New York countryside.

Regular photo sketches from the car window during a trip around the neighborhood with a sleeping daughter in the back seat.

As you know, I live in northern New Jersey, right on the border with the state of New York. If you go somewhere south or east from me, everything is densely populated because of the proximity to New York City. But if you go north or west, you can see more open spaces, freezing air and simpler life. Since I have enough NYC views for work, I usually go to the west or north. There are mountains, endless fields, farms on every corner and a completely different, radically different from the New York City rhythm of life. The border of this area is the last stop of the bus going to Manhattan. It is worth crossing the invisible line as everything changes dramatically. Even cars and houses are completely different.

There are no traffic jams in our area, but there are even less cars on the roads there. If you take any country road, you may not see a single car for miles. The houses are large and they stand far from each other. No highways and big shopping malls on every corner. Big shops and even the familiar fast food chains, such as Dunkin Donuts or McDonalds, are disappearing. It is hard to believe that all this is actually in an hour and a half drive from America’s largest metropolis.

If you go even further, then all this will reappear, but I like the preserved lack of development of the surrounding space and I try not to get too close to the centers of American civilization. The ideal road is one where no one drives. Where you can safely stand on the sidelines and take a photo.

1. Farm with cows. Apparently, the higher the hay, the more tasty it is 🙂

2. I think that it is not necessary to explain what it is. Usually, houses have all the amenities, and such toilets are kept for special moments of oneness with nature.

3. Farmers are conservative people and often prefer not to use latest technology. Why do you need a new pickup when the old one drives well?

4. House for the tractor matching the color of the tractor.

5. Most horses on farms are protected from winter cold with special capes, but this, apparently, does not care about cold. What is this breed?

6. Coop. Fresh eggs are sold in a barn across the road.

7. Another farm.

8. Another farm. Meat, by the way, you can buy right there.

9. Whether someone lives in a house or not can be determent by the cleared snow. The entrances are cleaned to 99.9% of the houses. There are practically no abandoned or empty buildings.

10. Old Ford Taurus on the sidelines.

11. The roads in this part of the state look like this.

12. Abandoned Farm and Toyota FJ40, which is worth good money. Old and rusted FJ40 start at $4,000. For those that are in good condition and with reasonable mileage, they can easily ask for $20,000.