Suburbs that don't Suck - Colonial Suburbs (Bordentown, New Jersey)

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  • Опубліковано 12 гру 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 795

  • @alanthefisher
    @alanthefisher  3 роки тому +751

    You guys really don't like my take that Thomas Paine is the only good founding father lol. I should add that John Adams was decent too. But idk what you're expecting from this channel haha

    • @user-de4cq6uk6l
      @user-de4cq6uk6l 3 роки тому +215

      You said “in modern context,” I don’t see how anyone could argue with that, Washington would be in federal prison for slavery today, but in historical context that wasn’t considered a problem

    • @alanthefisher
      @alanthefisher  3 роки тому +197

      @@user-de4cq6uk6l thank you. Yeah I don't think most people caught that

    • @TheFourFoot
      @TheFourFoot 3 роки тому +58

      I’m no American history Stan, but yeah, there were worse ones lol

    • @IkeOkerekeNews
      @IkeOkerekeNews 3 роки тому +3

      How about John Jay?

    • @waltercunningham494
      @waltercunningham494 3 роки тому +20

      You don’t like revolutionaries that owned slaves or something?? That’s too bad I guess you should cry about it.

  • @adamvmc9249
    @adamvmc9249 3 роки тому +911

    Having immigrated from a small town in Ireland I bought my house in Bordentown city the only criteria I wanted was to be able to fall home from the local (pub) and be able to walk to a grocery store or just anywhere in general. This town has a community spirit and really reminds me of my home town.

    • @greenmachine5600
      @greenmachine5600 3 роки тому +17

      Nice to hear.

    • @alanthefisher
      @alanthefisher  3 роки тому +102

      Speaking of pubs and walkability, that will be the topic of a future video :)

    • @adamvmc9249
      @adamvmc9249 3 роки тому +17

      @@alanthefisher nice if you need a test dummy let me know. I enjoy an old pub crawl or two.

    • @alanthefisher
      @alanthefisher  3 роки тому +42

      @@adamvmc9249 you're welcome to join my discord, it's usually an easier way to get in contact. We eventually will plan a channel meetup too

    • @xsw882
      @xsw882 3 роки тому +7

      NJ is one of the few places were u can walk places. many other states dont even have sidewalks. Most poor people in the northeast get coerced into moving to texas, florida, california, virginia, etc just to find out that the rent is a bit cheaper but a car, and probably a financed new car, is a necessity

  • @markrichards6863
    @markrichards6863 3 роки тому +604

    The suburb my parents moved us to, when I was in high school didn't even have sidewalks, except on a few streets. I graduated in the late 70s. I moved back to NYC right after college. When I go back to visit, I'm shocked at how obese people are there. I'm 63, walk two miles to work and back every day, still thin. Suburbs are killing us.

    • @Anankin12
      @Anankin12 3 роки тому +17

      I used to bike 3 miles to and 3 miles back from school and when I had to be driven there I often came back by foot.
      Was still fat.
      Walking helps, but it's not that much of a changer. You have a healthier lifestyle than those people and/or have a better natural metabolism, the walking is not neither the cause nor a significant factor in you not being a fatass.

    • @Anankin12
      @Anankin12 3 роки тому +50

      Still being able to walk places is great, if nothing else for your mood.

    • @markrichards6863
      @markrichards6863 3 роки тому +41

      @@Anankin12 I walk two miles to work and two miles home every day. I walk the Same route, but the experience is different every time. It's my exercise, my meditation, my quality Time alone, surrounded by thousands of others. I'm 62, am the only one in my family with normal blood pressure and good cholesterol and triglycerides. That suburban life is a killer.

    • @Anankin12
      @Anankin12 3 роки тому +2

      @@markrichards6863 As I said, I'm pretty sure the walk is a great thing for your mental health and state of mind. I don't think it's responsible for your better physical condition, I think that's due to other good choices in your life. A relatively short walk like that doesn't even begin to make you work out enough to justify the other stuff, as far as I know... Unless it's like a serious uphill.

    • @markrichards6863
      @markrichards6863 3 роки тому +27

      @@Anankin12 I disagree. Four miles a day is a pretty good workout, plus all of the other incidental walking. I'm in my 60s, have been doing it consistently for 35 years. It's low impact. It also keeps my weight down. My family lives in the burbs..they drive to the Y and walk on the treadmill a few times a week, when they think of it. It's not as good a workout. I think the mental awareness walking in the city is like exercise for the mind.its very stimulating. I particularly like walking in the snow. This hot summer weather is a drain on my energy.

  • @thetwopointslow
    @thetwopointslow 3 роки тому +170

    “The *quirks and features* of what make this suburban gem….” Cool to see Doug DeMuro talking urban planning!

    • @evanoc
      @evanoc 3 роки тому +17

      A car reviewer talking about a car free suburb 😭

    • @lars1588
      @lars1588 2 роки тому +6

      When I heard him say that, Doug instantly came to mind lol.

    • @SomeGuyWhoPlaysGames333
      @SomeGuyWhoPlaysGames333 Рік тому +1

      @@evanoc This isn’t a car free suburb.

    • @electricvehiclehead
      @electricvehiclehead Рік тому

      💀

  • @NotJustBikes
    @NotJustBikes 3 роки тому +883

    I lost it at "YOU HEARD HIM!!" 🤣
    Great. Now everyone on the street is watching me, and not just because I'm a world-famous UA-camr.

    • @Ninja-The-Red-Shinobi
      @Ninja-The-Red-Shinobi 3 роки тому +21

      imitation is the greatest form of flattery they say.

    • @NotJustBikes
      @NotJustBikes 3 роки тому +58

      @@Ninja-The-Red-Shinobi definitely! Strong Towns and BicycleDutch are very flattered by my channel.

    • @user-de4cq6uk6l
      @user-de4cq6uk6l 3 роки тому +36

      @@NotJustBikes and Alan Fisher on a video?
      Car boomers are shaking rn

    • @dutchman7623
      @dutchman7623 3 роки тому +4

      @@NotJustBikes Ja, maar....

    • @JTPQuinn
      @JTPQuinn 3 роки тому +19

      I'm a car boomer. Gone cross country 3 times. Cars=Freedom. You can go anywhere there's a road, and if there isn't a road, it probably sucks and isn't worth going there.
      That said, rush hour commutes are stressful, and anyone who drives in the city rather than taking public transit I'm convinced is clinically insane.

  • @blarneystone38
    @blarneystone38 2 роки тому +18

    As a New Jerseyan this video bring a tear to my eye, one of the best parts of our state is that so many of our towns are old enough that they haven't succumbed to modern sprawl, and many of them have train stations in their center (NOT in a random parking lot)

  • @deirdreryan7402
    @deirdreryan7402 3 роки тому +89

    I live here and the reason you may not see too many walking around is probably based on the time of day. People work and usually come out for walks either very early in the morning or in the evenings. During the weekends when the weather is nice, we get many from out of town taking their boats down to the river, or when we have outdoor events. 2020 and 2021 have not been our usual years, but it’s coming back.

    • @charlesrodriguez7984
      @charlesrodriguez7984 2 роки тому +1

      Same here. I live in a “car dependent “ neighborhood but people walk everywhere on nice days. Kids always play in the road and stuff. Just needs improvement but unfortunately the cost is very high to “fix” the problem.

    • @helper809
      @helper809 Місяць тому

      ​​@@charlesrodriguez7984It's different for me, there's no shade anywhere, so nobody wants to go outside, if they are, they are either walking their dogs, or hosting a party in their back porch or front porch

  • @natesirovatka2256
    @natesirovatka2256 3 роки тому +170

    "Even our largest cities should totally be based."
    Truer words have not been spoken.

  • @TuomasLeone
    @TuomasLeone 3 роки тому +273

    I'd love to see some survey data on the people who actually live in these "good suburbs". How do they view daily quality of life vs. those who live in similar yet less walkable areas? Actually, I'd just like to see some interviews with random residents about where they live and what they think of the alternatives, from both those who live in towns like this and those in a cul de sac "paradise".

    • @peachypie2962
      @peachypie2962 3 роки тому +10

      That would be really interesting

    • @sneeringsoup
      @sneeringsoup 3 роки тому +46

      As a resident of Btown, it is a really cool place. Its probably one of the most interesting and walkable places I've been.

    • @dutchman7623
      @dutchman7623 3 роки тому +58

      It is hard to judge what you do not know, especially when a large majority tells you how lucky you are living in a 'paradise' suburb. It is like asking a kid if it wants a hamburger or fresh green beans with rice.
      What some long for is often not the healthy choice. Only after decades of making wrong choices we realize we could have prevented the belly, heart attack or stroke, if we had been wiser thirty years ago.
      Most of us are not widely educated dietists nor city planners.

    • @TuomasLeone
      @TuomasLeone 3 роки тому +13

      @@dutchman7623 Agreed, but I think with the right questions you might be able to get some interesting answers.

    • @dutchman7623
      @dutchman7623 3 роки тому +6

      @@TuomasLeone Possibly, yes.

  • @zoom3184
    @zoom3184 2 роки тому +23

    Living in a pre-war NJ suburb similar to, but smaller than Pitman and Bordentown, I never realized how lucky I was to be a kid here. My high school was a 5 minute bike ride away, and nothing in town took more than 15 minutes of biking to get to. This enabled me to have so much more independence than kids that grew up in car-dependent neighborhoods because I didn’t have to get a ride any time I wanted to go somewhere.
    We have a pretty small downtown that’s built around our town’s old Atlantic City Railroad station, which is now just for freight cars. It’s doing okay, but there’s very little growth and restaurants and shops there are never really able to thrive, and sometimes I wonder how the area would look if that station was still in use today.

  • @Secretlyalittleworm
    @Secretlyalittleworm 3 роки тому +241

    The crossover we needed

  • @lavaentity9621
    @lavaentity9621 3 роки тому +22

    I live in a town that was settled in 1642
    I feel like New England and other nearby areas have some of the best town layouts. Mostly because they were designed around forming a new and strong community out in an unknown frontier - and that shows. These towns keep people close together, not only because it was inefficient to walk, but because sprawl emphasized the feeling of isolation that the people already felt. Having a tight, small, and dense town helped people stay close, form community, and emphasize the feeling of safety
    Eventually, as settlements became more established, and technology progressed, it feels like it no longer seemed necessary to to this - and then we got endless suburbs with no real center.
    but that’s just me

    • @fluxuous6907
      @fluxuous6907 3 роки тому +3

      that basically goes for all colonial and early American towns...

    • @sofiabravo1994
      @sofiabravo1994 2 роки тому +4

      Suburbs have no sense of community back in colonial times we had a town square…

  • @ummdustry5718
    @ummdustry5718 3 роки тому +187

    Pretty BASED on walkability

    • @houstonplanespotter
      @houstonplanespotter 3 роки тому +19

      @@KA-vs7nl socialism is when walking to the grocery store

    • @paddy6358
      @paddy6358 3 роки тому +5

      @@KA-vs7nl Oh those walking socialists are out walking to places again rather than taking cars like patriots, someone has to stop them or we'll end up like Venezuela!

    • @hydrolifetech7911
      @hydrolifetech7911 3 роки тому +2

      @@KA-vs7nl sad life you live dude

    • @ilcubo32
      @ilcubo32 3 роки тому +1

      @@KA-vs7nl walkability isn’t part of socialism. In fact if we do fully free market capitalism we would likely also get some town like this. (At least that’s my speculation)

    • @zuresei
      @zuresei 2 роки тому +1

      @@ilcubo32 well, no, because the automotive industry is the reason we're even like this in the first place-- companies took the power they had and abused it (general motors streetcars, for one). to prevent a business from just buying out part of the country and turning it into a profit mill, you're gonna have to regulate that business!

  • @jayski9410
    @jayski9410 3 роки тому +11

    In the 1990's, I had the opportunity to live in downtown Seattle. Very walkable, even in the rain. I not only walked to work, but restaurants, stores, dentist, doctor, movies, library, the Space Needle, and the waterfront where you could walk-on a ferry and go to Bainbridge or Bremerton. The only time I used my car was on weekends to go to the suburban supermarkets. I was in the best shape of my life and I also found my happiness level increased just by not spending hours everyday in commuting traffic. Alas I live in L.A. now and all that is a distant memory.

  • @jamiefoerst
    @jamiefoerst 3 роки тому +69

    The center of my hometown was established in 1724 and is really walkable but leave the center and then walkability dies
    Edit BTW it’s Westfield NJ

    • @jamiefoerst
      @jamiefoerst 3 роки тому +7

      It’s an ex trolley car and a colony and had a modern train station but that is all right in the center there are no busses or anything outside of the main drag

    • @recordkeepingandinformatio8206
      @recordkeepingandinformatio8206 3 роки тому +6

      Summit is in the same situation as well...dense center filled with shops and then sprawl for miles around

    • @jamiefoerst
      @jamiefoerst 3 роки тому +1

      @@recordkeepingandinformatio8206 yeah true lmao
      At least you guys get more than 1tph

    • @BassandoForte
      @BassandoForte 3 роки тому

      I've lived in houses older than that...
      Any towns less than 400 years old are still "wet behind the ears"... 🤣🤣

    • @evannibbe9375
      @evannibbe9375 3 роки тому

      Sounds like you needed to do more to stop Wanda Maximoff from taking over

  • @1crafter176
    @1crafter176 3 роки тому +73

    Great video! As a Brit, these videos (and the ones made by NJB) have helped me to understand how different US suburbs are compared to the UK.
    For us, walkability is just the standard design here, in urban, suburban and rural areas, but if an area isn't walkable (such as an industrial estate, or a big box store area) there's usually a bus or (sometimes) a train or tram that you can take instead (which isn't great, but is better than nothing).
    For us, walkability is just engraved into how we build our towns and cities, roads follow a simple grid (or grid-like) pattern, but if they don't there's usually paths between different roads that are quite far away. This could be from history (with how many of our towns and villages were built when the horse and your legs was the only options for getting around) or could be down to how we do local planning, I'm not too sure. But it's definatley interesting to see how urban planning (and also public transport) differs between the UK and North America.
    The UK is nowhere near a perfect planning paradise, it's alright. Though saldy we do have some car dependent towns built from the 50s-80s, although those are the exception, not the rule.
    Anyways! Great video! Absolutley loved it!

    • @Dave01611
      @Dave01611 3 роки тому +4

      if you ever want to experience an American style town without actually going to America visit Milton Keynes- there's a reason it's so widely hated

    • @queeny5613
      @queeny5613 2 роки тому +2

      @@Dave01611 I agree it's horrific

  • @gars129
    @gars129 3 роки тому +15

    Honestly New Jersey has much potential it's unreal. Cities like Patterson and Newark are dismissed by suburbanites and rich New Yorkers as "ghetto", but very much represent the spirit of Jane Jacobs, and are working class places filled with diversity.

  • @NicLaue
    @NicLaue 3 роки тому +163

    Houses in this town are surprisingly affordable...

    • @alanthefisher
      @alanthefisher  3 роки тому +78

      South jersey baby 😎

    • @NicLaue
      @NicLaue 3 роки тому +42

      I showed the Zillow prices to my Boomer parents and they were like, yes... But don't forget the high NJ Taxes. 🤦‍♂️

    • @alanthefisher
      @alanthefisher  3 роки тому +130

      @@NicLaue Well with higher-ish taxes you get the best public schools in the country and a transit system that goes from the top to the bottom of the state. So you decide haha...

    • @danwhite4029
      @danwhite4029 3 роки тому +8

      Its NJ taxes, so yes taxes are still bad, but the small lot sizes probably keeps them from crawling too high.

    • @NicLaue
      @NicLaue 3 роки тому +32

      @@alanthefisher that's fair, and I remember you saying that in the server. But it's always tough to convince boomers. They want the benefits without paying.

  • @kju-8449
    @kju-8449 2 роки тому +9

    Honestly, I think a lot of the towns with river line stops are very underrated in this part of New Jersey. I live within 10 mins walking distance of a river line stop and take it for granted that I can go from my bedroom to my dorm room at college completely on public transit - being able to just walk and ride to bordentown is also a plus. It’s so nice there :)

    • @katiesays
      @katiesays 2 роки тому

      We took it to the aquarium when my kids were younger. They loved having that experience.

  • @Conclusius68
    @Conclusius68 3 роки тому +133

    Why is this lovely town being called a suburb? It looks like a town in its own right. It's even old enough to have European style city rights. Or has it been swallowed by an expanding neighboring city?

    • @alanthefisher
      @alanthefisher  3 роки тому +99

      It's a suburb of Trenton, NJ and also technically a suburb of Philly

    • @kirkrotger9208
      @kirkrotger9208 3 роки тому +66

      This town is like the quintessential prewar suburb. You have to think about it in a context greater than just the current idea of a suburb that's shitty and car-dependent. You've gotta remember, the country's first suburb was Brooklyn Heights, right across the river from what is now Manhattan's Financial district.

    • @TheSpecialJ11
      @TheSpecialJ11 3 роки тому +19

      @@kirkrotger9208 Yeah, the fact that many of the buildings are single family homes (built to the lot line and touching neighboring houses, foreign to our modern eyes) makes it a suburb. Some wealthy residents might have even had detached homes on what are by today's standards, very small lots.

    • @coastaku1954
      @coastaku1954 3 роки тому +4

      @@TheSpecialJ11 People just want space though, I know many people who don't want to live right next to their neighbour, especially with fears of hearing them all the time

    • @Joesolo13
      @Joesolo13 3 роки тому +18

      @@coastaku1954 they're free to live in the sticks, forcing that idea on surrounding regions of cities is just daft

  • @jlevans1985
    @jlevans1985 2 роки тому +4

    finally someone who actually knows who Thomas Paine was. The other founders really tried to sweep him under the rug after he criticized organized religion and washington for acting as his friend in his company but knowing he was in a French prison made no efforts to help him. he was looked upon as too much of a commoner. Even Thomas Jefferson who he was most acquainted with did not attend his funeral. Out of the two I think Rights of Man is a better book than Common Sense and I agree that Paine was one of if not the most exemplary of the values we claim to hold.

  • @CrazyGamer109
    @CrazyGamer109 2 роки тому +3

    NJ is full of these small town gems, something most people are not aware of.

  • @unknownPLfan
    @unknownPLfan 3 роки тому +23

    This so so many New England towns as well, especially eastern MA. Unfortunately even in MA the colonial layout and architecture is an aesthetic to be superficially imitated in our more spread out suburbs rather than something to draw from in order to promote density for the sake of walkability.

    • @troy02627
      @troy02627 2 роки тому +2

      yeah being from southern new hampshire its always depressing to drive in andover which was around during the witch trials and then go to my aunts house which is on a cul de sac off of another cul de sac

    • @unknownPLfan
      @unknownPLfan 2 роки тому +1

      @@troy02627 You still get way more of the real deal in Massachusetts than anywhere else at least. I'm from Lowell, which over 100,000 people and is almost entirely either mid to low rise urban or dense 19th century suburban. The towns with the cul de sacs are all formally really rural towns where the farm land was redeveloped in the mid 20th century.

  • @briantschiegg4691
    @briantschiegg4691 3 роки тому +15

    When he said “I’ll show you the quirks and features,” I had to check that I wasn’t watching a Doug Demuro video

    • @c0ccaldera
      @c0ccaldera 3 роки тому +2

      I knew I wasn't the only one who thought that!

  • @25usd94
    @25usd94 3 роки тому +2

    The combination of Not Just Bikes' low rolling resistance and Alan Fisher's electrifyingly comfy vibe is a match made in walkable heaven.

  • @Piterdeveirs333
    @Piterdeveirs333 3 роки тому +9

    I love all the positive attention NJ keeps getting

  • @computerfan1079
    @computerfan1079 3 роки тому +10

    This channel combines 3 things that I like: Vulfpeck, Urbanism and collaborations with other great channels. Keep it going!

    • @noneofmynameswork1
      @noneofmynameswork1 3 роки тому +1

      It was Cosmic Sans at the beginning. Do you know what the other song is (2:38)?

    • @affensterbenjung
      @affensterbenjung Рік тому

      @@noneofmynameswork1 Might be a bit late, but its soft parade

  • @RTDice11
    @RTDice11 3 роки тому +9

    Jersey is full of these historic, walkable towns. Went to the Watergap just yesterday, Stockton, Lambertvile, and Frenchtown are all beautiful places to live, way better than the boring, garbage suburb my parents moved us to when we left Newark.

  • @StarcrossTV
    @StarcrossTV 3 роки тому +21

    This town reminds me of Branford, Connecticut! The center of this town has fairly good walkability, many small shops, and has been featured on a Hallmark Channel Movie!

  • @CyanideCarrot
    @CyanideCarrot 3 роки тому +8

    Been here many times, thanks for highlighting this place! It's how we should build all our suburbs, you shouldn't need to live in a dense noisy urban core to have walkability

  • @sandracoates5445
    @sandracoates5445 3 роки тому +8

    I live in Bordentown, I love it , exactly for the reasons you pointed out.

  • @SusanJMT
    @SusanJMT Рік тому +1

    Love Bordentown which I stumbled across in the early 1980's and have visited many times a year since. I also live in a colonial subrub of NYC, and haven't been able to figure out how to re-locate my life to B'town. My own hometown of Rahway has grown from a collection of small villages, each surrounded by farmland with barns and stables, into a two-square mile city, and now is becoming a densely-populated "Transit Village," and I am all for that. We still have our sidewalks which I walk from the edge of town to the town center in fifteen minutes to visit our many restaurants and whole-town events. We still have some colonial-era and federal-era buildings though many have been lost to age. I love living where I can touch History. See you on Hilltop Park, soon.

  • @greenwolf52
    @greenwolf52 3 роки тому +5

    Not Just Bikes: Releases trailer for train video
    Alan Fisher: Releases Suburbs that don't Suck video
    Did I just jump into an alternate universe?

  • @gabrielbrunoparreira5670
    @gabrielbrunoparreira5670 3 роки тому +8

    a few of the suburbs around Boston are also pretty "walkable." I lived in Somerville for 6 years and never needed a car to get anywhere, and even some of the further suburbs are still fairly well connected by the tram/subway line (the green line is some weird subway) or by buses.
    But, public transport there can be pretty bad though. There are a lot of delays, but it is fairly accessible and in recent times they have been making improvements to make the public transport better and reduce space for cars on the streets in and around Boston and increase space for bikes and buses.

  • @OwenRULESSS
    @OwenRULESSS 3 роки тому +8

    Providence has some great walkable suburbs, with lively main streets and small lots because it’s so old

  • @joebob3719
    @joebob3719 Рік тому +2

    Goddamnit this channel is doing a damn good job at convincing me, to my shock and horror, into moving to New Jersey

  • @dawntreader1247
    @dawntreader1247 3 роки тому +1

    My area’s urban planners don’t seem to understand how to do this. Developers just plonk unit blocks tall enough to be called skyscrapers in the middle of our suburbs, and the planners just have to figure out how to compensate (read: road widening). Then the developers make low quality duplexes, fitting entire households on half a block with no garden space or a substantial wall in between

  • @w4fer
    @w4fer 3 роки тому +10

    great vid; grew up in NJ but its a treat learning about these towns I've never seen.

  • @funky6399
    @funky6399 2 роки тому +1

    I actually live in an old walkable farm town in rural metro Detroit, historically my town was just a regular farm town, but now that the metro Detroit sub sprawl has begun to reach the town to the south of mine it’s great to see my city still hold onto it’s walkable past. (It’s Memphis MI, the only bad thing about my towns walkability is that the sidewalks are in poor shape and the town is such low in land value that’s taxable. The city to the south is Richmond MI, it’s historic downtown and many of the residential parts are still walkable)

  • @Ad-rien
    @Ad-rien 3 роки тому +3

    It never ceases to amaze me how many flags you can see in the US, for me to find half of those in France I would need to search in a city with at least 200k inhabitants and even then I wouldn't know where to start

    • @alanthefisher
      @alanthefisher  3 роки тому +7

      we're getting close to 4th of July, so theres more than usual, but yes theres still alot

    • @Ad-rien
      @Ad-rien 3 роки тому

      @@alanthefisher Oh i didn't think about that!

    • @Micg51
      @Micg51 2 роки тому

      @@Ad-rien also these little colonial towns often have flags on most homes. Just something I’ve observed walking through many towns in Virginia, Maryland, and Mass

  • @mememan9890
    @mememan9890 3 роки тому +11

    These videos make me wanna move to the east coast.

    • @sachemofboston3649
      @sachemofboston3649 3 роки тому +1

      Check out the Boston area, we have tons of suburbs like this

    • @mememan9890
      @mememan9890 3 роки тому

      @@sachemofboston3649 I've been to the area, it's really nice. But those prices though ☠️☠️☠️

    • @RedStarXD
      @RedStarXD 2 роки тому

      You should

    • @mememan9890
      @mememan9890 2 роки тому

      @@RedStarXD Too expensive.

  • @kyedankurz2783
    @kyedankurz2783 3 роки тому +11

    The crossover we never knew we needed! :D

  • @TheGreatBigMove
    @TheGreatBigMove 3 роки тому +3

    Shoutout to Dover, NH. Fantastic suburban town. It's beautiful, walkable, has a lot of things to do and places to eat, and has character.

    • @TheStig_TG
      @TheStig_TG 3 роки тому

      WHA- your an urban planning nut to?

    • @TheGreatBigMove
      @TheGreatBigMove 3 роки тому

      @@TheStig_TG nah, I’m interested in it though.

    • @TheStig_TG
      @TheStig_TG 3 роки тому

      @@TheGreatBigMove Nice!

  • @theonlydreary
    @theonlydreary 2 роки тому +3

    I honestly hate how nothing is really within walking distance in my city.

  • @jsboeve
    @jsboeve 2 роки тому +1

    I've always disliked the East Coast, lived in D.C. area (in distant suburbs with a long commute) for a couple years and vowed to never return because everything seemed so crowded and traffic was not just miserable but created a palpable aura of anger seemingly everywhere. Your channel is making me revisit my opinions.

  • @gpulse94
    @gpulse94 3 роки тому +2

    As a resident of bordentown this was a great video. Some of the horse stones are still around bordentown.

  • @theurbandoctor787
    @theurbandoctor787 3 роки тому +22

    Man I seriously want to visit New Jersey now. Who needs Europe!! jkjk Netherlands is pretty cool too.
    Alan - seriously what kind of music is permeating your videos, like at 2:40? You got me a bit hooked on Vulfpeck, but I need more!
    - UD

    • @alanthefisher
      @alanthefisher  3 роки тому +6

      That song in particular is Soft Parade by Vulfpeck!

    • @xymaryai8283
      @xymaryai8283 3 роки тому

      is that a typo or an antifascist or just demographic in-joke i don't understand? because i'll give you the benefit of the doubt heh

    • @alanthefisher
      @alanthefisher  3 роки тому +1

      @@xymaryai8283 ???

    • @qqnqqpart
      @qqnqqpart 3 роки тому +2

      @@alanthefisher I think they're referring to the usage of the phrase jew jersey

    • @alanthefisher
      @alanthefisher  3 роки тому +2

      @@qqnqqpart that's def a typo

  • @DavidJamesHenry
    @DavidJamesHenry 2 роки тому +1

    "I didn't pick any suburb in particular"
    PASADENA

  • @leowagner1366
    @leowagner1366 3 роки тому +21

    NJ is a really underrated state. Many of our older towns have very nice, walkable areas, and tons of history. I really don't get why we get such a bad stereotype.

    • @styckykeys2200
      @styckykeys2200 3 роки тому +9

      So many people see nothing but I-95, the Turnpike, Newark, and Camden that they assume NJ's all basically pollution and 'hey I'm only here so that I can be close to a city in a different state' and they never notice the rest of NJ

    • @Tom.Bombadil
      @Tom.Bombadil 3 роки тому +3

      I used to fight the stereotype, but it’s honestly not worth it. NJ is already too populated anyway, no need to attract more people here

    • @Piterdeveirs333
      @Piterdeveirs333 3 роки тому

      Jealousy

    • @Ray03595
      @Ray03595 3 роки тому +4

      @@Tom.Bombadil Agree. I don't mind that ppl don't like NJ. People also think Newark and Camden are the same places they were decades ago when they're definitely getting much better (still a ways to go obviously), and actually have some of the best policing in the country. A big plus considering the tumult going on every other week. And we do need the population decrease as well, so I guess keep it under wraps, haha.

  • @cartermoberg3092
    @cartermoberg3092 3 роки тому +3

    Love the Doug DeMero hint with the quirks and features saying in the into😂

  • @AbortedWalrusFoetus
    @AbortedWalrusFoetus 3 роки тому +6

    Enjoyed the video. There are a lot of great suburbs in the Greater Philadelphia Metro Area. On the NJ side, I particularly like Collingswood and Haddonfield due to their proximity to the city. Pitman and Bordentown are a bit too far out, but still wonderful suburbs. On the other side of the Delaware, places like Jenkintown, Narberth, Phoenixville*, Ardmore, Media, and Swarthmore are decent examples too, to name a few. They all have the same characteristics you've highlighted here about Bordentown. Some of the main line suburbs unfortunately have Lancaster Ave cutting them in half, and it's really not pedestrian friendly due to the traffic speeds, but they are still better than most suburbs. I know it doesn't "count" as a suburb, because it's within city limits, but Chestnut Hill is practically paradisiac, and probably the quintessential example of suburbs that don't suck.
    * Phoenixville is sadly no longer rail connected. They are working on fixing that though.

  • @MegaUMU
    @MegaUMU 3 роки тому +7

    Moar collabs, more exposure, more spread of increased quality of life

  • @Earcandy73
    @Earcandy73 3 роки тому +1

    Great video! I live 10 minutes from Bordentown. My best friend owns a home there and My other best friend’s family has lived there for generations on Prince Street.

  • @SnoLeopurrd
    @SnoLeopurrd 2 роки тому +2

    reminds me of my hometown in Bayonne NJ. no suburbs stretching out from a "downtown" area because it's bordered on THREE sides by water, everything is geographically forced to be condensed. Tons of multi use buildings with stores on the bottom and apartments on top. All elementary schools can be easily walked to. connected to NJ transit with the light rail. only problem is the big grocery stores had to be driven to because they were normally on the outskirts (up against the water) where the shipping ports were. maybe not as good as some other cities, but i live in a suburb now and it is the worst not being able to walk to a single thing.

  • @elizabethdavis1696
    @elizabethdavis1696 3 роки тому +11

    More towns videos please I live in nj and am looking for a good place to move
    Is there a list somewhere of walkable towns?

    • @peterhenderson5413
      @peterhenderson5413 3 роки тому

      I have a few. Maplewood, South Orange, Millburn, Montclair, Summit, Hoboken, Jersey City. Unfortunately they tend to be the more expensive towns (not shocking)

    • @JohnMFlores
      @JohnMFlores 3 роки тому

      Somerville

  • @geraldobrien7323
    @geraldobrien7323 3 роки тому +1

    Summit was planned out nicely. The center of town has the main business district, a central park, the train station and Overlook Hospital. And this area is within walking distance from most parts of town. I also must add that around the park there are different community centers; churches, the YMCA, the public library among others.
    I think you can find similar layouts in towns across the state that are on the old railroad lines. People figured (before the proliferation of autos) that commuters need to go to and from NYC, and they need to be able to walk to and from their homes and the train station.

  • @jnyerere
    @jnyerere 3 роки тому +1

    Although not to the same extent, this reminds me of my cousin's family home in Maplewood, NJ and the nearby suburb of South Orange (or "the Oranges" in general). When I first visited him a couple of yrs ago, I was entranced with the beauty of this area. I didn't know a suburban environment could be this beautiful and people-friendly.

  • @KC-Mitch
    @KC-Mitch 2 роки тому

    I remember studying this when trying to get a civil engineering degree, but wide roads with sparse buildings, leads to people naturally wanting to speed down the road. There were alternatives that work quite well, such as widening the sidewalk/adding a dedicated section for trees and grass while shortening the road.
    Another alternative was converting the asphalt road to a brick road, which naturally forces drivers to drive below 35mph (55kph). A great example of this is Winter Park, FL. While the housing outside the city center isn't the most walkable, it allows drivers to commute through neighborhood artery roads, yet forcing speeders to take alternative methods (since your car will start to lose all traction at faster speeds). It makes it a more liveable, albeit more gentrified, neighborhood.

  • @jetfan925
    @jetfan925 2 роки тому +1

    I grew up in Southwestern Nassau County with bus routes, lots of train stations and some walkability in certain areas. Even that I considered love to walking in areas built after WWII, which is pretty unfortunate for much of Long Island.

  • @DoubleHCreations
    @DoubleHCreations Рік тому +1

    0:56 nice reference to Doug demuro

  • @trainsbusesandmore5136
    @trainsbusesandmore5136 3 роки тому +1

    I love your choice of background music! It makes me wanna come back!

  • @UrbaneOracle
    @UrbaneOracle 3 роки тому +22

    The intro killed me. I had tears in my eyes 🤣

  • @AGWittmann
    @AGWittmann 3 роки тому +8

    Would be interesting to see the cores of a megalopolis region and the area between the, once independent, cities. I dont know, if the megalopolis region of Tokio did the same crap like the USA after 1945.

  • @creepydoll2872
    @creepydoll2872 3 роки тому

    This reminds me of Catonsville, MD about 15 minutes outside of Baltimore City. Theres a main street with shops, bars, restaurants, offices. I was able to walk a mile home from school safely on a shaded side street that was a little busy but not too busy that it would be dangerous and loud. I was able to walk to the library and friends houses if I wanted and it would be safe to walk because Catonsville was largely designed for walking. There is also trail where a trolley used to go through that could be used as a shortcut or just for a leisurely walk. Catonsville is still the same now but more restaurants than when I was growing up. I'm grateful to have grown up in this type of suburb now!

  • @danku-chan
    @danku-chan 2 роки тому +4

    what the fuck? i didn't realize suburbs used to be little towns independent of their host city with their own downtowns and such. for all my life suburbs have just been a massive radius of strip malls and single family homes surrounding the mythical downtown.

  • @KrishnaDasLessons
    @KrishnaDasLessons 3 роки тому +1

    4:46 As an Indian, Indian cities are like that too, a lot of Indian cities are multiple hundreds of years old and they have incredibly dense and walkable neighborhoods.
    Also, you should check out some Philadelphia suburbs/small towns as well, some of them are even denser!

  • @jimmyisawkward
    @jimmyisawkward 2 роки тому +2

    I love the poly bridge soundtrack in the background

  • @coastaku1954
    @coastaku1954 3 роки тому +1

    I've stayed in Bordentown before, at the Comfort Inn on RTE206, I never knew it had a quaint downtown and never knew it was so historic. I just knew it as a place with a cheap hotel to stay at when I'm going to Six Flags Great Adventure

  • @RMTransit
    @RMTransit 3 роки тому +5

    A little DMU accessible community in North America? Color me intrigued . . .

  • @technojunkie123
    @technojunkie123 3 роки тому +1

    PLEASE do more videos in the future about good, walkable suburbs in America! Trying to find a walkable & affordable place in America feels impossible, and it'd be nice to find a walkable place to live without having to move abroad!

  • @JonathanGarneau
    @JonathanGarneau 3 роки тому +7

    Looks very similar to here in Quebec City. Est 1608

  • @jasminewhitehead1752
    @jasminewhitehead1752 2 роки тому

    Omg NJB is in this video! I’m so excited now to watch this! I just found your channel so now I have two channels to watch about suburbs and trains! ❤️

  • @bordenatorx
    @bordenatorx Рік тому

    This is video is a wonderful easter egg of knowledge. Thank You! I'm a historical archeologist and have been doing some genealogy research lately, and Joseph Borden is my direct descendant! I've followed them so far back to Kent England. I don't live too far from Bordentown. Bordentown library it's on the top of my research list.

  • @pandasinspace3560
    @pandasinspace3560 3 роки тому +1

    I live in a bad suburb but the downtown area is pretty nice, they're doing a lot of work and construction to improve the walkability of it rn

  • @Japan_Changed_My_Life
    @Japan_Changed_My_Life Рік тому +1

    Meh... I lived in Bordentown between 1989 and 2004. It was okay. High school life was good though being in a senior class of about 90 students. The population did grow during those 4 years as the freshman class was about 250 and is why the high school became the middle school and why they had to build a new high school to accommodate the population rise. There are a lot of small towns like Bordentown in this country though. Marine City Michigan comes to mind. Used to walk into town from my grandmother's house on River Road back in the 80s and go to N. Main Street that led to the waterfront. There is a ferry you can take to cross over into Canada from there. Thanks for the video. Came across it while looking to go down memory lane. :)

  • @A_savage
    @A_savage 3 роки тому +4

    What are your thoughts on New Brunswick? Big city amenities with a small town vibe

  • @JohnMFlores
    @JohnMFlores 3 роки тому

    0:40 Randy's Man Cave! One of the things rhat give small towns their character are the small retail shops run by interesting people.

  • @goldenstarmusic1689
    @goldenstarmusic1689 2 роки тому

    When you were building up with "The greatest founding father" I knew it was gonna be Thomas Paine. Hell yeah

  • @nirbhaygarg6036
    @nirbhaygarg6036 3 роки тому

    "Quirks and features at 0.57 make it sound so much like something doug demuro would say introducing a new C-A-R.

  • @TheSullie1
    @TheSullie1 3 роки тому +19

    Look, you're not saying return to monke.
    But, I AM!
    MONKE WAS RIGHT. MONKE IS BASED!
    RETURN TO MONKE!

    • @A3dprintedman
      @A3dprintedman 3 роки тому +4

      "now im not saying we should return to monke"
      me: but what if we did
      *vsause theme plays*

  • @patrickfringer2666
    @patrickfringer2666 3 роки тому +1

    Thanks for the video! I love Bordentown it has a ton of old charm. I agree with a lot of your points. I've been curious and haven't had enough time to do a deep dive into NJ Transit and why it sucks, but I do have an understanding that NJ transit consolidated a ton of individual rail lines and essentially attempted to consolidate a system that wasn't built in a cohesive manner. It kind of reminds me of the points you make, how often we rush into a new form of transportation infrastructure without thinking about it. I Have lived in Hoboken, New Brunswick, Asubry Park, Westfield and Lawrence NJ and have been able to observe many different styles of transportation infrastructure.
    I am interested in River Line towns as I believe it is inevitable in my lifetime Trenton and Camden will become popular again. Bordentown's walkability did intrigue me a lot in my last move, I considered moving here but the housing stock was not adequate for renting.

  • @pablogaeta3815
    @pablogaeta3815 3 роки тому +1

    great vid and great quote from Paine.

  • @Burne222
    @Burne222 3 роки тому

    I grew up in Trenton and I also did love the look of Bordentown when I used to picked up my brother from the RiverLine. It kinda reminds me of the historic Hiltonia and Mill Hill neighborhoods in Trenton.

  • @jparrottmerrell
    @jparrottmerrell 2 роки тому

    I feel like “walkability” should be changed to “Wheelchair-friendly walkability”. I say this as a lifelong power wheelchair user who’s always lived her best and most quality life in walkable neighborhoods. BUT I’ve learned since moving from Portland, Oregon to Old Town Temecula, California (in Riverside County) that not all walkable neighborhoods are created equal. For example, here in Old Town Temecula (which is mostly filled with high end restaurants and specialty shops) all the things that are of practical use to me (stores, farmers market, restaurant, beauty shop and post office) are either unsafe for me to travel, or not ADA compliant for wheelchair access. But, in spite of the issues that I have with the wheelchair accessibility of this not really walkable neighborhood, hubby and I continue to stay in the affordable housing unit we were offered here because it’s the best option we’ve got - for now.

  • @bartholomewdan
    @bartholomewdan 3 роки тому +2

    Wasn't expecting Poly Bridge music, but I'm not complaining.

  • @Ninja-The-Red-Shinobi
    @Ninja-The-Red-Shinobi 3 роки тому +3

    Wowie wow! The channels are blending together! For real I love it when you guys work together.

  • @njtrainsandairplanes5355
    @njtrainsandairplanes5355 2 роки тому

    I’m from North Jersey and was lucky to grow up and live in a town thats very walkable. Towns such as Glen Rock, Ridgewood and most Bergen County towns are similar to Bordentown

  • @sarahhaulenbeek6301
    @sarahhaulenbeek6301 2 роки тому +2

    Love this! Please look into Fieldsboro we are the step child of Bordentown city and trapped at the other end by big warehouse loving Bordentown twp. We have white hill mansion! And a population of about 600! Please!!

  • @athenaclark2567
    @athenaclark2567 2 роки тому

    I live fifteen minutes away in nearby Burlington Township. Bordentown is a cute little town with lots of charm!

  • @arifakyuz7673
    @arifakyuz7673 3 роки тому +2

    I was actually waiting for you to put that hat on the Paine statue in the end.

  • @cityonahilltours
    @cityonahilltours 2 роки тому +1

    You should go to Massachusetts…. This is what EVERY town in Massachusetts looks like. They all predate automobiles by one to three hundred years

  • @danielkrcmar5395
    @danielkrcmar5395 3 роки тому +2

    It's cute when Americans think a town of 350 years has a lot of history.

  • @stevenwilgus5422
    @stevenwilgus5422 3 роки тому +1

    Joseph Borden is one of my 7th paternal GGFs.

  • @konajonah
    @konajonah 2 роки тому

    Love the background footage in this video!
    👍 good stuff :)

  • @Phil9874
    @Phil9874 3 роки тому +1

    mmf that hat drip on payne is so good.

  • @TrainspotterSPb
    @TrainspotterSPb 3 роки тому +2

    Great video!

  • @Stachelbeeerchen
    @Stachelbeeerchen 3 роки тому +1

    Suburban citizens that use vacuum cleaners : "we do suck!"

  • @miniminamanmina3715
    @miniminamanmina3715 3 роки тому +2

    Nice video on the City of Bordentown . Remember this as we eat up our water resources , critical environmental spaces , pump more treated sewage by the billions of gallons into most of our rivers and streams , block aquifer recharge with 100's of millions of square feet of warehouse impermeable surfaces , add 100,000 or so new homes and apartments because of Affordable Housing requirements, Sprawl is in no way being addressed in a state that has been built out for over 20 years . In fact it is being increased and advanced into the last remaining sensitive open areas in the most densely populated state in the union. Why re development is being declared for active productive farmland is beyond me . I know this is not every community but many if one would care to look around on what has transpired for the last 16 to 18 years. Good video thank you just had to add my concerns that have been ignored in my community.

  • @VanadiumBromide
    @VanadiumBromide 3 роки тому +5

    This video was comfy and based. Keep it up Alan!

  • @anthonylopez1126
    @anthonylopez1126 3 роки тому

    4:37 *stares at factory blasting smoke into the air*