When you grew up in Florida and have parents who grew up in New York, you always wonder what led to the decision of moving between two polar opposite states. I always wondered what it was like living in New York. I have never been able to visit New York, but earlier this month, I went to visit my grandfather in New Jersey. I realized what a big change it was for me for the two weeks I was there. In this article I will be comparing how different the Sunshine State is from the Garden State.
Weather
Florida is exactly 6923.43 miles away from the equator, making it have a tropical climate. In contrast, New Jersey is way up north and far from the equator making it have a colder climate. Florida has winter and summer as its only seasons. However, New Jersey has all four seasons, including spring, summer, fall and winter.
According to the Weather Tips Guide website, it has to be 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower to snow. The coldest temperature recorded in Florida was -2 degrees in Tallahassee, FL in the year of 1899. Since then, the temperature has only reached a solid but breezy 58 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other hand, New Jersey’s coldest temperature has been -34 degrees Fahrenheit.
In Florida, you can go to the pool and beach in cold weather and you definitely don’t need long johns and fur coats. In New Jersey, you need multiple layers of long johns and fur coats to stay warm.
Living
Living in New Jersey is much different than living in Florida. The Garden State’s cities, such as Patterson, have three-story houses due to the 145,871 people inhabiting the small 9 miles of the city. That is 16,207 people per mile. This, if you didn’t know, is very crowded. That is where the multi-family houses come in. On each floor, a maximum of 4 people can live. In other parts of New Jersey, people live in condos or apartments. One and two-story houses are common in Florida and well-liked. Even though the Sunshine State is a popular tourist state, it’s not so crowded. Houses are less expensive making the overall population happier.
Taxes
The average tax rate in Florida is 6.8% according to smartasset.com, while in New Jersey, the taxes can be up to 10.5%. However, in New Jersey, some merchandise such clothing, drug prescriptions and jewelry don’t require paying taxes. For example, if you go to the Nike Store and buy yourself a pair of shoes that cost $125.99, the price will be $125.99. If you pay $126.00 they will give you back your penny.
Safety Issues
Florida is a very peaceful state, but in some places you need to be careful. For example, certain urban areas have been known to have a high crime rate.
New Jersey and New York are very busy states. The people in New Jersey are different from here in the Sunshine State. In general, you should not stare at people because they will get offended. However, this level of offensiveness increases a lot for people in New Jersey. As a rule of thumb, when you walk on a street you should keep your head down. When you’re shopping, you need to be quick so people don’t mug, or steal, your property.
In Florida, when the driver lets a pedestrian pass, the person says thank you. Not in New Jersey, people look straight ahead and continue on with their lives. There is no playing around and many retailers are aware of that and do their best to protect themselves. For instance, I was looking for a PVC pipe, so I went to the local hardware store. The cashier was wearing a gun holster in case anyone stole from them. The local hair salon had an alarm where you had to ring a bell to come in. If the owner or supervisor thought that you looked suspicious they wouldn’t let you in.
New Jersey is very serious about safety due to its crime rate of 160,066 total incidents since 2016. According to CityRating.com, the highest crime in New Jersey is mainly property crime, larceny, and theft. Larceny and theft mainly go together because it is when an anonymous person takes something that does not belong to them. Property crime is when a person tries to ruin the image of an object or a property, for example, vandalizing a public bathroom or setting on fire a building.
Conclusion
Leaving New Jersey and coming to Florida or entering New Jersey and leaving Florida is a big change for anyone. If you are moving or planning on visiting any of these states, please keep in mind that they aren’t the same. However, it’s not all bad. New places bring new adventures and experience that anyone could eventually need throughout life.
Sources:
https://www.distancefromto.net/between/Florida/Equator
https://weather.thefuntimesguide.com/temperature-for-snow
http://www.coolweather.net/statetemperature/florida_temperature.htm
http://coolweather.net/statetemperature/newjersey_temperature.htm
https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/this-is-the-average-home-size-in-every-state-53461
https://www.salestaxhandbook.com/new-jersey/sales-tax-taxability
https://www.cityrating.com/crime-statistics/new-jersey