New Jersey..New York....Long Island

[checkwriter]

I grew up in the Midwest and migrated to NY after college. My spouse is from Long Island, and at first I found it presumptuous to hear people there talk about going into "the" city. Isn't there more than one city?

Well, after 20 years here I can give you the answer: No. There is no other city. New York is THE city. Sorry Chicago, LA, Atlanta, and all the rest of you. That's just the way it is.

Oh, and that "exit number" thing? That's Jersey, not Long Island.

 

[OlderMan]

Thanks, checkwriter!

You're right about the exit number thing, too.

Although I only lived on (not in) LI for 3-4 years, I never heard anyone describe where they lived based on exit numbers.

Of course, there's the LIE, the Southern State, the Northern State, the Cross Island, etc., so no one would know which espressway/parkway you were talking about unless you told them..................

 

[Jrabbit910]

I can honestly say I have never heard of anyone that I know not say where they are from... NY you say NY... NJ you say NJ....and LI is Long Island...
Why wouldnt you be proud of where you are from!?!?!?

 

[checkwriter]

Well, Jrabbit910, I wasn't going to get into this, but . . . .

. . . one of the places we've lived on Long Island is a nice, middle-class town that was supposed to have been named after one of the early settlers of that region, Valentine Hicks -- hence the name "Hicksville." Billy Joel grew up there, though he sings of being from "a town known as Oyster Bay, Long Island." That's technically accurate, since the hamlet of Hicksville is located within the boundaries of what is known as the Town of Oyster Bay, which is one of three towns that together make up Nassau county. But I digress.

Anyway, when our kids were small we visited WDW. We were all on the Jungle Cruise when the guide asked them where they were from. "Hicksville!" they eagerly piped up, then looked around, a bit bewildered, as the entire boat (including said guide) started chuckling.

"Mommy, Daddy, why did those people laugh when we said we were from Hicksville?" our daughter asked after we returned safely to civilization.

"If anybody else asks, just tell them you're from Long Island," I said, avoiding the question.

 

[iluvdizknee]

I grew up in Maplewood, Essex County
Lived in Union after I was married, Union County
Now Live in Old Bridge 18 years, Middlesex County
I love Jersey, but almost all my friends are orginally from NY. My hubby works for Bloomberg in New York.
When I go to Florida, Penn, or any other state and they ask where I am from I say, New Jersey, New York area.
lol

 

[KimAshton]

I live in Northern NJ and one day I went to visit a friend in Southern NJ Vineland and well I was driving and thought we got lost cause I am so use to all the craziness of the north.

 

[deezeealum]

Love telling people I'm from NJ. I do say Central Jersey since I live in Somerset Co.

 

[KimAshton]

Go New Jersians!!

I go I live about 30 minutes away from the city

 

[pklein09]

I grew up on LI and moved to NJ after college. I never heard of the "who is more NY" thing before either. We live in Mercer county, which seems to be half NY transplants and half Philly transplants. I think you can tell who is who from about a mile away!!!

When asked, I always say I'm from NJ. I get a better response when I say I'm a couple of towns away from Princeton. That seems to impress people more than telling them I'm a couple of towns away from Trenton. It's all the same to me... When they find out I'm originally from LI, they tell me that I don't have an accent. I guess years of practicing my R's paid off...

Layta!

 

[Kathi OD]

Up until your post I've never heard that before. I barely want to admit being from the Northeast, certainly wouldn't say NY. And this silly thing about NJ and "OH, what exit are you from" how lame is that. Never heard the "what exit you from" bit till I visited Florida several years ago. I live in a suburb of Trenton, and will usually tell people I'm from Trenton, cause most don't know where Ewing Twp is.
I'll start another NJ related debate... What exactly is Central Jersey?
If you look at a map, it's Mercer/Ocean County. No one seems to want to claim North Jersey.

Years ago no one claimed to be from Central Jersey. You were either North (above Trenton) or South (Trenton and below). Then about ohhhhh 30-35 years ago, all of a sudden there was Central Jersey too. Why? I'm not so sure, but I think that people didn't want to be associated with the negativity surrounding some of the cities in the North, but they also didn't want to be called a Piney from the South either.
Anyone have any other ideas?

 

[Kathi OD]

I live in central NJ and I live in Monmouth county. Marlboro.. which is right next to Freehold.. which I believe is right smack in the center of the state.

The geographic center of the state is Plumsted Township, Ocean County.

 

[Haeg]

Years ago no one claimed to be from Central Jersey. You were either North (above Trenton) or South (Trenton and below). Then about ohhhhh 30-35 years ago, all of a sudden there was Central Jersey too. Why? I'm not so sure, but I think that people didn't want to be associated with the negativity surrounding some of the cities in the North, but they also didn't want to be called a Piney from the South either.
Anyone have any other ideas?

I agree.

 

[Jrabbit910]

Well, Jrabbit910, I wasn't going to get into this, but . . . .

. . . one of the places we've lived on Long Island is a nice, middle-class town that was supposed to have been named after one of the early settlers of that region, Valentine Hicks -- hence the name "Hicksville." Billy Joel grew up there, though he sings of being from "a town known as Oyster Bay, Long Island." That's technically accurate, since the hamlet of Hicksville is located within the boundaries of what is known as the Town of Oyster Bay, which is one of three towns that together make up Nassau county. But I digress.

Anyway, when our kids were small we visited WDW. We were all on the Jungle Cruise when the guide asked them where they were from. "Hicksville!" they eagerly piped up, then looked around, a bit bewildered, as the entire boat (including said guide) started chuckling.

"Mommy, Daddy, why did those people laugh when we said we were from Hicksville?" our daughter asked after we returned safely to civilization.

"If anybody else asks, just tell them you're from Long Island," I said, avoiding the question.

I dont understand what you are getting at?!??! I said be proud of where you are from... Obviously you were because you said Hicksville... Just because people didnt know where so you said long island?!?!? There have been plenty of times that I have said I was from Staten Island and still got asked where that was and happily said NY. I am proud of where I am from. I dont expect people from around the world to know all places of NY/NJ/LI... just as I wouldnt expect to know where they are from in I havent heard of it!

 

[sue1013]

I've lived in Somerset County for the majority of my life, started in Bergen then moved to the boonies (as my grandmother called it). I remember when I was young any town below the Driscoll Bridge was called South Jersey. We didn't think people lived down there year round just had their shore houses. Now people from Monmouth and some of Ocean County say they live in Central NJ. Which I guess looking at a map is true.

 

[disneynutt1225]

When asked, I always say I'm from NJ. I get a better response when I say I'm a couple of towns away from Princeton. That seems to impress people more than telling them I'm a couple of towns away from Trenton. It's all the same to me... When they find out I'm originally from LI, they tell me that I don't have an accent. I guess years of practicing my R's paid off...

My family moved from Queens to Central NJ (Mercer County) when I was 8. Whenever people would ask us where we were from, we'd say Central NJ and then get a blank stare. Once we said "just outside of Princeton" people suddenly knew what we were talking about. Now that we're all back on Long Island (LonGuyLand) it's come full circle - and my accent has come back.

 

[cybrkitn]

My family moved from Queens to Central NJ (Mercer County) when I was 8. Whenever people would ask us where we were from, we'd say Central NJ and then get a blank stare. Once we said "just outside of Princeton" people suddenly knew what we were talking about. Now that we're all back on Long Island (LonGuyLand) it's come full circle - and my accent has come back.

Do you actually pronounce L.I. as LonGuyLand? When I say it it sounds like Long-I-land.

When people ask me where DH and I are from we just say Long Island and don't even say what town. The only exception to that would be in a case like we had at 50's Prime Time. We were talking to a family in our dining area and asked where they were from. When they said Long Island we asked where. Turns out they were from Smithtown. DH and I live in East Patchogue.

OT: Disneynutt, did you make a decision yet regarding your MIL? Hope you went with the "Don't Tell" way.

 

[stepdisney]

I live in central NJ and I live in Monmouth county. Marlboro.. which is right next to Freehold.. which I believe is right smack in the center of the state.

I'm from Monmouth county, born and raised. Momouth county is very much central NJ. It takes 1 hour to get to Atlantic County or South Jersey and 1 hour to get to Union County, North Jersey. If you've ever driven to Morristown or Bridgewater, you realize how far North NJ extends.

Monmouth is still central... But is getting closer to the north. I spend alot of time at Old Bridge Twp Raceway Park.
I was looking for those in Essex to chime in, I have had this discussion before with those in the lovely City of Newark. Like that is Central Jersey.. maybe central gangland...

There are actually some very, very nice parts of Newark.

Years ago no one claimed to be from Central Jersey. You were either North (above Trenton) or South (Trenton and below). Then about ohhhhh 30-35 years ago, all of a sudden there was Central Jersey too. Why? I'm not so sure, but I think that people didn't want to be associated with the negativity surrounding some of the cities in the North, but they also didn't want to be called a Piney from the South either.
Anyone have any other ideas?

We have Always called Monmouth County "central Jersey" and this goes back past 35 years (without telling my age ). My father was born and raised in Momouth County (went to Asbury Park High School in the 1950's) and he has always considered momouth county central Jersey. Our high schools are in the central Jersey division. "Central Jersey Group IV" is on all of the sports banners in our high school and they date back to the 1950's.


I currently live in South Jersey. The real running joke is that South Jersey people are a different breed of New Jersey resident. Having lived in central Jersey, having gone to college in Northern NJ and now living in South Jersey, this may be true.

 

[KimStaR]

thanks stepdisney...

i think this thread has run its course.. everyones getting into such minutia of what does not constitute central nj, areas of ny... whatever. honestly who cares. if you believe you live in a certain area call it whatever you want.

 

[Maria395712]

I am in gloucester county 15 min south of philly
maria

 

[dcgrumpy]

I've lived on LI for almost 30 years and I've never heard of the NJ/LI thing .

When people ask where I'm from I usually say NY, meaning the state not the city.