Category:New Jersey
From MyVacationsTo
New Jersey [1] is located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States of America. It is the most densely populated state in the country, mainly because parts of the state are in fact the suburbs of New York and Philadelphia, both just across the Hudson and Delaware Rivers respectively. New Jersey is bordered by the states of Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New York.
New Jersey is not all urban sprawl. If you get away from the Turnpike and other superhighways, you can also find large areas of farmland, parks, and other unspoiled wild areas. You can hike a surprisingly rugged 72-mile leg of the Appalachian Trail and bike or stroll a sizable stretch of its interurban analogue, the ever-lengthening East Coast Greenway.
Contents |
[edit] Regions
[edit] Cities
- Trenton - The state capital. Home to the the New Jersey Capital Building (which is the second oldest capitol building in America)
- Atlantic City - A ocean resort town from the 1800s that fell into blight, the city was reborn as a gambling destination in the 1970s. The boardwalk remains a major attraction and is often packed on any summer weekend.
- Camden - Located on the Delaware River east of Philadelphia. Home to the USS New Jersey, Adventure Aquarium, and Campbell's Field
- Hoboken - Tree-lined streets with well-preserved brownstones typify this former dockworkers' town overlooking the Hudson. Yuppies are taking over Hoboken's old Italian and Irish neighborhoods, but the city still has the highest number of bars per square mile in the country! Birthplace of Frank Sinatra and the location of the world's first baseball game.
- Jersey City - New Jersey's second largest city, directly across from Lower Manhattan. Home to Liberty State Park, where ferries leave for Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
- Lambertville
- Mays Landing - Scenic and Victorian-esque historical town about an hour away from Atlantic City, although also very modern. Bed & Breakfasts adorn the town and the local golf course is held in high esteem. Overall, a lovely town that many guides would gloss over.
- Newark New Jersey's largest city - City near New York that is home to one of the New York area airports. Home to the NJPAC, Newark Symphony Hall, and Newark Arena- future home of the New Jersey Devils, Newark Museum- largest museum in the state.
- New Brunswick - Home of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and all its college-age hipsters. Self-proclaimed "Health Care City" as it houses two hospitals and the headquarters of Johnson & Johnson.
- Paterson - Third largest city in the state. Home to the Great Falls of the Passaic (which is now a state park), Lambert Castle,and Garret Mountain (the mountain also in West Paterson)
- Princeton - Home of Princeton University, as well as many research and technology organizations.
- Red Bank
- Rockaway
- Westfield
[edit] Other destinations
[edit] Attractions
Here are a few areas worth exploring:
- Six Flags Great Adventure - world class amusement park[2]
- The Delaware Water Gap
- Mountain Creek - ski resort, 1 hour from New York City.
- The Jersey Shore
- Raritan Bayshore- An area along the Raritan Bay between the Amboys and Sandy Hook. Though the area is more developed than the Delaware Bayshore, its brackish water beaches remain less crowded than the Atlantic Beaches. The Bayshore has the highest elevation on the east coast from the Yucatan Peninsula to Maine.
- The Pine Barrens
- Sandy Hook. Located at the northern end of New Jersey's coast, Sandy Hook is home to one of the Northeast's only officially clothing-optional beaches.
- Lake Hopatcong - New Jersey's largest lake provides boating and swimming activities for families and singles.
[edit] National parks
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail
- Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
- Gateway National Recreation Area
- New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve
- Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
- Morristown National Historical Park [3]
[edit] Understand
New Jersey is densely populated state with a diverse population and rich culture. Because it is situated in between New York City and Philadelphia, the state is greatly overshadowed by its big city neighbors. North Jersey is under the New York City influence, while South Jersey is under the Philadelphia influence. All major radio stations and local TV stations that serve New Jersey are located outside the state in neighboring New York and Philadelphia. New Jersey also serves as a bedroom community for many people who work in New York City, though New Jersey has many fortune 500 companies itself and has many jobs. North Jersey has three types of neighborhoods, one is suburban, the other is urban suburban, and the third is urban. The urban neighborhoods tend to be poor. The urban suburban neighborhoods have huge apartment buildings and tend to be very costly. The suburban neighborhoods in New Jersey tend to be very high priced and unaffordable.
[edit] Talk
[edit] Get in
[edit] By plane
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) [4] probably provides the most convenient international access to both New York City and New Jersey. Philadelphia (PHL) [5] is also another option. Atlantic City Airport (ACY) [6] provides some minor domestic service, mostly carrier service, but travellers should be aware that it is a good distance away from most destinations.
[edit] By train
Amtrak [7] operates a line (the Northeast Corridor) through NJ. It goes through NJ from Philadelphia to NY Penn Station to points beyond (Boston in the north, and Washington, DC and Newport News, VA in the south).
[edit] By car
The New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95) [8] runs through the state, connecting the north of the state with the south. Interstates 80 and 78 provide good access from the west. The Garden State Parkway is in many ways the backbone of the state, connecting many major cities.
[edit] By bus
Greyhound [9] provides service as well as several intra-state services. These include Academy and New Jersey Transit, connecting New Jersey to New York City and Philadelphia.
[edit] Get around
The PATH train system [10] runs from Manhattan to Hoboken, Jersey City and Newark.
The NJ Transit [11] train system is a commuter train network which connects Newark Airport and various communities in northern and central New Jersey and on the Jersey coast to New York and the PATH and NYC MTA system. NJ Transit also operates a commuter train in southern New Jersey connecting Philadelphia and Atlantic City, as well as numerous bus routes throughout New Jersey.
SEPTA [12] Regional Rail Lines connect Trenton and West Trenton with Philadelphia.
PATCO Operates a high speed train that connects several key points in downtown Philadelphia to many immediate southern New Jersey suburban towns.
[edit] See
New Jersey has many scenic sites, including the majestic Palisades, opposite New York City on the western banks of the Hudson River. The cliffs rise about 300 to 500 feet in areas and give a breathtaking view of New York City across the river. There are also many mountains located in the western portion of the states that are full of many trails.
[edit] Do
New Jersey is abundant in activities for the whole family. There are numerous places to shop in New Jersey, some include the Garden State Plaza, Jersey Gardens Mall, Bergenline Ave, and Paramus Park Mall. During the summer there are numerous activites on the New Jersey shoreline. There are hiking trails and campsites all over Northwestern New Jersey. There are also casinos in Atlantic City. There are also Museums and theaters. New York City is in easy access with in North Jersey as well. There are (at last count) 8 active New Jersey baseball teams. You can also enjoy horseracing for the day in East Rutherford at Meadowlands Racetrack in the Meadowlands Sports Complex.
[edit] Eat
New Jersey is known for its abundance of diners. Diners typically offer inexpensive sit-down meals served quickly. Many establishments are open 24 hours and breakfast is served all day.
Residents of New Jersey claim to have some of the best in the US of the following foods: hot dogs (more specifically chili dogs) mostly found in the Northern Jersey area; pizza; bagels; Chinese and Italian. Being so close to New York, it is quite possible to see how different cuisines migrate to New Jersey, and in some cases the quality quite outshines the New York variation.
[edit] Drink
[edit] Sleep
New Jersey has numerous high class hotels located through out the state. No matter what part of the state you visit, there are several hotels nearby.
- Hamilton Park Hotel & Conference Center [13] A premiere New Jersey conference center well known as the ideal Morristown, NJ site for weddings, weekend getaways and conferences and meetings. The NJ hotel is located one hour from New York City and 20 minutes form Newark International Airport. 175 Park Avenue Florham Park, NJ 07932 Tel. (800) 321-6000
[edit] Stay safe
New Jersey is known for having some of the safest suburban towns in the nation. At the same time, New Jersey is also known for having some of the most dangerous cities in the nation. The suburbs tend to be very safe while the cities can be very dangerous at times. Use extreme caution when traveling or exploring some of New Jersey's big cities. Avoid walking around Newark, Paterson, Camden, and Jersey City after 6 pm. If you must travel these places after 6 pm, go by car. Even when driving in these cities, stay on busy roads and stay away from side streets. Many streets in Newark, Paterson and Camden are run by gangs and drug dealers. Even if driving on a busy street in these areas makes you feel unsafe in the evening, then don't do it. Even though some of the suburbs tend to be nice and safe, some of them are infact dangerous such as the Burlington county area. There has been an uproar of gang violence in places such as Browns Mills, Pemberton, and Willingboro.
[edit] Get out
One of the benefits of visiting New Jersey is that you're very close to two major cities, New York City and Philadelphia across from Hudson and Delaware rivers respectively. North is upstate New York, rural and beautiful, a vast contrast to New York City.