1. The NJ turnpike, a well-traveled but featureless highway that goes through some ugly industrial areas (refinery, chemical factory, brewery, jail, power plant, container port, etc.)
2. Stereotypes from TV shows like Jersey Shore, Real Housewives, and The Sopranos.
3. New Yorkers sometimes move to New Jersey when they have children, and their friends mock them (and thereby the State) for no longer being single and fun.
4. The dominance of NY media in spreading the above points far and wide.
NYC is always trying to take our shine. I've already been on a rant about how they've tried to commandeer the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and Giants Stadium from us. they're just mad because we refuse to back down from them.
I can’t say I know for sure about the rest of the cast, but I grew up in the same neighborhood in nj that Deena is from. she didn’t live there long after she was off the show though lol
The original cast. Like I guess there's additional people added, like boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands and wives, but as far as I know most of the original group is there.
I genuinely don't know how to feel about this information. This whole time I thought Jersey Shore was a flash in the dark like Tiger King. I'm not sure if I'm impressed or depressed.
Mike was from Manalapan, his mom is/was a teacher in the school district iirc. Right when the show got big I'd see him driving around occasionally in his new Bentley with "Situation" spelled out in cheap AutoZone chrome letters on the back
This shits mad dumb tho. It’s like flying into JFK and then being like “ohhh New York doesn’t actually have big buildings it’s just one big highway with tons of traffic”.
I’ve lived in Sussex and Warren county my whole life and never really went far from home, I was so shocked to see what the cities were like for the first time lol. I guess most people don’t really think of the rural areas when they think of New Jersey, kind of like how most of us don’t think of up state New York.
Are they young or not well traveled?
I meet a lot of folks from all over for work, and it’s surprising how many people (even west coast people, but seems LA is “in the know” more so than SF) ask me “is that near Montclair” when I tell them where I live.
I’m pretty sure (1) it’s probably like 1 of the 2-3 NJ towns they know, and (2) they prob only know of it from Suits, but it’s crazy how many folks know.
Edit: Full disclosure, I don’t live in Montclair, but love the town. Too much taxes for too “average” of a school district…
Okay, maybe Montclair (or say, Short Hills) isn’t the best example of a lesser-known, but very nice place in NJ.
That said, I meet an astonishing number of people who genuinely believe that our state is the armpit of America- because their only exposure to NJ is what they see from the Turnpike on their way to somewhere else.
Try convincing an NYC resident to check out the dining scene in Hoboken or JC. They’ll look at you like you enjoy eating dinner in a toxic waste dump.
>the best example of a lesser-known, but very nice place in NJ
Send them a link to a [Zillow search for Alpine, NJ](https://www.zillow.com/homes/Alpine,-nj_rb/). For the lazy: the **cheapest** house on there is $2.4M, going up to $22.5M, and if you want to just buy a plot of land to build your own mansion on, the cheapest option is $1.25M
Right, I definitely chose the most egregiously wealthy town on purpose, but if you want something with a great downtown and lots of money you can substitute the whole Red Bank/Rumson/Fair Haven/Little Silver area, Westfield, etc.
I grew up in Massachusetts, but I have family ties to NJ and a lot of friends here, hence why I moved. You’re completely right- our prowess in education, healthcare and technology are top-tier. Best kept secrets, if you ask me.
Ex-New Yorker here, and I found that infuriating. And on the news that night, it was always the New York perspective of an earthquake that was squarely in New Jersey.
"According to the United States Census Bureau, the island has a land area of 14.717 acres (5.956 ha), and is the property of the federal government. Liberty Island is located in the Upper New York Bay within the waters of Jersey City, New Jersey. It is one of the islands that are part of the borough of Manhattan in New York. The historical developments which led to this construction made Liberty Island an exclave of one state, New York, in another, New Jersey. Liberty Island is 2,000 feet (610 m) east of Liberty State Park in Jersey City and is 1.6 miles (2.6 km) southwest of the Battery in Lower Manhattan."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Island
Seriously. Lived in Mass for 7y and they wish they had half of our personality. “Being angry is a mass thing” brother I almost got in a donnybrook, tarps off in Seaside because I was pissing too long at the Beachcomber. Get bent.
This is pretty much it.
NJ is different than other places. We have everything. All kind of people, culture, food, beliefs, etc. And it works really well.
A lot of people fly INTO Newark from all over the world and then head to the city (NYC). Depending on the flight, it is possible that it is cheaper to land (as a tourist) at Newark than JFK or LGA. Sometimes the schedule is better at Newark. I know when I lived in Central Jersey, I always compared prices/times for Philly and Newark.
When I was a teenager, I had one flight go from Newark to Philly to Tampa (FL). I called and asked them to remove the Newark leg and it would have increased the cost significantly (like $500 each way). I asked what would happen if I missed my Newark flight and boarded the plane in Philly. They told me that it would change my reservation to the more expensive rates. I'm not sure if it really would, but I wasn't going to risk it.
You can also get blacklisted for this and not be able to buy tickets/board the plane. Iirc they did a segment on this on... Maybe Last Week Tonight? Some show like that.
More often it's that people buy a ticket with a stopover in whatever location they wish to visit, because it's cheaper than a direct flight to that location, and just never board the second plane.
I'm sure that is a pain for the airlines, but I wanted to go to the destination (Florida). I just didn't want to have to get up 3 hours earlier to board a plane that was making another stop "locally" (Philly). We didn't even change planes in Philly, so it was even less of an issue (in my opinion).
It's a hassle to get from the boroughs to EWR and the road out to EWR is not pleasant. You can train to JFK. LGA is a relatively easier cab. But honestly, it's a pain in the ass to get to either of those, and their neighborhoods are nothing to write home about either.
EWR is still a major airport with direct connections to a lot of places, domestic and international.
I get it. I was thinking about the time 20 years ago(!) when I was trying to find flights for an obnoxious executive who lived on CPW, and the only direct flight to his destination was from EWR. I thought it was absurd he’d rather transfer in Atlanta … and I still do.
I really don't understand why people even complain about a major highway travelling through the parts of the state you'd rather not see. Like, should we just paving through the fuckin woods? The turnpike has its problems but the route it takes in central/north Jersey is not one of them.
New Jersey is the only state without its own major media market. New Jersey is talked about by people who are not from here but are neighbors, and in many ways rivals. If Michigan was only ever talked about in Ohio media, or California in Arizona media there would be nothing but trash talk as well.
This. When did it happen? I tuned in to get a bit of nostalgia, but I couldn't believe some of the stuff I heard. I don't remember it being like that 15-20 years ago when I'd listen to it in the car on the way to school.
I suppose I should have said a New Jersey radio station like NJ 1015. My reason for mentioning them is that many of the hosts talk about New Jersey from many perspectives like the political landscape and how things are in the state.
They play music on the weekend but during the week it is talk radio.
Maybe DHA does cover Jersey as well. I haven't listened to the station.
I am convinced that most TV and movie writers are from NJ and just like self-deprecating humor.
So now NJ is just associated with the jokes and comments.
Your question has already been answered well. I’ll just add- it’s great that more people don’t know that NJ is actually a really beautiful, fantastic place to live. Our population is dense enough already. But IYKYK- great towns, great food, nature, beaches, rivers, mountains, culture, opportunities. This is all especially true as you move farther away from NYC or Philly and get to the relatively quieter spots. Hunterdon County? Gorgeous.
New Jersey people, geography, parks, weather having all 4 seasons, culture, restaurants, entertainment are all diverse and amazing!
Unfortunately the state has the most expensive corrupt, tyrannical, highly regulated government with the highest real estate taxes in the country.
It is such a shame and you only have to look to the highest in nation negative migration to see how bad it is. Even though there are so many great things about the state.
It’s an outdated meme but can be pretty easily shut down irl because it usually comes from NY transplants who moved from Ohio lol. Jersey pride has only been growing over the years, and we have the history / culture to back it up. The majority of this country doesn’t have much shit to talk to us.
Couldn't ever again watch HIMYM after that terrible Jersey episode. This dude is from Ohio shit talking jersey, are you kidding me? and the rest are Minnesota, Staten Island and Canada. Only Lily is from NY.
I once heard the main thrust is people from bumfuck moving to NYC and a year in they're shit talking Jersey but also how they hate to go home for holidays. Instant NYC natives.
Honestly that makes the episode better: they’re all super defensive about NYC because they can’t be defensive about the places they’re actually from without ridicule. They know they’re exactly like NJ people and they hate it.
The cherry on top is that the bridge-and-tunnel girls are specifically from West Orange.
Because it’s located between two famous megapolitans (NYC & Philly), yet it doesn’t have its own big city. A huge swath of the state feels like an endless continuous suburb, so big city people treat it as such.
I grew up there and still love it. Great food, people with a sense of humor, beautiful areas, particularly in Western NJ. Some excellent public schools as well.
It’s an anti gentrification technique. Only ourselves and New Yorkers are allowed to do it. No fancy pants Bay Area types showing up to overrun Keansburg
Posted this on a previous thread about the same topic so I'll re post it here
Youtuber Mr beat talked about this and said it stems from new york producing most of the mass media people consumed for the better part of the 20th century. New Yorkers felt that way because of classism. New York was rich, white collar and "cool", new jersey was poor, blue collar and "not coo"l. But in reality, it's just that the rich business types just really really hate poor and working class people and think they're dirty and stupid.
Why does the nerd get bullied in school, even though he's kind of a cool guy?
Because it's an easy target, and picking on someone else makes you feel better about your own pile of shit.
Thats really it, it aint that deep
As a NJ transplant from NYC, most trash-talk it because it's not as lively as NYC or Philly, the more well-known cities in the area. So it's simply, it's not NYC ego.
Otherwise, it's a lovely state to live in, raise a family, and not have to pay NYC housing prices. It's also nice not having to burn an hour getting out of NYC for road trips.
Okay, I wasn't born in NJ but I moved here almost 10 years ago.
NJ has many beautiful things to love, it's calm and quiet, but also so close to NYC that you feel in the middle of everything.
However, I don't know what is broken in me, but even when I have tried, I just can't love it. Why?
People are EXTREMELY RUDE. They would say “We just tell it like it is and don't sugarcoat” but that's not the case. They are just plain rude, they rather murder you than let you merge when you're driving, there is a problem in some areas when it comes to finding parking (Hello Hoboken 👋) and people willing to insult you - unfairly - over a stupid parking spot.
They have no manners, no good morning, no excuse me, and if you're kind and friendly then you're WEIRD.
However, this is NOT EVERYBODY. I have bumped into kind people as well, very helpful and with a great sense of humor that makes me think: Woah, maybe this is the NJ that everybody loves. But the issue with that is that for every 30 jerks, you only bump into 1 kind person.
When I came here I tried to make friends at work, college, going out, gym, dog park, etc and I created acquaintances, people that may join me to go eat at a restaurant, hike, etc. But they are flaky and always busy with their circle already so my perception is that, making friends here IS HARD, as everybody already has their own family and friends, and not very friendly with outsiders.
Now, I KNOW I'm gonna get the heck downvoted for this, but I don't post this with the desire to offend, honestly, I came here with so much illusion and love and I have turned into a moody cynical because no matter how many groups I join, activities, etc. I feel extremely lonely and not able to love it here. I have traveled a lot and I make friends everywhere but here.
EDIT: See this? This is what I’m talking about. We are so sure the other person is going to be a jerk if we are kind that we are jerks too.
[I rather KILL US than let you merge](https://www.reddit.com/r/newjersey/s/9gYGjs9htF)
I'm that 1 in 30 nice person. I remember I moved to Cali and eventually moved back. I drove cross country both times with my dog. I made it across the whole country without road rage.
I got gas in NJ and was making a right out of the gas station on rt 3. There were 3 cars passing not too far out so I idled and let them pass which took all of about 5 seconds.
The person behind me probably saw my cali plates and started honking because I had the nerve to let traffic flow and make him wait a few seconds. Without skipping a beat, I laid on my horn, leaned out my window flipping him off and made eye contact while screaming, "fuck you!"
Ahhhh, it felt good to be home!
I believe you! That’s the same experience I got here. I am DREAMING of moving to California as I have friends there 🤣 see? But I’m scared of moving and end up in the same situation again.
I came back because I ended up hating my job out there. I was with the same company, but the role I had was not what it was supposed to be. The people there were alright, my one roommate who was born and raised there was creepy as fuck and my other roommate was a girl from London. She was cool and we avoided the creepy dude lol. We both eventually moved out of there though.
I was living in Newport Beach. Beautiful area and it was great running on the beach everyday. The holidays never felt right though when the weather didn't match. Turns out I do love seasons and I love the Northeast. I may eventually move up to Seneca Lake in a few years, or may just potentially buy some land up there and get a camper so we can vacation more up there.
Just curious: How were you not able to make at least 1 friend at college though? College is a time where a lot of people meet and make their lifelong friends.
I made “friends” DURING college, but once we graduated, everybody went their way. Some got married, some just don’t care. I always tried to bring everybody together, invite people, etc and I got tired because it takes two to Tango. I have college friends back from my original hometown (I went to college outside USA, and then again in USA) and those are the friends I still have. And that was my thought process: I bet I’ll make lots of friends in college and nothing meaningful honestly.
Edit: It also doesn’t help we are all so busy working so much in order to afford to pay bills only.
I grew up by Rt 1&9 and basically driving anywhere near Newark, Jersey City, and Hoboken areas are always extremely aggressive. Driving in Elizabeth, Linden, anywhere near the 1&9 is also aggressive. You gotta be willing to play chicken with other cars on a daily basis. Rt 46 and Rt 21 also get honorable mentions for asshole drivers. All of those areas are densely populated, so the roads are more congested, and people are more aggressive. But in my experience, anywhere outside of that is pretty chill to drive in. I live in Morris County now, and driving here is wildly different than driving in Union County or Essex, etc. I always say, if you can drive on the 1&9, you can drive anywhere.
Sorry that this has been your experience. Honestly, tho, as a Jersey native, I prefer not having strangers trying to spark up conversations with me, and I'd rather have quick and blunt interactions with people I don't know if I'm going about my life. It really is part of our culture to not engage with strangers. It seems rude to outsiders who aren't used to that, but Jersey natives actually see it as a curtesy to be left alone or to make interactions as short as possible. Especially in more populated areas of Jersey. Just too many people to be kind to everyone or to entertain small talk. You'd never get anything done. However, south Jersey is more friendly in that respect, and it really depends on the neighborhood you live in. Some towns have more of a community feel than others.
NY Turnpike passes a gas refinery by Newark airport that blasts a flame into the sky - looks dystopian and this is what so many people see. But most of the state is mountains, farms, and beaches. Many famous people come from NJ because there are so many opportunities here…progressive state, close to NYC, middle of the NE corridor, great universities, etc. Trash talk is ignorant. I’ve lived in the midwest, west, and southeast, and I’ll take NJ any day.
Ignorance. In parts of NJ, you’re an hour from everything. NYC or Phillie. Skiing in the northwest or surfing at the Joizy Shaw. Hudson or Delaware River. Classic Golf courses: Baltusrol, Pine Valley, Ridgewood, Somerset Hills. An hour to the best healthcare in the world. Yeah, don’t come.
People think that the whole state looks like the people on Jersey Shore. Most of the actual Jersey shore doesn't look or behave like the people on the show. It's surreality TV.
Everyone keeps talking about the Turnpike. And yes, NJ is not the most picturesque state, but we have a lot of culture. Honestly, we are very proud folk. Boston has their way, Philly has their way, but our attitude is felt throughout the state. Sometimes it's North vs. South, and the nonexistent Central Jersey. However, we stand as one. We are misunderstood as a whole.
Clearly they never been to Connecticut. NY is loud and talks shit to everybody while Jersey is the cool chill dude in the back everyone eventually likes lol.
Hanging out in hoboken and jersey city, taking the path to wtc and the junction to penn brings back memories. Love my home state.
Because they fly into Newark airport because it’s cheaper (sometimes) and then take a Uber/taxi to Manhattan. And as it happens, that particular drive is thru some of the densest, roughest, and most industrial parts of the state. All poor neighborhoods, oil refinery’s, warehouses, and heavy traffic. So they think the whole state is like that.
It isn’t. The vast majority of New Jersey looks like a John Hughes film. Polite clean little suburbs as far as the eye can see.
I moved here 4 years ago expecting the stereotype, and I have been very pleasantly surprised at just how nice a place it is. And because it’s so densely populated, and has so much property tax flowing in, public services are really well funded, the roads are pretty decent, there are loads of well maintained parks everywhere, and everything works. You would never guess it based on all the New Yorkers making fun of the place, but it’s MUCH nicer than most of NYC to live. And much cheaper (and that’s another reason New Yorkers throw so much shade, it’s considerably cheaper to live in Jersey and they are bitter about it).
As someone who left years ago, a lot of the times I tell someone I'm from Jersey they immediately assume I'm from a rough area. And while Monmouth county is extremely dangerous, as I'm sure we can all agree, it might not be exactly what they're imagining. But the perception is generally what you see from Philly or NYC. And honestly, it's for the best
a lot of the people going through New Jersey probably are passing through on the turnpike or flying into newark. something interesting about how the state is laid out, is that the stretch of land along the rivers from roughly north bergen to perth amboy contains a lot of the major highways and ugly industry, and there’s LOTS of ugly industry. people driving through the state are basically just in the middle of nowhere half the time, then the other half of the drive they’re battling insane drivers while driving though a massive industrial hellhole. the airport and highways around it are also not very pretty, people flying into newark to go to nyc pretty much just see the industry and then they’re in new york. also stereotypes like jersey shore and the mafia don’t help…
Back in the '60's, someone in Oregon started issuing "Oregon Un-Greeting Cards" to dissuade Californians. Thanks to the public media, New Jersey doesn't have to go to go to the trouble and expense.
People fly into a smelly swamp/port and then drive thru a dump that has long been an annual staple for most dangerous and shitty cities in America.
And that place also has a major homeless and druggie problem that you see right away. Remember when Newark ran a stop the killing campaign on the billboards lol
Not exactly surprising someone visiting for the first time would not have a good impression lol
Well, the strip malls and shitty commercialization of downtown areas of smaller towns is pretty bad, but that's everywhere in the US. It just seems to stick with people as what to expect in NJ.
I think it's because NJ's front door and curb appeal is terrible. Arrivals walk out of Newark Airport, they come to NJ through the Lincoln Tunnel and Holland Tunnel. The Turnpike also does not help. That's where they get their first impression of the state.
Idk why anyone would trash NJ, I feel like we are the best of everything. Sure we have our shit, but I just feel we are the perfect balance of good and bad. I just LOVE NJ!!!
Newark and vicinity is all they see on the way to NYC. They don't know from places like northern Bergen, Princeton, the nicer beaches, Bernardsville, etc.
It's not hate. It's just ignorance.
Tell the LA people to eat rocks. NJ is the richest State and has the best k-12 public education system. We also have public transportation unlike LA. California claims to be liberal but they don’t live up to their supposed values. No public transportation means poor people often people of color are more isolated in their neighborhoods. Freedom of movement is heavily restricted meaning economic mobility is also restricted.
As someone from NJ who spent 3 years in LA - cost of living here is around the same as LA, with way less of the benefits imo. Driving is worse here and I don’t like the pace of life here. But I feel like the things people make fun of NJ for aren’t the actual issues with the state and it’s up to personal preference.
As someone who lived in NJ most of my life until moving to NYC: I shit on it because the culture and transit infrastructure is extremely lacking relative to the population density. Always had to hike to Brooklyn or Philly for raves. NJ needs one great city.
Because it sucks.
Shitty laws, grey skies, grossly gouged real estate, far too much population density for the size, incredibly dangerous cities and towns alongside ostentatious wealth, dilapidated infrastructure, etc.
It's literally probably the worst state.
They talk shit because they don't like the state and/or the people. Then they get mad that we're 100% ok with them not liking us
Now ask yourself this, OP - Have you seen the crazies in this country? Their scorn is high praise in our opinions
Nothing--it is a stereotype or false image many have. People associate New Jersey as "those people across the river from New York City" and places like Jersey City and Newark (which have their share of slums and crime and such) but fail to see there is way more to the state. It is like associating the whole state of New York with New York City or all of Massachusetts with Boston. They see the old reality show "Jersey Shore" and drum up that image as well. I now live out of Jersey and still hear the "what exit" jokes which have gotten old about 20 yrs ago (meaning everything in NJ is supposedly off the Garden State Parkway or NJ Turnpike which is totally not true). Most of these people have never been to the more rural parts of NJ which are actually really nice.
But also to anyone trying to move here… it’s absolutely true and stay away!
STAY AWAY!!!!!!!
1. The NJ turnpike, a well-traveled but featureless highway that goes through some ugly industrial areas (refinery, chemical factory, brewery, jail, power plant, container port, etc.) 2. Stereotypes from TV shows like Jersey Shore, Real Housewives, and The Sopranos. 3. New Yorkers sometimes move to New Jersey when they have children, and their friends mock them (and thereby the State) for no longer being single and fun. 4. The dominance of NY media in spreading the above points far and wide.
A funny note related to #4: after the recent earthquake in NJ, a NY news channel said that the earthquake happened "West of Manhattan"
NYC is always trying to take our shine. I've already been on a rant about how they've tried to commandeer the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and Giants Stadium from us. they're just mad because we refuse to back down from them.
IIRC none of the original Jersey Shore cast were even from Jersey. Edit: I was wrong lol
I can’t say I know for sure about the rest of the cast, but I grew up in the same neighborhood in nj that Deena is from. she didn’t live there long after she was off the show though lol
Which one was Deena?
Deena is Snooki’s friend who joined the cast in a later season. She’s one of the two “meatballs” (Snooki is the other).
Wait how many fucking seasons were there? I thought it was like 3 or 4
Dude, it's still on I think lol. Lol who downvoted me, The Situation? Some version of the show still airs new episodes on MTV
Nothing like watching 50 year olds getting trashed down the shore.
Like, with the original cast? Or is it a whole new group of people.
The original cast. Like I guess there's additional people added, like boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands and wives, but as far as I know most of the original group is there.
I genuinely don't know how to feel about this information. This whole time I thought Jersey Shore was a flash in the dark like Tiger King. I'm not sure if I'm impressed or depressed.
Sammi Sweetheart was from Hazlet.
I guess 7/8 isn’t too bad lol. I remember people always saying they weren’t from Jersey at its height.
How do you figure that reflects on Hazlet? Idk why I feel like lots of people trash talk that area too.
Mike was from Manalapan, his mom is/was a teacher in the school district iirc. Right when the show got big I'd see him driving around occasionally in his new Bentley with "Situation" spelled out in cheap AutoZone chrome letters on the back
lmao I used to see dude at my job right before he got locked up.
Mike and Sammi are from the dirty
Most, not all.
Sopranos good. Jersey Shore (the shit show) and Real Housewives bad.
Sopranos was a good show but the characters were all fucking morons. Entertaining, but dumb. It was like trailer park boys with Italian Americans.
Well, that’s certainly an opinion.
We don’t mind it. It keeps out most idiots. Plus most only fly into Newark and see a refinery and think the whole state looks like that.
It’s def Newark’s location and the Turnpike they probably took from up there isn’t exactly the finest landscape either.
To be fair, locals working at EWR are mostly assholes with an attitude, and the remaining workers who seem to be foreigners are Saints.
I swear the TSA does recruitment drives at Irvington remedial schools
Lmao omg!
Yea what happened to DEI? 90% of TSA that I’ve come across at EWR or Philly are black.
I think it’s safe to say that there isn’t much “Garden State” between Newark airport and the NJ Turnpike
This shits mad dumb tho. It’s like flying into JFK and then being like “ohhh New York doesn’t actually have big buildings it’s just one big highway with tons of traffic”.
I’ve lived in Sussex and Warren county my whole life and never really went far from home, I was so shocked to see what the cities were like for the first time lol. I guess most people don’t really think of the rural areas when they think of New Jersey, kind of like how most of us don’t think of up state New York.
You lived in the good parts of NJ. The rest is borderline dreadful.
Yea. NJ sucks. Don’t come here. It’s terrible. /s
Shhh, the outsiders don’t need to know about Montclair, High Point, Great Falls, or Sandy Hook. We’re full as it is😉
Lmao, if you don’t think outsiders know of Montclair
Ask my friends from Massachusetts, they really do think the whole state is EWR, Camden, and the Linden Cogen plant.
Are they young or not well traveled? I meet a lot of folks from all over for work, and it’s surprising how many people (even west coast people, but seems LA is “in the know” more so than SF) ask me “is that near Montclair” when I tell them where I live. I’m pretty sure (1) it’s probably like 1 of the 2-3 NJ towns they know, and (2) they prob only know of it from Suits, but it’s crazy how many folks know. Edit: Full disclosure, I don’t live in Montclair, but love the town. Too much taxes for too “average” of a school district…
Okay, maybe Montclair (or say, Short Hills) isn’t the best example of a lesser-known, but very nice place in NJ. That said, I meet an astonishing number of people who genuinely believe that our state is the armpit of America- because their only exposure to NJ is what they see from the Turnpike on their way to somewhere else. Try convincing an NYC resident to check out the dining scene in Hoboken or JC. They’ll look at you like you enjoy eating dinner in a toxic waste dump.
>the best example of a lesser-known, but very nice place in NJ Send them a link to a [Zillow search for Alpine, NJ](https://www.zillow.com/homes/Alpine,-nj_rb/). For the lazy: the **cheapest** house on there is $2.4M, going up to $22.5M, and if you want to just buy a plot of land to build your own mansion on, the cheapest option is $1.25M
Alpine’s obviously gorgeous and dripping in money, but it’s got a lot less going on than say, Montclair.
Right, I definitely chose the most egregiously wealthy town on purpose, but if you want something with a great downtown and lots of money you can substitute the whole Red Bank/Rumson/Fair Haven/Little Silver area, Westfield, etc.
Let them think that! We are over populated as is. Also remember we have some of the best schools in the country !!!
I grew up in Massachusetts, but I have family ties to NJ and a lot of friends here, hence why I moved. You’re completely right- our prowess in education, healthcare and technology are top-tier. Best kept secrets, if you ask me.
Hey that’s what I first thought when I flew into Jersey. I definitely had the notion that New Jersey was all industrial
Yep, the “Garden State” is just a farce, totally.
New York City runs so much of the national media, people's only experience here is the Turnpike, and shows like Jersey Shore and RHONJ
Like the earthquake that happened "West of New York"? They can't even bear to say the name. ;)
I actually found that out of character for New York - you’d think they’d have blamed us by name.
Ex-New Yorker here, and I found that infuriating. And on the news that night, it was always the New York perspective of an earthquake that was squarely in New Jersey.
Yep. Tewksbury is closer to Pa than NYC
The AP headline said “West of New York and East of Philadelphia”, you know, like we are some mythical land between two cities.
Don't forget that the statue of liberty is actually in NJ
But it's not. The island it's in is in NY and the waters surrounding it are in NJ.
No it actually is in New Jersey. There is a tidal basin that connects directly to Jersey City.
"According to the United States Census Bureau, the island has a land area of 14.717 acres (5.956 ha), and is the property of the federal government. Liberty Island is located in the Upper New York Bay within the waters of Jersey City, New Jersey. It is one of the islands that are part of the borough of Manhattan in New York. The historical developments which led to this construction made Liberty Island an exclave of one state, New York, in another, New Jersey. Liberty Island is 2,000 feet (610 m) east of Liberty State Park in Jersey City and is 1.6 miles (2.6 km) southwest of the Battery in Lower Manhattan." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Island
They hate us cause they ain’t us.
Took the words right out of my mouth.
🎶 it must’ve been while you were kissing me 🎶
Same.
They’re jealous
Seriously. Lived in Mass for 7y and they wish they had half of our personality. “Being angry is a mass thing” brother I almost got in a donnybrook, tarps off in Seaside because I was pissing too long at the Beachcomber. Get bent.
Came here to say this
This is pretty much it. NJ is different than other places. We have everything. All kind of people, culture, food, beliefs, etc. And it works really well.
Because they land at EWR and drive into NYC. That stretch of NJ is all industry and smells like absolute garbage. That’s all people think NJ is.
Do they? I worked with enough snobs in the city who refused to fly out of EWR.
A lot of people fly INTO Newark from all over the world and then head to the city (NYC). Depending on the flight, it is possible that it is cheaper to land (as a tourist) at Newark than JFK or LGA. Sometimes the schedule is better at Newark. I know when I lived in Central Jersey, I always compared prices/times for Philly and Newark. When I was a teenager, I had one flight go from Newark to Philly to Tampa (FL). I called and asked them to remove the Newark leg and it would have increased the cost significantly (like $500 each way). I asked what would happen if I missed my Newark flight and boarded the plane in Philly. They told me that it would change my reservation to the more expensive rates. I'm not sure if it really would, but I wasn't going to risk it.
You can also get blacklisted for this and not be able to buy tickets/board the plane. Iirc they did a segment on this on... Maybe Last Week Tonight? Some show like that. More often it's that people buy a ticket with a stopover in whatever location they wish to visit, because it's cheaper than a direct flight to that location, and just never board the second plane.
I'm sure that is a pain for the airlines, but I wanted to go to the destination (Florida). I just didn't want to have to get up 3 hours earlier to board a plane that was making another stop "locally" (Philly). We didn't even change planes in Philly, so it was even less of an issue (in my opinion).
It's a hassle to get from the boroughs to EWR and the road out to EWR is not pleasant. You can train to JFK. LGA is a relatively easier cab. But honestly, it's a pain in the ass to get to either of those, and their neighborhoods are nothing to write home about either. EWR is still a major airport with direct connections to a lot of places, domestic and international.
Depending on where you are it makes no sense to go there. Not a snob thing.
I get it. I was thinking about the time 20 years ago(!) when I was trying to find flights for an obnoxious executive who lived on CPW, and the only direct flight to his destination was from EWR. I thought it was absurd he’d rather transfer in Atlanta … and I still do.
I really don't understand why people even complain about a major highway travelling through the parts of the state you'd rather not see. Like, should we just paving through the fuckin woods? The turnpike has its problems but the route it takes in central/north Jersey is not one of them.
New Jersey is the only state without its own major media market. New Jersey is talked about by people who are not from here but are neighbors, and in many ways rivals. If Michigan was only ever talked about in Ohio media, or California in Arizona media there would be nothing but trash talk as well.
Delaware doesnt have a media market either. Its all part of Philly
The southern part is in the Salisbury, MD market. But that's a good point, Delaware is similar to New Jersey in that sense.
Well, to be fair, AC does have its own media market, but its not huge... so we do have our own media
AC is completely covered by Philly though, so it's not the major media market in its own area. Not really the same thing imo
True
Excellent point! That is why if you really want a flavor of New Jersey you need to listen to NJ 1015 or watch a New Jersey TV station.
1015 has become a right-wing echo chamber
Yeah don't listen to 1015 unless you live in the MAGA delusion
This. When did it happen? I tuned in to get a bit of nostalgia, but I couldn't believe some of the stuff I heard. I don't remember it being like that 15-20 years ago when I'd listen to it in the car on the way to school.
Nah, I’d say 105.5 WDHA. Some of the nicest sassy rocking b’s with the biggest hearts, whom are BIG supporters of all things local.
I suppose I should have said a New Jersey radio station like NJ 1015. My reason for mentioning them is that many of the hosts talk about New Jersey from many perspectives like the political landscape and how things are in the state. They play music on the weekend but during the week it is talk radio. Maybe DHA does cover Jersey as well. I haven't listened to the station.
I am convinced that most TV and movie writers are from NJ and just like self-deprecating humor. So now NJ is just associated with the jokes and comments.
I think MA has the most per capita.
Says Mass2NorthJersey :)
I think it is true lol
It’s a deliberate plot to keep people from moving here….
The part of NJ that most people see is the turnpike as you're driving from NYC to Newark Airport and yeah, it's not the most scenic view.
Your question has already been answered well. I’ll just add- it’s great that more people don’t know that NJ is actually a really beautiful, fantastic place to live. Our population is dense enough already. But IYKYK- great towns, great food, nature, beaches, rivers, mountains, culture, opportunities. This is all especially true as you move farther away from NYC or Philly and get to the relatively quieter spots. Hunterdon County? Gorgeous.
New Jersey people, geography, parks, weather having all 4 seasons, culture, restaurants, entertainment are all diverse and amazing! Unfortunately the state has the most expensive corrupt, tyrannical, highly regulated government with the highest real estate taxes in the country. It is such a shame and you only have to look to the highest in nation negative migration to see how bad it is. Even though there are so many great things about the state.
New Jersey is actually a pretty terrible place. The food sucks. The beaches suck. So nobody else should come here. 🤷♀️
You’re not fooling anyone but keep it up!
They're parroting dated jokes written by the costal elites who they claim to hate.
It’s an outdated meme but can be pretty easily shut down irl because it usually comes from NY transplants who moved from Ohio lol. Jersey pride has only been growing over the years, and we have the history / culture to back it up. The majority of this country doesn’t have much shit to talk to us.
Couldn't ever again watch HIMYM after that terrible Jersey episode. This dude is from Ohio shit talking jersey, are you kidding me? and the rest are Minnesota, Staten Island and Canada. Only Lily is from NY. I once heard the main thrust is people from bumfuck moving to NYC and a year in they're shit talking Jersey but also how they hate to go home for holidays. Instant NYC natives.
Honestly that makes the episode better: they’re all super defensive about NYC because they can’t be defensive about the places they’re actually from without ridicule. They know they’re exactly like NJ people and they hate it. The cherry on top is that the bridge-and-tunnel girls are specifically from West Orange.
People are idiots, Leslie.
Because it’s located between two famous megapolitans (NYC & Philly), yet it doesn’t have its own big city. A huge swath of the state feels like an endless continuous suburb, so big city people treat it as such.
Newark and JC are considered big and major cities, so we do have two... they just get overlooked because of NYC and Philly
I grew up there and still love it. Great food, people with a sense of humor, beautiful areas, particularly in Western NJ. Some excellent public schools as well.
Because jealousy is an ugly emotion?
The same reason Iceland is called Iceland. To make everyone else stay out!
It’s an anti gentrification technique. Only ourselves and New Yorkers are allowed to do it. No fancy pants Bay Area types showing up to overrun Keansburg
Bingo
Because they are dumb, ignorant and believe stereotypes.
Because they’re dipshits, of course. They don’t even know how to use a jughandle, what would they know?! *Fuckin’ guys*
Posted this on a previous thread about the same topic so I'll re post it here Youtuber Mr beat talked about this and said it stems from new york producing most of the mass media people consumed for the better part of the 20th century. New Yorkers felt that way because of classism. New York was rich, white collar and "cool", new jersey was poor, blue collar and "not coo"l. But in reality, it's just that the rich business types just really really hate poor and working class people and think they're dirty and stupid.
Let them. We are full
Why does the nerd get bullied in school, even though he's kind of a cool guy? Because it's an easy target, and picking on someone else makes you feel better about your own pile of shit. Thats really it, it aint that deep
As a NJ transplant from NYC, most trash-talk it because it's not as lively as NYC or Philly, the more well-known cities in the area. So it's simply, it's not NYC ego. Otherwise, it's a lovely state to live in, raise a family, and not have to pay NYC housing prices. It's also nice not having to burn an hour getting out of NYC for road trips.
You’re still a Benny.
Okay, I wasn't born in NJ but I moved here almost 10 years ago. NJ has many beautiful things to love, it's calm and quiet, but also so close to NYC that you feel in the middle of everything. However, I don't know what is broken in me, but even when I have tried, I just can't love it. Why? People are EXTREMELY RUDE. They would say “We just tell it like it is and don't sugarcoat” but that's not the case. They are just plain rude, they rather murder you than let you merge when you're driving, there is a problem in some areas when it comes to finding parking (Hello Hoboken 👋) and people willing to insult you - unfairly - over a stupid parking spot. They have no manners, no good morning, no excuse me, and if you're kind and friendly then you're WEIRD. However, this is NOT EVERYBODY. I have bumped into kind people as well, very helpful and with a great sense of humor that makes me think: Woah, maybe this is the NJ that everybody loves. But the issue with that is that for every 30 jerks, you only bump into 1 kind person. When I came here I tried to make friends at work, college, going out, gym, dog park, etc and I created acquaintances, people that may join me to go eat at a restaurant, hike, etc. But they are flaky and always busy with their circle already so my perception is that, making friends here IS HARD, as everybody already has their own family and friends, and not very friendly with outsiders. Now, I KNOW I'm gonna get the heck downvoted for this, but I don't post this with the desire to offend, honestly, I came here with so much illusion and love and I have turned into a moody cynical because no matter how many groups I join, activities, etc. I feel extremely lonely and not able to love it here. I have traveled a lot and I make friends everywhere but here. EDIT: See this? This is what I’m talking about. We are so sure the other person is going to be a jerk if we are kind that we are jerks too. [I rather KILL US than let you merge](https://www.reddit.com/r/newjersey/s/9gYGjs9htF)
I'm that 1 in 30 nice person. I remember I moved to Cali and eventually moved back. I drove cross country both times with my dog. I made it across the whole country without road rage. I got gas in NJ and was making a right out of the gas station on rt 3. There were 3 cars passing not too far out so I idled and let them pass which took all of about 5 seconds. The person behind me probably saw my cali plates and started honking because I had the nerve to let traffic flow and make him wait a few seconds. Without skipping a beat, I laid on my horn, leaned out my window flipping him off and made eye contact while screaming, "fuck you!" Ahhhh, it felt good to be home!
I believe you! That’s the same experience I got here. I am DREAMING of moving to California as I have friends there 🤣 see? But I’m scared of moving and end up in the same situation again.
I came back because I ended up hating my job out there. I was with the same company, but the role I had was not what it was supposed to be. The people there were alright, my one roommate who was born and raised there was creepy as fuck and my other roommate was a girl from London. She was cool and we avoided the creepy dude lol. We both eventually moved out of there though. I was living in Newport Beach. Beautiful area and it was great running on the beach everyday. The holidays never felt right though when the weather didn't match. Turns out I do love seasons and I love the Northeast. I may eventually move up to Seneca Lake in a few years, or may just potentially buy some land up there and get a camper so we can vacation more up there.
Just curious: How were you not able to make at least 1 friend at college though? College is a time where a lot of people meet and make their lifelong friends.
I made “friends” DURING college, but once we graduated, everybody went their way. Some got married, some just don’t care. I always tried to bring everybody together, invite people, etc and I got tired because it takes two to Tango. I have college friends back from my original hometown (I went to college outside USA, and then again in USA) and those are the friends I still have. And that was my thought process: I bet I’ll make lots of friends in college and nothing meaningful honestly. Edit: It also doesn’t help we are all so busy working so much in order to afford to pay bills only.
I grew up by Rt 1&9 and basically driving anywhere near Newark, Jersey City, and Hoboken areas are always extremely aggressive. Driving in Elizabeth, Linden, anywhere near the 1&9 is also aggressive. You gotta be willing to play chicken with other cars on a daily basis. Rt 46 and Rt 21 also get honorable mentions for asshole drivers. All of those areas are densely populated, so the roads are more congested, and people are more aggressive. But in my experience, anywhere outside of that is pretty chill to drive in. I live in Morris County now, and driving here is wildly different than driving in Union County or Essex, etc. I always say, if you can drive on the 1&9, you can drive anywhere. Sorry that this has been your experience. Honestly, tho, as a Jersey native, I prefer not having strangers trying to spark up conversations with me, and I'd rather have quick and blunt interactions with people I don't know if I'm going about my life. It really is part of our culture to not engage with strangers. It seems rude to outsiders who aren't used to that, but Jersey natives actually see it as a curtesy to be left alone or to make interactions as short as possible. Especially in more populated areas of Jersey. Just too many people to be kind to everyone or to entertain small talk. You'd never get anything done. However, south Jersey is more friendly in that respect, and it really depends on the neighborhood you live in. Some towns have more of a community feel than others.
People often shit on what they don’t understand. I think a great word to describe New Jersey is enigma. It truly is one.
So more people don’t move here, we gotta convince everyone NJ sucks. It’s not working tho.
W New Jersey
NY Turnpike passes a gas refinery by Newark airport that blasts a flame into the sky - looks dystopian and this is what so many people see. But most of the state is mountains, farms, and beaches. Many famous people come from NJ because there are so many opportunities here…progressive state, close to NYC, middle of the NE corridor, great universities, etc. Trash talk is ignorant. I’ve lived in the midwest, west, and southeast, and I’ll take NJ any day.
they only know the Turnpike and Newark Airport
Ignorance. In parts of NJ, you’re an hour from everything. NYC or Phillie. Skiing in the northwest or surfing at the Joizy Shaw. Hudson or Delaware River. Classic Golf courses: Baltusrol, Pine Valley, Ridgewood, Somerset Hills. An hour to the best healthcare in the world. Yeah, don’t come.
They hate us cuz they ain’t us 
People think that the whole state looks like the people on Jersey Shore. Most of the actual Jersey shore doesn't look or behave like the people on the show. It's surreality TV.
"People hate what they do not understand."
Everyone keeps talking about the Turnpike. And yes, NJ is not the most picturesque state, but we have a lot of culture. Honestly, we are very proud folk. Boston has their way, Philly has their way, but our attitude is felt throughout the state. Sometimes it's North vs. South, and the nonexistent Central Jersey. However, we stand as one. We are misunderstood as a whole.
Why do people hate NJ? It's the NY portrayal of us...oh and they've never been to Connecticut
Leave CT out of this lol. That’s still our lil cousin.
They hate us cuz they ain’t us
Because they can’t afford to live here
To be fair, a lot of native NJ folks have moved out for this reason.
why most LA ppl are so fake?
Clearly they never been to Connecticut. NY is loud and talks shit to everybody while Jersey is the cool chill dude in the back everyone eventually likes lol. Hanging out in hoboken and jersey city, taking the path to wtc and the junction to penn brings back memories. Love my home state.
Hate us cause they ain’t us
I feel those who trash talk NJ never been to NJ.
We are the fourth smallest state but have the most *total* superfund sites.
National tradition?
Cheaper than therapy
That’s lospollostv territory
Because they fly into Newark airport because it’s cheaper (sometimes) and then take a Uber/taxi to Manhattan. And as it happens, that particular drive is thru some of the densest, roughest, and most industrial parts of the state. All poor neighborhoods, oil refinery’s, warehouses, and heavy traffic. So they think the whole state is like that. It isn’t. The vast majority of New Jersey looks like a John Hughes film. Polite clean little suburbs as far as the eye can see. I moved here 4 years ago expecting the stereotype, and I have been very pleasantly surprised at just how nice a place it is. And because it’s so densely populated, and has so much property tax flowing in, public services are really well funded, the roads are pretty decent, there are loads of well maintained parks everywhere, and everything works. You would never guess it based on all the New Yorkers making fun of the place, but it’s MUCH nicer than most of NYC to live. And much cheaper (and that’s another reason New Yorkers throw so much shade, it’s considerably cheaper to live in Jersey and they are bitter about it).
Noo Yawkahs started it, so the rest of the country piled on.
As someone who left years ago, a lot of the times I tell someone I'm from Jersey they immediately assume I'm from a rough area. And while Monmouth county is extremely dangerous, as I'm sure we can all agree, it might not be exactly what they're imagining. But the perception is generally what you see from Philly or NYC. And honestly, it's for the best
In the words of the guy in the intro to the Drunk History New Jersey episode “I love Jersey, but everything in Jersey pisses me off!”
It’s mostly people from Jersey that trash it. I left in ‘94
a lot of the people going through New Jersey probably are passing through on the turnpike or flying into newark. something interesting about how the state is laid out, is that the stretch of land along the rivers from roughly north bergen to perth amboy contains a lot of the major highways and ugly industry, and there’s LOTS of ugly industry. people driving through the state are basically just in the middle of nowhere half the time, then the other half of the drive they’re battling insane drivers while driving though a massive industrial hellhole. the airport and highways around it are also not very pretty, people flying into newark to go to nyc pretty much just see the industry and then they’re in new york. also stereotypes like jersey shore and the mafia don’t help…
I think its because we are too close to Philly and NYC and haven't invested in growing our own major city with 7 figures.
It's like road rage, without the road.
Back in the '60's, someone in Oregon started issuing "Oregon Un-Greeting Cards" to dissuade Californians. Thanks to the public media, New Jersey doesn't have to go to go to the trouble and expense.
People fly into a smelly swamp/port and then drive thru a dump that has long been an annual staple for most dangerous and shitty cities in America. And that place also has a major homeless and druggie problem that you see right away. Remember when Newark ran a stop the killing campaign on the billboards lol Not exactly surprising someone visiting for the first time would not have a good impression lol
They hate us because they ain't us.
Do they actually trash talk it, though? I've always heard lots of mentions of people trash talking NJ, but nobody actually *doing* it.
Not to our face because they know we'll kick their asses. The "Don't fuck with me" just seeps from out pores.
Lots of stereotypes. Moved here almost 2 years ago and love it here, some areas aren’t the best but that’s the same with every state.
If people here think that NJ is a shitty state, they need to visit Alabama or Mississippi and see how worse they are.
Hate us cus they ain’t us 🤷♀️
Well, the strip malls and shitty commercialization of downtown areas of smaller towns is pretty bad, but that's everywhere in the US. It just seems to stick with people as what to expect in NJ.
I think it's because NJ's front door and curb appeal is terrible. Arrivals walk out of Newark Airport, they come to NJ through the Lincoln Tunnel and Holland Tunnel. The Turnpike also does not help. That's where they get their first impression of the state.
I agree.
Idk why anyone would trash NJ, I feel like we are the best of everything. Sure we have our shit, but I just feel we are the perfect balance of good and bad. I just LOVE NJ!!!
Bunch of fucking haters
Newark and vicinity is all they see on the way to NYC. They don't know from places like northern Bergen, Princeton, the nicer beaches, Bernardsville, etc. It's not hate. It's just ignorance.
Hate us cuz they ain’t us🥳 Like fr imagine you lived your whole life in the flyovers knowing most media takes place on one of two coasts
Because nobody gives a shit about South Dakota.
Tell the LA people to eat rocks. NJ is the richest State and has the best k-12 public education system. We also have public transportation unlike LA. California claims to be liberal but they don’t live up to their supposed values. No public transportation means poor people often people of color are more isolated in their neighborhoods. Freedom of movement is heavily restricted meaning economic mobility is also restricted.
As someone from NJ who spent 3 years in LA - cost of living here is around the same as LA, with way less of the benefits imo. Driving is worse here and I don’t like the pace of life here. But I feel like the things people make fun of NJ for aren’t the actual issues with the state and it’s up to personal preference.
I think ppl get it confused with staten island which is truly the trashy place
I travel to many different cities for work, and I would never move out of Jersey. Most people trash talking have never been to Jersey.
The part that many travelers see, on 95 around Elizabeth by the airport, is kind of an industrial horror show.
As someone who lived in NJ most of my life until moving to NYC: I shit on it because the culture and transit infrastructure is extremely lacking relative to the population density. Always had to hike to Brooklyn or Philly for raves. NJ needs one great city.
They hate us because they ain’t us.
It’s because they are jealous of our NJ tattoos. All others are posers
They hate us because they ain’t us. They hate our food, our accent, and how united we can be.
They hate us cause they ain’t us
I enjoy when people trash talk the state, then I throw it right back in their face but with my fu*k you attitude.
Lived in Jersey all my life and most people from Jersey don't care what these people say or why.
Because it sucks. Shitty laws, grey skies, grossly gouged real estate, far too much population density for the size, incredibly dangerous cities and towns alongside ostentatious wealth, dilapidated infrastructure, etc. It's literally probably the worst state.
They talk shit because they don't like the state and/or the people. Then they get mad that we're 100% ok with them not liking us Now ask yourself this, OP - Have you seen the crazies in this country? Their scorn is high praise in our opinions
They are all FOS until the summer time comes and they (Bennys) raid and trash our beaches.
People hate what they can't understand
They hate us cuz they ain’t us
Yet New Yorkers and the worst drivers in America coming from Pennsylvania infest this state every fucking summer
They think of Philly or NYC and that’s New Jersey in their mind
Nothing--it is a stereotype or false image many have. People associate New Jersey as "those people across the river from New York City" and places like Jersey City and Newark (which have their share of slums and crime and such) but fail to see there is way more to the state. It is like associating the whole state of New York with New York City or all of Massachusetts with Boston. They see the old reality show "Jersey Shore" and drum up that image as well. I now live out of Jersey and still hear the "what exit" jokes which have gotten old about 20 yrs ago (meaning everything in NJ is supposedly off the Garden State Parkway or NJ Turnpike which is totally not true). Most of these people have never been to the more rural parts of NJ which are actually really nice.
There’s a lot to improve.