I lived in NJ for a year. It isn't great, but it doesn't totally suck either. I'll try to make a list of pros and cons:
PROS
- Great food everywhere. Jersey has more diners than any other state in the country. Pizza there is awesome-o. If you open a restaurant in Jersey and your food blows, trust me, you won't be around long. There's way too many other great food spots out there.
- It's close to New York City. When I lived in Jersey I was surprised that many New Jerseyians hate NYC and vice versa. I don't know why, New York is a helluva town. Plenty of shit to do and more great food. I didn't get to mess around in NY too much, but whenever I did go I had a good time. It reminded me a lot of San Francisco, just bigger and a whole lot dirtier.
- Traveling on the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike CAN be easy as hell. In California, if you want to go from SF or LA, you're gonna have to switch freeways maybe two or three times. In Jersey, if I wanted to go from, say, Newark to Atlantic City, all I'd have to do is hit GSP South. Very simple.
- You can go to Atlantic City. I only went there once but I had a blast. It's pretty close to anywhere in the state, you can gamble, and the boardwalk has a nice assortment of stores and a great view of the beach. I'm told Wednesdays are when the most hookers are out too.
- There is a reason why it's called the Garden State. Most people assume that Jersey is all toxic dumps and factories, but it really isn't. You can be on the Turnpike and see a factory and then ten minutes later you can get off Turnpike and you could end up in a lush forrest. I got lost in Jersey a few times and when I ended up in the sticks I would always think to myself Jersey has some great, scenic backroads.
- Womens. Jersey Girls are some of the finest, most down chicks you'll ever meet. I've heard a lot of people say Jersey is filled with jerks too, but I don't think so. I met some assholes, but they're all over the country. I'm from California, and I thought most of the people I met out here were cool as fuck.
- The Jets and Giants both play in the Meadowlands. Not to mention, the Devils and Nets also make their home here too. While I think it'd be fair for one of the football teams to change from New York to New Jersey, it's still cool that such a tiny state has two football teams.
- Jersey Shore beaches. There are a lot of nice beaches down the shore. There's also a good number of fairly dirty beaches, but nothing too bad. As a Californian, it was nice to sit on the beach in the summer.
- New Yorkers are fun to laugh at when they come down the Shore. They are called 'Bennies' in Jersey. I used to get a kick out of driving around, seeing a NY plate and saying something about Bennies fucking up the shore.
- Redman. The unofficial hero of the state, he can make you laugh your ass off. Jersey Yo!
CONS
- Jersey has the highest car insurance rates in the nation. And it's easy to see why. Everybody here drives like a maniac. I used to drive on the GSP South to work in the morning doing about 75, which is ten over the speed limit and I was getting blown away by soccers moms in minivans.
- Jughandles. I really should list jughandles in the pro list as well. In theory, they are a great idea and obviously reduce the number of accidents, but they can be a pain in the ass. Having to go right before left is annoying. At my old job, the exit out went to Route 34 South. In order to go back North, I had to drive a half mile up the road, take a jughandle and then backtrack.
- The tolls. In CA, we only pay a toll when you cross a bridge. On the GSP, you could hit tolls two or three times in one trip depending on where you're going.
- Sometimes the GSP and Turnpike can be really confusing. One night I drove to Rutgers university for a party. The next morning, in order to go back South to go home, I first had to get on the Turnpike NORTH, then find an exit for GSP South. If I were an out-of-stater I would've been lost forever.
- It is the largest chemical producing state in the nation. This is why everybody thinks Jersey is full of dumps and factories.
- Jersey also has the most Superfund sites in the nation. In 1980, the government passed Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), allocating an amount of money set aside for chemical cleanup in situations where the company who had originally polluted was gone. Of course, saying that it was "an amount of money set aside" is kind of like calling Montana "a patch of land": to date, over $30 billion dollars have gone into this project. I believe New Jersey has 106 of these sites, but don't quote me.
- There is a reason it's nicknamed Dirty Jersey. I'm from California, so I've seen how far environmental nuts can go. And hey, I believe in perserving nature, but I'm not a radical when it comes to this. However, I was routinely appalled when walking the streets. It was pretty common to see a big pile of trash three feet from the closest garbage can. On the whole, most residents here don't give a damn about the environment.
- Sidewalks. Alright, this might be my biggest gripe of all. WHO THE FUCK DESIGNED MOST OF THE SIDEWALKS IN THIS STATE? I enjoy walking around a lot, so when I first got to Jersey I naturally did some exploring. Many smaller towns and neighborhoods don't know shit about sidewalks. It was more than common to walk down the street and about halfway through the block, the sidewalk ended on that side and it was dirt and grass on that side of the street the rest of the block down. However, the sidewalk started again on the OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET. What kind of sense does this make?
- Newark, Camden, Linden, Elizabeth, the Oranges, Trenton, Jersey City, Asbury Park.
- Greasy ass guidos. 'Nuff said.
Welp, that's my Jersey Report. I'd say it's a pretty good for an out-of-stater, don't you think? :D
