11 Things You Will Only Understand If You're From New Jersey
Growing up in New Jersey, I quickly learned that there are a lot of stereotypes surrounding our state’s name and also many tendencies that we Jersey folk only seem to have.
1. Central Jersey does NOT exist!
There is North Jersey and there is South Jersey — whatever way you divvy it up is your choice. Personally, I think North Jersey is Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren counties and South Jersey is Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, and Salem counties.
2. You most likely have multiple diners in your town.
Diners should be a Jersey trademark at this point; they are everywhere! They are one of the few New Jersey icons that are normally mom and pop owned and will cater to your hunger needs at 3 a.m. On that note, an order of disco fries will never fail you.
3. “Is it really like Jersey Shore?”
Although this show is getting somewhat dated now, people from out-of-state will constantly ask this question. To put the answer in simple words … NO, IT IS NOT, and what many people do not realize is that only two people from the original cast were from New Jersey.
4. Most malls are a short drive away.
Yes, New Jersey does have some rural areas, but aside from those places, malls are everywhere. There are the outlets, Jersey Gardens, Monmouth, Garden State Plaza, Short Hills, Bridgewater, Menlo Park, and according to rumors a super mall is in the works. Contractors are just feeding our shopping addictions, but we are not complaining.
5. The shore is everything.
Many people think if you love the beach Florida, California, and Hawaii are the places to be, but I have to disagree. We have a huge shoreline featuring both popular beaches and quaint, quiet beaches, and also great boardwalks. You have not lived until you have witnessed the sunrise on the beach.
6. “New Jersey is the armpit of the country.”
Okay, so maybe geographically it looks like New Jersey is the armpit of the United States and maybe it does not have the best smell, but I can assure you I would not want to live anywhere else. Beyond the polluted air, there is a lot of beauty to New Jersey, mountains to hike, beaches to sunbathe on — we’ve got it all.
7. Jersey pizza is the best pizza.
You do not know what real pizza is unless you have had pizza from New Jersey, and if you are from New Jersey you know how hard it is to find a good slice (or 10 slices) of pizza when you travel.
8. “New JOISEY.”
I have lived in New Jersey my entire life, and yet I have never come across a native that pronounces Jersey as “Joisey,” but for whatever reason every non-native thinks we have some crazy accent that does not allow us to pronounce “R”s.
9. Pork Roll Versus Taylor Ham is an actual battle.
If you are a North Jersey native, like me, you know it is Taylor Ham, though for whatever reason Southern natives think it’s called Pork Roll. Either way, it is absolutely delicious and will make any breakfast sandwich better.
10. Having to pump gas when you leave the state is the worst.
In Jersey, we never need to learn to pump our own gas, so out-of-staters should have a little patience when we fiddle around with the gas pump.
11. KID PK.
Last, but certainly not least, KID PK. This really does not need much explanation because if you are from Jersey you know exactly what I am talking about, but for those unfamiliar with New Jersey, KID PK is most likely the most prominent graffiti tag in the state, and how does the artist get to some of those places? I guess that is a mystery only the Jersey Devil can answer.