Columbus Was an Immigrant!

East Hanover, as I discovered, has the region’s largest Columbus Day Parade & celebration, which I attended today, along with my 4 year old, who is a SUCKER for a marching band (when asked what he wants to be when he grows up, his standard answer is “bagpiper, because they march in parades”).  As I was returning to the shady spot I had staked out along the massive parade route from the port-o-potties (yes, this parade is big enough to have port-a-john stations…), I crossed the parking lot where a wide array of vintage and muscle car collectors were displaying their vehicles.  One gentleman in a gorgeous, baby blue 1956 Cadillac was pulling into the lot, and arguing about the spot he had been directed to.  “I don’t want to be with all them damn foreign cars, I wanna be there next to the American cars!  It’s Columbus Day and this car is American!”  There may have been an epithet or two as well, but who needs to share that, right?

I found myself really perplexed by the comment, which seemed to be somewhat paradoxical…or at least going against the grain of the very holiday itself.  This is the commemoration of the day that Christopher Columbus (an Italian), sailing for Spain, landed in the New World, and specifically, the Bahamas.  The Italian immigrants that came to this country in the mid-19^th century were seen for generations to come as foreigners themselves, fighting for homes, jobs and the right to worship God as Catholics.  Columbus Day is a symbol of that struggle, a celebration of Italian heritage and the collective strength of a people who came as “Italians” and remained as “Americans.”  I found the man’s comment shocking because I just couldn’t comprehend the idea that being co-opted into the American melting pot gives license to any man to separate himself from anyone else who also seeks that privilege and right.  I imagine that he may have been a proponent of “buying American,” but the “foreign” car he was referring to was a Japanese brand, undoubtedly now built in a US plant.   

As part of the Asian immigration wave that began after 1965, and myself being foreign-born, this comment cuts me to the core.  Because I am like that Japanese car – I am a real estate agent, a home owner and a tax payer.  I’m a member of the PTA, attended Sunday school, vacation at Disney World and VOTE my heart every time.  Maybe I’m not Italian, but my husband is, and my son carries proudly his father’s name and MINE…”Chu-Ricci.”  I guess my perspective is that I am just as thankful to Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella of Spain for finding the Americas, setting into the play the events that lead to my American life.  Columbus Day, to me, is not just for Italian Americans, but for all immigrants, especially those that have the honor of calling themselves American, by birth or by naturalization.  And some grumpy old guy in a classic car can never take that away.

Columbus Day is essentially a patriotic holiday much in the vein of the 4^th of July, only without the fireworks or sheet cake with strawberry stripes and blueberry stars.  However, as far as patriotic holidays go, this one always seems flooded by politicians with their shiny teeth and lacquered hair, waving from vintage American cars – an image that brings to the surface a sense of nostalgia, of a time when things were better and life was easier and honest work was all a man expected out of life.  Perhaps it’s because Columbus Day is so close to November elections…the flesh-pressers just can’t pass up the chance to campaign.  This tinges the holiday for me…an underlying, subtle sense of discontent that follows politicians around like a lingering odor…”vote for me…I’ll make you rich…I’ll keep you safe…let’s take back America…”  From who?  From your neighborhood Vietnamese shop owner?  From the Greek family who runs the diner on Valley and Main?  From the ex-pat Brits who moved down the street 5 years ago when he was transferred by his company?  From the guy who owns the garage in town who you can’t tell where the heck he’s from because you’ve never heard a name like his before and he looks like he could be any number of things?  Why can’t this holiday just be about loving this country, no matter who you are?

And to the gentleman in the Caddy – remember, it’s only been about 6 decades since the end of WWII, and discrimination against Italians began to decline.  That’s not that long ago – it certainly isn’t long enough ago to forget what it means to be an immigrant in America. 

My Holiday Events List with Kids

So, every year when the holidays roll around, I get this panicked feeling - school lets out, and I have a crazed, house-bound toddler who rips apart my entire house because he can't wait for Christmas.  So to kill two birds with one stone, I plan a series of local (and not so local) holiday events that I can slowly dole out to him starting the first weekend of December and going thru the new year.  Here is a cross sample of the events, in case you need some ideas of what to do with your kids before they go stir crazy (by the way, I have included events in nearby by NYC and PA - things that a 2-5 year old can withstand, so no stage shows or anything):

DICKENS VILLAGE - Maplewood village center - Dec. 12^th & 19th - 1-4pm - wagon ride, book readings, reindeer, petting zoo & holiday songs (my kid loves the tiny houses)

DYKER Lights in Brooklyn - best Mid-Dec. to New Years, 7-9pm (weekends best viewing) - located 11^th-13^th Ave to 83^rd-86^th St - some of the best (gaudiest) light displays  - these folks hire designers, seriously!

NYC HOLIDAY WINDOW/LIGHT/TREE TOUR - Dec. thru New Years - Macy's, Lord & Taylor, Rockerfeller Center, Saks, Bergdorf, Barney's Bloomies, Lincoln Center Tree & Park Avenue (bewteen 48^th-97^th Streets)

TURTLEBACK ZOO Holiday Festival of Lights in West Orange - Dec. 5^th thru Jan. 2^nd - 5-9pm - w/ train & carousel - Adults: $7/Children: $3 - 973-731-5800

HOLIDAY LIGHT SHOW - Schaefer Farms - 1051 Route 523, Flemington, NJ - 908-782-2705 - Thanksgiving to New Years (Mon-Fri 5:30-9pm / Sat-Sun 5:30-10pm) - $12/car (Santa visits 6-8pm on 12/11, 12/12, 12/18, 12/19)

GINGERBREAD CONTEST - Essex County Enviromental Center - 621B Eagle Rock Avenue, Roseland - 973-228-8776 - Dec. 1^st-18^th  (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm / Sat 10am-2pm) - Awards Sat. Dec. 19^th at 9:30am

GINGERBREAD WONDERLAND at FRELINGHUYSEN ARBORETUM - 53 East Hanover Avenue, Morristown/Whippany - 973-326-7601 -  Dec 5^th- 13^th    (10:00a-5:00p daily, Friday until 8:00p) - Arboretum & Haggerty Education Center open 9am-dusk

AMERICA ON WHEELS - 5 North Front Street, Allentown, PA - 610-432-4200 (closed select holidays) - Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm - Adults $7, under 5 free (tix by 4pm) - OKAY, SO THIS ISN'T REALLY A HOLIDAY EVENT, BUT MY SON IS OBSSESSED WITH CARS!  ISN'T YOURS?

KOZIER CHRISTMAS VILLAGE - 782 Christmas Village Road, Bernville, PA - 610-488-1110 - Dec. 1st-Jan. 3^rd - Mon-Fri 6-9pm, Sat-Sun 5-9:30pm - Adults $8, under 5 free (6-9 on holiday & eves)

CAMDEN AQUARIUM FISHMAS - 1 Riverside Dr., Camden - 856-365-3300 - Nov. 27^th-Jan. 3^rd - 9:30am-5pm, Adults $19.95, Children (2-12) $15.95 - Santa scuba dives, mascot dance party, Polar Express 4D ride, Rudolph

GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL in NYC - 42^nd bet. Vanderbilt & Lexington - Light show - 11/30 - 1/11 - Main Terminal - 11am-9pm, every half hour on the half hour & Holiday Train Show- 11/25-1/16 - shuttle passage next to station manager's office, Mon-Fri 8am-8pm; Sat-Sun 10am-6pm - 718-694-1600

CAMDEN CHILDRENS GARDEN Holiday Festival of Lights - 3 Riverside Drive, Camden - 856-365-8733 - Fri. & Sat. 12/11, 12/12, 12/18, 12/19, 12/26, 1/2 - 5:30pm-8pm all Dec. - $6 Adults, $5 ($4 extra for festival of lights) - 4.5 acres along waterfront, 100K lights, Santa, 3Kings, Day, butterfly house, rides, Santa

MONMOUTH MUSEUM @ Brookdale Community College - 765 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ 07738 - 732-747-2266, $7/person or $8 (includes planetarium show) - Tues-Sat. 10am-4:30pm, Sun. 1-5pm (Planetarium Tues-Fri @ 4pm, Sat/Sun @ 1:30pm & 3pm (always call for availability of Wonder Wing & Becker Gallery), model railroad & tree display, Sundays best.

And of course, evey town pretty much has its own First Night Celebration for New Years - check your local town website for details - how much, when and where....

Please note that these were times and prices for 2009 (haven't seen anyone publish their 2010 schedules yet, so please check for new schedules and details before you head out.  Enjoy the holidays in 2010!

Tracking the Condo/Townhouse Market in Essex County, NJ

National news headlines have been the bane of my existence for months.  Housing market headlines in particular.  Worst housing market in decades...lowest prices in years...foreclosures skyrocketing....and yes, while the national market is suffering, I think it's a good idea to look closely at the statistics behind our local, regional market - just a quick nugget of information that may help clarify the housing market in your town, and how that effects you and your home sale or purchase.   *What?  Did you think the blog was only going to be funny stuff about my kid and my misadventures as a new mom?*  Well, sure but I also sell a lot of real estate, and I'm trying to help my clients and potential future clients to do what is best in this volatile market!  Today, I am focusing on condos/townhouses, and in towns where my clients tend to search, which is most of Essex County.

Multiple Listing Services tracks all homes sold, so a search of all condos/townhouses/co-ops in the area resulted in something quite revealing.  From May to August of 2008, which was the high market of last year, condos listed averaged 90 days on market, and sold for an average of 4% under list price - and in a town like Montclair that has a thriving condo market, homes were maintaining and average of 97.5% of list price, which means a unit listed for $350k was still selling for roughly 341,250.  Check out the chart below for more specifics:

Essex County Statistics (includes: Montclair, Glen Ridge, Bloomfield, the Caldwells, Livingston, Verona, South Orange, Maplewood, Nutley,  Roseland, Cedar Grove, West Orange & Millburn):

Under Contract Date	End of 2007	Jan-Apr 2008	May-Aug 2008	Sep 2008-Jan 2009
Days on Market	103	95	90	96
Sold at % of List Price	98.3%	96.3%	96.1%	94.6%

Specific Towns from May-August 2008:

TOWN	Avg List $	Avg Sold $	Sold at % of List Price	Days on Market
Livingston	696857	671921	96.4%	97
Montclair	403725	392431	97.2%	92
The Caldwells	276694	264845	95.7%	111
Bloomfield	322327	311245	96.6%	169
West Orange	428477	415337	97%	69
South Orange	706870	663191	93.8%	95
Nutley	364817	353810	97%	93
Maplewood	207240	202590	97.8%	70
Roseland	629300	606666	96.4%	67
Verona	272720	256800	94.2%	71
Millburn	219092	213907	97.6%	82
Glen Ridge	180950	172375	95.3%	42
Cedar Grove	509674	485000	95.2%	45

 
Specific Towns from September 2008-January 2009:

TOWN	Avg List $	Avg Sold $	Sold at % of List Price	Days on Market
Livingston	577518	553381	95.8%	89
Montclair	327350	311875	95.2%	55
The Caldwells	276200	257333	93.2%	86
Bloomfield	238433	222733	93.4%	74
West Orange	411322	388823	94.5%	104
South Orange	425100	403428	95%	73
Nutley	320364	305785	95.4%	112
Maplewood	287980	242800	84.3%	141
Roseland	476750	464250	97.4%	105
Verona	240860	229600	95.3%	81
Millburn	349000	320000	92%	148
Glen Ridge	210500	195333	92.8%	150
Cedar Grove	462500	447000	96.6%	97

Now, for some of these towns, such as Glen Ridge, Cedar Grove, Millburn, Maplewood...there aren't a lot of community living properties in general, so numbers are based on a smaller number of statistics, while Nutley, Montclair and West Orange have the most units available.  Bargain hunters, note, folks just aren't selling their homes for 15% under list, or even 10% under list.  So, congratulations if you luck into a great deal on a home, but for most of us, proximity to the city and town atmosphere have kept the prices buoyant in much of the county, so you have to decide for yourself..."How much is THIS home worth to YOU?"

STOP PULLING YOUR HAIR OUT ON SNOW DAYS

This Wednesday morning brings sad tidings to parents across the state as inclement weather cancels school and delays openings, including a noon opening for my own office here at REMAX in Upper Montclair.  Trapped at home yet ANOTHER winter day with my 2 year old - I find myself shaking a fist at the weather gods, who seem determined to force me to play monster trucks and watch the Owen Wilson CARS movie for the 298th time - which I have decided is just one time too many.  So I look around for things to do with my toddler that will both occupy his attention and mine, run him out so that napping is achieved without complaint and will reduce winter cabin-fever...now up to 50%!

If you live in a town in north NJ, like here in Essex County, chances are the industrious plow-heros were out clearing the roads well before sunrise, so major roads and arteries are safe to drive on.  I've put together a list of things I do with my son on snowy cold days, rainy days...or even just days when we just don't want to be outdoors due to extreme cold or heat:

On snow days, my son, Declan, and I often frequent indoor playground areas, such as the Kidgits play area at the Livingston Mall downstairs next to the Sears.  Plus for $5 a year, a child can join the Simon Kidgits Club - they get a shirt, b-day gift and invitations to various mall events through out the year, as well as mall discounts.  A second mall option for the indoor playground is for when I am feeling a little more ambitious - at the Jersey Gardens Mall in Elizabeth, which has a small playground area, as well as a JEEPERS!, which is a little indoor amusement park with kid size rides and giant climbing structure that my son is not yet strong enough or coordinated for (just try telling HIM that...).  Better for older kids because there are height restrictions, so give them a call at 908-289-9454 to make sure it's right for your family - plus, the rides do cost money, but we can usually while away part of an afternoon on $10 or less.  Since Declan is fairly tall and enjoys taunting gravity, so this is one of his favorite indoor play areas - he wears bruises with great pleasure, and likes to point them out with giggly excitement to teachers, other parents, just about anyone with adult authority, so he loves the climbing cage.  Lastly, sometimes, when times become desperate and I need to keep the peace at all costs, I will make the occasion McDonald's run, and the one off the Garden State Parkway in Bloomfield has a very large, fairly clean and well-maintained children's play area that keeps my son busy long after the french fries have gotten cold and hard - if you need directions, call 973-338-4641 - I usually take the back roads, from Broad Street, to James to East Passaic Ave, rather than the GSP entrance, depending on where I am coming from.

One fantastic option is bringing your child to a drop in class at The Magic Acorn, a Waldorf-inspired classroom experience, located at 174 S. Valley Rd. West Orange at the Ridgeview Community Church, Meeker St. entrance, up the stairs.  This is a nurturing enviroment where parent and child get to participate in creative free play and work on projects that emphasize the natural world. On Wednesdays from 9:30am to 2pm this winter, Amy Heneghan (a truly awesome lady) bakes fresh bread and steeps tea for the class, which has a suggested donation of $15 per adult/child pair, with $5 per additional child - I would suggest letting her know in advance when you want to drop in, as space can be limited - 973-945-8424.  Regular weekly classes are also available, where child and parent participate in creative play, song and movement circle-time, poems and storytelling, yummy fresh snacks and interactive storytelling through tabletop puppetry.  Check out www.themagicacorn.com for more information.

Okay, please don't judge me on this one, but occasionally, my son will ask to "look at the puppies," so I take him to the Shake-a-Paw in Union - it's a puppy store at 2195 Rt. 22 West in Union, and I know, I know, it's probably the purveyor of a huge number of puppy mill victims and while I would never encourage you to purchase a pet there (email me if you want to know more about pet adoption in the area), that place has provided hours of entertainment for my son, as well as has been helpful in introducing him to dogs in a safe and controlled enviroment, which I find helpful in dealing with any discomfort or fear he may have had of dogs.  I think if you are also eventually looking for a dog for your family, it's a great first exposure.

Okay, time for lunch - afterwards, I think we'll head out to make some frightfully misshapen snow people (come on, he's two...he hands can barely form balls with snow).  Sometimes, a snow day just begs to be a day in the snow...

LOSING MY "MOVING FROM THE CITY" BLUES

So a client and good friend confesses to me last week that after being in NJ for two years, he is finally getting used to it and feeling more positive and upbeat.  He, like most of us in Montclair, Glen Ridge, Maplewood/South Orange, and other Essex County towns are NYC transplants - those who discovered that trying to fit ourselves and children into our 800 square foot 2 bedroom apartments in Brooklyn was cruel, both to them and us!  So we look west to the Garden State, and discover that the American Dream is available in dutch colonial form on lots of 60x150, and if you are lucky, a family room on the first floor...and oh, those hardwood floors...gotta love that!

My husband dragged me kicking and screaming out here several years ago - after dealing with arbitrary fits of "subway rage" on the 1 train, and having a moment where I "outcrazied a crazy" on the streets, Raf decided he had had enough, and that it was time to find some space and to feel some grass under our toes before I ended up on NY1 as a tragically amusing headline story.  We made the move out to Maplewood, NJ, to Plymouth Avenue, a street that some might objectively call "the NICEST street in the world."  You may think I am exaggerating for effect, but really only slightly - on the day our two 24-ft trucks pulled up to the house, neighbors emerged from picturesque red doors and from behind trim rows of evergreen hedges to welcome us with smiles, stories and a variety of nut-free, glutenless confections.  It was overwhelming - we couldn't understand why they were being so NICE.  What did they want from us?  Was this a cult?  Some more crunchy version of the Stepfords?  I was intrigued, but wary.

Fall rolled into winter, and 3 months of bitter cold and snow kept most people indoors, and I fell prey to the winter glumness that many feel seasonally.  I spent my days working long hours, trapped indoors during the precious daylight hours, and trudging through the filthy winter streets of NY, where I was still working at Bellevue Hospital (yeah, that's a cheerful place).  I started to feel isolated from my friends, most of whom were still in the city.  I missed Central Park and the zoo, Ollie's Noodle House, the Museum of Natural History and the bustle of the theatres in Times Square.  I was depressed enough that I began to look at apartments in NYC again - thinking maybe we needed a little city studio for all those nights I would work late and need to meet friends and colleagues for dinner or drinks...or what about that romantic weekend in the city we could have once a month, rigtht?  huh?  sound good?  I was planning my grand return to urban fabulousness, much to my husband's chagrin.  He made me a wager - if I still felt this way after 1 whole year, we would consider moving back to the city.  I knew this was a bet that I would win...after all, I never lose.
Well, it's a bet I lost. 

One early spring afternoon, I looked out my window and saw something for the first time....new sun that is indescribably bright - perhaps because your eyes had grown accustomed to the greyness of winter.  Kids rode their bikes in the street and cars drove slowly past and waved.  Neighbors emerged from their houses, magically pregnant and with new haricuts to herald the arrival of spring!  It turns out the park across the street was a weekend magnet for little league games and spontaenous local soccer matches, with a tennis court to boot for all to use (well, I only used it once - let's not get into my ankle-twisting clumsiness on the court...ahem).  It took a little bit for us to let our guards down, but by the time they asked me to tag along for a dinner trip to Bunny's Pizzeria in South Orange with a group of families on the block, I was hooked.  These people were friendly, and I wanted more.

Getting involved with the neighborhood association, getting involved in the Preschool at Sharey Tefilo and even joining the public library are all things that have helped me to find my roots in this community.  I've made wonderful new friends and am looking forward to a post-holiday regifting potluck next weekend - there'll be lots of new people to meet there, and I can't wait to pawn off this really silly electronic gadget that we got from a cheap uncle who seems to think I am a teeage boy (I am sure one of the dads will love it).  So now I enjoy the Turtleback Zoo in West Orange and get my noodle soup at Cafe 88 in Livingston.  I get my culture from the Newark Museum and Montclair Art Museum, and music or theatre I want, I get from the South Orange Performing Arts Center or the Papermill Playhouse in Millburn.  I can't wait for my son to play Little League, and moms night out at Diva Lounge in Montclair in February is on my calendar...woo hoo, bring on the multi-coloured girly drinks!  Oh, and Central Park?  Who needs Central Park when I can swing from a hammock under the giant, ancient maple trees in my backyard?  My husband was right...I just had to give it a chance...

PS - we got rid of the studio.