Reasons New Jersey Should be More Appreciated as a State

New Jersey is a state that has often been looked down upon in light of its flashier cousin, New York. However, there are many great features of the Garden State that cannot be found in the Big Apple. Let’s take a look at just a few reasons why New Jersey is an underrated destination that should definitely be added to your travel list.

There’s no sales tax on clothes and other products

For the avid shopper, browsing items already listed at full price with no added taxes is a dream. New Jersey is one of the few states in the U.S. where visitors can enjoy zero sales tax on household products, medicine, clothing and even gasoline.

If you’re a resident in nearby NY, for this reason alone it’s worth crossing over the Washington State Bridge to do some shopping!

It’s the sports betting capital of the country  

Turns out you may not need to travel all the way West for the entertainment experience of a lifetime. The Garden State is recently being pegged as “Vegas of the East” due to its large offerings of sportsbooks and casinos that light up areas like Atlantic City. In a landmark Supreme Court vote back in 2018, the state became one of the first in the country to legalize wagering.

Nowadays, people from all over can participate in New Jersey sports betting live and online in a variety of forms. NFL teams the New York Giants and Jets may have the big city in their names, but they both chose to make New Jersey their home. With these organizations and their major fan following, the excitement surrounding sports is unmatched.

In addition, when it comes to having a great night out, visitors and residents alike can choose from various sparkling seaside casinos, dance clubs and rooftop bars, all while getting much more bang for their buck than in New York City. This brings us to our next crucial point: the cost of living.

The cost of living is much cheaper than New York

Everyone knows that affording and nailing down an apartment in New York is no easy feat. And finally, if you are able to find an adequate living situation, the space is normally tiny as a box. On the contrary, in New Jersey, residents enjoy larger rooms for up to half the cost. In fact, the cost of living is a whopping -35.6% lower than in New York.

House hunting in New York may make you want to cry, as you think about emptying your bank account to pay rent each month, whereas in New Jersey you can live extremely close to NY, and have a view of the iconic concrete jungle from your doorstep, for a fraction of the price.

It’s perfectly located to major metropolitan cities

Wedged between New York and Philadelphia, New Jersey is an incredible hub for transportation. Residents and visitors alike can enjoy easily accessible public transport, with much less hustle and bustle than New York. The list of options to move in and out of New Hersey are endless, from the Amtrak to the Light Rail. There’s also great Uber services with low rates that allow you to go even further for your dollar. 

In this way, New Jersey is a great place to visit as a tourist with no car, unlike other U.S. cities that have poor public transportation services and don’t lend themselves to sightseeing easily.

Caption: For tourists looking for great shots of New York’s skyline, the best views are across the bridge in New Jersey

The best views of the Big Apple can only be seen from NJ

New York may be home to Manhattan and its iconic skyline, but without the view from New Jersey how would people ever have come to appreciate it? The Garden state boasts a variety of gorgeous parks and other locations where visitors can view the array of buildings in all their glory.

Where else can you get a full image of the glistening skyscraper lights bouncing off the river below, creating a rainbow in the water with their colors? That’s a unique picture you can only get from the great state of New Jersey.