What's the difference between North, Central and South Jersey? (Toms River: cliquey, moving to)

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by NJhighlands87

This makes sense to me. Pine Barrens are kinda their own thing; and I'd happily concede that region to SJ. Just about everything south of 195 seems like military bases, nature preserves, and cranberry bogs, all of which I'd associate with SJ. Places closer to the Parkway or Rt. 9 like Tom's River and Lakewood might be more Central Jersey though. Part of the issue is that much of Ocean County was sparsely inhabited until recently, so not much of an identity developed, North/Central, or South.

They are their own thing, all of the way up to Colliers Mills, which is not far South of 195. There was a very strong bay culture in Southern New Jersey. On the coast, Southern New Jersey begins there.

It has nothing to do with TV, sports, politics, or who moved in. Is Dearborn, Michigan an Islamic country?

It doesn't work that way.

[Busch Boy]

This is how NJ is split up IMO:

NORTH Jersey: Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Essex, Hudson, Sussex, Warren and Union

CENTRAL Jersey: Somerset, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth

SOUTH Jersey: Ocean, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem, Atlantic, Cumberland, Cape May


If you DON'T believe in a Central Jersey, just throw Monmouth to South Jersey and everything else to the north.

[snj90]

Originally Posted by Busch Boy

This is how NJ is split up IMO:

NORTH Jersey: Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Essex, Hudson, Sussex, Warren and Union

CENTRAL Jersey: Somerset, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth

SOUTH Jersey: Ocean, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem, Atlantic, Cumberland, Cape May


If you DON'T believe in a Central Jersey, just throw Monmouth to South Jersey and everything else to the north.

Even Mercer County is probably more South Jersey than Monmouth County. But I don't consider either to be South Jersey.

Ocean County is a transition zone, I suppose.

[kidphilly]

Originally Posted by BlakeJones

Yankees, Jets, Phillies

this is group called common census mapping

here is baseball

CommonCensus Sports Map




and football
CommonCensus Sports Map




apparently based on self reporters this is map for NJ - this done specifically for NJ


Here are the North, Central and South Jersey borders as determined by you (INTERACTIVE) | NJ.com




For me I would agree that the city affiliation would be the main tie (or even sports)


Burlington, Atlantic and south are S Jersey


Hunterdon, Mercer, Ocean, and the sliver of Monmouth between Mercer and Ocean are central


all else North is North to me but this is a Philly perspective


another way to see the cleaner break as to me most of Central (Save parts of Mercer, Hunterdon, and Ocean) is NYC territory is Hoagie vs Sub (pretty clean north south with a few exceptions like AC which to me is more a Philly town than NYC and they use subs there.

[Busch Boy]

Originally Posted by snj90

Even Mercer County is probably more South Jersey than Monmouth County. But I don't consider either to be South Jersey.

Ocean County is a transition zone, I suppose.

I definitely don't get a "South Jersey" feel anywhere in Mercer County. Especially the Princeton area. There is definitely a Central/North Jersey vibe in that area.

I feel like Monmouth is more of a transition zone. The northern and western parts (Holmdel, Marlboro, Freehold, etc.) are more like Central Jersey, but Howell, Wall and the towns along the coast have a South Jersey feel.

Ocean County is just full-blown South Jersey, LOL.

[kidphilly]

One last thought, to me the beaches (shore) have always been North and South with LBI the transitional island


Growing up was at Ocean City and South (more Philly S Jersey influenced beaches)


I recently bought a place in Lake Como on the Belmar border which to me was always a N Jersey (NYC influenced) beach and it actually the closest beach drive time from Philly other than AC. Its still North Jersey to me but do see more and more PA/Philly folks there it seems


Also anything north of Bradley beach seems dramatically different from other beach towns to me

[kidphilly]

Originally Posted by Busch Boy

I definitely don't get a "South Jersey" feel anywhere in Mercer County. Especially the Princeton area. There is definitely a Central/North Jersey vibe in that area.

I feel like Monmouth is more of a transition zone. The northern and western parts (Holmdel, Marlboro, Freehold, etc.) are more like Central Jersey, but Howell, Wall and the towns along the coast have a South Jersey feel.

Ocean County is just full-blown South Jersey, LOL.

the southern parts of Mercer I do think have more connection (southward) though as someone who grew up in Bucks county PA not far from Trenton there does become a significant change a few miles into Mercer North


historically Mercer (up until the mid 90s was part of the Philly MSA) had more southern leaning but that is changing


Hunterdon is a strange one too as some of the towns along the river will feel more connected to Bucks county while closer to Bridgewater it becomes NYC exurbs


there is sort of grey band that runs south and east to the beaches in this band along the river then continuing SE to the shore

[Leps12]

Originally Posted by Busch Boy

Ocean County is just full-blown South Jersey, LOL.

Tell that to Toms River, which leans NYC in sports affiliation. Or Lakewood, with all of those Hasidim moving in from Brooklyn. Or Point Pleasant, which has a train stop on NJT to NYC. Or Seaside Heights, which...need I say more?

Ocean is split. LBI has always seemed to me to be the meeting point in the shore of Philly and NYC visitors where the split is pretty even. All north is Central Jersey, and all south is South Jersey.

[Busch Boy]

Originally Posted by Leps12

Tell that to Toms River, which leans NYC in sports affiliation. Or Lakewood, with all of those Hasidim moving in from Brooklyn. Or Point Pleasant, which has a train stop on NJT to NYC. Or Seaside Heights, which...need I say more?

Ocean is split. LBI has always seemed to me to be the meeting point in the shore of Philly and NYC visitors where the split is pretty even. All north is Central Jersey, and all south is South Jersey.

I don't care about sports affiliations or transplants, Lakewood and Toms River will never be North/Central Jersey, EVER. The county's name is OCEAN for crying out loud!

I guess we will start counting North Carolina as a northern state because of all the transplants moving there....

[Leps12]

Originally Posted by Busch Boy

I don't care about sports affiliations or transplants, Lakewood and Toms River will never be North/Central Jersey, EVER. The county's name is OCEAN for crying out loud!

And your point is? Somehow "Ocean" the word is synonymous with "South?" Please do explain.

Insinuating that the ocean means it's South, as if to saying people only travel directionally south to go to the shore, is a North Jersey-centric point of view and not a universal truth, not just in New Jersey but also in other states.

If you don't care about sports affiliations, what culture people who live there have come from and identify with, or commuting patterns, then what is your qualifier for whether it's North/Central/South?