Why is New Jersey called the Garden State. All the movies show it as full of industry, polution and mafioso. Is this an ironic name or are the above a smaller part of the state than us outsiders know.

The nickname is usually credited to Abraham Browning, a former Attorney-General of the State, who is supposed to have coined it in a speech at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876.

Not everybody accepts this, however. See, for instance, this webpage

The New Jersey you typically see in the movies is either the northern, industrial cities like Newark or Trenton, or coastal vacation towns. NJ as a whole though, is heavily forested and quite beautiful. In fact, suburbs over the river from Manhattan are some of the most expensive in the U.S.

New Jersey has some of everything. Even on the 'Sopranos', you see Tony driving on the Turnpike, through industrial Elizabeth, and on to his, obviously expensive, suburban home. In some episodes, bodies are dropped off in the forested Pine Barrens.

NJ has many farms that grow fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries, cranberries, tomatoes and peppers. Parts of New Jersey are overrun by deer and bears, other parts are overrun by seagulls and still others are only overrun by pigeons.

New Jersey also has a thriving beach season (May - September), along its extensive coast.

Much of the pharmaceutical industry is in New Jersey, including Johnson and Johnson, Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, Pfizer, Merck, Hoffman-LaRoche, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Parts of New Jersey serve as suburbs to New York City, and other parts serve as suburbs to Philadelphia.

While Newark is the 4th poorest city in the U.S., and Camden is often listed as the most dangerous, it is easy to avoid these cities, and New Jersey has the second highest per capita income of the the states.

New Jersey, also, is one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse states in the country, making it very interesting, every day.

Not a bad place to be

Not to be forgotten is that it is named after the lovely island in which I live.

Absolutely, Sue!

There could be no 'New' Jersey, if not for the 'old' Jersey

It sounds like this lovely state gets a bad wrap by comedians too.

You know you've 'made it' if comedians take notice LOL

Many places get a bad rap. An international site, like FT, can help us all shed some of our misconceptions about other places, by facillitating conversations, like this one

I have a friend that lives in NJ and I used to tease him that it must be all concrete and steel. I couldn't have been further from the truth. When I finally visited the state I was impressed by how beautiful it is.

Next you guys will be telling me everyone likes the French and Australians don't drink much.

Everyone likes the French.

Australians don't dr... oh come on, who'd believe that?

I've heard reports of the existence of a subspecies of Australian called a "wowser". This variety is said to be indigenous to certain suburbs of Melbourne and parts of Queensland, and never to touch alcoholic liquor. However, since I've never actually seen such a specimen, I'm inclined to think it belongs in the realms of cryptozoology along with the yeti and the Loch Ness monster.

We're wandering off topic a bit, but I don't think it matters all that much in this case.

I will drink to that Tabby.

Bottoms up!

Interesting...

There are many "misconceptions" about everywhere in the world, just as there are about the people that populate such locations.

For instance, South America has a "global" reputation as being unsafe to travel in unless you have armed bodyguards. I know loads of people who have visited there and they will tell you otherwise. Sure, you need to use common sense (as you would in any country you visit, including your own lol), but you're not necessarily taking your life into your hands if you decide to go to Machu Picchu (unless you're not good with high altitude breathing lol).

As far as my own country, we're supposed to be the ever-polite country that never says boo and even our southern neighbours put maple leaves on their luggage in the hope that they won't be assumed to be rude tourists lol (please note, I have nothing against Americans, that's just the "global reputation" they have when travelling - appearances aren't always everything!). But even so, the most embarrassing time I had travelling was in Mexico, at a restaurant, seated next to a table of 30-something males from Ontario (this was back in the days when cellphones had just become the "hot thing"). They were so full of themselves, treating the staff like they were either slaves or mentally challenged, that I spoke to the waiter in French and Spanish, rather than admit I was from Canada.

There are good and not-so-good people no matter where you go (or live) and if you don't venture from the "touristy" areas of the places you visit (or those depicted in movies), you will never know how wonderful certain places can be.

When I was younger, I used to attend a camp in Avalon. So peaceful… until a seagull pooped on a councelor’s head, lol