Though Jerseyans may hate on New Jersey sometimes, that doesn’t mean it’s okay for out-of-staters to do so. No one else knows Jersey quite like we know it.
Even though we hate the, “Taylor Ham or Pork Roll,” debate at times, we can all agree that Snookie or any Jersey Shore member is our spirit animal. Jersey has a special place in my heart and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Here’s a list of the top five reasons you should love New Jersey just as much as I do.
Image courtesy of Diana Solano
1. “He said, Do you love me? I said only partly I only love … not pumping my own gas, Wawa, and Taylor ham on an everything bagel.”
You can call New Jersey a lot of things, but you can’t say that we aren’t unique. All 49 other states pump their own gas, but not us. We don’t have to get out of our cars when it’s raining, snowing, or on a hot summer day. New Jersey also has incredible food options. We’re known for having amazing bagels, but not just any bagels: everything bagels with Taylor ham, egg and cheese, a morning favorite. Alongside that bagel a coffee from Wawa or an iced coffee from Rook.
Image courtesy of Diana Solano
2. Pork Roll or Taylor Ham?
Sub or Hoagie? Does Central Jersey even exist? Is, “the city,” New York or Philadelphia? Italian Ice or Water Ice? These are just a couple of debates we have here in New Jersey. Everyone brings their own points to the table and argue about it for a while until it’s forgotten about. When any of these topics are brought up again there might be no escape from it. What I love the most about this argument is it shows what part of New Jersey you are from. You can go to Wawa and call it a meatball hoagie or QuickChek and call it a meatball sub, either way, you’re getting a delicious meal.
Image courtesy of Diana Solano
3. High Point State Park to Exit 0
Did you know it takes four hours and two minutes to drive from the top of New Jersey, High Point State Park to Cape May, New Jersey? I never would have imagined viewing fields of land, cornfields, horses, and fresh fruit stands on the side of the road. Talk about the “Garden State” right? Driving down to Cape May and reaching Exit 0 is pretty cool to experience. You experience two completely different lifestyles and so much more in the middle of New Jersey.
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4. Famous NJ natives and our inventions
Instead of other states making fun of us (we’re looking at you New York) they should really be thanking us for inventing little stuff like bandages, air conditioning, and the light bulb! Just imagine life without any of these items.
Besides our inventions, we also have a lot of famous New Jersey natives. Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas are all from Teaneck, NJ, alongside Meryl Streep (Summit, NJ), John Travolta (Englewood, NJ), Queen Latifah (Newark, NJ), and Anne Hathaway (Millburn, NJ). There are just a few names a part of a huge list of New Jersey natives.
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5. The College of New Jersey
For some staying in New Jersey for college was a no brainer. For others like me, it was the last thing we wanted for the next four years. Luckily, staying in New Jersey was one of the best decisions I made, but the best decision I made was choosing to attend TCNJ. Our school was ranked the number one public college in the north. Besides its academics, our school is overall a friendly and welcoming campus. The memories of welcome week, homecoming, and spring concerts are just some that will last a lifetime.
Image courtesy of Diana Solano