A friend was traveling out west by car and on her way back stopped in a Mountain state store. After her purchase she asked directions back to the Interstate heading east. “Where are you from?” the clerk asked. “New Jersey.” “Never heard of it.” Her retort “Never heard of it? Are you kidding? We have a star and a stripe on the flag.”
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My favorite New Jersey story (apocryphal no doubt): The state once ran a contest to see who could come up with the best state motto. One wag suggested "New Jersey: What's that smell?"
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Two words: Jersey Tomatoes.
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My daughter is visiting from the other coast. Bagels; TaylorHam, Egg & Cheese; Disco Fries were consumed within the first 48 hours.
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I travel throughout the country. I've known Jersey as an amalgam of America. It has nearly everything you could want, with some things there being superlative. The stereotype is simplistic and mostly wrong.
Things less known about New Jersey:
• her pristine beaches (best small town beaches, if you avoid the "spring break" beaches like in Miami)
• skiing/snow-country, with Vermont & Poconos driveable
• breadth of culture (foods, drinks, theater, opera, rodeos, sports, comedy, line dancing, ballet, int'l performers, ...)
• diversity of people, restaurants, languages, arts (Asian, Latino, German, Caribbean, ...)
• mountains for hiking, canals & rivers to kayak/canoe in, many wildlife conservation areas, large state-federal-local parks...
• world-class universities (Princeton, Rutgers) & some of America's best school districts
• large network of roads & super-highways to ease travel
• cruise ships/ports
• forests, lakes, aquifers, caves, ...
• large farming communities - aka the Garden State!
• and too many tolls!!
All are within a 100 mile-drive, and likely within 30 miles.
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@Incredulous of 45
Thank you, thank you, thank you! It is true that the area around Newark Airport is a disaster, but to judge the entire state by that is like saying all there is in Iowa is corn. Both states have their virtues and shortcomings, like everywhere else I've been.
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@Incredulous of 45 all that plus--Hot Grill, Ruts Hut, 24-hour diners, Holsten's, salt water taffy, the boardwalk, dirt bike trails, dairy farms, great charter schools, surfing, Kohr's frozen custard, and taylor ham, egg and cheese on a hard roll.
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As a Black New Jerseyan, the popular discourse around New Jersey has always been unrecognizable. Last year, I left the state that raised me to attend college in the nations' capital. A lot of people asked me if it was anything like Jersey Shore, and to their surprise, I laughed and said that I watched that show in awe just like them. The same is to be said for the tweets. New Jersey Black culture is responsible for Jersey Club music. When I got to Howard, that is what people either complimented or criticized haha. I think what these women are doing is super cool, but New Jersey is one of the most ethnically diverse states in the country. The Twitter account is very Jersey White girl and we are so much more than that. In NJ hoods, there are Dominican corner stores with cheap and delicious bacon egg and cheese sandwiches, NJPAC is in Newark, restaurants with cuisine from ALL OVER THE WORLD, and so much more. there are thriving Asian/Latinx communities. Not to mention so many famous Non-White native NJ artists and celebrities. Why do they think everyone in NJ is a Bruce Springsteen stan? Twitter isn't a big deal, but if they are going to use it to rep Jersey, they need to credit EVERYONE. Also...I don't get the pork roll joke.
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@Lee
I agree with you on a lot of points (as a South Asian), but I think one of the reasons the account is so successful is their authenticity, it speaks to their personal experience.
I agree it would be great to have contributions from people with other backgrounds.
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@Lee
Taylor Ham is native to New Jersey. There are "pork roll" imitations, but they aren't as good.
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@Lee I really appreciate this perspective
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A joke I used to hear when I lived in Pennsylvania:
What is New Jersey’s highest contribution to “culcha”?
Pizza by da slice.
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“‘Your mom’ is the gold standard,”
...said with PRIDE no less. So I take it "Your Mom' has replaced 'Oh Yeah?' as the gold standard comeback.
That's evolution?
NJ is a beautiful state, no doubt, but what this says is that beauty is only skin deep and 'Your Mom' is the new state motto.
Good Luck with that!
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@Stephen George
It's a joke
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New Jersey has been getting disrespected for a long, long time. For instance, here's a passage from the Philadelphia-based Gazette of the United States, & Daily Advertiser, July 30, 1800, p. 2 (from the Library of Congress Chronicling America site):
"In New Jersey there appears to be a cast of character, extending to the figure, the mien, and the dialect of the natives, sufficiently striking to arrest a stranger’s attention. With persons long and lank, and features small and pinched (the nose thin and aquiline, a small head and pointed chin) added to a straggling gait; they drawl out their words and drag along their persons, as if each were weary of the other. Almost every sentence they utter is tagged at one, or each end, with a selection from those significant words, Guess, Suspect, Expect, Reckon. Take the following Dialogue between two natives of N. Jersey:
Q. It’s one o’clock, I Guess?
A. I Expect it is.
Q. You are from Woodbury, I Suspect?
A. I Guess I am.
Q. I Guess you are going to Market, then?
A. Why – I Reckon so.
Q. How do you Expect Truck will go today?
A. Considerable cheap, I Guess.
Q. Will Cheese sell well, you Guess?
A. I Suspect it will. There’s not much at market, I Reckon.
In fairness, the writer, who calls himself "Viator", follows his remarks on New Jersey with some hard words about Pennsylvanians, but those seem not to have stuck.
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That picture of gov do nothing says it all. Watching twitter posting hold his head up by his hand with not a care in the world. He's got millions people and he doesn't care about the state. We have had a steady parade of terrible governors forever. They certainly haven't helped the big problems but don't worry just tweet. I guess Murphy thinks if bone spur can do it and get attention than maybe....
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Best account on twitter. From a Jersey girl.
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all well and good, but where are the Chris Christie memes?
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Lot of comments from people who now live somewhere other than Jersey.
Favorable, but just saying....
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@Stephen George You're not wrong.
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Been in NC 20 years -- but NJ is and always will be home! Good on these two BYTs for infusing some humor and pride in our home state. Back in the '80s at the 'Boro (GSC pre Mr. Rowan's Million$) our senior project for Advertising was to create a campaign designed to bolster NJ's image (ala VA is for Lovers and I <3 NY). It was a tougher sell back then - lemme tell ya! Now, NJ's edge is well-regarded and admired (IMO, anyway) , plus real NJ folks know none of those Jersey Shore kids were from NJ anyway. Long story short (I know,... too late) @NJGov just got a new follower.
Altho - as a PS I am not one for excluding the "New" when discussing New Jersey. That's a NY thing. ;)
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'BORO 89 Really miss NJ. Stuck in South Florida. GO PROFS!
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I see that the cranky, humorless NJ.com commenters have made their way here.
Anyway, go, girls. Youse are killing me with @NJGov. Love it.
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New Joisey has been called the armpit of the nation for well over half a century. There must be a reason.
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"Your mom" was a stroke of genius. Pure Jersey.
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In the late ‘60s, I became one of those rare out-of-state students at Rutgers, where I met and married my NJ born-and-raised husband and settled down. For years, I missed my hometown on Long Island and longed to return. But as a reporter for a local daily, I got to know the state, its beauty, people and deep history. I joke that NJ grew on me like a fungus, but I really do like it, and after 50 years, I think I can consider myself an authentic Jersey girl.
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I grew up in Mahwah NJ and people just do not understand the beauty of the place. There are so many beautiful small towns and gorgeous wooded areas.
There are so many beautiful spots in NJ and it is not very far from the prettiest part of New York state either. We used to go up to Harriman State Park all the time. It's just gorgeous up there.
Another thing people do not really understand about New Jersey is that NJ is a bit like two states. South Jersey is really not at all like North Jersey. Even the accent is entirely different.
Lots of beauty in Southern and coastal NJ there, particularly in the Pine Barrens, and of course, "down the shore."
Beyond the beauty is the history of the place, with Fort Lee as the real beginning of Hollywood.
The people in New Jersey are so full of spunk and punk and so diverse. You can find people from just about any country in New Jersey and people in NJ have an awesome sense of humor; a real love of lie and jouissance.
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@Rax
Harriman State Park is indeed beautiful. However, it's in New York, not New Jersey.
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@William Wroblicka:
@Rax didn't claim it's not in NY. The previous sentence referred to "the prettiest part of New York state." From Mahwah NJ (the state's northern extreme), going up at all means crossing into NY state.
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I'm born and raised in Jersey, left in my mid-20's when I married and followed my husband's job to Upstate NY. Spent my summers down the shore and I love pork roll (NOT ham). I love fresh produce here, but there's nothing like Jersey corn or tomatoes.
However, I'm approaching retirement and considering moving out of NY - we can't afford to retire here without the Vampire State taking a large chunk. So where am I looking? Delaware. Jersey's taxes are almost as bad as NY's.
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I don't know about Delaware's Twitter feed, but I always enjoy their traffic signs on I-95. I guess that's what that toll is for.
5
Appreciate that it's done with good humor and fun! Still like having the official governor Twitter feed as "sedate" though.
9
There is nothing more infuriating to New Jersey taxpayers than to read stories like this. Don’t worry about Twitter. Cut property taxes (which are 2x that of high-tax Massachusetts) while delivering solid government services. Two people paid to run NJ’s Twitter feed we can do without.
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@Shamit Patel:
I surmised these two people are not there to only run this account, that each has responsibilities for many other areas of state communication and data.
The article did say Ms. Coyne is a digital assistant to the Governor (among other roles). Her boss Ms. Gabel is NJ's digital director - responsible for managing all digital media/communications as well as for the state's online digital data presence.
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@Shamit Patel - maybe you should read the article again. They seem to be up to much more than snarky tweets:
"So for months, she overhauled the state’s website, launched social media accounts for Mr. Murphy and worked with state agencies."
and
"...while at the same time spreading information about state policies and informing the public of crucial news, he said."
Relax. Go get a Taylor Ham and Egg on a toasted bagel sandwich, maybe drive out to Eagle Rock and gaze at the NYC skyline while listening to Thunder Road.
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"New" Jersey is named after Jersey, an English Channel island of English and French heritage, which is not part of the UK but is protected by the UK. Jersey also has its own questions of conflicted self identity along with an ingrained pride in being.
20
Jersey's indomitable spirit shines, even through the internets!
Tell ya mother I said hello.
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Never mess with a Jersey girl. She was born with sharp elbows, her Mom taught her kickboxing, and she knows the importance of attitude. And her words are weapons.
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@Schimsa
Never mess with an Irish girl from Buffalo, especially one who grew up in a family of eleven kids. There, see how special I am,
too? The Jersey girl thing is nauseating to witness If you buy into that stereotype, bless your heart, poor thing.
8
Personally, I prefer dry and informative government information sites. Just the info, please, without the editorializing. Inserting playground taunts and in-your-face responses seems very immature and childish. We have enough of that coming out of the White House now. There are enough comedians around to provide the comic relief we all need, no need for the government to take on that role.
Then again, I’m from Pennsylvania...
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@Genevieve You're no fun.
27
Those other states are just Hulk green with envy!
We even have t-shirts from the old maternity hospital in Jersey City.. "Born at the Margaret Hague"..
It was built by late Mayor Frank Hague in 1930 and named after his mother. He was a bit of a "boss".. not in the Springsteen way, though.
🗽
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Love this. But "bagel capital"?! Not a chance.
10
"The best thing about NYC is its proximity to New Jersey." I heard that somewhere. However, TV shows like The Sopranos, Jersey Shore, and Housewives of New Jersey did nothing to enhance its reputation. New Jersey is called the Garden State and not for nothing. Take the back roads half an hour away from NYC and you'll understand why. Didn't Jackie Kennedy own a horse farm in New Jersey? Someone, correct me if I'm wrong.
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@Nicole I believe Jackie rode in Far Hills. Beautiful country with rolling hills and huge estates behind iron gates best glimpsed while on a bicycle (or hot air baloon.) OH...and there is nothing better than fresh corn in August from any of the farms around Lambertville. As a former New Yorker I can say without regret that marrying my husband and moving to NJ were the two best moves I ever made.
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The article in the Times finally gave me a reason to join Twitter.
I left NJ to attend college in Miami where I met and married a Jersey Girl and we moved back to NJ for all the reasons you capture. No place like it. We have raised and launched two Jersey Girls of our own...
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@NJGov is the best. Great job ladies.
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I grew up in New Jersey but now live in Minnesota. Taylor Ham. Ya Sure, You Betcha!
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Waste of my tax dollars. Totally useless.
5
I've never been more proud to be a Native Jersey Girl!
18
Talk about inferiority complexes: I lived in Rhode Island for nine years! We lived with it, resigned to the fact, and just kept our secret wonders to ourselves.
But with 26+ years of living in New Jersey, I have not only come to embrace it but to join those who fight back against its mostly undeserved bad reputation, at least in modern times. To start with, America can thank us for 38 cents of each of our federal tax dollars that goes to them and doesn't come back to us. If it did, we could improve those roads and rails outsiders love to hate. But get away from those and we have so much to offer: our highlands and mountains in the northern part (not huge, but beautiful and not hyper-commercialized like the Poconos), the Jersey shore (go to the open areas like Sandy Hook or the southern counties, away from the over-development), arguably the best pizza in the US, and our cultural institutions and contributions (one small example: the movie industry started here, folks). And I haven't mentioned our poet laureate Bruce Springsteen yet - but now I did.
Sure, we have our baggage, and we're squeezed between two of the country's top ten markets, but we some of their best suburbs and a lot more to be proud of. Dump on us if you will, but expect to get back as good as you give and then some. Gnome sane*? (*Say it out loud - you'll get it....)
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SMH 4 evah!
5
Jersey Girl in exile...AZ....great article!
15
Me too but worse...Florida. Their tweets make me homesick. I love them.
9
Hey! What Minnesota accent ya talkin about?
9
Oh jeez that Twitter account. That's different, isn't it? For cute.
2
@Miranda George Yah, I don't get it either.
If you want Minnesota 'tude, need to check out @IndignantMN.
3
I enjoyed this article and immediately went to Twitter to follow this account. It is very funny, and its managers deserve kudos for building such a large audience, which is easier said than done. A lot of organizations and brands can learn something from this. That said, I was surprised to see that most of the recent posts are solely jokes and "attitude." Seems it should strike more of a balance between humor and useful information. While I applaud the state government for experimenting with a new approach to communicating, and it's refreshing to get a break from "look at all we are doing!" political campaigning, we still have a large segment of our population which is vulnerable and disadvantaged and needs information on gaining some assistance. And businesses (and people) are deciding whether to move or stay here. I like a good pork roll/Taylor Ham debate as much as anyone (it's pork roll), but hopefully as the account grows in audience because of its humor and attitude, the service nature of its mission doesn't get lost and cast aside.
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@Robert Mattaliano
It's Taylor ham
(Bergen County native here)
6
This is all very nice, but my taxes are still ridiculously high.
I can't wait to move to Florida, where there may or may not be twitter accounts, but where taxes are so much lower.
5
@G and where you don't get anything
15
@G Yeah re lower taxes, but you will lose a lot of things too. No state is perfect. And Fla is so stinking hot. 6 months you are forced to stay indoors in the ac. NJ has a beautiful climate-4 seasons. I personally love winter, but that's me. Looks like we'll get no snow this year. Sigh. But, hey, enjoy Fla
14
Ha! I left NJ for FL & my house cost twice as much as my Jersey ones. Depends on where you live. I'm in Palm Beach County. Everything costs more gas, food. TAX ON CLOTHES. Not having state taxes doesn't help when the prices here are insane. Good luck when you register your car. If it's less than 2 years old they charge you tax!! How that is legal...well it's Florida.
19
Even though we left in 1987, my sisters and I are proud to be from the Garden State My nieces, who were born in St. Louis, consider themselves "Part Jersey." What a great article, and @NJGov has one more follower.
18
I'll definitely follow their Twitter feed.
I am from the East Coast and I happen to like New Jersey, Ocean City in particular.
12
Native Jersey Girl reporting in. Whenever I see a NJ license plate up here, there is a frisson of delight at the memories. Thank you for this. I’m going to follow the Twitter account starting right now!
20
Priceless! I may finally join twitter so I can follow Jersey.
11
@PegLegPetesKid Came here to post this. I have resisted and pretty much despised Twitter since its inception, but this might be the one thing I finally signed up to follow. I’m a Jersey girl now resident in a very, very different geography but still claiming exit 102 with pride!!!
9
I was 102 - tinton falls! I grew up 117 & lived at 63 for 12 years. Miss it.
7
Lived in NJ all my life and have travelled all over the country. There's just a sense of pride being from the garden state. No where in the country like it. It has a little bit of everything for anyone.
43
When I fly back to Ohio, I always look for the same BMW rental with a New Jersey license plate.
The Midwest knows better than to mess with me in that car.
41
New Jersey never did anything wrong but be New York City’s dumping ground and the location for all the unpretty things New York didn’t want in Manhattan.
Basic bullying by NYC, no surprises at all.
The same thing is done to Staten Island.
9
I would love to say something clever but let's keep it at it, this is exactly what we need right now!!! You go, girls!
17
Not for nothing, but any Jersey native, no matter where they live now, has to love this!
80
Time for some Twitter fun in Fort Lee? This will not end well...!
22
This is my favorite twitter account and have told everyone I know to check it out! I live in bk now but still rep and defend jersey all day every day!
15
Love this article! I live in California now, but I am and will always be a Jersey girl! You can take the girl out of Jersey but...! Love the pride these women have!
43
Yes! Left NJ for California 30 years ago but still a Jersey girl at heart. Love my diners, going down the shore, and speaking my mind!
28
Oh, how I enjoyed this article. I am always asked about
my “accent “, attitude and sharp wit. It’s Jersey and I’ll
always be proud to own it.
45
@Dulcinea I was born in and adopted from Pinewald, NJ at a hospital in the middle of the Pine Barrens. Since I found out, I have a special feeling towards NJ, although I was raised in Philly. Different ( no shore) but somewhat equal.
4
@Dulcinea I was born in and adopted from Pinewald, NJ at a hospital in the middle of the Pine Barrens. Since I found out, I have a special feeling towards NJ, although I was raised in Philly. Different ( no shore) but somewhat equal. P. S. I have somewhat of the accent & slang of my generation, minus WAWA. I love it more the older I get.
Love the Jersey pride! I may no longer live in the Garden State but I made it a point to settle in a community that's down-to-earth and pulls no punches, as per my roots.
You go, Jersey girls!
46
This native Jersey girl LOVES the new attitude! I have lived all over the country, but NJ is my home and always will be. All hail Governor Phil Murphy and his "digital dames" for crushing our state pride!! Our state has deep, rich history - my current home is in a town founded in the 1600's. We are true blue, proud of it, and we rock!
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