R. Lawrence

Hoboken, NJ

The eminently walkable and relatively parkable (compared to Manhattan) Mile Square Town allows you to live an urban / suburban double life, shopping and getting all your needs met in town without getting in the car, or getting in the car to hit the supermarkets and big box stores nearby (or the Japanese Mall!)

Ethnic outposts that survived gentrification such as El Flamboyan Restaurant - great Spanish Caribbean food, and the old Italian groceries and bakeries still hanging on too

Beautiful downtown Garden St

Living next to the Hudson River but just a short train ride from lower Manhattan

Maxwell's

The conservative nature of our gentrification, heavily driven by Wall Street and also with a suburban character - I envy the more liberal urbane Park Slope or exponentially artsier Williamsburg and Greenpoint

Incredibly high rents and condo prices

The flooding and companion sewage stench (especially downtown west side, where we live)

Baby stroller phalanxes

The Cake Boss line (for Carlo's Bakery - which was nothing special at all until the television show)