New Jersey

Being from New Jersey I have heard the brunt of many Jersey jokes.  I know what it feels like to sit behind big hair at the movies, to watch a cashier count my change with her the long finger nails sticking between the bills.  I can recognize the distinguished nasal accent the second I hear it, and I’ve seen girls walk down the street without the slightest movement of their hair, held oh so carefully with an entire bottle of hair gel.  I used to work with a girl who filled the ladies bathroom with the fumes from her Aquanet bottle everyday, so yes I know the stereotypes.  Industry rules.  Down I95 factories pump out streams of smoke swirling around like a strange Rorschach test in the sky.  As if my home state didn’t have it hard enough, the MTV ‘reality’ show The Jersey Shore has thrown more gasoline to the fire of Jersey insults.

Granted the success of these shows are all based upon stereotypes.  I don’t judge Los Angeles by the fake tans, fake breasts, and lip enhanced women on reality television, ok maybe I do just a little, but I certainly can’t make broad assumptions about the city as a whole, much less the whole state.  We all have our own prejudices that affect our opinions about the places we visit, but by being completely ruled by these assumptions, we miss out on a lot of the good stuff.

What most people forget is that New Jersey is the “Garden State,” and to all those distant snickers, I am dutifully ignoring you.  While industry has been an important part of our economy for many years, there are many beautiful parts of New Jersey.  Believe it or not there are farms in NJ, quite a bit actually.  If picking your own fruits and vegetables strikes your fancy, you can do so at multiple locations.  Farmers’ markets are all over the state and you can check on the Department of Agriculture website to find one close to your home.  Chances are some of the produce found in your supermarket and restaurants is from a nearby farm, especially if you’re buying tomatoes, blueberries, apples, beans, broccoli, corn, and the list goes on.  When I lived in Montreal, I would shop at the local farmer’s market and I was surprised to see Jersey tomatoes and berries so far north.  I have gone to farms in NJ since I was a little girl, where children could ride hayrides, go apple, peach, and pumpkin picking, drink apple cider, and pick out homemade pies.  Maybe I’ve belabored my point, but allow me to reiterate; we aren’t all sludging around in grime and hair gel.

As one of my family members said about the comments people were making about NJ and The Jersey Shore show.  “Let people think NJ is like that.  Save the nice beaches for ourselves.”  And it’s not merely the beaches but also the trails, the mountains, the small towns, the multicultural cities, the good food.

That is the thing with New Jersey.  People don’t go to places because there was a rave review in a prominent publication like the New York Times, although that is quickly changing.  People go to restaurants because of word of mouth, because the food is great, their friends go, it’s been open for years, they know the owner, and the service is friendly and generous with their drinks.  I’m not referring to the chains I love to hate and hate to love.  Yes those are popular too, and while they aren’t as ‘authentic’ as the small Italian eatery in my town, sometimes you just want to choose between 25 different kinds of cheesecake.

I challenge anyone to find a better quality steak or rodizio than in Newark NJ, and if you find one, I’ll be first on line.  If you want a great meal, go where the immigrants are; the Brazilians know their meat and they live in Newark.  If you want gargantuan portions of Spanish food, Newark is also the place.  The cost is reasonable and the food is damn good.  More “modern” eateries are popping up as well.  Modern Spanish dining, or as I like to call it shi-shi,  can be more expensive, with smaller portions and sauces drizzled onto nice designs on your plate, still delicious and following in the footsteps of Nouveau Spanish cuisine all over the world.  If you want Mexican food, Mi Pequeno Mexico on Ferry Street is by far the most authentic Mexican food I’ve tasted since wandering around Mexico City.  That’s a place worth returning to.

Call me biased.  I absolutely am.  I love New Jersey.  I love that there are trees outside my window and that the GWB  is a 15 minute drive from my house.  In a perfect world with no traffic and endless parking, I can be walking around the MOMA or grabing a coffee from the Mudtruck in Astor Place in 30 minutes.  In New Jersey there are towns that still have bookstores, coffee shops, and vintage stores that have remained untouched by the hands of chain stores.  Go to Montclair, Englewood, Ridgewood, or Madison and you’ll feel like you stepped into a small town movie set.  If you need a discounted superstore you’re in luck.  Rest assured, no matter where you stand in New Jersey, you are within 20 minutes from a few malls.  Sometimes closer.

So yes some of the stereotypes may be true, but in a state where there are so many cultures and immigrants, it is impossible to stigmatize the whole population.  Go to little India on Newark Avenue in Jersey City and tell me if you are reminded of the folks on the MTV show.  Not likely.  Taste some chicken makhani or saag paneer and you will be back for more.

Say what you will about the industry, the hairspray, the housewives, or the Sopranos, this is the place I call home.  And to those who don’t want to get past the stereotypes to find the good stuff, it is fine by me.  Like my cousin said, more for us.

Image via: Nicholas_T

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