North Jersey vs South Jersey "The Difference"? (Camden: garden, housing)

[PANJNY7]

Originally Posted by OutOfState

For such a small state it is amazing the regional differences we have in NJ. I was raised less than a mile from the Hudson River in the shadows of the GW Bridge and the Lincoln Tunnel. I know, tunnels don't cast shadows - stay with me.

When I think of N Jersey, I think of - hills, NYC, lakes, maple trees, malls, heros, bagels and italian restaurants, Hudson County Park (we had no idea who James J Braddock was and that this was his park), exploring by the Hudson (LONG before the condos and ferries), commuter train stations in little towns, a new town virtually every other mile, skipping school and taking a bus into NYC, the Hudson almost completely frozen over in early February, sitting in traffic going to a Yankee or Mets game (I was raised in mixed household - parents Yankee fans/children Mets fans), sitting on the Major Deegan after a Yankee game, hiking near the NJ/PA/NY border, tailgating for the Giants, the US Open as the unofficial last rite of summer, path trains from Hoboken, pumpkin patches, apple picking and farmers markets.

I remember Mays and Octobers so remarkable that they erased March and August from my memory, year after year.

When I think of S Jersey, I think of - rolling hills and fields, Seaside and Wildwood when I was younger and mischievous, Cape May and Belmar and LBI as I got older, crushing traffic on the Parkway(both directions), trying to outguess the masses when heading home from a holiday weekend, the Philadelphia Flower show ever March - getting an early glimpse of spring to make it through those last few weeks before crocuses started blooming, dumplings in Chinatown right after the Flower show, Princeton in the fall, the Ben Franklin bridge, the boardwalk, the sand, summer concerts, Bruce in Asbury Park (seems like everyone but me saw him at the Stone Pony), the Toms River flooding almost every year, great little league teams from Toms River (almost every year), the little towns along the Delaware (in my memory, that's S Jersey), light houses, italian ices, seagulls and the surf.

I think of hot summer days made (seemingly) ten degrees cooler as soon as I got to the beach.

I can't think of NJ without also thinking of NYC and Philly. It's no less an amazing place for that. It was sandwiched between, for a long time in our national history, the two largest cities in the country. It's no wonder that no comparable city exists to mark NJ - so what.

When I come home, I remember the things I love and am reminded of the reasons I left.

The difference? I think the dividing line between the MidAtlantic states and NewEngland runs smack through the middle of NJ - and we are the more fortunate for it.

what you wrote sums it up perfectly...very well written. I grew up in Philly and my family owed a summer home in Wildwood so we spent all of our summers there, then I moved to New York when I was in my early 30's. Having the exposure to all 3 states, I still prefer the "Garden State" above all. It has a little bit of everything and you can never get bored.

[Stifled]

I don't get how people can sit here and call South Jersey or PA "the deep south" you've GOT to be kidding.
South Jersey is less dense area than north jersey...but it is NOT the south or the mid-atlantic.
NJ is the northeast...as is Philly.
I don't get why people claim South NJ and PA to be hick states.

[NEWARK MAGIC]

nothing

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by Stifled

I don't get how people can sit here and call South Jersey or PA "the deep south" you've GOT to be kidding.
South Jersey is less dense area than north jersey...but it is NOT the south or the mid-atlantic.
NJ is the northeast...as is Philly.
I don't get why people claim South NJ and PA to be hick states.

I don't know...a friend of mine (who grew up in Kearny) lived in Ventnor for a number of years. The people down there didn't seem to be all that bright, although that's a generalization that I hope is certainly not true. For example, one of her friends called one day to ask if she had a 3/4 cup measuring cup...my friend told her just to use a 1/4 cup three times, and she responded, are you SURE? And this woman's mother insisted for two days after 9/11 that only one tower fell, not both. OK, that's one family, maybe they have issues. But then I was talking to a guy in a bar and told him I was from North Jersey and he said he had been to North Jersey, and I asked where and he said "Forked River". People seemed more isolated and downtrodden down that way.

[lizzytish]

At this point, northern NJ is clogged with traffic and most towns have high property taxes. At one time it might have been a nice place to live, but no longer. You need to be making mega bucks to have a halfway decent life up here.

[subwayfan]

Originally Posted by Stifled

I don't get why people claim South NJ and PA to be hick states.

Once you go out of the immediate Philly metro, the area does have some hick spots.

Even between the Mt.Laurel area of Philly metro and Lawrenceville/Princeton, some towns in Burlington County are a little hick imo. Like Vincentown, Burlington Township where the folk are more than 20 minutes of a mall with a decent stores, so the folk tend to just shop for apparel at Wal-Mart.

On "Everybody Loves Raymond", I think Robert's in-laws were from PA and were hick. The depiction wasn't off of from what I've seen of the PA hick.

[LexusIS250]

South Jersey-Cape May to Lacey
Central Jersey-Toms River to the raritan bridge
North Jersey-Everything above

[frankgn87]

which is no different then north west Jersey. its like the Poconos up there. About as hick as some south jersey towns

Originally Posted by subwayfan

Once you go out of the immediate Philly metro, the area does have some hick spots.

Even between the Mt.Laurel area of Philly metro and Lawrenceville/Princeton, some towns in Burlington County are a little hick imo. Like Vincentown, Burlington Township where the folk are more than 20 minutes of a mall with a decent stores, so the folk tend to just shop for apparel at Wal-Mart.

On "Everybody Loves Raymond", I think Robert's in-laws were from PA and were hick. The depiction wasn't off of from what I've seen of the PA hick.

[tommyc_37]

Originally Posted by lizzytish

At this point, northern NJ is clogged with traffic and most towns have high property taxes. At one time it might have been a nice place to live, but no longer. You need to be making mega bucks to have a halfway decent life up here.

You're talking about Northeastern NJ, not North Jersey. For example, Sussex, Warren, and much of Morris counties are quite rural and spread out.

[lizzytish]

The northwestern part of NJ is also clogged with traffic. Routh 15 South is bumper to bumper during rush hour. Ten years ago this wasn't the case, but it is now.Property taxes are cheaper compared to places like Parsippany where you can pay $10,000 on a house. Nonetheless, $6000 to $8000 in property taxes is still a lot, particularly if you are not making huge sums of money.During this decade many housing developments were built in the northwestern part of the state, but roads weren't widened. It 's a nightmare for commuters.I can't say anything about Warren, because I really am not driving through that area during rush hour. I have no idea how those people deal with a long commute.