If you live near the Jersey shore, you might not realize how lucky you are. You can easily have a relaxing beach day at any of the amazing shore towns or visit a world-class city like Philadelphia or New York City with ease. And then, of course, there are the fantastic restaurants, stores, farms, parks, wildlife preserves, and wonderfully weird people in between! Here’s why you should be thankful for the Jersey shore!
Full-Service Gas Stations
Ever wonder why the gas station attendants in New Jersey so kindly wash your windshield and fill up your tank at those lovely full-service stations? It’s because you could actually go to jail for doing it yourself, as lawmakers thought it could be dangerous for the average citizen to handle such flammable materials. This, combined with New Jersey’s relatively low gas prices, makes driving in New Jersey superior to most states (as long as you forget about the turnpike). We just hope this law wasn’t made as a result of some sort of gas fire or explosion in the state…
Jersey Devils
As the only professional sports team based in New Jersey, these hockey players deal with a lot of pressure, and boy, do they deliver! They’ve won a whopping three Stanley Cups! It makes sense, though, that one of the toughest states excels at one of the roughest sports.
NJ Transit
SEPTA serves Philadelphia and MTA New York City, but what links the two? NJ Transit, of course! You can get to either of these cities easily from anywhere in New Jersey for an exciting day trip and return to your quiet suburban neighborhood or beachside home at night. It’s the best of both worlds!
Famous People
If you’re a music junkie, you might already know that world-famous artists like Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston, Les Paul, My Chemical Romance, Ice-T, and the Jonas Brothers (R.I.P.) all started out in New Jersey.
More into movies? Ezra Miller, Zoe Saldana, Kevin Smith, Paul Rudd, Meryl Streep, John Travolta, Jack Nicholson, Danny Devito, Tom Cruise, Bruce, Willis, and Anne Hathaway are all from Jersey, too. You can also thank New Jersey for the first film production studio, called the Black Maria, built in 1893 near Thomas Edison’s labs in West Orange.
Or maybe you’re a chronic TV binge-watcher. In which case, we might remind you that Laura Prepon, Peter Dinklage, Frankie Muniz, Zach Braff, Queen Latifah, Kelly Ripa, and John Stewart called New Jersey their childhood homes.
And if you’re much too sophisticated to spend time watching pictures on a screen and prefer curling up with a good book, we recommend anything by Judy Blume, Walt Whitman, George R. R. Martin, Sharon Creech, Barbara Park, or David Levithan (all born in NJ).
Produce
The Jersey shore is best known for its beaches and boardwalks, but it hasn’t been nicknamed “The Garden State” for nothing. Agriculture is NJ’s 3rd largest industry. In terms of production nationally, Jersey ranks 3rd in cranberries and bell peppers, 4th in spinach and peaches, 5th in blueberries and cucumbers, 6th in sweet corn, 7th in squash, 8th in tomatoes and snap beans, and 10th in cabbage. There’s even a “Jersey Fresh” label that produce must pass a grading program to receive.
New Jersey has plenty of pick-your-own farms and farmers’ markets that you can visit to ensure you’re feeding your family the healthiest food. And when you bite into your food at any of New Jersey’s fantastic restaurants and abundant diners, you can rest assured that the veggies in it are of the highest quality.
Inventions
Aside from film studios, New Jersey is also responsible for bubble wrap, invented by the Sealed Air Corporation in Elmwood Park more than half a century ago.
If you dread the dog days of summer, you can thank Willis Haviland Carrier and his Carrier Engineering Company founded in Newark, which patented the centrifugal chiller (first air conditioner) in 1921.
You can also thank Belleville engineer Charles Frederick Wallace for pioneering chlorination to clean the water in your tap and swimming pool in the sweltering heat.
And if that isn’t enough innovation for you, if it weren’t for William L. Maxson inventing the TV dinner in West Orange in 1944, you’d have nothing to eat while catching up on all of your shows!
There are so many reasons why you should be thankful for the Jersey shore, so take a little time on Thursday to appreciate the place you call home along with your loved ones. And if you’re still looking for something to do on Turkey Day, check out our events page!