What a great place! If you're in the right area...

God's country! The state really does have a lot to offer. You can hate the people, hate the tolls, and hate the factories all you want. Realize that New Jersey offers a number of beaches, the Pine Barrens (Pinelands), Atlantic City (Casinos), and its close to two major cities (Philadelphia, NYC), but feel free to hate.

Well, I guess I'll add my 2 cents, given that this is where I was born and bred...not sure where I was buttered (sorry, I couldn't resist that old Redd Foxx joke; actually, my "buttering" occurred in NJ too). Truth is, I don't have any strong feelings about the state one way or another (if I had the money to live wherever I wanted, I'd live somewhere in New England). On a positive note, I will say that there is a surprising amount of diversity in NJ, given its image. The area around Somerset County is one of the wealthiest in the country (parts of Bergen County too). Western and the Northern-most parts of NJ are very rural, and quite lovely. South Jersey has the Pine Barrens, the Jersey Devil, cranberry bogs, and the Jersey Shore culture, if that's your thing (not mine; I'm not a Springsteen fan and too much of the shore has become over-crowded, over-developed and seedy). Being the mob buff that I am, the state does have a rich mob history (Vito Genovese, who lived in Atlantic Highlands before he was sent to prison for what amounted to a life sentence; Longy Zwillman, who controlled Newark and was as tough as any Italian mobster; Ruggiero "Ritchie the Boot" Boiardo who lived in a Livingston castle complete with an incinerator for his many victims, and his son Anthony aka Tony Boy, supposedly the prototype for Tony Soprano; Willie Moretti, who was Frank Sinatra's Goombah and who employed the father of one of my childhood friends as muscle; the Campisi Gang of Newark; Tony Bananas of Newark, Marco Reginelli of Camden; Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo of Hoboken; etc.). Now onto the negative-- the cities are dangerous, depressing, and serve as an indictment for all that's wrong in America. I was born in Newark, grew up around Paterson, and I've never had any problems, but as I've gotten older, I avoid them more and more. A few years ago, I visited a Jersey City (where my mother grew up) cemetery during the middle of the day and asked a grave-digger for directions. He looked at me for a few minutes and said, "You're not from around here, obviously. Look, ah, you really don't want to spend any more time around here than you have to. Take some good advice." And this was in the middle of the day. My biological father's cousin often works in Jersey City and carries a hammer around with him; the purpose of the hammer is not to nail boards together with. Parts of the city, supposedly, have become gentrified, as Hoboken was. Indeed, I heard some townhouses there were selling for over a million dollars, but you couldn't pay me to live there. Paterson remains one of the more fascinating cities I've ever been too-- it once had a thriving anarchist community, Italians and Syrians once worked its still-standing but now decrepid silk mills, and the city, which Alexander Hamilton supposedly "discovered", even has its own waterfall, where some of "The Sopranos" was filmed and where my friends and I used to drink back in the day. The small towns can be as bigoted, bumpkin-ish, and benighted as any Southern backwater. The industrial areas abutting the NJ Turnpike contain some of the bleakest, ugliest, and most polluted terrain anywhere in the U.S. If that's all you've ever seen of NJ, I can understand the disgust. And the pollution is really bad. For decades, NJ was a dumping ground for toxic waste...the area around Middlesex County was once known as "Cancer Alley" due to the high percentage of cancer deaths. If I die someday prematurely of cancer, it ain't gonna be because of cigarette smoking. Way back when, they used to pump raw sewage out into the waters of the Jersey Shore where people swam, and fished. Traffic? It's horrible, and only gets worse. The highways are a nightmare, although how much worse they are from other congested areas (I remember that traffic in Boston used to be a nightmare) I'm not really qualified to say, and "aggressive" drivers (a euphemism for sociopathic assholes) are ubiquitous. Hoboken is, in some ways, a cultural center (in my grandmother's day, it was just another slum), but just try to get a parking spot there, or an apartment. Good luck, pal. So, overall, it's a mixed bag. I don't love NJ; I don't loathe it. I don't know that those living in Ohio have it any better, or in Michigan, but I guess it is what it is. Maybe in the next life, I'll be lucky enough to be born in Vermont.

These days, Hoboken looks more like New York than The City does (and you can get into NY via underground trains). On the downside, rents are almost as high as Manhattan's.

Parts of western N.J. are beautiful.

Most of the rest of of New Jersey is the model for what the greedheads are doing to the planet.

A handful of okay beaches and proximity to NYC and Philadelphia are a plus. . .but the toll roads, taxes, and unfriendly-commuter atmosphere (traffic jams, can't pump your own gas) make this state a forgettable experience in the American spectrum. Then again, everyone I've ever met has a strong opinion on Jersey, thus it always seems to be memorable.

My old man hated Trenton- "Slightly less dangerous than Vietnam after dark." Not a poet but the man had a way with words. . .

This is the wannabe state. Never let a Jerseyjackass tell you s/he's from New York, which s/he inevitably will. Jersey jackasses love nothing more than to tell anyone who will listen that they're from New York. The fact is, there are 5 boroughs of NYC. Do you know how many of those 5 boroughs are in New Jersey? Answer: none. That's why they call it New York City. New Yorkers don't brag about their proximity to the garbage state; they certainly don't lie and say they're from New Jersey. There's a formula to know how far a Jersey jackass lives from NYC: multiply whatever s/he tells you by 3, then add another 20-30 mins for Jersey jackass driving. For example, for the JJ below who wants you to believe Bergen County is 30-35 mins from the city: wrong. It's an hour away for a NY driver; an hour and 15 for an upstate westchester or CT driver; an hour and a half for a North American driver from anywhere else in the US or Canada; 2 hours for the JJ driving 40 in the left lane of Rt 4 only to get in the E-ZPass-only lane without an E-ZPass. If you're unfortunate enough to be behind a JJ (jersey jackass) in NYC, read on. Do you want to know the secret for driving in NYC? Do the opposite of whatever a Jersey jackass does. What is it about traffic flow that is so completely incomprehensible to Jersey drivers? Is it the preoccupation with wanting to be real New Yorkers? Ostensibly, it's simple. When the guy in front of you goes, you go. Keep one-to-two seconds from the guy in front of you. This works whether you're going 1 mph in traffic, or 100 mph on the autobahn. For Garbage state drivers, though, traffic flow is anathema. When the car in front of them moves, will they move? No. They misunderstand 1-2 seconds for one to two minutes -- holding up the entire show. When traffic's moving 60 you can always count on a jersey jackass to go 40, in the left lanes no less. In fact, the only time a jersey jackass will accelerate is when you're trying to get around him. The Garbage state sucks. The only things it has going for it is proximity to two real cities: Phili and NYC. Try to find a brochure for any Garbage State school that doesn't have pics of a Phili or NY skyline, plus a lie about how close said school is from the pic. You won't. (Apply multiple of 3 principle here.) See post below for a JJ’s inability to talk about his state without mentioning another state. Count how many positive reviews below go without mentioning NY. LOL. Does TX brag about closeness to OK? Do Californians brag about how close they are to Portland? No. Jersey's roads are pathetic. The theme seems to be to disrupt traffic flow. Design off-ramps that require traffic to slow down in the freeway by making the off-ramp 90 degrees from traffic flow and 10 feet long. Also, everywhere else in the US and Canada has a simple method for going the other way on a freeway: 1) exit, 2) make a left under the overpass, 3) get on the on-ramp going the other way. Not in NJ. Any "off-ramp" you take will be onto an entirely different freeway with no labeled exit in site. Rest assured every sign for an exit will be 10 feet from the off ramp. Signs won't give cardinal directions. Instead, they'll list a local yocal town you'll need an atlas for if you haven't been born, reared, and raised a garbage stater. Jug handles since there are no left turns. Look how that idea took off everywhere outside jersey (deliberately lower case). Garbage staters brag that there are no tolls going to nj. Of course not. No one's going to pay to go there. The garbage state actually names their towns with "New York" in the name: east new york. Right. As though you're fooling anybody.

Jersey has its positives, such as the wealth of Roy Rogers restaurants along the New Jersey Turnpike and other locations (for overpriced, yet surprisingly good burgers, and the best fries to dip in mustard. YES! MUSTARD! Dont joke until you try it, and try it you must!); but the state also has its negatives, like the loud outspoken women who refuse to allow their hair to leave the 80s (sorry gals, you know its true!). But beyond the typical stereotypes that amuse all of us, the state does boast Atlantic City - which is like Vegas, if Vegas was small, smelly and had only 8 hotels/casinos. And if you ever needed to go mall shopping, Jersey is the state for you, as there is at least one in ever town. Casino's, Malls and high hair, what else could you need?

Only people from Jersey like Jersey. Its a state I try to stay out of unfortunately if you need to get somewhere important you have to drive through this state! The highways are not bad, but I wouldn't ever move to NJ! It has some great areas but for the most part everything is off a 4 lane road where you can't make left turns.

armpit

I've been raised my whole life in Jersey, specifically northern Bergen County, I know I know, Bergen County doesn't really have the best reputation. Most towns here are made up of the same boring McMansions. And they only way to get to these towns are to take the many highways that are bombarded by tolls. My highschool was ranked 18th best in the state, practically every street is maintained so well that a curbless street would be totally unacceptable according to all the ignorant doctors, lawyers, and business executives who live in these towns. Cops are bored out of their mind and find any reason to pull people over, strictly enforce curfews for anyone under 18 starting sometimes at 11 o'clock (in some towns). Taxes are constantly rising, and now that single homes occupy most of every town, condos are now being constructed in the most unattractive places such as next to railroads or next to major highways. Traffic gets worse and worse every year. Now for the good. Getting in an out of the city is pretty easy, driving takes about 30-35 minutes, or you could take the train or bus (north Bergen County). Schools in the Jersey suburbs are usually of excellent quality, and there is also low crime in the suburbs. This also bring income distribution problems into the picture. Just as there are many affluent suburbs, there are also many many shady and undesirable cities throughout Jersey such as Paterson, Newark, Camden, Atlantic City, and much much more where crime is up, education is down, and poverty is on the rise. There are many beaches in Jersey, but good luck finding a clean one, Seaside is trashy, and you should be afraid of getting raped in Atlantic City. I must say that the Diners in Jersey are pretty freaking good. So yes, we have the most affluent suburbs, most malls per square mile probably, but we also have the worst traffic, worst income gap, worst smell along the turnpike, horrible state funding for education and police. If you are thinking of moving to an NJ suburb, id say stay away from Bergen county, it's over crowded and most of the people are assholes. In my opinion, Morris county is a lot less crowded, more down to earth, and a lot prettier, all for a cheaper price and still close to NYC.

...and your point!

  The turnpike gives the state a bad name-it may be the ugliest stretch of road in the entire North-East.  Other than that, Jersey is not ugly or desperately poor in the way that many parts of the country have become; yet it remains a dull, over-crowded suburban state with little to attract visitors.  Lived in Jersey for a year as a kid, and while I can remember trips to NYC, Philly and the countryside in upstate NY and Penn, Jersey itself is a blank except for Princeton....(and the constant Bruce Springsteen on the radio...local hero I guess)...just endless, alternating commercial/residential sprawl, and the occasional dreary, run-down city (Trenton, Newark, Atlantic City).

Two stars for Princeton and Cape May; other than that, there's not much reason to visit.

There are some really pretty areas of NJ in the north (no....not Bergen county)that if you were suddenly transported to you would never, ever know you were actually in NJ. Development is at a minimum because of watershed land and reservoirs. But I'm not going to tell you where because I don't want anyone to know. The rest of NJ is what it is. I'd rather live here than say Los Angeles tho...at least I can be in the Adirondacks in 3.5 hours.

Ok, I went to Trenton to take a train to D.C., don't remember Trenton so much, but I recently stayed at my Great Aunt and Uncle's House in the Newark/New York Suburbs, it's not really terrible, but ok I entered New York City on the Holland, and we ended up in the ugliest part of Manhattan I saw as we drove around it that evening.  In fact New York City was no better or worse than New Jersey in my mind at that point. Once we drove around Manhattan I thought I was going to hate it, and i've hated New York City my whole life for no good reason, I loved it so much, it felt like heaven and I did not want to leave it.  Well we had to get back to New Jersey and we took the Lincoln Tunnel.  Well, I must say the Lincoln Tunnel seemed like the tunnel from heaven (New York) and hell (New Jersey).  Oh and by the way, the neighborhood on the New York end of the tunnel is Hell's Kitchen, well I guess it has a bunch of restaurants that cook food directly shipped in from the ugly factories and warehouses of New Jersey as the trucks cross into heaven on the Lincoln Tunnel.  That explains why the number of restaurants is so much higher in New York City than across the Hudson river in New Jersey.  I'll probably be in New Jersey again, it's the US, so its not too bad, but it seems that way when you leave New York City.  From what I have noticed, it's the worst state i've seen so far.  Just too industrial and nothing really pretty or nice to see, from what I have noticed.   I guess I could see more of the state, Atlantic City may be overrated, its a gambling town.  Cape May we thought about visiting, it might be nice as well, but no where in New Jersey is near the top of my list of places to visit.

my rating is no stars. If I had a choice I would never return to Jersey ever. The people are rude, self-absorbed, and full of Sh*t. They are not helpful or neighborly at all. It seems as though people would sooner die than help anyone else out. The state is expensive and getting worse by the second. It has no decent restaurants. It has more TICKS then I could even begin to count. The traffic at the shore is a nightmare in the summer. You have to pay to use the beach, that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Oh yeah, plus pay to park your car there too. There is nothing to do here at all that won't cost you an arm and a leg. Even going to the mall costs you in tolls. I am leaving here in 14 days and will never look back! I had every intention of rating this state with no stars, but that wasn't an option.

This state has some bad areas like Patterson, Camden, and Newark but our suburbs are the best in the country. You could live in a nice middle class suburb and pay about $8,000 per year for a half million dollar home. If you could spend more, live in a nicer town. Anyways, we have the best hikes in America, nice lakes, awsome beaches, history, clubs, sports events, movies, and tons of stores and great food.

Besides a couple bad areas, I like Jersey.  The Jersey shore is fun to hang out.  Also you have to love all the hot Jersey guys.  Except what is up with all the tolls?

PLEASE please do not leave NJ! i think you idiots should have a freaking wall built around your state to keep you from moving to other places. People from NJ are the most ignorant, know it all idiots, on this planet.

Full of Dangerous thugs who smell horrible & yell filthy stuff at you.

The ignorance of some of these comments is humorous at best.

Yes a life long New Jersey resident here, and yes I have my gripes. High property taxes are on the top of my list, however for those who are unmotivated or not smart enough to take advantage of the fact that we are the wealthiest state per capita to balance out the high cost of living, please by all means point your car to the nearest border and live out the rest of your whiney little live's elswhere.

If you have half a brain or better than average trade skills,this state is like a big bag of money that all you have to do is reach your hand into and take what you want. Survival of the fittest folks, and that's not a Jersey mentality, that's a Washington DC mentality.

"The Smell" represents less than 5% of an area close to NYC that is a vile combination of factories,refineries and dumps.
That smell puts more important products in this country's homes and business's than any other state in the country so suck it up if you don't like it on your visit, and if you live here and are complaining, then move you dumb-fk. Let the smell be a reminder that Jersey has taken one for the good of the team for a long time. You asshats make it seem like we produce garbage and let it rot in the sun just for shits and giggles.

I'm young enough to still tough it out here, I'm not wealthy by any means, but my wife and I have roots here and we'll stay so long as the rich want to keep spending money on their multi-million dollar one acre properties.

As far as people being rude. I would attribute most of that to the congested roads. On the road, people here and in most populated states think they're in a Sherman tank and nobody elses life is important.
At least we don't have shooters like on the I5 in So.Cal.

In the last 20years the age of friendly neighbors has all but vanished. If you speak to one of your neighbors more than twice a month consider yourself lucky. People here are truly self absorbed and rarely pay out a compliment or an act of kindness. This should'nt be taken as one broad sweeping statement because there are always exceptions, but like I said it's not what it was twenty plus years ago. But then, what place is?

The taxes are outrageous, unions control the schools with an iron fist, and yes - people are leaving. Its no mystery why this Blue State ( and others) are seeing people and jobs flee. The NJ Governor is an idiot. The state is a dump. The people voting with their feet says it all..

New Jersey is losing people - and companies. I wonder why people and companies dont want to stay in one of highest taxed states on the planet? What a mystery?

You all are a bunch of idiots. For you who say that New Jersey has an enourmous amount of toll booths, why don't you go look at Florida? There is a toll every 1/4 mile on 417 and 408. Half of you people never even been to New Jersey. Also, those who say New Jersey people are "very rude", quit being such a pussy, and save it for your momma bitch.

Crime, high taxes,filth, and on and on. The state is a dump.

I grew up in Norhtern Jersey but now live in Johnson County Kansas. Would I ever move back?? absolutely not!!! On the other hand, would I pass up a weeks vacation to the Garden State??  NOT A CHANCE!!  With deep family roots and some good old friends I would not miss a chance to fly into Newark. Kansas is very beatiful and hospitable but trust me...  THERE IS NOTHING TO DO IN KANSAS!! (and Missouri as well)

Yes, the cost of living is too much for me. Not to mention the traffic on the Parkway and the smells of the Turnpike. But there are things in Jersey that you just cannot get anywhere else. Like a REAL pizza pie. Here in Kansas pizzas are nothing more than cheese on a cracker. Taylor's Ham is impossible to find. A hard roll and butter is almost impossible. There are many places here in the midwest that offer Jersey style foods but it never compares.

I also enjoy the many shore attractions that you obviously cannot get in Kansas. Avalon, Point Pleasant, and Wildwood to name a few. I do have to admit I was dissapointed the last time I visited Seaside Heights.

So, the overall neglect that has fallen upon New Jersey is enough to keep me in Kansas but not enough for a weeks visit.

So, along as Jersey keeps making greasy pizza and keeps talor's Ham well stocked I have no choice but to visit every chance I get

I like the Jersey shore and the people. Would I live there? No...

Look before you laugh!

New Jersey is crowded and sprawly. Bad roads and highways and you pay a hefty toll at every turn. It has some nice parts around the Delaware River in the northwest and Jersey Shore but even the scenic wooded hills are being eaten up by McMansions like around I-287 which was pretty rural about 10 years ago. It seems to enjoy the quality of life here you need family roots planted here that go back 3 generations and a 6 figure income. The area on the Jersey Turnpike around Newark is nasty and smells putrid. Little wonder this state is having a big exodus of people moving out.

North Jersey--losing good manufacturing jobs--sprawl and decay. South Jersey--Camden and Atlantic City--disaster areas--rest sprawl. Why even mention Central New Jersey? Jersey Shore--vast groups of angry army ants agitating against all others. (Help!) NW of Trenton is still decent.

Good, clean diner...appetizers aren't that tasty(very salty...have tried several!)but the breakfast is awesome!
pasta is always overcooked and sauces bland, soups are great if you get them early. lobster bisque is one of my favorites

I just got back from a weekend trip from new Jersey was born and raised there and still have family there. I live in Florida for 3 years now and as much as I love my parents and siblings I dread getting on a plane with my kids and going there. The cops are the worst. There are too many of them and they have a "God complex" attitude and making up there own laws as they go along.

Yes, I must admit the convenience of being able to get anything at a whim's notice is cool. The people are best in that area because jersey people are extremely hard workers. I wont take that away from them.
The friends and family that I still have there are not happy and there is a lack of privacy. The general public are the rudest,materialistic, judgemental, living in denial,oppionated,pompass *****. People will literally gawk and stare at you because they think they have that right to do so. Forget about being able speak at all to anyone, chances are you wont be able to finish a sentence without being interrupted
Even though it's my home state I don't know why anyone would want to live there much less visit unless it is for historical sites.
Sorry Jersey, You're in denial. Life is so much better elsewhere. I even knew that when I lived there.

I've lived in New Jersey all my life, and I basically have a love/hate relationship with the state. Positives = a fun place to be in the summer with some nice beaches and boardwalks, a few quaint little towns like Princeton and Red Bank that are worth checking out (the latter features a store director Kevin Smith owns), awesome proximity to two of the largest cities in the country Philadelphia and New York City, some beautiful areas in the center or western area of the state (with remote rural farming areas, lakes, the pine barrens and high point state park), casino gambling in the 2nd biggest casino city in the US, some small cities in NJ are concidered among the safest in the country, and also lots of history and culture. What also makes this state unique, yet sad but also sometimes triumphant is places like Asbury Park and Atlantic City, and how they were once highly popular beach resorts earlier in the 20th century, their horrible declines and their attempts at revitalizing, to at least somewhat successful results. You don't have infamous stories to go along with small cities like that in most other states that I know of. Also the Weird NJ website/magazine really is fascinating stuff about the kind of strange historical artifacts you'll find here. Negatives = very ugly looking state in most areas - even the backwoods rural areas, north-east of the state near New York is absolutely INFESTED with the largest amounts of traffic in the country (NJ is the most densely populated state and NYC the most populous city in the US afterall) and the closest you are to Elizabeth and Newark the more the air stinks horribly, Camden is the poorest city in the US and the most crime ridden (with Trenton and Newark, some of the worst shitholes you'll ever see, close to the top of the list as well), as other residents of NJ will tell you: this state has the worst amount of tolls on it's highways in the country, you can't pump your own gas (which depends on the person. Some see this as a positive thing about the state), incredibly expensive housing prices, and most of the people are incredibly callous especially the rich pompous people. I will admit that I kinda miss living near Philly and NYC when I am away, but as soon as I come home, I regret coming back. I do not recommend living here unless you could afford the high taxes, housing prices and you have a good paying job, but if you must, there are some really nice places to live and almost anywhere in the state you go, you're still a reasonable driving distance from NYC or Philly. Overall though, I think there are way better places to live in the US, or at least certainly less run-down, ugly and same-y looking.

NEW JERSEY IS LOUSY I HATE IT MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD NOT TO MENTION ALL THE TOLLS I NEVER SEEN A STATE WITH SO MANY TOLLS IN MY LIFE, ALSO NEW JERSEY IS THE HOME OF THE WORST BILL COLLECTORS ONE COLLECTOR FROM NJ CALLED AND SCREAMED AT MY WIFE I TOLD HIM I WILL COME TO NJ AND BREAK YOUR NECK.

NEW JERSEY IS LOUSY I HATE IT MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD NOT TO MENTION ALL THE TOLLS I NEVER SEEN A STATE WITH SO MANY TOLLS IN MY LIFE, ALSO NEW JERSEY IS THE HOME OF THE WORST BILL COLLECTORS ONE COLLECTOR FROM NJ CALLED AND SCREAMED AT MY WIFE I TOLD HIM I WILL COME TO NJ AND BREAK YOUR NECK.

There are worse places--Cleveland, Buffalo, and Hell come to mind--but the foul smell of chemicals wafting through the air from no discernable source, combined with extraordinarily rude people (rudest of any place I've ever lived, and I've lived in 5 states on both coasts and in between) make it none too good, either. It seems that the only people who really love NJ grew up here. Just check out the reviewers who gave it 5 stars. Sure, there's a state pride here, but trust me, this is not a place that you want to move. Complete strangers are nothing short of hostile or act as if you don't exist by--no joke-- bumping into you or completely ignoring you. Customer service is non-existent. Driving, even in suburban areas, is complicated by the fact that drivers honk, tailgate, and actually yell expletives out their windows. It is an extraordinarily difficult place to become accustomed to. If you're from here, maybe the reason you like it is because you fit in here.

A great place to be in the summer. Great food and shopping. Also boring and rude people.

Jersey is my home state.....lots to do, being close to NY, Philly, DC, and Baltimore. I love the seaside, there is a lot of urban area, but it's not all bad. It's got its problems but New Jersey is a cool state. I like it.

This might be the weirdest reason to rate Jersey so high, but this state has the BEST diners. Most are Greek run and offer anything from shrimp scampi to french toast to chicken croquettes!

I lived in NJ for 18 years. I miss it largely because I spent the better part of my life there, but there are some serious cons to this place that should be explained. The traffic and crumbling urban centers are just blighted wastelands. Anywhere from Newark, Jersey City, Elizabeth, Trenton, Camden, and Paterson are awful sprawling ghettos that are only spiraling further downward. There is no solution to the urban decay in NJ. I have discovered that NJ is a dichotomy of the very rich and the very poor. Once you go about 45 minutes away from either NYC or Philly, there are these impressively affluent suburbs. However, the people who inhabit these suburbs are high-strung, overeducated, corporate folks who can afford the high cost of living, taxes, etc. The road system allows you to get anywhere, provided it is not backed up with some type of traffic. Princeton, NJ is an absolutely beautiful, quaint town. The Delaware Water gap area is very beautiful too, but I don't even like to think of that area as part of NJ anymore. You are so close to PA, it might as well have been eaten by PA. The state universities all suck, with the exception of probably Rutgers-New Brunswick and Rutgers - Newark. The beaches are crowded, angry places where the army ants rule and normality is squashed. Route 1 and 9 are hellish highways that go through the heart of sprawl and ghettos in northeastern NJ. Avoid it at all costs if you are trying to escape with your life. If you get by these aspects, and have enough money to live in the nice suburbs, you will enjoy living here. However, the expense of living here definitely comes with the added benefit of conveniences such as food, civilization, forward thinking, rather liberal minded people. Cross the border from NJ to PA, and it's definitely a different culture.

This state is absolute trash. They should evacuate everybody, demolish the state and start over. Or at least make it into a giant parking lot--that would be minimal cost, just repainting as the state is already covered with concrete. It does however have the funniest logo of all states by far--the 'garden state'. I think this is because your typical NJ trash worker looks forward to moving and owning a real garden upon retirement. It is also corrupt as hell: your governor is a former Wallstreeter who buys his former mistresses McMansions. Anybody who has anything positive to say about New Jersey has obviously never left the state--think J and Silent Bob.

I drove up and down this state during the summer while I was visiting Penn. This state is pretty dirty and bare if you ask me. Trenton is very dirty and poverty ridden. The inner state is mostly just roads and trees. Spring lake is one of the only decent shorelines but you have to pay to sit on the beach! The two hour drive from Spring Lake to Atlantic City wasn't worth it either. Atlantic City was very cheesy and filled with unimpressive buildings and very dangerous suburbs. The sand along the pier was filled with sharp shells and beer cans. The drive back up to Scranton, Penn. that night wasn't any better. There is hardly any lighting on Jersey roads and the exit signs are hard to see. I find it unsurprising that on the way back home I wound up in Buttsville, one of NJ's backwards little towns. What a bad experience.

I have lived in New Jersey for nearly my entire life (with a brief excursion to Connecticut for college) and I can say categorically that no place in America is as misunderstood as New Jersey. Its hard to explain, but unless youve lived here, just take my word for it. New Jersey is a place of inherent contradictions. On one hand, it is one of the wealthiest states in the U.S. in terms of median and per-capita income. Yet, on the other hand, it is home to some of the most poverty-stricken and crime-ridden cities in the country (Newark, Camden & Trenton). It is the countrys most densely populated state (all 21 counties are considered urban by the Census Bureau) yet has some of the most beautiful rolling hills and forests in the country. NJ is also home to a large number of Fortune 500 companies, the majority of the countrys pharmaceutical manufacturers and the highest concentration of PhDs in America. Although its urban core may be crumbling, the affluent suburbs that surround them are beautiful and thriving communities with some of the best standards of living and education anywhere. Pros: Proximity to NYC & Philly. The best beaches in the Northeast. Cheap gas. The ability to literally buy anything you want within a five minute drive from your house. Delaware Water Gap. Casinos. Great Food (try to get pizza or bagels outside of NY/NJ and youll know what Im talking about). Diversity. Princeton University. White Castle. Cons: TRAFFIC. Ridiculously high taxes and insurance rates. Cold a$$ winters and hot, humid summers. Overzealous cops (they WILL bust you for going 26 mph!). Only having the Jets & Giants to watch on Sundays. Bon Jovi. All in all, one of the best places to live and grow up. And finally, why pump your own gas when someone else will do it for you?!?

I have lived here for that past 45 years and it is a great state. Everytime I went to visit another state, trying to find a beter place to live, I come back and appreciate NJ even more. Where I live, there are mountains and all kinds of wild animals in my backyard- deer, coyotes, groundhogs, wild turkeys, bear, and lots of birds. It (western NJ) is a beautiful part of the state, though us locals always tell everyone that it sucks just to keep them away so we can enjoy it for ourselves. Yes, traffic is bad because I have to commute 40 miles each way to work, but I adjust my work hours to avoid the trafdfic and it isn't too bad. Yes, real estate taxes are very very high and housing costs are very very high, but I think thats the case in a lot of other states too (I admit I don't know how the young people can afford to buy a house here). Beaches ("down the shore") are great too, they even test the water to make sure its OK for everyone. Close proxmity to: Atlantic Ocean, the greatest city in the world NYC, another great city Philadelphia, mountains here and close by in NY and Pa, only a one hour drive to any of five nearby very decent ski mountains with night skiing too, excellent canoeing and boating on the Delaware River, its really agreat place. And there are a a lot of jobs too, well paying and not so well paying, so if you lose one job you can probably find another. Reasonable, friendly, educated people, great public schools in most places. No place is perfect, but New Jersey is definitely up there at the top. Come see for yourself.

it rocks!

We have the highest real estate taxes. We have the highest auto insurance rates. Our lives are maximally controlled by excessive laws and regulations. A multimillionaire bought the governorship and is going to add 14.6 cents to each gallon of gasoline. I live in a bitter, racist little town named Gladstone, we have awful neighbors who call the cops if you walk your dog on their side of the street. Do not come here, the police is so bored and the speed limit is 25mph.

You New Jersey denizens don't know how good you have it, until you move to ass-backwards places like Ohio! I've lived in New York and New Jersey all of my life, until I moved here to the Cleveland area to be with my lovely wife (who is from Ohio) when I turned '30-something'. All I can tell you, is that I must REALLY REALLY REALLY LOVE MY WIFE, being stuck now in Ohio for the better of 10 years!!! Appreciate 'The Garden State' folks!!! You have nice beaches, nice suburbs, great shopping, restaurants, culture, concerts, educated people, good job opportunites compared to Ohio, proximity to NYC, etc. etc. etc. I would do ANYTHING to be able to move back there!!!!

I think New Jersey is actually a very nice, lovely state. The forests are beautifal, the people are nice (most of the time) and it has a lot of history. Me and my 2 friends were once biking down a road at night and 1 of my friends fell. Someone came up to us and helped my friend up, and I got help. And yes, this was in Jersey. The air is actually pretty clean in most areas. It doesnt smell. It's just different from other states. Its something you have to get use to. I run cross country and track for my school in northern jersey and I have asthma, and i'm fine, and I am not having an asthma attack when I cross that finnish line. New Jersey has a lot of history too. Take a look at the northern valley in northern new jersey. Towns like Closter and Fort Lee have a long line of history. Without NJ, we probably would have not one the revolutionary war. New Jersey is a melting pot of many races and religions. Thats what I like about Jersey. Our accent is also very normal, along with NY. Like for exacmple... We say two as too compared to other states that say twooo. Some people may be rude in NJ, but that doesn't mean the majority is. Im proud to be from Jersey! (srry... just had to say that)

I was born and I live here, and there isnt much problems. So what if new jersey has gangs and dirty areas, every place has those spots. There are many places to have loads of fun, also places to learn history for the little children. Jersey is still decent compare to other parts of the world.

Dirty beaches, greasy people, New York wannabees, Philadelphia wannabees. Need I say more....Why not, the roads suck the people suck, it smells.

I moved to New Jersey from New York fifteen years ago. First, I lived in Essex County then I moved to Roselle in Union County. I have to say that my last move was like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Roselle (as well as the rest of Union County) is a property tax trap! The town has a property tax scam going where people wishing to sell their property can have their tax rate rolled back temporarily until the house is sold. A year after the property is sold the new owner is faced with sticker shock when their property taxes are rolled forward to where it really should be. In the twelve years that I've lived in Roselle, I've seen my property taxes grow to 180% of its original value. Talk about inflation! Now to help pad their property tax income, the town is finding other ways to penalize homeowners. They have an ambiguous set of rules for garbage pickup that they provide to their citizens. If you become confused about the type of garbage that should be put out on a certain day, they'll make you pay for it dearly with a mandatory court appearance as well fines and court fees. What's more, they require that only certain forms garbage must be left in your backyard while other types of garbage must be placed in your front yard. The private garbage pickup service has to come into your backyard for certain types of garbage only. This extra service is obviously passed on to the taxpayer. The quality of public school education in this town is atrocious. Most parents I know are doing the same thing that I am doing. They are putting their kids in private schools outside of this town. Needless to say, the Board of Education is one of the burdens that the homeowner in this town has to carry on their backs by way of property taxes. The administration of this town is incompetent, inept and indifferent to its citizens. New Jersey is not a great place to live. Moreover, I vote Roselle to be the worst place in New Jersey to be a homeowner!