You Know You’re From North Jersey If….

New Jersey is one state but not to those of us who live here. To us, there are three parts of the state (yes Central Jersey is included in those three), each with its own identity. Here are some obvious signs you know you’re from North Jersey…

• The City means New York City. Obviously. And you know the best and fastest routes to Manhattan via train, bus, bridge or tunnel.
• You have a love/hate relationship with the blue law. While Route 17 is a dream to drive on Sundays, it would be nice to quickly run to the mall since you were too busy Ubering the kids to get there on Saturday.
• It’s a pie (not pizza), a sub (not a hoagie) and sprinkles (not jimmies).|

  

• You’re a New York City sports fan (Giants/ Jets, Yankees/Mets and Knicks/Nets). And if you’re a Rangers fan (or Islanders), you root against the Devils. You know when and how to avoid traffic at Met Life Stadium on game days. And you love to hate Philly teams (especially the Eagles) and you’re jealous of their new running back, Saquon Barkley.
• You love the Shore but for you, waterfront dining also means dinner with a view of the Manhattan skyline in Hoboken, Jersey City, Weehawken or Edgewater.

  

• You’ve seen every episode of The Sopranos and know Tony Soprano’s house is in North Caldwell and the Bada Bing is actually Satin Dolls in Lodi. You’ve probably eaten at the booth where Tony may or may not have been whacked at Holsten’s in Bloomfield. Side note: The booth was auctioned off for $82,600 (!) which helped Holsten’s cover the cost of much-needed renovations. And if you’re Italian, you’re a fan of the show but not so much of how Italians in North Jersey were represented on the show.

  

• You love your malls, and Garden State Plaza in Paramus and Short Hills in Millburn are favorites. You’ve been to American Dream not just for the shopping but for the water park, theme park and Big Snow. You love your outlet malls—The Mills at Jersey Gardens and Bergen Town Center. (And we didn’t forget Willowbrook or The Shops at Riverside.)
• South Jersey is known for its farms but we have beautiful farms, too (Abma’s, Alstede and Demarest to name a few).

  

• You love how quickly we can get to stunning spots like Paterson’s Great Falls, Ramapo Valley Reservation or take in NYC views at Liberty State Park (with a stop at Liberty Science Center, of course).
• You’ve been to a wedding or function at the Venetian, Macaluso’s, the Park Savoy or the Brownstone.
• You go to Paterson for kabobs and falafel, Garfield for kielbasa and pierogis, Fort Lee for Korean and the Ironbound for authentic Portuguese, Spanish and Brazilian dinners.

  

• You love your diners (like Tops, Tick Tock and Summit Diner). You miss The Fireplace in Paramus, Bischoff’s in Teaneck and The Crow’s Nest in Hackensack.
• You may or may not know where North Jersey ends and Central Jersey begins (is it Union or Middlesex…).

Check out our Instagram reel for a peek at some of our favorite parts of the state.

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Read More:

How Central Jersey Are You?

How South Jersey Are You?