Proud to be from Jersey!
And you would be too if you lived in New York!! LOL
But anywhere, I still love NJ. You have the smelly oil refineries, the swamps near the Meadowlands, the stolen car capital of the world in Newark, and I think #3 in the world in Camden!!
But so much that folks don't know, or don't believe, and it's got it's great points. The various places to go down the shore (Seaside, Belmar, Point Pleasant, Keansburg, Wildwood all the way down to the longest boardwalk in the US in Atlantic City.
I grew up in "Central Jersey", in a nice area with decent schooling. All the opportunity in the world was near. But we also have all four seasons, very well. HOT summers and Noreasters in the winter.
Anyway, a little more about New Jersey. TONS of things that even I didn't know. Oddly enough, both my parents knew some folks from HS times that went on to be some pretty famous folks. Jersey is known for many! I got this in an email from my Dad, who of course knows tons more than I and lived there for like 60 years before living many years in SC and now many in Florida.
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If you've ever lived in Jersey...you'll appreciate this!!! If you live somewhere else, you might find it interesting:
New Jersey is a peninsula.
Highlands, New Jersey has the highest elevation along the entire eastern seaboard, from Maine to Florida. - Got my first speeding ticket in the Atlantic Highlands about a week after I got my license!
New Jersey is the only state where all of its counties are classified as metropolitan areas.
New Jersey has more racehorses than Kentucky.
New Jersey has more Cubans in Union City (1 sq mi.) than Havana, Cuba.
New Jersey has the densest system of highways and railroads in the US.
New Jersey has the highest cost of living. - Yeps, know/knew that too well.
New Jersey has the highest cost of auto insurance. - Yeps, which is why I drove without insurance many times, couldn't afford the payments!
New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation. - Luckily never bought a home until NY. Now I only pay like $13k per year. My Dad paid 600 bucks in SC.
New Jersey has the most diners in the world and is sometimes referred to as the "Diner Capital of the World." - And my butt likely ate at all of them!
New Jersey is home to the original Mystery Pork Parts Club (no, not Spam): Taylor Ham or Pork Roll. - It's Pork Roll to me, even if Taylor ham is the shit! The other is made by Case, but not as good. Yummy sandwiches with eggs!
New Jersey is home to the less mysterious, but the best Italian hot dogs and Italian sausage w/peppers and onions.
North Jersey has the most shopping malls in one area in the world, with seven major shopping malls in a 25 square-mile radius. I grew up and worked several places in the "Woodbridge Center Mall". About a mile away is the "Menlo Park Mall" which used to be awesome, then sucked, but I see it's huge now.
New Jersey is home to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. - And I oddly have still never been there.
The Passaic River was the site of the first submarine ride, by inventor John P. Holland.
New Jersey has 50+ resort cities & towns; some of the nation's most famous: Asbury Park, Wildwood, Atlantic City, Seaside Heights, Long Branch, Cape May. Hit them all, stayed a week in all, got drunk in all!
New Jersey has the most stringent testing along our coastline for water quality control than any other seaboard state in the entire country.
New Jersey is a leading technology & industrial state and is the largest chemical producing state in the nation, when you include pharmaceuticals.
Jersey tomatoes are known the world over as being the best you can buy. HUGE red Jersey tomatoes! The best!
New Jersey is the world leader in blueberry and cranberry production (and here you thought Massachusetts?)
Here's to New Jersey - the toast of the country! In 1642, the first brewery in America opened in Hoboken. But Budweiser is the best known place, on the highway near Newark Airport.
New Jersey rocks! The famous Les Paul invented the first solid body electric guitar in Mahwah, in 1940.
New Jersey is a major seaport state with the largest seaport in the US, located in Elizabeth. Nearly 80 percent of what our nation imports comes through Elizabeth Seaport first.
New Jersey is home to one of the nation's busiest airports (in Newark), Liberty International. - Flew out of here one or 30 times.
George Washington slept here. Several important Revolutionary War battles were fought on New Jersey soil, led by General George Washington.
The light bulb, phonograph (record player), and motion picture projector, were invented by Thomas Edison in his Menlo Park, NJ, laboratory. About 2 miles from house. Got stoned there!!
We also boast the first town ever lit by incandescent bulbs.
The first seaplane was built in Keyport, NJ.
The first airmail was started from Keyport, NJ, to Chicago.
The first phonograph records were made in Camden, NJ.
The game Monopoly, played all over the world, named the streets on its playing board after the actual streets in Atlantic City.
And, Atlantic City has the longest boardwalk in the world,
Not to mention salt water taffy,
New Jersey has the largest petroleum containment area outside of the Middle East countries. - In Elizabeth and Seawaren areas off the turnpike. Smells like ass when you drive by.
The first Indian reservation was in New Jersey, in the Watchung Mountains.
New Jersey has the tallest water tower in the world. (Union, NJ) Union is still beautiful. Both my parents were born in Union, went to school there, met there and lived there when first married.
New Jersey had the first medical center, in Jersey City.
The Pulaski Skyway, from Jersey City to Newark, was the first skyway highway.
NJ built the first tunnel under a river, the Hudson (Holland Tunnel).
The first baseball game was played in Hoboken, NJ, which is also the birthplace of Frank Sinatra.
The first intercollegiate football game was played in New Brunswick in 1889 (Rutgers College played Princeton).
The first drive-in movie theater was opened in Camden, NJ, (but they're all gone now!). - Funny story here. They had a sweet one in Edison NJ that we went too. I tried sneaking in the exit one time, and they had some spiked system that you can drive over leaving, but it pops all 4 of your tires if you drive the wrong way. And kind of hard to then drive home with 4 flats!
New Jersey is home to both of "NEW YORK's" pro football teams! And both share the same stadium in Giants Stadium which is now Metlife Stadium.
The first radio station and broadcast was in Paterson, NJ.
The first FM radio broadcast was made from Alpine, NJ, by Maj. Thomas Armstrong.
All New Jersey natives: Sal Martorano, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Jason Alexander, Queen Latifah, Susan Sarandon, Connie Francis, Shaq, Judy Blume, Aaron Burr, Joan Robertson, Ken Kross, Dionne Warwick, Sarah Vaughn, Budd Abbott, Lou Costello, Alan Ginsberg, Michelle Kelly. Norman Mailer, Marilynn McCoo, Flip Wilson, Alexander Hamilton, Whitney Houston, Eddie Money, Linda McElroy, Eileen Donnelly, Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, Walt Whitman, Jerry Lewis, Tom Cruise, Joyce Kilmer, Len Twist, Bruce Willis, Caesar Romero, Lauryn Hill, Ice-T, Nick Adams, Nathan Lane, Sandra Dee, Danny DeVito, Richard Conti, Joe Pesci, Joe Piscopo, Robert Blake, John Forsythe, Meryl Streep, Loretta Swit, Norman Lloyd, Paul Simon, Jerry Herman, Gorden McCrae, Kevin Spacey, John Travolta, Phyllis Newman, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Eva Marie Saint, Elisabeth Shue, Zebulon Pike, James Fennimore Cooper, Admiral Wm. Halsey,Jr., Dave Thomas (Wendy's), William Carlos Williams, Ray Liotta, Robert Wuhl, Bob Reyers, Paul Robeson, Ernie Kovacs, Joseph Macchia, "Uncle Floyd," Kelly Ripa, Francis Albert Sinatra, Rick Toscano
You know you're from Jersey when . . .
You don't think of fruit when people mention "The Oranges." Much of my family tree is from West Orange. And you also have East Orange.
You know that it's called Great Adventure, not Six Flags. You know an out of towner when they ask directions for 6 flags. It's Great Adventure to us!
A good, quick breakfast is a hard roll with butter.
You've known the way to Seaside Heights since you were seven. - Truth! Been there hundreds of times.
You've eaten at a diner, when you were stoned, or drunk, at 3 A.M. - Truth! Been there after out all night. Been there drunk and stoned! LOL And usually the REO diner in Woodbridge NJ.
You know that the state isn't one big oil refinery.
At least three people in your family still love Bruce Springsteen, and you know the town Jon Bon Jovi is from. - Sayreville
You know what a "jug handle" is.
You know that Wawa is a convenience store.
You know that the state isn't all farmland.
You know that there are no "beaches" in New Jersey--there's the shore--and you don't go "to the shore," you go "down the shore." And when you are there, you're not "at the shore;" you are "down the shore."
You know how to properly negotiate a circle.
You knew that the last sentence had to do with driving.
You know that this is the only "New" state that doesn't require "New" to identify it (try . . Mexico . . . York .! . . Hampshire-- doesn't work, does it?).
You know that a "White Castle" is the name of BOTH a fast food chain AND a fast food sandwich.
You consider putting mayo on a corned beef sandwich a sacrilege
You don't think, “You’re from Jersey? What exit?," is very funny. Always! I was from exit 11, and 10 for many years too!
You know that people from the 201 area code are "a little different."
Yes, they are!
You know that no respectable New Jerseyan goes to Princeton--that's for out-of-staters. Yep, and the rich kids, usually out of staters.
The Jets-Giants game has started fights at your school or local bar.
You live within 20 minutes of at least three different malls.
You refer to all highways and interstates by their numbers.
Every year you have at least one kid in your class named Tony.
You know the location of every clip shown in the Sopranos opening credits.
You've gotten on the wrong highway trying to get out of the mall.
You know that people from North Jersey go to Seaside Heights, and people from Central Jersey go to Belmar, and people from South Jersey go to Wildwood. It can be no other way.
You weren't raised in New Jersey--you were raised in North Jersey, Central Jersey or South Jersey.
You don't consider Newark or Camden to actually be part of the state. They only exist for tall tales about stolen cars.
You remember the stores Korvette's, Two Guys, Rickel's, Channel, Bamberger's and Orbach's.
You also remember Palisades Amusement Park.
You've had a boardwalk cheese steak and vinegar fries.
You start planning for Memorial Day weekend in February.
And finally…
You've NEVER, NEVER pumped your own gas. It was and is still technically against the law. So all stations are still manned to pump your gas for you!
No matter where in this country, or indeed, in the world my travels may take me, New Jersey will always be home. And F'n proud of it!!
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Originally Posted by Abbey
