New Jersey: Things You Need to Know from One Who Lives There

Jersey. People only have to hear it once to know. And, after hearing those two dreaded syllables, what's the usual image or thought that pops up into the cranium? Toxic waste? Pissed off people? The "accent"? Or, if you're into certain music, Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi? Overall, how many of these things are actually true about the "Garden State" and how much of it's exaggeration? Well, to answer some of that question, yes, Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi are from NJ and, yes, they're not exaggerations. Okay, that wasn't so funny, but putting all weak humor aside, Jersey's more than just the American "armpit" that people think. There's some good, there's some bad, and everything in between. As a person who was born and raised in NJ, it's about time to clear a few things up about it and let you, the reader, decide for yourself. So, without further ado, here's what I know.

1.) Yes, we have lots of diners.
Personally, I never understood the reason why. You just always seem to pass one on the highway almost every minute when you're here (sometimes with one diner being just across or right next to another). Though this may not apply to South Jersey, because of all the farmland, anyone who visits NJ would definitely see the reason why the diner "thing" has easily become a Jersey "thing" and vice-versa. A word of advice from me-if you love diners, go ahead and try them out. Jersey diners, for the most part, can have a whole spectrum of quality when it comes to finding good food; foods that can "hit" or "miss" or cover everything in between. Sometimes the quality can even vary between shifts. And if you happen to hate diners, then just pass them by and move on with life. It won't kill you. It never killed me.

There's a reason why some call NJ the Diner Capitol of the World.

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