Wednesday, October 15, 2014

A food website has some good (and bad) things to say about Jersey City

The website Wallethub ranked Jersey City number #39 in a look at food, restaurants, cost, accessibility and quality of the 150 top populated cities in America. Jersey City did poorly if you're out looking for a dinner deal, ranking it #129 on the list meaning eating out is expensive. Big surprise. Look east, see those really tall buildings, it's been expensive to eat there forever. In some ways that stat truly proves Jersey City's claim as sixth borough. That can further be proved by the fact Jersey City placed a very impressive #6 when it comes to diversity, accessibility and quality. It came in even better at #4 for number of coffee shops per capita and also for gourmet specialty food stores per capita. Sound like anyplace nearby?

While some may look at the #39 overall rating and be disappointed, Johnny thinks something else it at work here. With all the new high end as well as other very good new places to eat people do now have expectations of good food in Cool City. They may initially grumble at the cost thinking they are paying a lot and not being actually physically in NYC, but the food world is getting smaller. Anymore there are a lot of cross-river eaters. Jersey City's Taqueria is opening in the East Village this year for a reason. NYC chefs are opening in Jersey City for a reason. Johnny knows a couple in NYC that won't eat Indian food anywhere but Newark Avenue in Jersey City.

In Johnny's mind these numbers are better rather than worse. He'll take a top ten ranking in diversity, accessibility and quality any day.

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