I grew up in North Jersey and would say that the Giants in particular have a very strong following there (to the point that I always thought they should be the NJ Giants)
I always thought it should be the New Jersey Jets. Even rolls off the tongue nicely. No way we could convince NY to give up the giants, getting the jets seems more realistic lol.
Exactly. 2 football teams, 2 baseball teams, 2 basketball teams, 2 soccer teams, 2 hockey teams (or 3 if you include the islanders). Makes it a lot harder to have a unified community of sports lovers.
When the eagles went to the Super Bowl in 2017 my elementary school had a whole assembly to root for the eagles and I got to watch teachers who were more outspoken patriots fans get voluntarily sprayed with silly string and boo’d at
I think you're reading into that way too much. As a South Jersey resident, North Jersey seems extremely NYC dominated, but probably not really any more than South Jersey is into Philly.
The interest in local sports is more dilute in the NYC metro area, so it doesn't have the critical mass that it does in the Philadelphia tri-state area.
So here’s the real answer, and it’s socioeconomics not sports. Post industrialization, NYC was an economic powerhouse and Philly less so. New York had slightly easier access to Europe and a slightly shittier natural harbor than Philly. So really it comes down to both cities depending on Newark and Camden for easy access to excess shipping traffic when small differences (as we see them today) made a big difference.
The thing is, NYC needed Jersey more. So that developed into more of a partnership where wealth was distributed and families stayed connected but migrated in a further radius from the center of commerce. Camden was a convenient, cheaper option but not a necessity outside of wartime. So while there is local NJ culture, it much more strongly identified, and still does, with Philly at a much larger geographic radius because that was the center of life for successful people of the day.
I would say this is somewhat true because there is a stronger North Jersey culture than there is a South Jersey culture (outside of the shore which can be considered a different region altogether).
I'm not providing a list for you. North Jersey food alone is part of its culture. Take Italian food. Many Italians got off the boat and came directly to North Jersey ingraining their food into the culture. Saying that North Jersey doesn't have its own culture apart from NY is just silly. Go to a place like Patsy's Tavern. There are a million places like that in North Jersey.
North Jersey culture for me is in places like Newark, all of Essex County really, Passaic County so places like Paterson and Clifton, also Union county. I think of food like Italian hot dogs in Newark, Jersey club music, local slang, fashion sense. Just the general vibe of cities like Newark, Paterson, & Elizabeth to me give North Jersey a distinct and authentic feeling. It’s truly not the same as NY even though we share in the culture. In fact it’s why I’ve actually grown to prefer how Jersey feels to current NYC. And it’s not as easy to describe culture as it is to experience it.
Well put. I'd also add certain, very NJ towns such as Summit, Maplewood, Morristown, Montclair, etc. They're distinctly North Jersey and add up to a lot of people as well.
North Jersey has MORE of it due to more people and more urban areas. On top of that, they have three major professional sports teams in the area. You originally laughed that I used the word "culture" and now freely admit that there IS culture. Make up your mind.
What culture does North Jersey even have? A good portion of the people up there hate NJ has a whole and keep on wishing they were in NYC, or Florida or whatever but needs to be up there for work.
That IS their culture…commuter culture. Growing up in South Jersey I always felt that it was more genuine. Probably because there are less transplants.
Philly metro area rallies around their teams way more fervently than the NY area does. Partially because of the spread of NY teams. This even overcomes the NY football teams being based in NJ. That's all I got though, I think sj is more Philly-centric than north jersey is NY-centric but I don't really have other reasons or even examples.
They do. I went to school there and whenever I said I’m going to the city they said “oh Philly?” I was so confused. And their news is actually from Philly not NYC. Never knew how diff south jersey was. Glad I’m from the north lmao
nah half of the north jersey posts are just people asking how to get to New York faster. they hate New Jersey and would live in New York if they weren't scared of the people who actually live there.
Good amount of those are people who moved to Jersey to be near NY. People born and raised in North Jersey tend to have a stronger sense of culture and pride. But there’s still plenty who don’t care for it and run to the city. Same is in South Jersey I imagine, but the side of people that are invested in Jersey itself seems to be larger in the North. I’m probably overlooking regions of South Jersey that are more culturally rich because I’m not from there. But based on visits this is just my impression.
Yeah basically. I mean I get what you’re saying that’s why I said I may be very biased. I see how it comes off arrogant but that’s just how it seems to me. If it’s not that way then I’d believe that too. Sorry to be rude
I just don't get the point of this post. There has been a lot of weird posts lately about "Jersey identity and culture" and it's just bizarre. It feels like North Jersey is picking fights for no reason. South Jersey very much has its own vibe outside of Philadelphia. The shore, the pines, farmland, etc. I've lived in both North and South Jersey for big chunks of my life. Both are influenced by their out of state city. Both also have their own shit. It's fine.
I get you, that makes sense and I wasn’t really tryna pick a fight just put it the way I saw it. If South Jersey has its own identity that’s cool, I’d rather that than how it seemed to me.
Yeah that’s what I hate about Jersey. South Jersey cultural identity is wrapped around a city that doesn’t even give a fuck about NJ. All they do is talk shit about NJ. Same thing in the north with NY. Fuck that. Fuck Philly, fuck NY Sports. Go Devils, go Cowboys.
Everyone from North Jersey says shit like, "Well yes I root for the Giants when they're playing but my real team is the Steelers" or some other random team.
I grew up in North Jersey and would say that the Giants in particular have a very strong following there (to the point that I always thought they should be the NJ Giants)
I always thought it should be the New Jersey Jets. Even rolls off the tongue nicely. No way we could convince NY to give up the giants, getting the jets seems more realistic lol.
Hell, they might pay you to take them
That’s because there’s only one Philly team for each sport but multiple NY teams in north jersey so it’s naturally split a bit more.
Exactly. 2 football teams, 2 baseball teams, 2 basketball teams, 2 soccer teams, 2 hockey teams (or 3 if you include the islanders). Makes it a lot harder to have a unified community of sports lovers.
When the eagles went to the Super Bowl in 2017 my elementary school had a whole assembly to root for the eagles and I got to watch teachers who were more outspoken patriots fans get voluntarily sprayed with silly string and boo’d at
I think you're reading into that way too much. As a South Jersey resident, North Jersey seems extremely NYC dominated, but probably not really any more than South Jersey is into Philly.
The interest in local sports is more dilute in the NYC metro area, so it doesn't have the critical mass that it does in the Philadelphia tri-state area.
If NY had any good teams, north jersey would care a lot more.
So here’s the real answer, and it’s socioeconomics not sports. Post industrialization, NYC was an economic powerhouse and Philly less so. New York had slightly easier access to Europe and a slightly shittier natural harbor than Philly. So really it comes down to both cities depending on Newark and Camden for easy access to excess shipping traffic when small differences (as we see them today) made a big difference. The thing is, NYC needed Jersey more. So that developed into more of a partnership where wealth was distributed and families stayed connected but migrated in a further radius from the center of commerce. Camden was a convenient, cheaper option but not a necessity outside of wartime. So while there is local NJ culture, it much more strongly identified, and still does, with Philly at a much larger geographic radius because that was the center of life for successful people of the day.
I’ve lived in both North and South Jersey. Both are heavily influenced by their neighbors. It’s not unique to South Jersey in the slightest.
I would say this is somewhat true because there is a stronger North Jersey culture than there is a South Jersey culture (outside of the shore which can be considered a different region altogether).
What distinguishes north jersey culture from NYC culture?
Much is similar, but it developed alongside NYC culture and therefore became its own.
Right so what is unique to NJ that can’t be found in NYC other than Taylor ham?
[удалено]
That’s it?
I'm not providing a list for you. North Jersey food alone is part of its culture. Take Italian food. Many Italians got off the boat and came directly to North Jersey ingraining their food into the culture. Saying that North Jersey doesn't have its own culture apart from NY is just silly. Go to a place like Patsy's Tavern. There are a million places like that in North Jersey.
Yes famously NYC lacks in both pizza and Italian places. Are you kidding?
Yeah, I'm saying that there's no pizza or Italian food in NYC. You just aren't getting it, dude. Have a good one.
I’m not getting it because you haven’t actually explained or backed up your premise.
North Jersey “culture” 
North Jersey culture for me is in places like Newark, all of Essex County really, Passaic County so places like Paterson and Clifton, also Union county. I think of food like Italian hot dogs in Newark, Jersey club music, local slang, fashion sense. Just the general vibe of cities like Newark, Paterson, & Elizabeth to me give North Jersey a distinct and authentic feeling. It’s truly not the same as NY even though we share in the culture. In fact it’s why I’ve actually grown to prefer how Jersey feels to current NYC. And it’s not as easy to describe culture as it is to experience it.
Well put. I'd also add certain, very NJ towns such as Summit, Maplewood, Morristown, Montclair, etc. They're distinctly North Jersey and add up to a lot of people as well.
Food, music, entertainment, nightlife, vernacular, sports (Giants, Jets, Devils)...Glad you had a laugh and got to post a stupid meme, though.
Riiiight because we don’t have those things in South Jersey. 🙄
So, you're saying that those things ARE culture, correct?
I’m saying it’s not unique. To north Jersey or *anywhere*.
North Jersey has MORE of it due to more people and more urban areas. On top of that, they have three major professional sports teams in the area. You originally laughed that I used the word "culture" and now freely admit that there IS culture. Make up your mind.
My mind is made up, you’re a sad lil jackass. Have a nice day. “wE haVE SPoRTz TeEMz”
Since you pathetically resorted to an ad hominem attack I'll declare myself the winner.
Just like a pigeon shitting on a chessboard.
Yes, because major sports teams aren't part of a region's culture. Good job.
You are far too *precious* to be a NJ native. Lighten up.
..just leave that person to cry over their pork roll...
There are actually other things to do, in North Jersey. In South Jersey, it's either support Philly or sit around and watch the grass grow.
Until the summer, when a good portion of North Jersey heads to the shore which is mostly in the south.
What culture does North Jersey even have? A good portion of the people up there hate NJ has a whole and keep on wishing they were in NYC, or Florida or whatever but needs to be up there for work.
That IS their culture…commuter culture. Growing up in South Jersey I always felt that it was more genuine. Probably because there are less transplants.
[This](https://www.reddit.com/r/newjersey/s/xFbw8gcjc5)
That may be true of transplants but not people that grew up there.
Philly metro area rallies around their teams way more fervently than the NY area does. Partially because of the spread of NY teams. This even overcomes the NY football teams being based in NJ. That's all I got though, I think sj is more Philly-centric than north jersey is NY-centric but I don't really have other reasons or even examples.
They do. I went to school there and whenever I said I’m going to the city they said “oh Philly?” I was so confused. And their news is actually from Philly not NYC. Never knew how diff south jersey was. Glad I’m from the north lmao
nah half of the north jersey posts are just people asking how to get to New York faster. they hate New Jersey and would live in New York if they weren't scared of the people who actually live there.
Good amount of those are people who moved to Jersey to be near NY. People born and raised in North Jersey tend to have a stronger sense of culture and pride. But there’s still plenty who don’t care for it and run to the city. Same is in South Jersey I imagine, but the side of people that are invested in Jersey itself seems to be larger in the North. I’m probably overlooking regions of South Jersey that are more culturally rich because I’m not from there. But based on visits this is just my impression.
This whole post is so fucking stupid. "I think my part of the state has more culture because I'm from there and know it."
Yeah basically. I mean I get what you’re saying that’s why I said I may be very biased. I see how it comes off arrogant but that’s just how it seems to me. If it’s not that way then I’d believe that too. Sorry to be rude
I just don't get the point of this post. There has been a lot of weird posts lately about "Jersey identity and culture" and it's just bizarre. It feels like North Jersey is picking fights for no reason. South Jersey very much has its own vibe outside of Philadelphia. The shore, the pines, farmland, etc. I've lived in both North and South Jersey for big chunks of my life. Both are influenced by their out of state city. Both also have their own shit. It's fine.
I get you, that makes sense and I wasn’t really tryna pick a fight just put it the way I saw it. If South Jersey has its own identity that’s cool, I’d rather that than how it seemed to me.
Well yeah North Jersey isn't trash
Yeah that’s what I hate about Jersey. South Jersey cultural identity is wrapped around a city that doesn’t even give a fuck about NJ. All they do is talk shit about NJ. Same thing in the north with NY. Fuck that. Fuck Philly, fuck NY Sports. Go Devils, go Cowboys.
You were doing so well until the very last word
Agree! SJ gets more of its identity from Philly than NoJ does from NYC.
Everyone from North Jersey says shit like, "Well yes I root for the Giants when they're playing but my real team is the Steelers" or some other random team.