and it is wonderful to just drive a couple of minutes ot either Wawa to get really good subs and soup or to Shoprite and get great sliced turkey, chicken, pre-made salads and the bread yum . also Jersey tomatoes.

 

Homeschooling is super easy, no paperwork at all

 

Wanted to add that at least in our area, neighbors know each other and get along. People walk a lot in their neighborhoods and stop and talk.

Edited June 20, 2012 by Jeannie in NJ
eta

[Wheres Toto]

ETA: Reading the PP, I have to add that our town does not allow homeschoolers to participate in sports or other school programs. While they do not prohibit it, the policy is that they MAY choose to allow participants if there is room and it is not a financial burden on the school. I have never seen it happen. I know some other areas are more welcoming.

 

I'm trying to find a link to the actual statute but can't. Dh has family that attends a school where they've allowed homeschoolers to play (Egg Harbor Township maybe?). The statute doesn't just apply to homeschoolers but also to private/parochial school kids whose school doesn't provide as many sports. There's been a lot of discussion about it in some of my groups and it seems that the schools who do pay-to-play are more likely to allow it (since parents are funding it anyway). It is left up to the discretion of the district.

[Cinder]

Dh and I worked in NJ (Trenton area) for a short time--6 months--so I don't know a whole lot about the state. But I agree with the expensive part. We ended up living in PA; apartment prices were nearly double in NJ. Rush hour traffic was insane on both sides of the river. And this was 25 years ago!

[Wheres Toto]

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/schooled_in_sports/2011/11/homeschooled_nj_students_can_now_play_public_high_school_sports.html

 

According to this, as long as your homeschooled student meets the requirements they are allowed to participate.

 

Wow, this makes it sound like its a guarantee if you meet the guidelines. That would be really cool. I thought it was more left up to the districts. I also didn't know we could do other extra curriculars. Of course, mine are a long way from high school but that's good to know.

[justamouse]

I've never been to NJ so I'd also like to know what people in NJ are like? (loaded question, I know :D but humor me :lol:) What about the weather? Do people who live there like it, for the most part?

 

What can you tell me about homeschooling in NJ?

 

Basically, anything you want to tell me about NJ would be great. :D :lol:

 

In my enthusiasm to sell my state, I forgot to answer these!

 

We have 4 distinct seasons. Frozen, mud, rain, and humid. :D It is Currier and Ives, like. Autumn is brilliant with color, crisp air and apple picking, and just all around wonderful. Winter you'll be sledding and iceskating and you might want to invest in a snowblower. Spring is mud. Pretty, but muddy :001_smile: start planning your garden in January. Summer is hot. We're at 94 today, and we're going to be spending it in the pool.

 

I love it here. I live in a town that is utterly Mayberry like. The kids play all the time, gaggles of them running back and forth between houses. And they are *nice* kids. Kids I've always wanted for friends for my own children.

 

My neighbors are amazing. One of them is a published writer whose husband was a Nebula award winner. She and I talk garden all the time, and share whatever we have too much of. She's one of the smartest, most amazing people I've every had the pleasure to know. Across the street from me are a the town lawyers, whose daughter is the cantor at our church and the music teacher at the school. It's a real community, here.

 

The businesses fund a summer concert series on the green, so on Friday nights you can go listen to lots of different bands.

 

People sit out on their porches, and chat to everyone. People walk dogs, and run here, pause and chat. I can walk to the PO, church, Main Street. We have the most adorable parades ever.

 

In 5 minutes you can be hiking on state trails that will take you out to the Statue of Liberty, you can be in an adorable antiquing town full of the cutest shops (Main street has great antiques, too). You can be on state lakes kayaking and fishing, or playing on the lake beaches.

 

I find there's a lot of arts in NJ. We are loaded with artists and art shows. Plays, concerts. There's another town close by that also has a historic theater that they hold concerts in, and I swear our theater and theirs is in a great tug o war for best show. :D Then, for the big stuff, you can skip to NYC in an hour and a half and go to the Met, Guggenheim, Bronx Zoo (though I truly believe the Cape May zoo is better), the Turtleback Zoo, and there are endless formal gardens that are open to the public. I've heard our beaches are better than CAs. I've spent years and years vacationing there, and they're amazing. Tidepools full of awesome stuff, gorgeous lighthouses. Though if you move here, you have to call it the Shore.

 

I never realize how much I love my state until someone asks. :D

Edited June 20, 2012 by justamouse

[gingersmom]

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/schooled_in_sports/2011/11/homeschooled_nj_students_can_now_play_public_high_school_sports.html

 

According to this, as long as your homeschooled student meets the requirements they are allowed to participate.

 

This what my town had to say-

 

School Board members discussed changes to the athletics policy on Monday night, making it clear that athletes who don't attend schools cannot participate in school sports, a rule that would keep home-schooled students from getting to play.

 

The change in wording evolved out of changes to policies around the state and the country – in some communities home-schooled students are allowed to play sports for school teams and in other communities they are not, said Board Member Sam Levy, who heads the board’s policy committee.

 

The rule allowing home schooled children to play school sports is sometimes referred to as the “Tim Tebow Rule†because Tebow was homeschooled and played high school sports in his Florida hometown before going on play in college and the NFL, he said.

 

(insert name of my town) does not allow home-schooled students to pick up a chemistry or calculus class so some board members said it is only fair that they not be allowed to play sports either.

[nono]

Oh, and there's an unwritten requirement that we all must go to FL once a year, regardless of age.

 

:)

 

I live in the diagonal opposite to justamouse. Our seasons are hot & humid, windy & wet, bitter cold & frozen. This is the first year in several that we had a bona-fide spring. The upside of having a spring when we get one is there's no mud season here. Sandbar = no mud!!!!!!!

 

And, we're the only state that's hosting Kenny Chesney on the beach and not in a major arena. :lol: (May G*d help us all).

[MIch elle]

I :( First of all, the offer would only be part time for now (with potential to go full time after a year). We would be leaving a very comfortable situation to take a big risk- this is both exciting and scary for us as you can well imagine.

 

Next, the job is in NJ. :willy_nilly: That's pretty far from where we are now. :w00t: I'm freaked out at the possibility of leaving my current life and go so far away when we've never lived there before. We are already a 6-8 hour drive away from both sets of our parents... however, this would put us at a 24 hour drive (or cross country flight with lots of kids) from family.

 

?

 

Basically, anything you want to tell me about NJ would be great. :D :lol:

 

Given your 2 reasons, I wouldn't do it because it's a "part-time job" and "leaving my current life...put us at a 24 hour drive from family."

 

The COL and taxes in NJ are VERY high. The traffic is TERRIBLE on the NJ TP (95)!

[Jeannie in NJ]

Nono you got that right about going to Florida every year. We go to Disney around Christmas time each year and standing in line for bus, boat, etc we always meet people from NJ. Last time on the monorail we met a family from Egg Harbor Township. It seems like in Disney, whenever a person from Nj hears a stranger with a NJ accent, they become instant friends and start talking a mile a minute (since I moved to NJ, my family in Texas says that I talk way TOO fast).

[kewb]

This what my town had to say-

 

School Board members discussed changes to the athletics policy on Monday night, making it clear that athletes who don't attend schools cannot participate in school sports, a rule that would keep home-schooled students from getting to play.

 

The change in wording evolved out of changes to policies around the state and the country – in some communities home-schooled students are allowed to play sports for school teams and in other communities they are not, said Board Member Sam Levy, who heads the board’s policy committee.

 

The rule allowing home schooled children to play school sports is sometimes referred to as the “Tim Tebow Rule†because Tebow was homeschooled and played high school sports in his Florida hometown before going on play in college and the NFL, he said.

 

(insert name of my town) does not allow home-schooled students to pick up a chemistry or calculus class so some board members said it is only fair that they not be allowed to play sports either.

 

I am in touch with the athletic coach at my town high school. It seems I am the first person to inquire. He is researching it.

[plain jane]

I've never been to NJ either, but I know some great people there.:D Besides that I hear the beaches are good.

 

:w00t: Ack! You're right!!! :thumbup: Goodness, how did I not think of that. :tongue_smilie: Been. too. busy. lately. :willy_nilly:

 

Wow. that was a lot of smileys. :001_huh:

[plain jane]

Thank you all- you guys are awesome!!

 

I was out all morning and never got a chance to read my thread & there's a whole bunch of responses with TONS of info.

 

Thank you so much!!!

 

Not sure if this move will pan out for us :001_unsure: but y'all will be the first to know if it does. :D

[Karenciavo]

We love WTMer's in NJ. The more the merrier. :cheers2:

[amyable]

...Then, for the big stuff, you can skip to NYC in an hour and a half and go to the Met, Guggenheim, Bronx Zoo (though I truly believe the Cape May zoo is better), the Turtleback Zoo, and there are endless formal gardens that are open to the public. I've heard our beaches are better than CAs. I've spent years and years vacationing there, and they're amazing. Tidepools full of awesome stuff, gorgeous lighthouses. Though if you move here, you have to call it the Shore.

 

I never realize how much I love my state until someone asks. :D

 

You're making me homesick...the Turtleback Zoo! *sniff*

 

(although if we ever move back to NJ I want to live in your town...the one I grew up in isn't so nice :tongue_smilie: )

[Carrie12345]

 

I never realize how much I love my state until someone asks. :D

 

I'm homesick every day. :(

 

Well, not for my hometown, specifically. But for the overall lifestyle. 7 years, and I still don't consider myself a Pennsylvanian. Heck, I cross the border to birth my kids! :tongue_smilie:

[MariannNOVA]

You're making me homesick...the Turtleback Zoo! *sniff*

 

(although if we ever move back to NJ I want to live in your town...the one I grew up in isn't so nice :tongue_smilie: )

 

Turtleback Zoo -- OMG! What memories!!!!! The train that went around the zoo!!!! We went to a swim club very near to turtleback zoo.:)

[justamouse]

You're making me homesick...the Turtleback Zoo! *sniff*

 

(although if we ever move back to NJ I want to live in your town...the one I grew up in isn't so nice :tongue_smilie: )

 

I'm homesick every day. :(

 

Well, not for my hometown, specifically. But for the overall lifestyle. 7 years, and I still don't consider myself a Pennsylvanian. Heck, I cross the border to birth my kids! :tongue_smilie:

 

:grouphug:

[Wheres Toto]

Turtleback Zoo -- OMG! What memories!!!!! The train that went around the zoo!!!! We went to a swim club very near to turtleback zoo.:)

 

I was a docent at TBZ for 10 years which included my dd's birth until she was 8. I was president and recording secretary of the docents and taught classes so was very involved. I miss it so much. It's only about 45 minutes from home but I don't go nearly enough. It's so different these days. New, bigger, more natural exhibits, a carousel. But the train is still the same. :D