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 The Northeastern region of our United States is really beautiful this time
of year, so if you are looking for lots of great
scenery and lots of stuff to do, the northeast might be for
you. From rolling hills to spacious farms, miles of
uninterrupted natural landscape and fantastic cityscapes, the
whole area makes for one fantastic roadtrip. There is a wide
variety of attractions, both historical and new, shopping and
sights all around wherever you might wander. So, how fun would
that be to live around?!
Surprisingly to some, New Jersey is
one of our website’s top visited states. It is home to a
world-class arts scene and is even the birthplace of film. The
sta te celebrates its long, rich history of artistic excellence
every day in its award-winning theatres, unique museums and even
authentic folk and traditional arts which showcase its ethnic
and regional diversity. The state is blessed with thousands of
acres of state and national parks, forests and recreation areas
that can be enjoyed year-round. There is lots of shoreline for
any water activity you might enjoy and don’t forget the world
famous gambling that is available. There are also five major
sports teams. There is so much to enjoy in New Jersey, it was
recently rated one o f the most excellent states to visit by Zagat’s.
Interestingly, they rated it second only to Ohio.
Some fun facts you may not know about
the state are that the properties in the board game “Monopoly”
are named after real streets in Atlantic City. It has more
horses per square mile than any other state. And never forget
that “Jaws” was based on a series of actual shark attacks during
the summer of 1916 off a Jersey shore. There is also the legend
of the Jersey Devil that supposedly terrorizes a small town. In
fact, the New Jersey Devils are named for the mythical creature.
New
Jersey Tax Facts:
In New Jersey, the state/local tax burden is the highest in the
nation at an estimated 11.8%. They have a top income tax
bracket of 8.97% which kicks in at $500,000 per year. They have
a sales tax of 7% which is above the national average of 5.4%.
View
New Jersey communities.
Pennsylvania in the northeast is home
to the nation’s first zoo, founded by none other than Benjamin
Fr anklin. The state also houses some of the best museums in
the nation, including the Carnegie Museum, the Philadelphia
Museum of Art and the Houdini Museum. It also hosts several
amusement parks and large music festivals. On a slightly
different recreational note, the state is home to over 1 million
licensed hunters.
Pennsylvania Tax Facts: Pennsylvania
has the 11th highest state and local tax burden. It
is estimated to be 10.2% of income. The personal income tax is
3.07% which is actually 2nd lowest among the states.
Local taxes on personal income, though is from 1 to 1½% . The
state has a 6% sales tax and they have one of the highest
gasoline taxes in the nation.
More about Pennsyvlania or
view Pennsylvania communities.
Delaware is home to many wildlife refugees, lighthouses and
numerous historic sites as well as fabulous gardens with
fountains and sculptures.
 It has some gorgeous river
valleys that inspire some of America’s most famous artists.
A couple of fun facts are that Quaker merchant Thomas Garret is
thought to be the model for the Quaker farmer in “Uncle Tom’s
Cabin” and the frying pan was built in 1950 for use at the
Delmarva Chicken Festival.
Delaware Tax Facts:
Delaware has six income tax brackets with a top rate of 5.95%
which kicks in at $60,000. The state does not levy a sales
tax.
View
Delaware communities.
(Focus on Delaware coming in May).
Maryland is a big sports state with a
number of major and minor professional sports
 franchises.
However, as big as football is there with the Baltimore Ravens
and Washington Redskins, the official state sport is jousting
and the official team sport is lacrosse. In 2008, walking
became the state’s official exercise.
A couple of fun facts about Maryland
include that is gave up some of its land to help form Washington
D.C. The state is also a prominent producer and processor of
seafood and a national leader in the production of blue crabs
and soft clams.
Maryland Tax Facts:
Maryland’s state/local tax burden ranks 4th highest
nationally. They have seven income brackets with a top rate of
5.75% which starts at $200,000 per year. They have a 6% general
sales tax.
More about Maryland or
view
Maryland communities.
Finally, in our coverage of the
Northeast U.S., New York adds probably the most abundance of
things to do of anywhere. But, besides all the major sports
teams,
 incredible shopping and Broadway plays, what is really
surprising about New York is actually what is outside of New
York City. Of course, New York City is one of the biggest,
loudest, busiest, exciting cities of the world. But the state
is also home to a large number of dairy farms. There are over
18,000 cattle or calf farms. The Catskills are home of the
legendary Rip Van Winkle. The state is a major center of brown
trout fly fishing. In addition, Horseheads, NY,
is the first and only town in the U.S. dedicated to the service
of the American military horse.
New
York Tax Facts:
New York has during the last three decades had the highest
state/local tax burdens in the nation. It is currently
estimated as 11.7% of income. Their state income tax system has
a top rate of 6.85% which starts at $20,000. The state levies a
4% sales tax.
View
New York communities.
Other Interesting facts about the Northeastern region of the
United States
It has a wide array of climates depending upon a state’s
proximity to water and elevation. Most of the region has
hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters which are considered
to be shorter than most states’ winters. Annual rainfall
ranges from 35 to 45 inches with more in the higher elevation.
Snowfall varies from 9 to over 100 inches a winter in the
mountainous areas.
Culturally, the Northeast is somewhat different from the rest of
the U.S. It has a high percentage of Catholics at upwards of
63%. That is in large part due to immigration in the 19th
and early 20th century from Germany, Ireland, Italy,
Poland and Hungary. It also has the highest percentage of
Jewish Americans in the nation. It is no surprise then that it
also has the greatest diversity in our country of accents.
Interestingly, with all the major metro areas, the northeast
states have decidedly rural characteristics. In fact, New
Jersey is more rural than most people realize. New York is a
heavily agricultural state. Pennsylvania emphasizes programs
for farmers markets and community supported agriculture in “Buy
Fresh, Buy Local” movements. Much of heavy industry has moved
elsewhere but (legal) drug manufacturing and communications have
taken up the slack. The northeast is the wealthiest region of
the country. The Upper East Side of Manhattan hosts the largest
concentration of individual wealth in the country.
Politically, the region is largely Democratic. There is a large
base of artists, educators, intellectuals and universities that
skew that way. Pro-business policies have drawn many white
collar professionals into the Democratic fold.
The northeast is often said to be a megalopolis which is an
interdependent network of cities and suburbs that blend into
each other. The region provides many of the financial and
government services the rest of our country and much of the
world depends upon. Many political scientists argue that the
area is moving towards a state of economic and cultural
seamlessness.
We encourage you to visit the area in
your quest to find an active adult living community. The area
has a huge number of active adult communities all of which have
representatives that would love to speak with you about what
they have to offer (see our list of local State specialists
below). There is an abundance of things to do, the
area is beautiful and transportation and health care are
abundant.
Other Northeastern States
Look for our next issue focusing on
South Carolina. As usual we welcome your comments and
suggestions.
Dee Chandler
Editor
Dee@ActiveAdultLiving.com
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Happy
St. Patrick's Day to our Readers!
This edition we have
the first of a special new "Seasonal" series focusing on the
geographic regions of the United States. The series kicks
off with a "Focus on the Northeast", followed by the Northwest
(Summer), the Southeast (Fall) and the Southwest (Winter).
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