Even though the official nickname is "The Garden State," perhaps a reference to the beautiful vegetation covering the green New Jersey real estate, it has had occasion to be referred to as "Dirty Jersey," "The Garbage State," and even the much hated "Armpit of the Nation."
Even television has not been kind. In just one of many references to be made wherein New Jersey is slandered, the animated show Futurama regularly insults New Jersey, and even refers to Atlantic City as "Robot Hell."
But make these kinds of references to longtime residents though and you're likely to end up with either a black eye, or at least a good talking to. Is it just a matter of pride that residents don't like having their home state insulted, or is there more to it than that?
New Jersey residents may seem to contradict themselves at times (a recent poll showed the majority support same-sex marriage, but come voting time they refused to allow it), but try visiting the state -- the whole state -- and you might just fall in love with New Jersey and come to understand why its faithful residents are so, well, faithful.
Why Is It the Garden State?
You might think that taking a hot-air balloon ride over New Jersey, one of its many tourist attractions, is the best way to come to an understanding of why it's called the Garden State. But the truth is not quite so simple as that.
Benjamin Franklin once referred to New Jersey as being a huge barrel, filled with goodness, that was opened at both ends. From one end, Pennsylvanians grabbing some goodness while at the other were New Yorkers doing the same.
In 1876 a man by the name of Abraham Browning made the same inference that Benjamin Franklin had made regarding a goodness-filled barrel that was open at both ends, and called New Jersey the Garden State. The name stuck.
New Jersey Tourism
Atlantic City might be one of the most well-known cities to outsiders thanks to it being a gambling mecca similar to Las Vegas. However, it wasn't always so.
Atlantic City was at one time a popular seaside resort town. By the 1970's however, the town had begun to decline. With rising crime, it quickly became a place to avoid. In an attempt to rebuild the once popular city and revive its image, New Jersey legislature approved casino gambling there.
It didn't take long for New Jersey real estate moguls to start building Atlantic City up with mega casinos. Today, Atlantic City actually brings in more gambling revenue per casino than Las Vegas.
And if it's sports you're into, then you'll love the many professional teams in the leagues of MLB (baseball), MLS (soccer), NBA (basketball), MLL (lacrosse), and of course the NFL (football).
New Jersey also boasts no less than six major theme parks, the most well known of which is Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson where you can ride the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster.
So what makes New Jersey real estate such a prized possession? From being one of the original 13 colonies to being a great tourist destination, you'll want to visit to find out for yourself.
Author Resource:-
RE/MAX New Jersey (http://www.remax-nj.com) continues offering New Jersey real estate, the home of its birth in 1985. RE/MAX now operates over 200 offices across the nation. The author, Art Gib, is a freelance writer.
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