1. People In North Jersey Are New Jersey
Everything you’ve ever heard about New Jersey, from the good to the bad (yes, there is good!) almost all come from the North Jersey counties. That stereotypical accent, the mob headlines and Sopranos love—they get all the credit.
And most of the Jersey celebrities and politicians you hear about are from North Jersey, too: James Gandolfini, Whitney Houston, Frank Sinatra, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Jack Nicholson… they’re just the tip of the iceberg.
2. Everyone Is Actually A New Yorker Living In North Jersey
Folks in North Jersey follow NYC sports, their accents are derived New York's, and their lifestyles are similar. NYC is their major city. All they have to do is cross the bridge to enjoy all of the benefits of Midtown Manhattan.
This is all very strategic, of course. Because for as much as they love New York City, you couldn’t pay them to live there. Even celebrities prefer the North Jersey side of the bridge to NYC living, like Chris Rock, Jay-Z and Eddie Murphy. They know you’d have to be insane to actually live in NYC these days.
3. Folks In North Jersey Know The Truth: The Statue Of Liberty Is A Jersey Girl
Ask anyone in North Jersey where the Statue of Liberty can be found and you’ll get the unanimous answer of “New Jersey, of course!” Who actually gets to claim the rights to Lady Liberty has been hotly debated for centuries now.
North Jersey is pretty set in fighting for her and New Yorkers are dead clear that they’re never going to let her go. The Supreme Court determined that New York and New Jersey have to share Liberty Island, so technically, Lady Liberty is only a part-time Jersey Girl. But that’s as good as the real deal.
4. And, Sorry, But The Giants And The Jets Really Should Be Theirs To
It would be an understatement to say the people in North Jersey are quite adamant about the fact that both The NY Jets and the NY Giants are New Jersey teams and should be renamed accordingly. Even NJ Governor Chris Christie agrees.
The argument stems from the fact that both teams don’t practice or play home games in New York – they do so at their MetLife Stadium in North Jersey. Most of the players live in North Jersey, too. The chances of the teams actually becoming Jersey's are slim to none, but that doesn’t mean they’ll ever shut up about it.
5. No One In North Jersey Will Ever Understand South Jersey
What makes North Jersey so North Jersey? The fact that it isn’t South Jersey. The two regions couldn’t be any more different if they tried. What it really boils down to is that North Jersey is influenced by NYC and South Jersey is influenced by Philadelphia.
The people in North Jersey are more rushed and fast-paced, while the people in South Jersey are more laid-back and much slower. A lot slower. North Jersey cheers for the Yankees, South Jersey for the Phillies. North Jersey has Italian ice, South Jersey has water ice. The list goes on, but in the end it really is just that simple.
6. Everyone In North Jersey Has The Same Boss
I’m talking about “The” Boss himself: Bruce Springsteen. Technically speaking, he’s everybody’s Boss, but folks in North Jersey will tell you they’re just letting everyone else have him on loan. Born and raised in Freehold, Springsteen built his amazing career with the E Street Band on his Jersey pride.
And no one in North Jersey has ever forgotten it. Springsteen and his songs have laughed with them, cried with them, celebrated with them, and answered some of life’s imponderables for them. And they’ll love him forever.
7. Folks In North Jersey Stick Their Noses Up At Philadelphia
Remember when you were a kid and you used to pretend that the carpet was lava? And if so much as your little toe touched it, you would instantly die? To everyone in North Jersey, Philadelphia is carpet lava. Nothing good comes from going to Killadelphia or Filthadelphia or whatever—they just don’t go.
Since North Jersey is an extended demographic of NYC, it makes them Philadelphia’s rivals by proxy. And let’s clear this up now: To people in North Jersey, Eagles fans are the worst human beings on the face of the planet. The. Worst.
8. Everyone In North Jersey Is Italian
This is a stereotype that people have begun to say isn’t true ever since “Jersey Shore” went and embarrassed everyone. But the fact is that New Jersey has the third highest Italian-American population in the entire country.
And the majority of that percentage is concentrated throughout the counties of North Jersey. A lot of people ask about the area’s ties to the mob, too. Okay, for starters, everyone knows that there's no such thing as the mob. But if there were, activity has died down drastically over the years.
9. No One In North Jersey Tolerates Your Complaints About Cost Of Living
You think housing prices are way too inflated where you live? Ready to complain about how high your property taxes are? Well, cry the folks in North Jersey a river because you won’t find anyone who feels the least bit bad for you.
New Jersey consistently ranks among the states with the highest cost of living, and was recently listed with the highest housing costs. Those numbers are almost all due to North Jersey. But the people are willing to endure it because they couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
10. Everyone In North Jersey Disagrees With Something On This List
Let me guess. You and your family have lived in North Jersey your entire lives and none of you are Italian. You’ve never called that sandwich you’re eating a hero. And you think the Jets suck. The fact that I made the assumption to any of the above makes me nothing but a Benny, right?
That’s okay. I get it. The people in North Jersey can never be accused of not being passionate about where they live. They also won’t be accused of not being opinionated about those opinions. And it wouldn’t be Jersey any other way.
Feature Image Source: Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen Facebook
Did we miss anything? Tell us what you think of North Jersey in the comments below!
