How many counties in NJ have you visited? (Newark, Jersey City: lease, crime)

[syncmaster]

15

Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Union, Middlesex, Somerset, Morris, Warren, Hunterdon, Monmouth, Mercer, Atlantic, Cape May, Camden, Ocean

[Busch Boy]

I've been to all the counties in NJ except Atlantic and Cape May.

[JerzBoy]

I've been to 16.

Camden - grew up there

Burlington - live there now

Middlesex - went to Rutgers for 4 years

Gloucester - tons of shopping and dining in Deptford

Cape May - always in Ocean City, Sea Isle, or Wildwood every summer

Atlantic - been to A/C a ton of times

Salem - been to cowtown rodeo and work in Elmer and Pennsville every once in a while

Cumberland - work in Vineland every once in a while

Mercer - sister goes to TCNJ

Ocean - been to LBI and seaside a few times

Somerset - did shopping and such there while living at Rutgers

Monmouth - college buddy lives there

Essex - been to Newark a few times

Hudson - been to Jersey City a few times

Union - college buddy lived there

Passaic - interviewed in Clifton

Never been to: Sussex, Morris, Hunterdon, Warren, or Bergen (unless stopping at the Montvale rest area on the parkway counts haha)

[Busch Boy]

Originally Posted by JerzBoy

I've been to 16.

Camden - grew up there

Burlington - live there now

Middlesex - went to Rutgers for 4 years

Gloucester - tons of shopping and dining in Deptford

Cape May - always in Ocean City, Sea Isle, or Wildwood every summer

Atlantic - been to A/C a ton of times

Salem - been to cowtown rodeo and work in Elmer and Pennsville every once in a while

Cumberland - work in Vineland every once in a while

Mercer - sister goes to TCNJ

Ocean - been to LBI and seaside a few times

Somerset - did shopping and such there while living at Rutgers

Monmouth - college buddy lives there

Essex - been to Newark a few times

Hudson - been to Jersey City a few times

Union - college buddy lived there

Passaic - interviewed in Clifton

Never been to: Sussex, Morris, Hunterdon, Warren, or Bergen (unless stopping at the Montvale rest area on the parkway counts haha)

I'm a Rutgers guy myself! I actually named myself "Busch" Boy b/c of the campus, LOL.


RU Rah-Rah!

[BrianG]

With all the fire and flood inventory's i have done , I have been to every county and most towns in those counties . I have been to places i can't even pronounce let alone spell

[mike0421]

I just saw this thread revived and had almost forgotten about it. It's amazing to me how few have been to all 21 counties. It was less than I had thought, and it seems that most claim Cumberland County is a big void area. Given the size of NJ, I would have thought more people would have spent time in all 21 counties.

[Badfish740]

Originally Posted by mike0421

I just saw this thread revived and had almost forgotten about it. It's amazing to me how few have been to all 21 counties. It was less than I had thought, and it seems that most claim Cumberland County is a big void area. Given the size of NJ, I would have thought more people would have spent time in all 21 counties.

It's interesting that you would say that Mike. I don't quite know what all of the factors are, but I think that many people in New Jersey tend to "stay put." Case in point-my parents vs. my fiancee's parents. My parents grew up in Hamilton and Trenton and basically spent a majority of their lives in the Mercer/Burlington area, venturing into the eastern/southern counties for the shore and north very rarely. My fiancee's parents are just the opposite-they could tell you every exit on Route 80 from the Delaware Water Gap to the George Washington Bridge, but panicked when her sister ended up going to Rowan because they knew so little about any part of New Jersey south of Middlesex County. In fact, prior to her sister attending Rowan her mother had never driven on the Turnpike! One of the reasons for this I think is the whole New York/Philadelphia metro area phenomenon. New York City and Philadelphia are like magnets which keep people planted in certain areas of New Jersey. Another aspect I think is our densely packed nature. Oftentimes unless you're really looking for something specific, you don't need to go far to get it. Obviously if you want the mountains, the pines, the beach, or the city, there are certain areas of New Jersey that have these things and certain areas that don't, but if you want to shop, for example, you don't usually have to go far in this state

[solibs]

I'll take a shot - from most to least familiar:

Monmouth - Home sweet home. Lived there for 11 years. Lots of friends and family there.

Camden - lived there for 2 years. Visit often.

Mercer - been there a lot for a variety of reasons over the years. Mostly friends and family.

Middlesex - had friends in Old Bridge, have friends in New Brunswick, spent a lot of time there

Ocean - lived there for 3 years. Still have friends and family.

Burlington - went there a lot for work. Had a few friends who lived there.

Gloucester - ditto Burlington.

Union - I know my way around/through it but otherwise I've spent very little time there.

Atlantic - have friends in Absecon. Go to AC and Brigantine regularly.

Hudson - parents live there

Cape May - I went to Ocean City for the first time this summer and i've driven through to get to the ferry. That's it.

Cumberland - I've only been to Vineland and Millville out of sheer curiosity. It feels more like eastern NC than it does like NJ.

Essex - Spent a decent amount of time in Newark. That's about it.

Passaic - have a few friends there. I try to visit them sparingly b/c it's 2.5 hour trip if i'm lucky.

Morris - I've been to Morristown a few times

Sussex/Warren/Hunterdon - I know the area along the river pretty well. The eastern ends, forget it, except for Hackettstown.

Somerset - drive through.

Bergen - drive through

Salem - drive through

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by Badfish740

It's interesting that you would say that Mike. I don't quite know what all of the factors are, but I think that many people in New Jersey tend to "stay put." Case in point-my parents vs. my fiancee's parents. My parents grew up in Hamilton and Trenton and basically spent a majority of their lives in the Mercer/Burlington area, venturing into the eastern/southern counties for the shore and north very rarely. My fiancee's parents are just the opposite-they could tell you every exit on Route 80 from the Delaware Water Gap to the George Washington Bridge, but panicked when her sister ended up going to Rowan because they knew so little about any part of New Jersey south of Middlesex County. In fact, prior to her sister attending Rowan her mother had never driven on the Turnpike! One of the reasons for this I think is the whole New York/Philadelphia metro area phenomenon. New York City and Philadelphia are like magnets which keep people planted in certain areas of New Jersey. Another aspect I think is our densely packed nature. Oftentimes unless you're really looking for something specific, you don't need to go far to get it. Obviously if you want the mountains, the pines, the beach, or the city, there are certain areas of New Jersey that have these things and certain areas that don't, but if you want to shop, for example, you don't usually have to go far in this state

Contrast that to New Mexico, my current locale. I live in Las Cruces, which is 230 miles from Albuquerque. People here regularly go there to work, for 2-3 days, then come back home. Family and friends in these two areas are intertwined. Cape May to Sussex (northern and southern extremes of NJ) are 200 miles apart. Yet, if you asked the residents of both those areas if they have been to the other, or have family, friends, jobs in the other area, the answer would be close to none.

My family was the same way growing up, and is now. Anything west of the Garden State Parkway below exit 100 is foreign land to them, unless you count the once in a great while trip on the NJ Turnpike to Washington D.C. But there is no real familiarity with counties such as Mercer, Salem, etc. And, there was no curiosity either.

I was a real oddball. I wanted to see everything in the state, even before I obtained my driver's license. And after I got it, I drove everywhere, on weekends, by myself, just for the need of curiosity and discovery. I had that wanderlust in me that no one else had. No one else in my family has it, nor did any of my friends in H.S. or later, college. My boundaries extended past NJ, however, I remember driving up into western Massachusetts, driving around the Berkshires, or into Western PA, using back roads the entire time. Of course, along the way, I took many trips in NJ, day trips, with my "Off the Beaten Path", "Weird NJ", armed with various maps.

I remember one drive in particular, it was early March 1990, and there was a record heat wave around Baltimore, but it wasn't forecasted to quite reach Northern NJ. Just for the sake of being able to enjoy it, I took a solo drive down to Fortescue, which is right on the Delaware Bay. Took my shorts with me, and just reclined on this concrete slab up against the water, with a book, for several hours. There wasn't another soul around. Felt like a king.

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by solibs

I'll take a shot - from most to least familiar:

Monmouth - Home sweet home. Lived there for 11 years. Lots of friends and family there.

Camden - lived there for 2 years. Visit often.

Mercer - been there a lot for a variety of reasons over the years. Mostly friends and family.

Middlesex - had friends in Old Bridge, have friends in New Brunswick, spent a lot of time there

Ocean - lived there for 3 years. Still have friends and family.

Burlington - went there a lot for work. Had a few friends who lived there.

Gloucester - ditto Burlington.

Union - I know my way around/through it but otherwise I've spent very little time there.

Atlantic - have friends in Absecon. Go to AC and Brigantine regularly.

Hudson - parents live there

Cape May - I went to Ocean City for the first time this summer and i've driven through to get to the ferry. That's it.

Cumberland - I've only been to Vineland and Millville out of sheer curiosity. It feels more like eastern NC than it does like NJ.

Essex - Spent a decent amount of time in Newark. That's about it.

Passaic - have a few friends there. I try to visit them sparingly b/c it's 2.5 hour trip if i'm lucky.

Morris - I've been to Morristown a few times

Sussex/Warren/Hunterdon - I know the area along the river pretty well. The eastern ends, forget it, except for Hackettstown.

Somerset - drive through.

Bergen - drive through

Salem - drive through

Bingo about Vineland, and Millville! That's exactly how it felt like to me there too. I was on business in Vineland about 8 years ago, spent two nights there. I remarked to the people I was with that I felt like I was more in Hinesville Georgia than I was in NJ. I had to do a double take on the NJ plates. I think I even attempted to pump my own gas once, just to make sure I was still in NJ.