There are about nine million of us living here, and we all can't be delusional.Apart from those who live here primarily because of job or family, most New Jerseyans live here because they like it here! New York City is a quick PATH or train ride away - why live there? The Shore, the Pine Barrens, beautiful countryside, diners, beaches, the nation's most diverse city, small towns, great scenic highways - does any state pack as much variety into one compact package as New Jersey? Nope.Here are the 50 best reasons to live in New Jersey, from someone who was born here (Trenton) and has travelled endlessly to every part of the state. This list could have easily included 100 or more items.What are your favorite reasons to live here? Let us know in the comments section. The list is not ranked.Roadside farm standsForget that store-bought, grown-in-California, Mexico, Peru or wherever produce. Nothing beats a tomato, peach or other fruit or vegetable from a Jersey roadside stand. Scores of family-run stands dot the landscape, and there are an additional 144 community farmers markets in towns across the state. N.J. ranks third nationally in cranberry production, fourth in tomatoes, bell peppers, peaches and cucumbers (cukes? who knew?), and sixth in blueberries. We're not called the Garden State for nothing. Peter Genovese | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comSmall townsNew Jersey may be the nation's most densely populated state, but its small towns are an underpublicized, underappreciated treasure. Of our 565 municipalities, 397 have populations under 15,000, according to census figures; 190 of those have populations under 5,000. Those numbers don't even include the towns and hamlets that are part of municipalities, the Chatsworths, Mauricetowns and West Trentons of the world. Unlike, say, the Shore, small towns make for great year-round exploration. Here's my list of the state's top 25 small towns, ranked. DinersDiners didn't start in New Jersey - they had their origins in Providence, R.I. - but today the Garden State is the diner capital of the World, with 600 or so of the shiny stainless steel gems. They come in small and super-sized, vintage and brand new, limited hours or open all-night, with menus ranging from one page to telephone book-sized. The Broad Street Diner in Keyport won our N.J.'s best diner showdown, but your favorite diner is always the best. Here's my list of the best diner in each of N.J.'s 21 counties.Delaware Water GapNearly 70,000 acres of woods, mountains and valleys; 100 miles of hiking trails and 30 miles of biking trails; spectacular waterfalls; 27 miles of the vaunted Appalachian Trail; historic villages; abundant wildlife - maybe no other part of the state packs as much outdoor adventure in one place as the Delaware Water Gap. The Old Mine Road is one of the state's great scenic highways, and this may be the perfect time to take a hike on one of those 100 miles of trails, with fall colors blazing. The ShoreWhat would we possibly do without the Shore? It's New Jersey's greatest asset, its best calling card, even if it gets overrun in the summer. With 130 miles of beaches, plus small towns, boardwalks, restaurants, parks and maybe even a few secret spots, the Shore beckons us every summer; it's in our DNA. Just try to ignore those unavoidable traffic jams on the Parkway. I've lived the past 15 years down the Shore. I can't imagine living anywhere else. Wineries/craft breweriesFifty wineries, 100-plus craft breweries and brew pubs: New Jersey may have a way to go to match California in vino and Colorado in brew, but it's certainly no slouch. The Garden State Wine Growers Association publishes handy guides in print and online, covering wineries from Alba to Working Dog. And craft beer lovers like me never have to travel far to find a super sour or prize-worthy porter. A flight from Glasstown Brewing in Millville is shown in the photo. Pizza (as good as, if not better, than New York's)It's accepted as truth (by New Yorkers, naturally) that the Big Apple makes the best pizza. Well, as the person who has eaten at more different pizzerias on both sides of the river than anyone (1,200-plus places and counting), I'll call it a dead heat. (That screaming you hear is from outraged New Yorkers.) My advice to them: Cross the Hudson once in a while. Heck, even the New York Times' own reviewer called Razza in Jersey the best pizza in NYC. Here are the 10 finalists in our N.J.'s best pizzeria showdown last summer. Ethnic diversityNew Jersey is the fourth most ethnically diverse state (more diverse than New York), and Jersey City is the most ethnically diverse city in the U.S. (NYC is #3). North Jersey especially is a United Nations of dining; no need to schlep into the big city for ethnic eats, no matter how little known. Taylor ham/pork rollA Taylor ham (or pork roll), egg and cheese is New Jersey's unofficial state sandwich, and since we have an official state reptile, state bug, even a state dinosaur, you'd think some New Jersey governor would come along and proclaim Taylor ham, egg and cheese the official state sandwich. The textbook definition - a lightly smoked and cured pork product, with spices, salt, and preservatives - doesn't do it justice. When the bread, egg, cheese and Taylor ham/pork roll are just right, you have something pretty close to a breakfast epiphany. Here's a video by Thrillist in which several experts (one you'll recognize) explain why Taylor ham (or pork roll) rules New Jersey.Traffic circlesMany people hate traffic circles. (These are usually people who have no clue how to navigate them.) I love traffic circles and will cry like a baby when the last one bites the dust. Circles have tormented and terrified Jersey drivers since 1925, when the Airport Circle opened in Pennsauken. I love circles so much I even hold the world's record for most trips around a circle (55) without stopping. And let's not forget that World War I officially ended at what is now the Somerville Circle. Really. On July 12, 1921, President Warren Harding signed a joint congressional resolution declaring an end to the war against Germany and Austria. On that historic day, the president found time to play two rounds of golf; in between, he signed the resolution at the country estate of former state Sen. Joseph Frelinghuysen. There's a marker in front of the PC Richard commemorating the occasion. Long Beach IslandIt's an island, and a world, away. Long Beach Island - 18 miles long, although you can easily walk from one side to the other - has always seemed to be the anti-Jersey Shore: less noise, congestion, neon, traffic, although you don't want to be on Route 72 heading to LBI on a summer weekend. (There's no other way in unless you have a boat.) Beach Haven, Surf City and Ship Bottom are the main municipalities, although my favorite town is Barnegat Light, at the northern tip, home to Mustache Bill's Diner, Viking Village and Barnegat Lighthouse - aka Old Barney. Old-school amusement parksSomehow, in a world of Great Adventure, video games and other distractions, New Jersey's old-school amusement parks survive if not thrive. The Land of Make Believe, in Hope, has been open since 1954. Storybook Land in Egg Harbor Township, built around nursery rhyme characters, opened one year later, in 1955. Wild West City, the western heritage theme park, opened in 1957. It's not an amusement park, but Space Farms in Beemerville, does have 500-plus live animals, nine museum buildings, antique cars and firearms, and more. All four attractions are proof that you don't need high-tech to create fun hijinks for kids of all ages. Center of the hot dog universeIf you love hot dogs, don't move, because New Jersey is the center of the hot dog universe. There are probably more hot dog trucks, carts and storefronts crammed into Passaic, Essex, Bergen and Union counties than any comparably-sized area in the country. New Jersey is not just the center of the hot dog universe, it's the cradle of hot dog civilization. Birthplace of the Italian hot dog? Newark, Jimmy Buff's, 1932. Birthplace of the chili dog or Texas weiner? Paterson or Plainfield, take your pick; both cities claim the honor. Sabrett, found at hot dog carts and trucks across the country, is headquartered in Englewood. Best Provision, a major supplier of hot dogs to supermarkets, is headquartered in Newark. Here's my behind-the-scenes profile of this low-profile company.New York City? Nathan's, the most iconic hot dog stand in the world, is there, but otherwise it's pretty much a million street carts selling the same bland hot dog. Whoopee.BoardwalksThere is something about the soft comforting plunk of shoe or sandal on the boards. Around you are the sights, sounds and smells of summer - wheel operators barking; kids screaming gleefully on the rides; the welcoming whiff of funnel cake, ice cream, pizza and sausage sandwiches. I walked every boardwalk from Sea Bright to Cape May for the ultimate NJ boardwalk guide. But I didn't need to make that journey to know the best boardwalk in NJ: Wildwood. Not just because it was the boardwalk of my youth, but because it packs more food, fun, variety, piers and neon than any other, including Seaside. It boasts Jersey’s only boardwalk sundial, and its only boardwalk chapel. And don't forget to watch the tram car, please.County parksCounty parks are one of Jersey's underrated treasures, tree-shaded havens perfect for picnics, games, cookouts and more. I worked in Middlesex County for many years, and that county's parks were second homes to me - Johnson Park in Highland Park and Piscataway; Roosevelt Park in Edison; and Donaldson Park in Highland Park, among others. One of the most beautiful county parks is Mantoloking Bridge County Park in Brick, with a 70-foot-long pier, boardwalk, picnic area and gazebo.Di Cosmo's Italian ice, ElizabethIt's little more than a shack, and one of the state's food legends. Di Cosmo's Italian Ice in Elizabeth has been a Peterstown fixture since 1915, when Katerina and Giovanni Di Cosmo started making Italian ice at the corner of Fourth and High. In the vintage photo at left, Agnes Di Cosmo and Lucy Rainone (aka "Lucy Lemons'') scoop ice. Only three or four flavors are available at any one time. One stop, and you'll never go to that chain water ice store again.Pine BarrensThe Pinelands - 1.1 million acres - takes up a major chunk of the state, but I'm guessing a slim minority of New Jerseyans have actually spent time exploring it. (Driving through it on the way to somewhere else doesn't count.) It's paradise to hikers, canoeists, fishermen and folks who just want to escape the outside world. Stop at the Pinelands Adventures office in Shamong to pick up a Pinelands Exploration Map and learn about their tours and trips. Seafood co-opsFish doesn't get any fresher than at one of New Jersey's seafood co-ops, where fishermen offload just-caught fish and shellfish, which are then sold in the co-op's market. Co-ops include Belford (in photo), Viking Village in Barnegat Light and Point Pleasant Beach.Kohr's/Kohr Bros.No Jersey Shore visit is complete without a cool, creamy cone or cup from Kohr's or Kohr Bros., two sides of the family business that started with a stand by five Kohr brothers on the Coney Island boardwalk in 1919. There are Kohr's or Kohr Bros. locations in Point Pleasant Beach, Seaside Heights, Wildwood and Cape May, among other places.
English
07 Aralık 2018 - 07:27
The 50 best reasons to live in New Jersey
There are about nine million of us living here, and we all can't be delusional. Apart from those who live here primarily because of job or family, most New Jerseyans live here because they like it here! New York City is a quick PATH or train ride away - why live there? The Shore, the Pine Barrens, beautiful countryside, diners, beaches, the nation's most diverse city, small towns, great scenic highways - does any state pack as much variety into one compact package as New Jersey? Nope.
English
07 Aralık 2018 - 07:27