Although the most densely populated state in the nation, New Jersey is well known for its beautiful beaches and other natural attractions, including the migratory birds of Cape May, the Pine Barrens, blueberry farms and cranberry bogs, the Delaware Water Gap, a 72-mile leg of the Appalachian Trail and its interurban analogue, the East Coast Greenway [http://www.greenway.org/], and the Palisades.
New Jersey is densely populated state with a diverse population, rich culture, and many assets, including abundant natural resources and Fortune 500 companies.
New Jersey's big cities are centers of government and business, inhabited mostly by poor people. Most New Jerseyans prefer to live in their suburbs and in nearby small towns. Rich folks cluster in certain old established towns and rural enclaves like Alpine, Harding Township, and Rumson. More than a third of the state, including the Pine Barrens, is rural and sparsely populated, with little or no public transportation. Ironically, New Jersey is the country's most densely populated state overall.
There is a strong New York City influence in the north, and Philadelphia influence in the south. All major radio stations and local TV stations that serve New Jersey are located in those cities. New Jersey also serves as a bedroom community for many people who work in New York City and Philadelphia.
If driving in New Jersey, keep in mind that state law does not allow self-service at gas stations. New Jersey has some of the cheapest gasoline in the country due to its low gas tax, but a gas station attendant '''must''' pump the gas. All you do is pull up to a pump and tell the attendant "(Dollar amount), (grade), (cash/credit), please". But, be careful, remember to speak clearly, and make sure that the attendant repeats back to you what you want, especially if you don't want to fill it up. There is a good chance the attendant won't speak any more English than he or she needs to, and, though rare, misunderstandings can happen. It may help to show clear in cash what you want or, for example, say "one-five" if you mean fifteen. Once the tank is full, the police can get involved if you don't pay for what you got.
People flock to New Jersey from all over, especially from New York City and Philadelphia, making it difficult to isolate the New Jersey accent. The true New Jersey accent is evident in native speakers like politician-turned-broadcaster Steve Adubato, United States Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, and Louis Freeh, the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
wooder: water
cawfee: coffee
'''Other New Jersey talk'''
New Jerzey (or sometimes, Juhzzey): The way many Jerseyans pronounce the phrase New Jersey
Howyadooin!
'''SEPTA''' has service into Trenton from Philadelphia, and can be used in Southeastern New Jersey.
'''New Jersey Transit''' has rail service from New York City. NJ Transit rail service can be used for central Jersey and Northwest Jersey. One can also take the '''PATH''' train from NYC into New Jersey or '''PATCO''' from Philadelphia into New Jersey.
When it is time to fill your gas tank be ready for full service and no tip, or extra fees required. In the state of New Jersey it is illegal to pump your own gas. This makes it one of the only two states (Oregon being the other with looser restrictions) in America where self serve is non-existent, and don't worry, the prices are often significantly cheaper then gas in all surrounding states.
'''NJ Transit''' [http://www.njtransit.com/] is a commuter network of trains, light rail and buses connecting communities throughout the entire state. It can be used for travel to Newark Liberty International Airport as well as Pennsylvania Station in New York City. Its website provides a user friendly method of planning your itinerary.
'''SEPTA''' [http://www.septa.org/] 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.
There are also numerous '''taxi and limousine services''' that one can call for a pick-up, and a variety of '''county bus services''' that can take people to lesser-known spots in the state (usually suburbs, parking lots, train stations, strip malls, apartment buildings, and/or small towns, depending on the county and the route).
'''Private bus companies''', such as Suburban Transit, Martz Trailways and DeCamp, also work New Jersey and have routes in the state.
New Jersey is famous for its Jersey tomatoes, sweet corn, blueberries, and cranberries, which every visitor will want to experience in season. That is easy to do, because the state has approximately 25,000 eateries, more per square mile than any other state in the US.
They serve everything from fast food to haute cuisine, including Italian, French, and Asian. There are also plenty of take-out shops and diners, which do not require reservations, seat patrons promptly, and offer large menus of inexpensive meals, which they serve quickly. Many are open 24 hours and breakfast is served all day.
Snack foods are also extremely popular, especially pizza, fries, and bagels. Other favorites include submarine sandwiches, sausage sandwiches, and Italian ice, which are known as hoagies and water ice in South Jersey. There many also enjoy soft pretzels and Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks and breakfast sandwiches of Scrapple, a loaf formed from cornmeal, pork scraps and spices, cut into 1/4 thick slices and fried crisp in butter or oil.
.{{warningbox|Under ''no circumstances whatsoever'' are you to import firearms into the state. New Jersey DOES NOT RECOGNIZE ANY OUT-OF-STATE GUN LICENSES, and there are no gun offences that are graded below a felony. Police are known to enforce these laws vigorously, and if caught with a firearm, even if you are just a hunter travelling through, YOU WILL GO TO PRISON.
Also, it is illegal to import fireworks into the state unless they are mandated by a municipality for special occasions to be attended by the public at a park or on the shore (i.e. July 4th).}}
New Jersey is a fairly safe place to visit. Suburban and countryside areas are very safe. Cities are mostly safe but do exercise common travel sense. Some cities, notably Camden, Newark and parts of Trenton, are crime prone but it is unlikely that you will visit these areas. As in most US cities, when out at night, stay in well lit and well trafficked areas and you will be fine.
New Jersey has the highest density of car ownership in the United States so expect crowded highways and the occasional irate driver. Traffic tends to move well above the speed limit on the New Jersey Turnpike or other highways and you can expect to be tail-gated or yelled when driving in the left lane. Best to stick in the middle or right lane if you don't like that sort of thing.
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.
Both "Interstate 80 and 78" will take you through Northeastern Pennsylvania to the Poconos and the Lehigh Valley respectively, where there are many things to do year round. 78 will only go as far as Harrisburg in Central "PA" but "Route 80" will actually take you past major destinations in the American Midwest and Rocky Mountains regions, and finally all the way to the Pacific Ocean at San Francisco in California.
'''Hitchhike'''
Believe it or not, it is possible to hitchhike out of the New York Metro area. If you are trying to go long distances, your best bet is to take NJ Transit or Metro North far enough to put you well into the suburbs, preferably to a stop that puts you near (i.e. within walking distance of) a major highway such as an Interstate. From there, get to an on-ramp and put out your thumb. Be advised, however, that New Jersey state laws on hitchhiking are notoriously ambiguous, and you may be hassled by local police, so use common sense and discretion.
If you're trying to go west into Pennsylvania, a good tip is to take NJ transit to Mt. Olive, which is only a 5 minute walk from I-80, which generally carries a good amount of long-distance traffic going west.