As anyone living in the tri-state area already knows, there has been a longstanding feud between New York and New Jersey. How this feud exactly started is anyone’s guess, but now it’s an integral part of being a New Jerseyan, and has bled into American pop culture. Insults towards NJ are littered throughout tons of TV shows and films set in the Big Apple. One of my all time fave adult cartoons, Futurama, loves to throw subs at New Jersey, with the first one ever occurring three episodes into their debut season:
Despite all the hate, here are five reasons why underdog New Jersey is actually the superior state:
Diversity
New York City is commonly known as the “Melting Pot” of the world – or at least the United States – but let’s be real about where all of that diversity comes from. For the last three years (and counting!) WalletHub has named Jersey City, NJ as the number 1 most diverse city in the US, as NYC sits at number 6 as of 2020. The truth is that yes, NYC is an extremely diverse place, but only seems more so thanks to the Jersey commuters and foreign tourists New Yorkers love to bash.
Cost of Living
The nationwide cost of living has slowly but surely risen over the past decade, and there is no debate that New York has always sat on the more expensive side of things. With $3,000 hole-in-the-wall apartments completely normalized in NYC, it’s refreshing to find one and even two bedroom apartments for under 2k in Jersey City. Some NJ cities are also considered “Urban Enterprise Zones” (including JC) meaning local sales tax is capped at only 3.31%. Plus there’s no sales tax on clothing throughout NJ, so no wonder why you’ll catch New Yorkers on the 111 to Jersey Gardens.
Location
There’s no better place to see the New York City skyline than in… New Jersey. From the Jersey City waterfront to the George Washington Bridge, there are plenty of spots that offer spectacular views of the NYC skyline. On top of that, the PATH system has made it super quick and efficient to enter the city. It’s almost laughable that New Jerseyans can get to Manhattan within 15 minutes when it can take New Yorkers living in other boroughs an hour or more.
Beaches
I’ve made the trip to Coney Island every year for most of my life, but even I have to admit that New Jersey beaches are worth the long drives and entrance fees. Having access to clean sand, bluer waters, and delicious local boardwalk grub makes all the difference. No offense to Coney Island’s annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest…
Culture
You’ve probably read several headlines along the lines of “NYC’s Best Pizza is Actually in… New Jersey” And it’s true. While New York outnumbers NJ with how many restaurants and eateries are available to dine in, NJ values quality versus quantity. NJ is considered to be a friendlier state especially when compared to the “Get outta my way!” New Yorker mentality. Although there is always something to do in the city, a lot of events seem to lack a sense of community. That’s something still found in Jersey City, where city-wide events still represent the local culture and camaraderie amongst neighbors.
P.S: You still don’t have to get out of your cars to pump your gas in NJ.
Maybe all the trash talk against NJ is there to overcompensate for something – like the fact that most New Yorkers are out-of-staters themselves. So if you have “NJ/NYC” in your IG bio, it’s time to drop the “NYC” and embrace everything New Jersey has to offer.
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