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I was living in Philly when Philly friends took me to Delaware Gap. My memory of it was that it wasn't really close to any city. But now I know.
It really isn't, but the NJ county it's in is part of NY's metro area - Sussex Co, NJ. Warren County, NJ, where it also extends into, is in Allentown, PA's metro area. Still haven't figured out why this isn't NYC's as well, especially considering Pike Co, PA is… oh well.
And my main reason for boosting the Midwest is because of the massive ignorance I've encountered in my life from Coastal folks who often use the word for our region as a pejorative.
Ask around there in New Jersey for folks opinions about the "Midwest".
And my main reason for boosting the Midwest is because of the massive ignorance I've encountered in my life from Coastal folks who often use the word for our region as a pejorative.
Ask around there in New Jersey for folks opinions about the "Midwest".
And you do the same for NJ. I bet answers you'll get will include rude, dirty, Jersey Shore type (actually New Yorkers… ), smelly, industrial, armpit of America, place for NY's garbage, and more uninformed things people think about NJ because of how it's incorrectly portrayed. I've said this time and time again here on CD, but I've come across people who are surprised that NJ has trees… wish I was kidding. My friends from CA were shocked our beaches are actually pristine. I guess they assumed they were dirty and gross.
You have to pick your battles. There are stereotypes for everywhere. Trust me, I'm from NJ. People insult me on a regular basis because of where I'm from. If anyone knows anything about misinformation about a place, it's me.
The midwest is mostly flat, this is part stereotype but also mostly truth. There are hills, waterfalls, ok yes, but compared to the northeast, well, there really is no comparison. There are also big lakes there, but to most people used to an ocean, that's not much of a comparison, either. This isn't to say the midwest isn't pretty or nice, it's just all true - it's very different from here and other places.
And my main reason for boosting the Midwest is because of the massive ignorance I've encountered in my life from Coastal folks who often use the word for our region as a pejorative.
Ask around there in New Jersey for folks opinions about the "Midwest".
Quote:
Originally Posted by midwest1
I was living in Philly when Philly friends took me to Delaware Gap. My memory of it was that it wasn't really close to any city. That's why I associated it with Philly.
But now I know.
Fair enough.
I am actually kind of curious. When you were living in Philadelphia why did your friends suggest you go to the Delaware Water Gap and what did you guys do there?
I doubt most Midwesterners have much of an opinion about an individual state like New Jersey. I personally have enjoyed my travels there from the Delaware Gap to Sandy Hook, the Shore, and as I mentioned, loved the Pine Barrens. Dated a girl from Jersey in college as well, one of the coolest chicks I've ever had the pleasure to know. Tough as nails though.
I suppose that's one similarity between New Jersey and the Midwest...overly stereotyped and greatly underrated.
I am actually kind of curious. When you were living in Philadelphia why did your friends suggest you go to the Delaware Water Gap and what did you guys do there?
It was maybe 7 years ago. Lived there for 6 months and we wanted to do some hiking and a friend suggested the Delaware Water Gap. Went back later that year in winter, very beautiful.
I doubt most Midwesterners have much of an opinion about an individual state like New Jersey. I personally have enjoyed my travels there from the Delaware Gap to Sandy Hook, the Shore, and as I mentioned, loved the Pine Barrens. Dated a girl from Jersey in college as well, one of the coolest chicks I've ever had the pleasure to know. Tough as nails though.
I suppose that's one similarity between New Jersey and the Midwest...overly stereotyped and greatly underrated.
Oh, no. You just don't think so because you've been here and know better, which I applaud you for. I know people who've travelled extensively through NJ and still make jokes about how much it sucks even though they actually like it. It's just something many Americans tend to do whether they believe it or not. NJ is easily the most sh*t on state in the country, I think it's because of the way it's been portrayed in movies, TV, and the media. You tend to see most NJ hate online, though.
Another little story, my friend from Orange Co, CA was on the phone with her grandparents (her grandpa actually grew up in upstate NY and her grandma born and raised in NoCal, both of them resided in San Jose, CA at the time) while I was driving her through NJ's barrier islands and she told them she was visiting the Jersey Shore. Her grandpa was appalled - "why would you ever want to go there?" People are so, so misinformed about most aspects of NJ.
Rightly so, at least for the city itself. Chicago shouldn't be compared to NYC, not on same level, completely different cities, though you can compare certain things, like you can compare anything of course, Chicago just won't win most of them. Chicago is more on DC/Boston/SF/Toronto level. It's only compared b/c it's the next big city in line. Only comparable to NYC are like Tokyo and London... Maybe... maybe Paris.
Back to subject
This is what coming into NYC from the west looks like...
nj.com
This is 60-70 miles out, then there is the Delaware Gap...
tiger usa
on i-80 eclimited
And that is just driving from the interstate, it is prettier once you get up into it. I took about an hour detour to cruise around once, it was cool.
Then directly from New Jersey
Goerge Maronson.
Then a few ...not great ones I shot driving less than 2 weeks ago.
this is about 15 minutes outside NYC
Then around the corner going downhill towards NYC with Midtown in the background
Remind you of coming into the Chicago metro?
Beautiful post and 110% spot on. This may be something only folks from the Northeast know about.
Chicago is the roughly the same size as Paris and London. This conceit that New York can't be compared to Chicago is bizarre. Out of curiosity, I've shown hundreds of east Asians pictures of Chicago and ask them what city it is, virtually all of them say New York. And I've seen countless commercials, print advertisements, and store signs in Asia claiming "New York" when the images are of the Chicago skyline.
Cities like Seoul, Tokyp and Shanghai are now larger than New York....should they scoff at New York and refuse to compare the cities because NY is smaller? Once a city hits a certain size (let's say 10,000,000 as an arbitrary mark)...comparing the various size is just splitting hairs.
And the Delaware Gap is quite nice, been camping/hiking there. But wouldn't Philly claim that as in their sphere of influence more than NY?
Id venture to say, as ive been through DWG many times, that its roughly equal in influence or distance. That part of NEPA is kinda weird as youd think itd be Philly's to claim, but its kinda more NYC influenced, especially commuter wise.
Don't quite know what you mean there, but it doesn't sound too nice. It's also sadly misinformed. There are plenty of extremely wealthy, middle class, or just respectable areas on the Jersey Shore and Long Island where you will find normal, quiet, reserved, polite people who keep to themselves and spend nice days on the beaches with their families. In fact, much of the NJ shore is like this. It's only when you get into amusement towns like Seaside Heights, Atlantic City, and Wildwood where people can be "iffy" as you say. I blame this on alcohol, gambling, and younger crowds (many of whom are actually from out of state, funny enough).
Those who visit Avon, Manasquan, Sea Girt, Sea Bright, LBI, Seaside Park, Deal, Brick, Lavallette, and more in the NYC metro are wonderful people who you will almost never run into any problems with. They are quiet, nicer beach towns with a good crowd. So I'm not quite sure what you mean when you generalize two entire regions of being having an "iffy" crowd.
The most obvious and popular beaches draw them, just as they do in Chicago.
All I was really suggesting is both places have their popular spots and remote spots with pros and cons.
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), smelly, industrial, armpit of America, place for NY's garbage, and more uninformed things people think about NJ because of how it's incorrectly portrayed. I've said this time and time again here on CD, but I've come across people who are surprised that NJ has trees… wish I was kidding. My friends from CA were shocked our beaches are actually pristine. I guess they assumed they were dirty and gross. 
