Most people know that Bruce Springsteen is from New Jersey, but few people know the Garden State.
In honor of tonight's performance, I confess that not only am I a resident of New Jersey, but I also spent the first fifteen years of my life here. Despite its reputation outside of the state, it was actually a great place to grow up.
When my family moved away, the New Jersey part of my young life was purposefully buried for the next 45 years until I moved back and began discovering the wonderful (and not so wonderful) elements of our Garden State.
In honor of Bruce...
Here goes. New Jersey...
Is a peninsula.
Has the highest elevation on the entire eastern seaboard, from Maine to Florida.
Is the only state with all counties classified as metropolitan areas.
Has more race horses than Kentucky.
Has more Cubans in Union City (1 sq mile) than Havana, Cuba.
Has the densest system of highways and railroads in the US.
Has the highest cost of living.
Has the highest cost of auto insurance.
Has the highest property taxes.
Has the most diners in the world.
Is home to the original Mystery Pork Parts Club (Taylor Ham or Pork Roll.)
Is home to the best Italian hot dogs and Italian sausage w/peppers and onions.
Has the most shopping malls in one area in the world.
Is home to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
Was home to the first submarine ride by inventor John P. Holland on (beneath) the Passaic River.
Has 50+ resort cities & towns including some of the nation's most famous: Asbury Park, Wildwood, Atlantic City, Seaside Heights, Long Branch, and Cape May.
Has the most stringent coastline water quality testing in the country.
Is a leading technology and industrial state and the largest chemical producer in the nation.
Tomatoes are known the world over as being the best you can buy.
Is the world leader in blueberry and cranberry production.
Was home to the nation's first brewery in Hoboken 1642.
Is where Les Paul invented the first solid body electric guitar in Mahwah, in 1940.
Has the nation's largest seaport. Nearly 80 percent of all US imports come through Elizabeth, my father's home town.
Is home to one of the nation's busiest airports, in Newark's Liberty International.
Was the site of several important Revolutionary War battles led by General George Washington (Trenton, Princeton, Morristown, and Monmouth.)
Is where the light bulb, phonograph, and motion picture projector were invented by Thomas Edison in his Menlo Park laboratory.
Boasts the first town ever to be lit by incandescent bulbs.
Is where the first seaplane was built in Keyport.
Delivered the first air mail from Keyport to Chicago.
Is where the first phonograph records were made in Camden, NJ.
Is the longtime home to the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City.
Is the centerpiece of the game Monopoly with all streets named for those in Atlantic City.
Has the world's longest boardwalk in Atlantic City.
Has the largest petroleum containment area outside of the Middle East.
Was home to the first Indian reservation in the Watchung Mountains.
Has the tallest water-tower in the world in Union.
Was home to the nation's first medical center in Jersey City.
Boasts the nation's first elevated highway, The Pulaski Skyway from Jersey City to Newark.
Built the Holland Tunnel tunnel, the first under a river.
Hosted the first baseball game in Hoboken - also the birthplace of Frank Sinatra.
Was the site of the first intercollegiate football game in New Brunswick in 1889 between Rutgers and Princeton.
Was home to the first drive-in movie theater was in Camden.
Is home to both of New York's pro football teams.
Was the site of the first radio station and broadcast in Paterson.
Was the site of the first FM radio broadcast from Alpine.
Is home to The Great Falls on the Passaic River in Paterson. They are the 2nd highest waterfalls on the East Coast. Not coincidentally, Paterson was also the birthplace of the industrial revolution in the US.
Personal fun facts:
My father and my sister Barby were born here as were most members of my Grandmother's family going back to the 1600's in Parsipany.
I learned to swim here.
My Grandmother is responsible for the state flag.
I once tried to throw a lit cherry bomb at Melinda Shartz's house from a car, but, forgot to roll window.
Here are a few notable New Jersey natives:
Jack Nicholson, Philip Roth, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Jason Alexander, Queen Latifah, Susan Sarandon, Connie Francis, Shaq, Aaron Burr, Count Basie, Dionne Warwick, Sarah Vaughn, Budd Abbott, Lou Costello, Alan Ginsberg, Norman Mailer, Marilynn McCoo, Flip Wilson, Alexander Hamilton, Whitney Houston, Eddie Money, Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, Walt Whitman, Jerry Lewis, Tom Cruise, Joyce Kilmer, Bruce Willis, Caesar Romero, Lauryn Hill, Ice-T, Nathan Lane, John Forsythe, Sandra Dee, Danny DeVito, Joe Pesci, Joe Piscopo, Robert Blake, John Forsythe, Meryl Streep, Loretta Swit, Paul Simon, Gorden McCrae, Kevin Spacey, John Travolta, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Eva Marie Saint, Elisabeth Shue, Zebulon Pike, James Fennimore Cooper, Admiral Wm.Halsey,Jr, Dave Thomas (Wendy's), Ray Liotta, Paul Robeson, Ernie Kovacs, Kelly Ripa, and, of course, Francis Albert Sinatra, Charlie Company Commander Bill Negron (Perth Amboy), and Random House author Jack McLean.
You know you're from Jersey when:
You don't think of fruit when people mention "The Oranges."
You know that it's called Great Adventure, not Six Flags.
A high nutrition quick breakfast is a hard roll with butter.
You've known the way to Seaside Heights since you were seven.
You've eaten at a diner at 3AM either stoned or drunk.
You know that the state isn't one big oil refinery.
At least three people in your family still love Bruce Springsteen, and you know the town Jon Bon Jovi is from.
You know what a "jug handle" is.
You know that WaWa is a convenience store.
You know that the state isn't all farmland.
You know that there are no beaches. There's the shore, and you don't go "to the shore," you go "down the shore." And when you are there, you're not "at the shore" you are "down the shore."
You know that this is the only "New" state that doesn't require "New" to identify it. Try it out - Mexico? York? Hampshire? - No way.
You know that a " White Castle " is the name of BOTH a fast food chain AND a fast food sandwich.
You consider putting mayo on a corned beef sandwich a sacrilege.
You don't think "What exit?" is very funny.
You know that people from the 609 area code are a little different because, well, they are.
You know that no respectable New Jerseyan goes to Princeton. It's reserved for out-of-staters.
The Jets-Giants game has started fights at your school or local bar.
You live within 20 minutes of at least three different malls.
You refer to all highways and interstates by their numbers.
Every year you have at least one kid in your class named Tony.
You know the location of every clip shown in the Sopranos opening credits.
You've gotten on the wrong highway trying to get out of the mall.
You know that people from North Jersey go to Seaside Heights. People and from Central Jersey go to Belmar. People from South Jersey go to Wildwood. It can be no other way.
You weren't raised in New Jersey. You were raised in either North Jersey, Central Jersey, or South Jersey.
You don't consider Newark or Camden to actually be part of the state.
You also remember Palisades Amusement Park .
You've had a boardwalk cheese steak and vinegar fries.
You start planning for Memorial Day weekend in February.
And finally . . .
You've never ever pumped your own gas.
Thank you for visiting.
