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NJ, although one of the smallest states is a SUPERLATIVE in so many ways. We are one of the top three wealthiest states in America and that is not all thanks to NYC. Yes it is true many of NJ's wealthy work in NYC and commute back to one of NJ's enclave's like Alpine, Saddle River, Franklin Lakes, Short Hills, Harding Township, Mendham, Bernardsville, Far Hills, Bedminster, Colts Neck, Rumson, etc. Thats right DING DONGS!!! I dare you to take any of these towns and put them in Google Earth and take an Aerial Look and then compare them to the place you call home and you'll never wonder why someone from NJ rips you apart the next time you say something disparaging towards NJ.
Alpine with a median home value of $ 6.7 million and each resident worth an estimated 32 million dollars a pop is the ABSOLUTE RICHEST town in America. NJ is also the state that has the highest percentage of millionaire households in the country!
So America, if the SUPER RICH can't get enough of NJ (drive through Bergen County) then what all of you have is envy. You want to bust our balls because you drive down the Turnpike and see Oil Refineries (which is a source of massive revenue for the state) but you never take the time to get off the highway an drive through our awesome towns. So America:
Are you stupid because you are poor (compared to NJ your state certainly is!) or are you poor because you are stupid (compared to New Jerseyans you are!)
We have the highest percentage of scientist anywhere on planet Earth (many of them work in the pharmaceutical industry which makes and provides the entire country with medicine). Also, the children of the good people of NJ are SMARTER than your children as NJ has the absolute overall best public school system in the entire United States. We have the test scores and graduation rates to prove it.
As a matter of fact the average student in Bergen County, NJ is an entire 3 grade levels ahead of his fellow American pupil. I dare you all to go to a website of a Bergen County High School and see how the students there are getting a university level education. Then compare that to what your children are learning and you will see your child's education compared to that of a NJ student is lackluster at best. The public high school I attended has a planetarium with a Harvard educated teacher that instructs astrology (how many public school students can say they have that!)
Shopping, who doesn't love to SHOP? NJ is the shopping MECCA of the world. Paramus, NJ has the ABSOLUTE highest dollar value retails sales per annum than any other ZIP code in America! Thats pretty awesome if you consider the town is even closed for business on Sunday. If you live in Bergen County NJ, within a 10 minute drive you can buy anything from a pack of gum to a $140,000 HERMES handbag and EVERYTHING in between. Now I mentioned the pharmaceutical companies are all headquartered in NJ and so are the North American Operations of many European Designer Brands. For instance you will find Gucci's Flagship North American Boutique on 5th avenue in Manhattan but your will find the companies North American Headquarters are in NJ (along with that companies CEO, CFO, and entire administrative team!)
Lets not forget the Automobile Industry, many European Car Makers are headquartered in NJ: Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Ferrari-Maserati, Jaguar-Landrover, etc
Do you like your electronics America? You know Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Sharp, LG, they are all headquartered in NJ.
How do you think NJ got so filthy stinkin rich?!!!
Also, the great people of New Jersey have been innovators for 2 centuries:
Hello World Do All of you ENJOY HAVING ELECTRIC CURRENT AND LIGHT BULBS IN YOUR HOUSE??????
Say THANK YOU to Thomas Edison and his laboratories in Menlo Park, NJ.
Do you all like using your TELEPHONES, well imagine the history of TELEPHONY without BELL LABORATORIES anchored in Berkley Heights, NJ. To think my cell has a 201 area code which was the first area code of ALL TIME encompassing the entire United States and Canada.
Also world don't forget that BEFORE Hollywood the American Film Industry got it's start in West Orange, New Jersey when Edison built the first Motion Picture Studio there. After that Motion Picture Studios started popping up all over NJ most notably in Fort Lee and Bayonne. As a matter of fact, it was Nestor Studios of Bayonne, NJ who built the first Motion Picture Studio in Hollywood (which later merged with Universal Studios).
Point is world, YOU HAVE SOME BALLS DISPARAGING New Jersey when God only knows what the world would be like now hadn't the BRILLIANT people of New Jersey brought electric current, telephones, and modern movie production to your life. Don't forget Albert Einstein who was pivotal in the creation of the Atomic bomb which gave the US a giant head above the rest during WWII. Einstein (a German Jewish Immigrant), lived, worked, and died in Princeton, NJ (home to one of the best Universities on Earth and is itself an extremely wealthy and beautiful town).
Anyway, I could ramble on forever and ever the point is NJ is an awesome place and as I have said is the SUPERLATIVE in many ways (hey we have the richest town in America, the poorest town in America, as well as the first industrialized town in America etc etc). So next time you are driving through stop being a complete MORON, get off the highway, and drive through the real NJ. Some of our towns will leave you speechless: Cape May for instance is the most Victorian Styled Town in America, Somerset County beyond it's lush green rolling hills has horse farms, lakes, streams, and multi million dollar GARGANTUAN ESTATES set on tons of acreage many of which were built at the turn of the century during the Gilded Age (the no expense spared/pre tax era). Some you can visit as museums while others are inhabited by Wall Street Brokers and major executives of the pharmaceutical industry (Johnson&Johnson is here) and beyond.
So before you knock us come take a look and see how we live. A world without us is a world with no Bed Bath and Beyond (Union, NJ) Tumi Luggage (South Plainfield, NJ) Vonage (Holmdel, NJ) I can go on and on.
What can I say our work ethic has allowed us to create some of the largest and most important corporations in America teemed our with emphasis on higher education and the results are one of the greatest states in America. Why do you think people in many places throughout NJ are willing to wheel out around $15,000 a year in municipal tax. The thought their children attend award winning public schools (which are better than most private schools in the rest of America) somehow just makes it all worth it.
Also true is the fact that even the middle class in New Jersey lives better than 95% of the rest of America. Besides having one of the highest household incomes New Jersey has extremely high property values often multiple times the national average in many areas. Also, NJ is practically IMMUNE to a housing market crash. OK everybody was complaining back in 2008 when some places in NJ saw a 15% decrease in property value but an actual "crash" NO!! There were many housing markets throughout the US that took a NOSE DIVE and even crashed so hard that many of their property and house combined value was worth less than the cost of the building material for a new home. This NEVER happened anywhere in NJ and if it did a CATACLYSMIC ECONOMIC EVENT would have to precede it.
Last edited by njusa2013; 03-19-2014 at 01:10 PM..
I find Chicago to be overrated. Not sure why he's picking on NJ. It just seems dumb and irrelevant in trying to support his argument.
NJ has a lot of problems but a lot of the US really doesn't comprehend what those problems are. Their tainted view of NJ is really just industrial waste & crazy people.
To my fellow New Jerseyans, I was always as befuddled as I’m sure you all are each time I hear a negative comment about our state (which is awesome cause we are awesome). All I said in my previous post is true what sucks is that I had to spell out our accolades and contributions to the world. Although I’m sure you will all believe me when I say we take for granted living in New Jersey. I know that we are indeed the first people to complain about our state but hey anyone that moves away always is dying to come back! Just look through the numerous threads here on city-data. There are many threads here that are “should I move back to NJ??????!!!!!” that is because NJ is awesome although expensive.
Now I know we New Jerseyans have a right to complain as paying the highest municipal tax in the world is hardly a term of endearment. Yet again, ask anybody who has a family member or friend that has moved away from the Garden State and listen to the horror that they describe when talking about the public schools in other states.
Off the top of my head (and I know plenty) a family friend named Amber who is a math teacher moved south for the allure of the weather and beach climate. The first thing she said was “the food was awful, the heat eventually gets to you, and worst of all when I looked at the my sons curriculum I saw shocked!” She gasped and said “I kid you not his school system (in the south) was at least 2 grade levels behind what my son’s co-pupils were learning back in NJ and the town we are from back home was not even known for the schools whereas the one in the south was.”
See my fellow New Jerseyans, I wasn’t kidding when I said even we the middle class of NJ live better than 95% of America.
As far as food goes in New Jersey ALL OF US know exactly where to go when we want French Cuisine cooked by a French Chef, or Italian cooked by an actual Italian, or Greek…..you get the point! Do you really think the rest of America has such easy access to this kind of food! The woman I just described had me rolling on the floor when she was in the south and went to the grocery store and asked for: A’ Muzzarrel and Broccoli Rabe! Then she was like I asked everybody where I could get “good Italian food” and was told Carrabbas Italian Grill (oof be still my NJ heart YIKES!)
Then I asked her “Amber, how was the shopping?” she told me “shopping NO HONEY what shopping!! Once you leave New Jersey shopping is non existent at least compared to what we are used to!”
Point is my friend like so many others that left NJ eventually couldn’t wait for the day she could come back and now says “I don’t complain about the taxes anymore I’m not bugging!”
So there, we pay the damn taxes so the kids can get a great education, our houses appreciate well above the national average (which assures a good retirement), and finally we will gladly shell out $20 for a pizza as long as it is hand crafted by real Italians (thin crust, wood burning oven of course!) much before we spend half of that to eat a chain pizzeria pie that the rest of America is used to (OOOOOOF!! NO THANK YOU!).
PS. My friend isn’t even Italian descent yet she still is from Jersey and would never accept anything less. Even my Jewish friends from NJ won’t even touch Mozzarella cheese if it is a national brand wrapped in plastic and even they only buy “SAN MARZANO” canned tomatoes (which apparently are hard to find in the rest of America) cause even they know better!!!
Lastly, people on this thread keep repeating, “My friends were shocked how green NJ is.”
Um the vast majority of NJ is a forest whether Oak or Pine. Yes I will admit that our greenery dies (or goes dormant rather) and NJ is very drab in the winter for 3 months. However, overall our green is a very lush vibrant green and is much richer than what you get on the West Coast! Actually the entire East Coast is much greener than the West Coast plus NJ like the North East has water everywhere in the form of lakes, ponds, river, streams, etc. The West Coast if you pop onto Google Earth has no water anywhere it seems (except for a few large lakes every million or so square miles).
I make this distinction, (East/West Coast) as it seems in many threads here the West Coasters are always saying NJ/East Coast has no scenery. Which is not at all true. It is even pretty cool that we have mountains in NJ if you consider the whole state is considered Atlantic Highlands as we have water on all three sides including the Delaware River on our left. Lastly I want to say I do not care how many photos these West Coast people keep posting of tall mountains with a town in the valley. I would much rather live in NJ with our hills.
Whitin one hour, yes ONE HOUR we can be shopping in the shopping Mecca of the world, we can be catching a play, opera, art exhibition in New York. Eating at one of the best restaurants in America or walking through some of the most important museums/culture points in the country.
We can drive to the Jersey Shore and take advantage of all it has to offer from amazing food, beaches, boating, and scenery.
We can drive into the country with green rolling hills in Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, or Somerset counties (we even have more horses per capita than any other state). Even tour some of America’s historical estates that can be found all over these areas (ie Ringwood Manor/State park etc).
Meanwhile back to the West Coast Photos. Um those towns are pretty but what can I say those people live in SOUTH PARK! I mean common, you have a town in the middle of a valley with nothing around it (YAWN!) I mean scenery is beautiful but what do you do after a week when you want to cut your veins there just to have something to do?
Jersey is da BOMB! Common you think those people in those mountain towns can eat at a French Restaurant or get a brick oven pizza or go to the beach and see a Broadway Play all in a day. We New Jerseyans can!
Now I know we New Jerseyans have a right to complain as paying the highest municipal tax in the world is hardly a term of endearment. Yet again, ask anybody who has a family member or friend that has moved away from the Garden State and listen to the horror that they describe when talking about the public schools in other states.
“the food was awful, the heat eventually gets to you, and worst of all when I looked at the my sons curriculum I saw shocked!†She gasped and said “I kid you not his school system (in the south) was at least 2 grade levels behind what my son’s co-pupils were learning back in NJ and the town we are from back home was not even known for the schools whereas the one in the south was.â€
See my fellow New Jerseyans, I wasn’t kidding when I said even we the middle class of NJ live better than 95% of America.
As far as food goes in New Jersey ALL OF US know exactly where to go when we want French Cuisine cooked by a French Chef, or Italian cooked by an actual Italian, or Greek…..you get the point! Do you really think the rest of America has such easy access to this kind of food! The woman I just described had me rolling on the floor when she was in the south and went to the grocery store and asked for: A’ Muzzarrel and Broccoli Rabe! Then she was like I asked everybody where I could get “good Italian food†and was told Carrabbas Italian Grill (oof be still my NJ heart YIKES!)
So there, we pay the damn taxes so the kids can get a great education, our houses appreciate well above the national average (which assures a good retirement), and finally we will gladly shell out $20 for a pizza as long as it is hand crafted by real Italians (thin crust, wood burning oven of course!) much before we spend half of that to eat a chain pizzeria pie that the rest of America is used to (OOOOOOF!! NO THANK YOU!).
PS. My friend isn’t even Italian descent yet she still is from Jersey and would never accept anything less. Even my Jewish friends from NJ won’t even touch Mozzarella cheese if it is a national brand wrapped in plastic and even they only buy “SAN MARZANO†canned tomatoes (which apparently are hard to find in the rest of America) cause even they know better!!!
I make this distinction, (East/West Coast) as it seems in many threads here the West Coasters are always saying NJ/East Coast has no scenery. Which is not at all true. It is even pretty cool that we have mountains in NJ if you consider the whole state is considered Atlantic Highlands as we have water on all three sides including the Delaware River on our left. Lastly I want to say I do not care how many photos these West Coast people keep posting of tall mountains with a town in the valley. I would much rather live in NJ with our hills.
Whitin one hour, yes ONE HOUR we can be shopping in the shopping Mecca of the world, we can be catching a play, opera, art exhibition in New York. Eating at one of the best restaurants in America or walking through some of the most important museums/culture points in the country.
We can drive to the Jersey Shore and take advantage of all it has to offer from amazing food, beaches, boating, and scenery.
mon you think those people in those mountain towns can eat at a French Restaurant or get a brick oven pizza or go to the beach and see a Broadway Play all in a day. We New Jerseyans can!
Alright well see this is why NJ gets a weird reputation from those that know the state: obsession over public schools and fried food. We all know the public school system is drastically overrated, you aren't going to go from the beach to broadway to the mountains all in one day (unless you are hopped up on cocaine), and where are there French restaurants in NJ??
Alright well see this is why NJ gets a weird reputation from those that know the state: obsession over public schools and fried food. We all know the public school system is drastically overrated, you aren't going to go from the beach to broadway to the mountains all in one day (unless you are hopped up on cocaine), and where are there French restaurants in NJ??
As far as boardwalk to mountains that is certainly a possibility. Since I see you are from Los Angeles that is what also seems to be your (city's) claim to fame although honestly it takes 5 hours plus to get from one end of the 405 to the next.
Obsession with public schools well yes academic excellence is something New Jerseyans as well as many people living in the North East thrive to achieve for their children. I can see how you living in one of the states within the TOP TEN WORST performing public school systems in America can find our obsession quite weird. Perhaps if your school system had done a better job you wouldn't have confused the cuisine/food items I mentioned as being fried. Those food items are nothing of the such!
As far as boardwalk to mountains that is certainly a possibility. Since I see you are from Los Angeles that is what also seems to be your (city's) claim to fame although honestly it takes 5 hours plus to get from one end of the 405 to the next.
Obsession with public schools well yes academic excellence is something New Jerseyans as well as many people living in the North East thrive to achieve for their children. I can see how you living in one of the states within the TOP TEN WORST performing public school systems in America can find our obsession quite weird. Perhaps if your school system had done a better job you wouldn't have confused the cuisine/food items I mentioned as being fried food. As those food items are not anything of the such!
WTF -- how are mozzarella cheese, broccoli rabe, pizza, or tomatoes anything to get obessed about?? It's just food -- you can get it in any state. How is it any better in NJ?
All your other points are wrong about living in LA. But nice try.
WTF -- how are mozzarella cheese, broccoli rabe, pizza, or tomatoes anything to get obessed about?? It's just food -- you can get it in any state. How is it any better in NJ?
All your other points are wrong about living in LA. But nice try.
Except 90% of America can't successfully combine dough, sauce & mozzarella to make a decent pizza. Even bagels are difficult for.them.
Food is food until you move to a place where the Olive Garden is considered fine dining, Then you realize some places just do it better.
Alright well see this is why NJ gets a weird reputation from those that know the state: obsession over public schools and fried food. We all know the public school system is drastically overrated, you aren't going to go from the beach to broadway to the mountains all in one day (unless you are hopped up on cocaine), and where are there French restaurants in NJ??
you read that guys post!????
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