A neighbour to the North needs help!

HI Carol. Thanks for your post. I have tried priceline and I guess I am just going to have to settle for the fact that it is going to cost a lot to stay down there! I guess it just didn't occur to me that there would be NO inexpensive hotels in the area. I am planning on driving down, when I did a price comparison with flying and then renting a car it was ridiculous! So I will shovel out my mini-van, take out the car seat, and hope to be comfortable driving home again. I live in Scarborough...and work for the school board here. Does your daughter go to school at the scarborough campus or downtown? Thank you for your suggestions and if there is anything I can ever do to help you while you are here just give me a holler! sidney

Welcome to the reality of New Jersey cost-of-living vs. how it is elsewhere, eh! There are good deals and bargains around ... but they are sometimes hard to come by and take some poking around .. not sure how long you're planning on staying for .. or how far away from Teaneck you'll want to stay either ... I'm a bit to the west of Teaneck actually and things do get (a little) less-expensive the further away from New York City you get ... The drive's not bad at all and I know what you mean about cost comparison between flying/renting and just driving all the way .... gas is cheaper here, too ... wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy cheaper than it is up there so there is that to be thankful about. I presume you've stayed and driven to New Jersey before? It's about an 8 hour drive .. biggest factor is not knowing how long the border crossing will take on any given day . My sister lives in Scarborough and has been there for over a dozen years now ... she's just recently moved to the Lawrence and Brimley area. My daughter is a student at U of T's Victoria College .. and lives downtown in one of their residence buildings. She loves downtown Toronto. Same back to you re: helping in any way I can! Take care, - Carol Fox

Have you checked out any of these: Best Western 414 Hackensack Avenue, Hackensack, NJ, 07601 USA Ramada Inn Rochelle Park 2.78 Miles Marriott Glenpointe 2.79 Miles Hilton Hasbrouck Heights 3.02 Miles Radisson Englewood 3.08 Miles Howard Johnson Paramus 3.22 Miles Marriott Saddle Brook 3.28 Miles Radisson Saddle Brook 3.37 Miles AmeriSuites Fair Lawn 3.41 Miles Clinton Inn Hotel 3.68 Miles Hampton Inn Ridgefield Park 4.25 Miles Best Western Fort Lee 4.35 Miles Days Inn Ridgefield 4.42 Miles Hilton Fort Lee 4.50 Miles Hampton Inn Carlstadt 6.14 Miles Econo Lodge Carlstadt 6.44 Miles Fairfield Inn by Marriott East Rutherford 6.77 Miles Homestead Meadowlands 6.77 Miles Comfort Inn Edgewater 6.84 Miles Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel 7.49 Miles Extended Stay Meadowlands 7.71 Miles Whatever you do, stay away from anything on Route 46 Hackensack/Lodi vicinity. Tends to, shall we say, hourly rates . . . .

Not sure if you had the surgery already or not. I stay at Extended Stay when I am in Scarborough Maine every year. They seem very good. So I would stay there if you can. I hope you will have someone with you. The one in the Meadowlands is probably the easiest. Not sure where you are from but some people find our traffic to be a nightmare. So hope you have someone with you. I agree that you should stay away from any place on Route 46. They are no tell motels.