Where to Find the Real "Garden State" of New Jersey
Much has been written about The Garden State of New Jersey. It has long had a reputation among outsiders looking in as the 'armpit of the Northeast' United States.
People think they know New Jersey, spouting strong opinions based largely on stereotypes likeThe Sopranos, Frank Sinatra,The Real Housewives of New Jersey, and OMG the Mall hair.
News flash — everyone had big hair in the 80's!
And though I now live out of state, I was born and raised in New Jersey and my family lives there. We recently went home for a nice long visit in June to attend a wedding and graduation, and was struck by how much I missed it.
It's harder for me to be objective about my home state. Like most New Jerseyans, it's personal.
Jersey (and please don’t say NewJoy-zee—only people from Jersey City, Bayonne, and those parts can pull that off) is one of those places the natives are passionate about, and will defend to the death. It's not without its warts, believe me, so don't mistake our defense of it for denial.
We defend it simply because it's not true. And though admittedly, stereotypes are often rooted in truth, we also know the truth is not always what you see.
Come visit New Jersey? Flying into Newark Airport and this is your first welcome. Ugh
Maybe New Jersey is a little defensive at some of the credit New York often lays claims to (Go Giants!- it’s in NJ). And granted, the area around Newark airport is possibly the worst tourism advertisementeverfor visiting the state.Ever.
But the bad rap you often hear also often comes from frequent flyers into Newark airport or drivers speeding down the parkways and turnpikes on their way to some other state.
New Jersey is so much more than this.
This is New Jersey, looking across to Pennsylvania near the Delaware Water Gap.
Finding The Garden State of New Jersey
Just minutes outside the landfills and pollution around Newark airport are urban communities being revitalized and restored. Young families, professionals, and hipsters are sprucing up and celebrating the heritage of older ethnic neighborhoods with new energy.
Further south and west are the verdant green pastures of the Garden State, and trailheads leading to the Appalachian Trail in the northwesternDelaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
I've livedallof this in New Jersey. Unlike the Jersey Devil, I actually know it exists.
I grew up in Warren County, a rural county in Northwest New Jersey which runs along theAppalachian Trailadjacent to thePocono Mountains(一个伟大的place to visit in Pennsylvania, btw). My small hometown is full of Norman Rockwell charm and a lake atBlair Academywhere kids skate like figurines in the wintertime.
In my early career, I worked in downtownNewarkand discovered the redeeming qualities of the suburbs of Orange, Bloomfield, Hoboken, and the Ironbound. I've never had Portuguese and Italian food like I've had in the Ironbound, orDown Neck, section of Newark.
Today, many historic downtowns throughout Bergen, Essex, and other neighboring counties are revitalizing their downtowns with vibrant cosmopolitan scenes.
Not much has changed in my home town, with the exception of the people and addition of a traffic light or two. I don't recognize as many people at the A&P grocery store as I used to, but I always seem to spot some familiar faces whenever I visit. Recent efforts at revitalization in town are cause for optimism, and many residents seem eager to share the area's rich history amid new farmers markets and local events.
“Tonight I’m gonna take that ride, across the river to the Jersey side, Take my baby to the carnival, and I’ll take her on all the rides”
Roadside Stands
你仍然可以发现许多新Jerse老地标y like the mid-century roadside stands - some still in business after 50 years! Everyone has their favorite and mine isHot Dog Johnny, home of the World’s Best Hot Dogs and source of contention amongst hot dog lovers, including my Pennsylvania-born husband who continues to insist Yocco's is King. Hot Dog Johnny himself may be gone but his daughter Patsy and her staff continue this Jersey tradition with pride.
Where else can you still get two dogs with everything (yellow mustard, day-old onions, and a dill pickle wedge) with a frosty mug of birch beer (or icy cold buttermilk) for under $5 bucks?
Did you know that New Jersey hot dogs are deep fried, some to the point of splitting open at the ends (calledSplits)? I mean, comeon!There's flavor and nostalgia in every bite.
Summer is the perfect time for fun on the river, and it brought back many nice memories to see kids of all ages paddling and floating down the Delaware River in their overinflated tire tubes. The river has quite an influence on the childhoods of kids growing up in rural New Jersey counties. String a bunch of tubes together into a giant flotilla and you've got yourself a perfect summer afternoon.
Pick Your Own Produce
And true to its agricultural heritage, people still venture out "to the country" and more rural counties year 'round to pick their own fruits, vegetables, and trees. Strawberries, apples, blueberries, lopes, Christmas trees, pumpkins, sweet corn, cranberries, and other produce are plentiful at quaint farm stands or largerPick-Ur-Ownfarms open to the public.
In fact, in terms of fruits and vegetables, the Garden State of New Jersey leads the country among the top 10 for growing cranberries, bell peppers, spinach, blueberries, peaches, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, apples, sweet corn and snap beans.
The middle and westernmost counties of New Jersey remain largely suburban and rural, respectively, with countryside punctuated by dairy farms, antique shops, historic towns, wineries, and opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors.
Strawberry pickers hunt for the perfect berries at Post Farm in Andover
Down the Shore
At the shore, New Jersey beaches rank up there with some of the prettiest beaches in the world. Yes, you can find theJersey Shorecrowd and thatSituation(no relation) if you really want to, but you'll also find many nostalgic shore towns still offering families a slower pace and the chance at making treasured vacation memories.
South Jersey is a unique blend of agricultural, woodsy, and picturesque beach towns rolled into one. The Atlantic coastal Pinelands offer historic villages and berry farms amidst extensive wetlands and oak-pine forests, and charming shore towns further south offer everything from amusement-packed boardwalks to miles of rustic natural beaches.
Atlantic City is popular with Philly day-trippers and gamblers, but slow travelers should head tocharming Cape Mayfor lazy days of beach-combing, browsing local shops and admiring the town’s Victorian architecture.
“‘Cause down the shore everything’s all right, you and your baby on a Saturday night. You know all my dreams come true, when I’m walking down the street with you
Sha la la la la la la, I’m in love with a Jersey girl”
So the next time you snicker at New Jersey or any reference to it not being green, or think you've been to New Jersey because you landed at Newark Airport, think again.
You haven't. You don't know New Jersey until you’ve seen The Garden State.
Like countless defenders before me, I will defend its undeserved reputation and seek to educate the misinformed.
A White Tail deer and her twin fawns
Get back in your car and venture out from the airport. Go just a few blocks to the old Ironbound neighborhoods of Newark and have some authenticPortuguese paella.
Take the Garden State Parkway south and chase the scenic route to the shore points along the New Jersey Highlands, or further south yet tohistoric Cape May.
Head west from Newark airport on Interstates 78 or 80 and watch the concrete yield to thick lush greenery, and visit the countryside.
Only then can you truly see what the Garden State is all about. It may notallbe green, but it's all beautiful.
沙啦啦啦啦啦啦啦啦。
