7 reasons to stay in (and not move from) New Jersey (2024)

New Jersey: The Garden State. But, also, one of states people move away from the most.

New Jerseyhasthe distinction of ranking as the No. 1 state residents leave. According to a study done by American moving and relocation companyUnited Van Lines,New Jersey had the highest percentage of outbound moves in 2018, followed by Illinois, Connecticut, New York and Kansas. New Jersey has been at (or near) the top spot for the past few years, only being edged out ofNo. 1in 2017 by Illinois.

But, there are so many wonderful things about our state that should keep you (and even draw you) here.

Shopping

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No matter where you live in New Jersey, you're 15 minutes from a mall, right? That's what it feels like at least. New Jersey has a plethora a places to shop — from major shopping malls like Westfield Garden State Plaza, The Shops at Riverside, Paramus Park, Willowbrook Mall and The Mall at Short Hills to quaint downtown shopping areas like Ridgewood, Westwood, Englewood, Montclair, Maplewood and Hoboken, and everything in between (including manystrip mall shopping centers).

American Dream Meadowlands in East Rutherford isscheduled to open in April.The largest retail and entertainment complex in the state plans to havemore than 500 stores, making it a shopper's paradise. At approximately 3 million square feet, it's on track to be the third largest center in North America.

If you're more of an online shopper, don't worry, our state has you covered. Online retailersAmazon, Warby Parker, Duluth Trading Company, UnTuckit, Boll & Branch, andMonica + Andy have all opened click bricks stores in North Jersey.

And bonus for New Jersey shoppers: No sales tax on clothing.

Closeness to major cities (New York City and Philadelphia)

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There is always something to do when it's only a hop, skip and bus ride (or car trip) to New York or Philly.

New York offers Jersey residents a chance to take in a Broadway showandbustling Times Square,world-class cuisine (which we also have in New Jersey. Keep reading.), beautiful landmarks (Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building), and even wrap themselves up in the holiday season (who wants to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree or check out the beautiful department store window designs in December? Raises hand.)

A little longer travel time will take you to Philadelphia, where history buffs can visit the site where theDeclaration of Independence andconstitution were signed and see the Liberty Bell.Or, lovers of film can recreate the famous "Rocky" scene at the PhiladelphiaMuseum of Art.

The beaches

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Did you know there are people in the United States that have never seen the beach?

New Jersey residents live for the beach when the weather gets warmer. And we have so many options— from revitalized Asbury Parkand reality TV'sSeaside Heightsto Island Beach State Park and South Jersey hot spots Wildwood and Cape May.

The mountains

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When it's cold, some of us travel to where it's warmer, but others embrace the chill and head for the mountains. New Jersey offers a few places to hit the slopes.

Campgaw Mountain in Mahwah has two lifts for skiers and snowboarders to take easy, difficult and black diamond trails. There is also a learning center area for lessons and daily snow tubing available. A little farther north are Mountain Creek Resort in Vernon Township and High Point Cross Country Ski Center in Sussex. Mountain Creek covers two mountain peaks and has trails for all ability levels, plus snow tubing. High Point is for cross-country skiers and snowshoeing.

Make sure to check weather conditions before heading out.

Sports

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New Jersey peoplelove their sports.

Even thoughtwo of the most popular teams in our state are actually from New York, we feel a connection to them because the play in our home state. Both the New York Giants and the New York Jets call MetLife Stadium home. And we call them our "home" teams. And many players and coaches end up residing in northern New Jersey to be close to the facility.

The NFL isn't the only sport that has team names not really tied to wherethey play. MLS's New York Red Bulls play at Red Bull Arena in Harrison.

The only team that has New Jersey in its name and actually plays here isNHL's New Jersey Devils, who play home games inside the Prudential Center in Newark.

There are plenty of other sports teams that our state roots for too, including national (Yankees or Mets,anyone?) and minor league teams (the New Jersey Jackals, a minor league baseball team, playon the campus of Montclair State University).

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Food

There is so much to be said about food in our state that our website has an area devoted solely to this topic. From hot chefs and can't-miss dishes to notable restaurant openings, New Jersey has a wide range of culinary cuisines to try. The late Anthony Bourdain, who grew up in Leonia,cites as “the greatest single advance, the greatest shift [in food options in Bergen County],” are the influx of Koreans and Japanese to Palisades Park, Fort Lee and Edgewater. “That is some fantastic food,” Bourdain said in a (201) Magazine interview back in April 2018.“There’s a fantastic diversity and variety in the flavors and ingredients that just did not exist back when I was a kid. And, man, I wish it had.”

And Chef Tim Schafer, aka The Brew Chef, declared Morristown "aculinary mecca."

Want to find out more about where to eat? Here are some food stories to make your mouth water.

Dishes:New Jersey's 10 best dishes of 2018

Restaurants:Best North Jersey restaurants of 2018

Chefs:Where do North Jersey chefs eat? These are the restaurants they swear by

North Jersey:The foods only North Jersey gets right

And, we ALL know that New Jersey has some of the best pizza and bagels in the country. When people leave, I am pretty sure they miss these the most.

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People

We're pretty great, aren't we? Even though there are stereotypes out there about us (No, we are not all like the cast of "Jersey Shore"), we prevail and show who we truly are in inspiring stories, likes these:

Shelter:A new roof makes all the difference for Oakland shelter dogs

Education:Upper Saddle River teen wins national award for heroin education program in NJ, NY schools

Heart of a Giant:Commitment to brother puts Glen Rock football player in running for Heart of a Giant award

And, it's pretty cool that some of our favorite celebrities were born or grew up in our state. Ever hear of Meryl Streep? She was born in Summit. Martha Stewart? She grew up in Nutley. The list goes on and on— with newcomers and rising stars making us proud, including Ridgewood's Michael Zegen, Englewood native Shakira Barrera, Lyndhurst's Melissa Fumero, Morris County native Peter Dinklage, and Clifton's Rachel Zegler, who was recently cast as Maria in Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story," just to name a few.

7 reasons to stay in (and not move from) New Jersey (2024)

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