Things You Like About NJ (Atlantic City, Princeton: transfer, safe area, price)

[contachster]

Originally Posted by BergenCountyJohnny

I love that within 40 minutes in either direction from my home, I can be either in Midtown Manhattan or out in the woods, hiking in peace and quiet. I also love the trails along the Palisades Parkway, how you can jump right off a highway and then disappear into trails in thick woods, and discover cliffs along the Hudson and even hike down to the river.

I love my alma mater, Rutgers, a state university with a history like an Ivy League school (and, in most parts of the nation, a reputation like an Ivy as well).

I love Jersey style deep-friend hot dogs, From Hiram's to Hot Grill to Rutt's Hut and everything in between. I love Jersey slider-style burgers, such as White Manna or White Rose. Jersey food in general is just phenomenal, from the fat sandwiches to boardwalk fries and diner "disco fries", and our pizza and bagels are awesome. Jersey subs are known nationwide and our Italian deli's make the best Italian sandwiches with fresh mozz., cappicola, prosciutto, etc. Our diners are unrivaled in their ubiquity and quality and wide menu selection. Our Taylor ham, egg, and cheese sandwich is a unique NJ specialty and the best breakfast in the world, even better to me than Eggs Benedict (which I LOVE). And maybe the best is our state's own produce, from peaches to blueberries and cranberries, to tomatoes and sweet corn, zucchini, peppers, etc. etc. etc.... Our Garden State really lives up to its name. Nothing like a Jersey-grown tomato, with some Jersey-grown Basil and some Jersey-made fresh Mozzarella, drizzled w/ olive oil... what a state we live in, when it comes to food especially.

I love that NJ is small enough to get around within a day's worth of travel, yet offers such diversity in landscape, from mountains to plains and fields to beaches to forests...

I love our highways, even though they get jammed up, they are kept in good shape and our state is easy to travel.

I love that NJ has a mystique because people don't know what to expect here; some think "armpit of America", some think "Sopranos", some think "Clerks"/Jay and Silent Bob, some think "Garden State" as in the movie, and some think Atlantic City/casinos/gambling...yet when they come here, if they really explore the state, they find out it's idyllic, beautiful suburbs, with some large towns and small cities that offer interesting exploration, and beautiful countryside as well as beautiful beaches. Many people come here expecting the Turnpike and refineries, but those who leave the Turnpike will discover towns like the idyllic small-town in the TV Show "Ed", which was supposed to be set in small-town Ohio but was filmed on location in the Pascack Valley of Bergen Couny, NJ.

I love that NJ gets bashed, because only the ignorant who know little or nothing about NJ bash it, so it helps me recognize that someone is a moron as soon as he or she bashes NJ; on the flip side, it helps me realize someone is intelligent when they say something like, "Oh, NJ is a beautiful place, it gets bashed unfairly..."

I love our climate, our summers aren't too unbearable and winters aren't too harsh (although I could still deal with a little less rain and slighly milder winters)

I love that NJ is called "Jersey" and people know what you mean! lol (btw, I hate when people say "joisey", but we all know that's inaccurate and it's a whole other story)

I LOVE Newark Airport (EWR)!!! ... I've traveled for over 10 years for business, and have flown around the nation, and Newark is easily one of the best airports in the nation. Terminal C always wins rewards for the shopping/dining/concessions options they offer. It is a beautiful airport, despite showing its age, the terminals inside (especially C) are clean, functional, well-signed, and restrooms and water fountains are ubiquitous. The monorail is excellent, and makes it easy for all travelers to move amongst terminals, parking areas, rental cars, and the public train system (to get to NYC or anywhere else by NJT). EWR, as we all know, houses Continental's most lucrative hub; since obtaining the Newark hub, Continental went from "worst to first", they were the worst and then became the best airline, so we now have the best airline as a hub in our state, and we can take our pick from many travel times for nonnstops to most destinations in the US as well as to Europe, the Caribbean, etc. Plus, EWR is historical, it is where early aviation history was made, as Amelia Earhart used to fly out of EWR!!! EWR is underrated and much maligned by people, particularly people in NJ, but the fact is that all-around it is one of the best, if not THE best airport in the nation!

What do you like about NJ?

[openheads]

Originally Posted by contachster

What do you like about NJ?

Ha! I love it................

[diogenesNY]

I like the diners....... no diners like you find in Jersey.... Taylor ham on a roll with extra strong coffee w/side of home fries, (cigarettes optional).

I like the turnpike: Really! The traffic moves (usually, esp compared to similarly trafficked highways.... like most of I-95)..... and of course, the obligatory stop at the Vince Lombardi Service Area.

I like the Jersey Devil: Who says all those X-Files monsters have to be out in the hinterlands.

I _love_ the pizza: The good stuff anyway.... For all the talk about NY pizza (and I love good NYC pizza).... the real prizes are to be found in the occasional greasy looking dive off the side of route 46, or 4 or 17 lets say....

I like Jersey City: ...and I have only visited there once 'on the ground' (i.e. not driving through on the way to or from a tunnel)... but will be moving there in a few weeks. Looks like a fun and exciting place.

I like the level of civilization: My exile here in the Total Immersion Belt' has left me a bit um.... detached from the civilized world.

diogenesNY

[The Michigan Man]

Originally Posted by BergenCountyJohnny

I love my alma mater, Rutgers, a state university with a history like an Ivy League school (and, in most parts of the nation, a reputation like an Ivy as well).

Which parts of the nation would that be?

I love that NJ gets bashed, because only the ignorant who know little or nothing about NJ bash it, so it helps me recognize that someone is a moron as soon as he or she bashes NJ; on the flip side, it helps me realize someone is intelligent when they say something like, "Oh, NJ is a beautiful place, it gets bashed unfairly..."

Only the ignorant bash Jersey? Right.

[BergenCountyJohnny]

Originally Posted by The Michigan Man

Which parts of the nation would that be?

Academically, RU's reputation is close to an Ivy's and this is known worldwide. It is a "Public Ivy". People in the Northeast tend to be aware of that, but the further from the Northeast one goes, the more they believe RU is an Ivy League school. Out West - west coast and Rocky mountain areas - most people think RU is Ivy League. There is good reason for this, too. Unlike other public ivies, i.e. North Carolina, Rutgers is one of the oldest schools in the nation, and was found before the US even existed, in 1766. We are one of the Colonial colleges.

Of course, our recent successes in football have educated much of the nation (especially in the South and Midwest) that we are not an Ivy League school, so perhaps our football program will make it known to the general public that we're a public school.

Originally Posted by The Michigan Man

Only the ignorant bash Jersey? Right.

Yes, only the ignorant bash Jersey. It's pretty ignorant to bash anyplace, but when people bash Jersey it's usually even more ignorant because they make it clear they don't know what they're talking about (i.e. saying "joisey" or saying that NJ is all refineries and industrial/urban, or saying that our beaches are dirty/polluted/have needles washing up on shore).

[The Michigan Man]

Originally Posted by BergenCountyJohnny

Academically, RU's reputation is close to an Ivy's and this is known worldwide. It is a "Public Ivy". People in the Northeast tend to be aware of that, but the further from the Northeast one goes, the more they believe RU is an Ivy League school. Out West - west coast and Rocky mountain areas - most people think RU is Ivy League. There is good reason for this, too. Unlike other public ivies, i.e. North Carolina, Rutgers is one of the oldest schools in the nation, and was found before the US even existed, in 1766. We are one of the Colonial colleges.

Of course, our recent successes in football have educated much of the nation (especially in the South and Midwest) that we are not an Ivy League school, so perhaps our football program will make it known to the general public that we're a public school.

This is something RU alum LOVE to say, but I would like to see what their basis is for saying it.

Yes, only the ignorant bash Jersey. It's pretty ignorant to bash anyplace, but when people bash Jersey it's usually even more ignorant because they make it clear they don't know what they're talking about (i.e. saying "joisey" or saying that NJ is all refineries and industrial/urban, or saying that our beaches are dirty/polluted/have needles washing up on shore).

Only the ignorant? Or, the informed who actually live here and don't approve of the tax and spend philosophy of our corrupt and self-serving Governor and legislature. Yeah, that.

If you're not an NJ homer, you must be ignorant. Right.

[Songbird42]

I love New Jersey.........I lived in New Jersey for 28 yrs. I love New Jersey because I met my late husband there (a bronx boy). I love the rolling hills of NorthWest New Jersey. I love High Point State Park, the highest point in New Jersey. I love the Black Bears that roam the area. I love Middletown New Jersey my boyfriend lives there. I love New Jerseys great food and pizza.
I love swimming in NJ's fine lakes. I love New Jersey as my grandkids are there. I love New Jersey for all its greenery.

Who wouldn't love New Jersey?

[Giantwon]

Originally Posted by diogenesNY

I like the diners....... no diners like you find in Jersey.... Taylor ham on a roll with extra strong coffee w/side of home fries, (cigarettes optional).

I like the turnpike: Really! The traffic moves (usually, esp compared to similarly trafficked highways.... like most of I-95)..... and of course, the obligatory stop at the Vince Lombardi Service Area.

I like the Jersey Devil: Who says all those X-Files monsters have to be out in the hinterlands.

I _love_ the pizza: The good stuff anyway.... For all the talk about NY pizza (and I love good NYC pizza).... the real prizes are to be found in the occasional greasy looking dive off the side of route 46, or 4 or 17 lets say....

I like Jersey City: ...and I have only visited there once 'on the ground' (i.e. not driving through on the way to or from a tunnel)... but will be moving there in a few weeks. Looks like a fun and exciting place.

I like the level of civilization: My exile here in the Total Immersion Belt' has left me a bit um.... detached from the civilized world.

diogenesNY

Well said, got to agree and may i add .........

............got to luv "going down the shore"
also gotta love how cool we are, where else can Jack Nicholson ,Bruce Springsteen and ......Tony Soprano all come from the same place!

[Blondie621]

The boardwalk in Wildwood as a kid!
Living in Florida now, I miss the Italian deli's and the Diners, and Mona Lisa Pastry shop in Little Ferry! Boy do I miss that place!
Of course I miss my hometown shopping in Paramus on Rt.17 & 4 and Main St. Ridgewood for shopping and restaurants!
Also Bromilows Chocolates in West Paterson!
Houstons in RiverSide Square Mall!
White Mana in Hackensack! The best small burgers!

[BergenCountyJohnny]

Originally Posted by The Michigan Man

This is something RU alum LOVE to say, but I would like to see what their basis is for saying it.

My basis for saying it is my own experience. I've been traveling the nation for over 10 years and I still get people thinking it's an Ivy League school. But, as I said, in the last few years the talk is about our football team, apparently most of the nation loves Rutgers' rise... I've actually had some people say things like "wow, they must have just left the Ivy League, huh?" and I have to tell them it's been public now for decades. My relatives and friends from abroad (Canada, France, Lebanon, Germany, UK, Greece) all know the name and think it's Ivy League as well.

Originally Posted by The Michigan Man

Only the ignorant? Or, the informed who actually live here and don't approve of the tax and spend philosophy of our corrupt and self-serving Governor and legislature. Yeah, that.

If you're not an NJ homer, you must be ignorant. Right.

What's ignorant is bashing NJ, period. Disagreeing with policies and laws is one thing, and bashing is another. Some people don't realize it but there is a difference. I don't agree with everything our state's government does. For example, when Bird-woman Whitman, the former governess, removed a 1-cent/gallon tax on gas which Florio imposed to raise funds to aid gas station owners in the costly process of replacing old tanks, I didn't agree with it, and I have since seen the adverse effects of that come to fruition as I've seen gas stations go out of business as owners were financially ruined, as our water supplies became polluted and people got sick, and as lawsuits mounted. But I don't 'bash' NJ over that, because that would be plain IGNORANT. I'll bash Whitman the Chickenlady for that, but not the state.

NJ is a great state. Despite stupid things politicians do here (which is no different anywhere else, anyway) the state is the most prosperous state in the nation and is highly desirable and expensive for a reason. You get what you pay for. It's a great state despite the problems. NJ deserves praise, not bashing. You don't have to be a "homer" and think that NJ is the best state in every way possible. You can disagree with or dislike some things about NJ but that doesn't require bashing.

I think the people who bash are not only ignorant, but also angry and insecure.