Moving to New Jersey? Here Are 10 Fun Facts About Your New State:
Moving to New Jersey? If you’re planning a relocation to the Garden State, check out these ten surprising facts about your new home.
Want to buy a new car on Sunday? Good luck. Photo by Avantgarde Concept on Unsplash
1. New Jersey has nine area codes.
While New York has nineteen area codes, neighboring New Jersey has far less, coming in at 9. These area codes are: 201, 551, 609, 732, 848, 856, 862, 908 and 973.
2. New Jersey has 130 miles of shoreline.
The New Jersey Atlantic Ocean coastline is roughly 130 miles in length, making it the 15th largest in the country.
3. New Jersey has a slew of famous residents that tote the Garden State as their birthplace.
Jon Bon Jovi, Ice-T, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Springsteen, Judy Blume, Meryl Streep, Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill and Frank Sinatra are all from New Jersey.
4. New Jersey has no shortage of famous foods.
Salt-water taffy, applejacks, the Jersey Hoagie and Jersey bagels are just a few of the famous foods that the Garden State is known for. The Hoagie, or the Italian sandwich, is one of the most iconic foods of the state. If you’re headed to NJ, check out two of the most popular sub shops: Seagraves Steak and Submarine Shop in Elsinboro, and the state’s best known sandwich shop —White House Subs in Atlantic City.
5. New Jersey has the highest population density in the U.S.
For every square mile of NJ territory, there is an average of 1,195.5 people, which makes it the most densely populated state in the US. New Jersey is also the only state to have every single county considered “urban” by the Census Bureau.
6. New Jersey has the most diners in the world (525 to be exact) and is sometimes referred to as the diner capital of the world.
A few favorites according to Foursquare are: Tops Diner in East Newark, Brownstone Diner & Pancake Factory in Jersey City and Chit Chat Diner in Hackensack.
7. Atlantic City is where the street names came from for the game Monopoly.
While Atlantic City might look remarkably different now, in 1929 Ruth Hoskins created her version of Monopoly, naming properties after the streets where her friends lived.
8. North Jersey has the most shopping malls in one area in the world.
With seven major shopping malls in a 25 sq. mile radius it’s easy to make true to the expression, “shop ‘till you drop.” If you’re new to the area, be sure to check out the top malls in the state: Westfield Garden State Plaza, The Mall at Short Hills, Cherry Hill Mall and The Mills at Jersey Gardens.
9. The first baseball game was played in Hoboken.
On June 19th 1846, the first officially recorded, organized baseball match was played under Alexander Joy Cartwright’s rules on Hoboken’s Elysian Fields with the New York Base Ball Club defeating the Knickerbockers 23-1. Today, if you want to catch a Major League Baseball game you can head to neighboring Philadelphia or NYC, or catch a Minor League game in NJ, itself.
10. You cannot buy a car on a Sunday.
This is because New Jersey is one of the states that support car sale bans on Sundays. These bans are known as blue laws and are also supported in neighboring Pennsylvania.
