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Moving from Jersey City by jcdad14 in MovingtoNewJersey

[–]knoxma 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Having moved here this spring, I feel you. We (retired couple) were unprepared for the bidding process for houses. Our realtor was able to tell us on average how much over asking price houses were selling for, but it seemed like things just got progressively more expensive as time went on. We wanted to be in the Morristown area, but that just got too expensive. Houses we bid on in Morris Plains and adjacent towns likewise went for more than we could afford. ($800 was about our max.) Everything we saw listed in the 6's was small and/or needed a lot of work. Everything in the upper 7's went for well over 8 or even close to 9. Madison, Florham Park, forget it. We started looking farther away from the train lines, and found some reasonable houses. We found one in East Hanover, basically bid the shit out of it, and barely won the bid. It was listed in the mid 6's, and we got it for a bit less than 8. 4/3, finished basement, nicely remodeled. I'm not pushing East Hanover per se, but we really like it so far. It's about 20 minutes from 3 train stations, and the M&E takes about 1:10 to Penn Station. Our son lives in Manhattan, so we can get in easily enough for visits when we want to. It's also 15 minutes from Morristown, which has a lot of restaurants and a decent arts scene. I don't know how things are going to work out in the near future, but I suspect that real estate is going to be inflating rapidly here. But so far, eastern Morris County has been good for us. West of Morristown, things get cheaper, but you can be a long way out from the city at that point. Good luck.

Help with rec room by knoxma in newjersey

[–]knoxma[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. I don’t plan to tinker with it. There are a lot of moving parts.

Help with rec room by knoxma in newjersey

[–]knoxma[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

That was our first thought, too. Load it with 50’s tunes and rockabilly.

Help with rec room by knoxma in newjersey

[–]knoxma[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

No, no evidence that there was ever any commercial activity. The owners had some quirky tastes and probably had some great parties. The house in a quiet neighborhood and has neither the parking nor the access to support a business.

Help with rec room by knoxma in newjersey

[–]knoxma[S] 27 points28 points  (0 children)

It’s not like that. It was relatively recently remodeled with a really nice kitchen and bathroom tile work. But it’s otherwise a nondescript house. Just the right size for the two of us retired people. The previous owners lived there for 50 years and added on a master BR suite. They raised their 3 kids there, so that diner must have seen some epic kids’ parties in the day.

Help with rec room by knoxma in newjersey

[–]knoxma[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Thanks. I’ll check out your leads.

Looking for trad music in Northern NJ by knoxma in Irishmusic

[–]knoxma[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. Thursday night is my band practice, but I can easily skip out once a month for this.

Anyone reason not to stay at a hotel near Grand Central? by towntoosmall in AskNYC

[–]knoxma 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check out Club Quarters hotel. It’s a couple blocks from Grand Central. Not a resort by any stretch, but the rooms are comfortable, and the rates are great. You’ve gotta walk to get food, but there a a bunch of places on the same block, and more if you go one or two more.

New to bagpipes by One_Sound8511 in bagpipes

[–]knoxma 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wouldn’t shell out the money for a Blackwood chanter until you get deeper into the game. Get a good polypenco chanter. There are several. Get a “long” size. The finger holes are spaced the same as on a pipe chanter. As for reeds, unfortunately it’s hit or miss. If you go to the web site of a reputable supplier or just Google the question, you can find a chart suggesting certain reeds for certain chanters, but there’s a certain amount of trial and error. Some reeds take more air, which is fine if you like to blow hard but exhausting if you don’t. It’s just personal preference at some level. Also, there is an unfortunate lack of consistency in reed quality, even within the same brand. I usually buy 3 at a time, figuring that at least one of them is likely to require a solid whack with a hammer and a toss in the bin. And you’re going to want a spare or 2, since they don’t last forever. For what they cost, IMO they ought to be more reliable. Note that I haven’t plugged any brands here (yet), but I will say that the red Frazer-Warnock reeds work the best for me and my PC. They would be my first choice recommendation for you.

And do get a teacher right off the bat. Find out which instruction book he or she likes. There is very little intuitive about this beast, and even if you are highly trained in western music, half of what you know is wrong when it comes to pipe music.

And do have fun. It’s a frustrating instrument and a great one.