North Jersey vs South Jersey "The Difference"? (Camden: house, neighborhood)

[StuckPA]

Originally Posted by LittleMissSunshine

throw that Montclair person into Salem or Cumberland county, they'd probably be scared.

That's a good way to put it,lol. Like taking a Somerset county person and throwing them into Philadelphia

[Badfish740]

Originally Posted by LittleMissSunshine

I think sometimes it's more about where in North Jersey you live vs. where in South Jersey you live. I think someone from say Montclair and someone from Cherry Hill may find out they have a lot more in common than they think and terms of life style. But throw that Cherry Hill person into Sussex County or throw that Montclair person into Salem or Cumberland county, they'd probably be scared. It's a very suburban vs. rural type thing.

Hey, where have I heard that before?

Originally Posted by Badfish740

Therefore I feel like I've lived my entire life stradding North Jersey and South Jersey and urban Jersey and rural Jersey. Not only is the Greater Trenton area about as dead center as it gets geographically, its the crossroads of the Jersey cultures.

Oh yea...lol

Its interesting how people espouse their views of urban vs. rural on this site. I'd venture to say that a lot of folks from the more rural environs of NJ would say that they'd feel "unsafe" in any of the urban parts of the Tri-State area. However the interesting thing is that when you read threads like the one about Oxford, there is definitely a fear of rural New Jersey held by some of those who consider themselves a bit more "civilized." I'm not knocking anyone, just making an observation. I find it interesting because I feel as though that since New Jersey offers such a diversity of environments (and it's not a large state), one would think that there would be many folks who feel just as comfortable in both.

Speaking for myself, I feel quite comfortable in either environment, of course this is probably due to the fact that I one parent who grew up in a rowhome and the other on a farm. Just this weekend I went to a party at a friend's home in Hamilton and volunteered to pick up pies from De Lorenzo's on Hamilton Avenue in Trenton. I had a conversation with a somewhat shocked individual who couldn't understand why I would be willing to venture into Trenton after the sun had set. Lo and behold I returned with pies, wallet, and no extra orifices. The next day my girlfriend and I decided to meet some friends at their place in Mays Landing, and we decided to head to Cowtown Rodeo in Woodstown, which I hadn't been to since I was a small kid to watch my aunt barrel race. It's the largest collection of cowboy hats and Wrangler jeans you'll see in New Jersey but the folks were just as friendly as the ones standing outside of De Lorenzo's waiting for a table.

I'm sure to some extent the rural/urban divide will always exist here, but folks shouldn't be afraid to venture into other parts of the state. Sussex County people should take a ride east on Route 80 to get some good Brazillian BBQ in the Ironbound, and folks from Bayonne should check out the Batona Trail down in the pines. In fact that reminds me of a funny story. When my girlfriend was a freshman in college she drove two of her new friends from school (from Woodridge and Union) out to her parents' home about 20 minutes southeast of High Point. Somewhere off of Route 15 she saw a bear about 30 yards from the side of the road so she stopped and pointed it out to her friends. Much to her surprise they both started bawling uncontrollably and begged her to drive away as fast as possible.

[LittleMissSunshine]

Originally Posted by Badfish740

When my girlfriend was a freshman in college she drove two of her new friends from school (from Woodridge and Union) out to her parents' home about 20 minutes southeast of High Point. Somewhere off of Route 15 she saw a bear about 30 yards from the side of the road so she stopped and pointed it out to her friends. Much to her surprise they both started bawling uncontrollably and begged her to drive away as fast as possible.

Wait, a minute........

is this Matt?

I thought I saw someone from Caldwell College in the thread...but I didn't pay attention, figured it was someone older.

But now this story, there are very few people who know this story, I'll die....this is too funny.

[Chef D]

I will break it down so it will never have to broken down again...

North Jersey - NYC attitude, quick pace, $$$$, Good areas have great things like Hoboken and the newer parts of Jersey City. Shops, Food to no end and don't forget NYC.

Central NJ - ETHNIC regions to no end. Look at Rt 27 coming from Colonia (And no offense to anyone here)
Colonia - WASP
Islien - Indian
Edison - Chinese
Highland Park - Jews
New Brunswick - "African" American/ Latino (Except by Rutgers Campus)
Franklin Park - Princeton - White

There is nothing wrong because you can get anything you want in Central NJ. Great Chinese food (Shout out to China Lake) to Pickin Chicken Beach 1/2 hour away, NYC 40 minutes away, Philly an Hour AC 1 1/2 Hours.


South Jersey on the other hand... Everything slows down to a reasonable pace. You can live and breath and smell the roses. Great culture again with AC and Philly being close and the more they devolp areas like millville and Vineland the more people to come live down there.

The future I believe is in South Jersey because North and Central are getting to populated. Either way I love it all.

[njsocks]

Originally Posted by Chef D

I will break it down so it will never have to broken down again...

North Jersey - NYC attitude, quick pace, $$$$, Good areas have great things like Hoboken and the newer parts of Jersey City. Shops, Food to no end and don't forget NYC.

Central NJ - ETHNIC regions to no end. Look at Rt 27 coming from Colonia (And no offense to anyone here)
Colonia - WASP
Islien - Indian
Edison - Chinese
Highland Park - Jews
New Brunswick - "African" American/ Latino (Except by Rutgers Campus)
Franklin Park - Princeton - White

There is nothing wrong because you can get anything you want in Central NJ. Great Chinese food (Shout out to China Lake) to Pickin Chicken Beach 1/2 hour away, NYC 40 minutes away, Philly an Hour AC 1 1/2 Hours.


South Jersey on the other hand... Everything slows down to a reasonable pace. You can live and breath and smell the roses. Great culture again with AC and Philly being close and the more they devolp areas like millville and Vineland the more people to come live down there.

The future I believe is in South Jersey because North and Central are getting to populated. Either way I love it all.

MY interpretation (since moving here 7 mo. ago):
Rednecks galore.
Too slow-paced.
People do not have front teeth (in my town)
1 supermarket in the area....

North and Central BETTER JOB OPPORTUNITIES! Better restaurants, better SHOPPING MALLS!better everything but high taxes and inflated housing prices!
I cannot find a job here and it is sad!!!!!

Yes, cheaper housing...but we had to buy in a pinch and didnt research it too well at the time since my hub transferred with his job here! I am regretting every minute!

[JoeSo]

Originally Posted by njsocks

MY interpretation (since moving here 7 mo. ago):
Rednecks galore.
Too slow-paced.
People do not have front teeth (in my town)
1 supermarket in the area....

North and Central BETTER JOB OPPORTUNITIES! Better restaurants, better SHOPPING MALLS!better everything but high taxes and inflated housing prices!
I cannot find a job here and it is sad!!!!!

Yes, cheaper housing...but we had to buy in a pinch and didnt research it too well at the time since my hub transferred with his job here! I am regretting every minute!

Since your profile doesn't tell me where you live,but from what you described it sounds like you're in the South Jersey/Philly area
Though when you say slow pace it could also be further east into SJ.

[tahiti]

Originally Posted by JoeSo

Since your profile doesn't tell me where you live,but from what you described it sounds like you're in the South Jersey/Philly area
Though when you say slow pace it could also be further east into SJ.

socks is in little egg harbor....

[john_starks]

i agree with the poster who stated that the expectations for someone living in montclair isn't very different to someone living in cherry hill. i do think you need to break it down to counties rather than using the blanket statement 'north' or 'south'.

the quality of life is more fast paced in north jersey and nyc, but mainly in the bergen, hudson, essex counties. although slower paced, burlington and camden counties that surround philly aren't that much different in terms of people's attitudes and expectations. you'll still get the punk kids working at best buy calling you 'boss'.

the more west you go in north jersey, the more country farmland you get. i had a friend go see a dog breeder in sussex county and told me that he felt like he was in hillbilly country. he had to get outta there...well that doesn't sound that much different to cumberland county.

i see differences, but i see just as many similarities...

[njsocks]

Originally Posted by tahiti

socks is in little egg harbor....

right on Tahiti!

[JoeSo]

Originally Posted by john_starks

the more west you go in north jersey, the more country farmland you get. i had a friend go see a dog breeder in sussex county and told me that he felt like he was in hillbilly country. he had to get outta there...well that doesn't sound that much different to cumberland county.

A little different,alot of NYers spread across north Jersey into the Poconos.
I have a friend in Sparta and she says there's Pakistanis all over plus things are unexpectedly more expensive up there...sounds a bit diff from Cumberland where there's alot of hispanic immigrants and a poor economy.