Ten Reasons Why I Love NJ
Posted by
John Carlson in
New Jersey on
May
22,
2010
Tags: Jersey Stuff
- Geographic diversity — New Jersey is the fifth smallest state in the union, but it is a land of contrasts. In the Highlands region to the Northwest we have mountains (in fact, the Highlands have the highest elevation on the eastern seaboard); to the South the Pinelands cover over a million square acres; to the East the Jersey shore stretches for 150 miles from Sandy Hook to Cape May.
- The food — Sure, you can get great barbecue down South and excellent steaks out West, but few areas of the country have such varied and excellent places to eat than New Jersey — especially Italian and other ethnic foods, pizza, hot dogs and bagels!
- The people — There’s definitely a difference between South Jersey, North Jersey and West Jersey folk, make no mistake, and this owes largely to the geographic differences and the population density. But wherever they reside, New Jerseyans are my favorite people.
- The shore — Yes, the shore not “the beach”. I grew up in north Jersey, but spent many summer vacations “down the shore” (another Jerseyism) in Seaside, Point Pleasant, Lavalette, Long Beach Island and Wildwood. To me, there’s nothing like it, and from Sandy Hook to Cape May, I love every inch of beach and boardwalk.
- The boardwalk — Asbury Park, Point Pleasant, Seaside, Belmar, Atlantic City, and more: nothing beats the Jersey boardwalks. Salt air, vinegar fries and sausage sandwiches, the rides and the pretty girls. I spent many great days and nights on the Jersey boardwalks.
- The Pinelands — The Pinelands (or Pine Barrens, as they’re often called) are 1.1 million acres of densely wooded coastal forest, waterways and salt marshes. It is a hauntingly beautiful landscape with diverse species of plant and animal life. It’s also my favorite place in the world to camp and hike.
- Two great cities — New Jersey borders two of my favorite cities: Philadelphia, PA to the southwest and New York, NY to the northeast; and both cities are a relatively short driving distance from anywhere in the state.
- Ellis Island — New Jersey is home to Ellis Island (as well as the Statue of Liberty), where my grandparents landed over a hundred years ago when they emigrated to America from Sweden (dad’s folks) and Sicily (mom’s) — making New Jersey the first place my grandparents set foot in this country.
- Family and friends — My wife and sons were born in New Jersey and I met all of my closest friends here. And there’s nothing as important as friends and family.
- My home town — I grew up in beautiful Ridgewood, NJ and I’ll always have a place in my heart for my hometown. I spent many happy years and met all my closest friends in Ridgewood.
Tags: Jersey Stuff
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