New Jersey Sucks

That\'s south jersey...

Unfortunately, my observations are based on my time in Northern NJ. I have never been to S. Jersey - based on your response am I to assume that it is even more primative than N. Jersey? If NJ is your home, sorry if I have offended you but it really is a miserable environment.

I'm not going to say that NJ is the best state but it definitely ranks in the top 10%. New Jersey has charming suburbs, with beautiful beaches and parks. There are parts of Jersey that suck, but all states have crappy areas. It's not fair to categorize the entire state based on a few crappy areas.

Executive summary for those who don't want to read the whole thread:

1. There are great places to run in NJ, if you don't mind driving to a state park.

2. One guy out of three knows how to spell "towpath" - but he doesn't run. The other two think it's where you, like, exercise your toes, right?

You're welcome.

So true!!!

Calling south Jersey Jersey is like calling West Virginia Virginia. They are as far removed from each other as possible considering that their borders touch. The Jersey bashing comes from the idiots who are mad they can't put their double wide on a lot in north Jersey for less than $425,000 and have to move to PA and drive. Get a life!!!

New Jersey has its positives and negatives. As bad as the schools in Newark and Atlantic City and Camden are, NJ does have the highest published high school grad rate in the country - over 80%.

New Jersey's most pressing problem is that of high taxation that will end up driving away people and businesses. It is made worse by the insatiable spending appetite of often corrupt state and local governments, and given the fortunate circumstance of New Jersey's industrial base, its penchant for suburban subsidization of awful places like Newark. But that will soon end - people are not going to pay 10-12k a year in property taxes, along with already high state taxes, to live in an average home. Socialism has never really worked, and it won't work in New Jersey either.

And I think it is a crying shame that the State has not poured resources into Rutgers like they should over the years. There's no reason it should not be a Michigan or UVa or Cal in reputation. It was among the top schools in the country in the early 1900's - again, what a shame.

#1 Golf course in America-Pine Valley Golf Club... in South Jersey.

#1 town to live in America-Moorestown... South Jersey.

Primitive?

I am sure that Jersey is nice in some areas, and trashy in others... How does that differ from any other state?

By the way, West Virginia is one of the most beautiful areas of our country. I never realized this before I travelled through the state via bike.

I would move there in a heartbeat, if I were not happy where I am currently living.

come on i like this state. i mean its not as laid back and cordial as the midwest and south but its the freaking east coast its always been this way. you find wonderful people everywhere.

When I moved here many people thought they were more intelligent and enlightened in this part of the country than us \"hicks\" who are not from the East Coast. Unfortunately, I have found the ignorance here (including NYC) as bad as small towns in the middle of the country. Imagine that, an ignorant NYC \"hick\"

I love the lifelong NYC resident who think they know everything even though they limited life experiences outside their little bubble (won\'t use the word ecosystem because that implies life - something that requires clean air & environment - two things not available in NYC of NJ).

NJ & NYC just are not as great as people would like to think. As far as the 80% graduation rate of NJ high school students - perhaps 80% graduate but how many of them have actually learned and achieved the appropriate information to have honestly attained their diplomas? NJ is a very corrupt place - lots of kids have purchased their diplomas - even in the hoity toity school districts.

I'll bet I hate NJ more than you. Based on the comments in your posting, I have to ask - are you a member of the national alliance and do you have short blond hair, and a pair of black boots?

All of the ills you mentioned about NJ - I will assume you are right - you appear to be the kind of person who does their homework. Plenty of other folks with all the undesireable traits you speak of who are neither Italian or Jewish. Go to Summit and you'll find the same types of folks who sure as hell are not Itailian or Jewish.

This is not a web site for Xenophobia!

NJ boy - the reference to the 80% grad rate was not meant to be a defense of our generally lousy schools, or New Jersey's either. But given NJ's large and well-off suburban population (who are now being taxed to smithereens), the 80% doesn't surprise me. There are well off districts where the rate is near 100%. And it is in some form an economic harbinger - people with diplomas make more money and endure less misery.

Unilaterraly cede New Jersey to Mexico. That'll settle the Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Californa land grab of the 1800's. Nobody in America would know the difference.

What I don't get is, why does so many people say that the NE is all that, but wind up moving down south???

Oh my god. Keep Texas in the Union. We need sailors for the U.S. Navy.

I live in Essex Co. Is there anywhere in the county I can ride my bike safely? Public roads here are nuts (or shall I say it is the idiots in their leased BMWs are).

If nothing is safe in Essex, I am not far from Union or Morris - but I would like to avoid throwing my bicycle on a car rack and driving to my riding destination.

If I were only back in the mid-west - I could merely get on my bike at my house and ride in a safe tranquil environment. Oh well ...

People are here because they need jobs in order to put a roof over their family and food in their stomachs. You really don't get it do you - NJ is a bunghole - the state is butt ugly, everywhere. You want a highly educated civil society, try SF.

Why did money magazine rate NJ towns the highest in the country? According to them Moorestown NJ is the best town in the entire nation! Only NJ and California had two towns in the top ten.

Cape May is one of the nicest places I have been to in the North East.

Where is Money Mag published ? Probably on the east coast. They sucked up to sell copy. Oldest trick in the business. Not an independent survey.