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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. On Monday we talked about your reasons to love New York. Did you hear that segment? You know the New York Magazine piece that comes out at the end of every year Reasons to Love New York? This year it was 39 Reasons to Love New York from New York Magazine. Plus, we took a bunch of yours on the phones, and then we thought, "What about New Jersey?" Listeners who live in the Garden State, this call in is your reasons to love New Jersey. Give us a call at 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692, or tweet @BrianLehrer with your reasons to love New Jersey in 2022.

One of my producers grew up in Teaneck and says their favorite thing about New Jersey is what they call the Jersey Trifecta: Pizza, bagels, and ice cream. My producer says, and this may be extremely controversial to some of you, that you can get any of those three things, pizza, bagels, and ice cream, and they will taste better than their New York City equivalents and cost less too. That's just one example. Listeners, what do you love about New Jersey? Let's make a list of reasons to love New Jersey at the end of 2022. 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. Is it the shore? Is it Six Flags? Is its diners? Is it Springsteen?

Is it the fact that if you want to go somewhere, there are probably at least three different highways you can choose from to get to the same place? Earlier this month, nj.com published an article titled, I've lived in New Jersey for six months. Here's the 10 things I love about this weird state. Did you see that article? That was by Karim Shamsi-Basha, who moved to New Jersey from Alabama about a half year ago, and who's originally from Syria. Some of Karim's reasons for loving New Jersey as a newcomer include New Jersey's tolerance compared to Alabama, New Jersey's diversity, New Jersey's friendly folks, as Karim put it, New Jersey's beauty.

After all, home to oceans, mountains, farmland, and cities, not just some of what non-New Jerseyans may think of as they ride certain parts of the turnpike. New Jersey's small towns, and there's a lot of them too. Jersey has 564 separate municipalities. Did you know that? Jersey has four distinct seasons writes, Karim from Alabama. That's a blessing to him. Jersey's food, Jersey's pride, the battle between Taylor Ham and Pork Roll. There's a big one. Listeners, if you live in the Garden State or if you're from the Garden State and don't even live there anymore, your reasons to love New Jersey at the end of 2022, 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692, or tweet @BrianLehrer. We'll take your calls and tweets right after this.

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Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Now to your reasons to love New Jersey in 2022. We'll start with Marjorie in Redbank. Hi, Marjorie. You're on WNYC.

Marjorie: Hi, Brian. How are you doing?

Brian Lehrer: Doing great. Happy holidays.

Marjorie: You're doing okay?

Brian Lehrer: Yes.

Marjorie: Yes, me too.

Brian Lehrer: Give me a reason to love New Jersey.

Marjorie: Yes, the soil. It's unbelievable. We have a community garden in our town Middletown, and it was our first year and everyone's garden was a huge success. I've saved my seeds. I'm going to plant them again. We're composting. It's been a huge success, and it's not called the Garden State for nothing.

Brian Lehrer: It's not called the Garden State for nothing. That's a great way to start, Marjorie, on the soil in the gardens in the Garden State. How about Lucinda on the Turnpike? You are on WNYC as a passenger in a car. Hello, there.

Lucinda: Hi, Brian. Happy holidays.

Brian Lehrer: Same to you. What you got?

Lucinda: I'm on my way to work, and I'm going to make a pit stop at a De Lorenzo's Tomato Pie, famous historic pizza, which is different than anything you'll see around because it's stripped down to its essence. It's got sauce on top, and it is heavenly.

Brian Lehrer: De Lorenzo's Tomato Pie in Robbinsville.

Lucinda: That's right.

Brian Lehrer: Yes, thank you very much. All right, how about Ron in Bridgewater? You're on WNYC. Hi, there. Your reasons to love New Jersey.

Ron: Hi. Yes, it's not as cold as Boston, and it's not as expensive as California.

Brian Lehrer: [laughs] That's good. I've got another one on here on Twitter, reason to love New Jersey, it isn't Florida. You like that?

Ron: Oh, there you go. Yes, amen to that.

Brian Lehrer: [laughs] Thank you very much. Jeff in West New York, you're on WNYC. Hi, Jeff.

Jeff: Hi, Brian. Happy holidays.

Brian Lehrer: And to you.

Jeff: Great. Calling to let you know. Yes, west New York, New Jersey it's the best over here. I have a gorgeous view, pay half the rent for twice the space, about 20 minutes to get to Hell's Kitchen. I call it the Sixth Borough of New York City over here, so it's fabulous, and I love it.

Brian Lehrer: Just the fact that it's called West New York, though, in New Jersey, it's a little like a colony of New York. You can't imagine a place in New York called East New Jersey.

Jeff: [laughs] That's very true. We may not be the most original with our names here, but I love it.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much. Let's see, somebody else on Twitter who's writing something like that. Yes, the proximity to New York, that's one of the things that's coming in here as a thread. One person writes, "I live on a 30-acre farm in Morris County, but I can be in downtown Manhattan in an hour and the shore in one and a half. Best of all worlds." Michael in Island Heights, you're on WNYC. Hi, Michael.

Michael: Good morning, Brian. How are you?

Brian Lehrer: Good. Reason you love New Jersey.

Michael: You're the best interviewer on radio.

Brian Lehrer: Oh, thank you.

Michael: Three things that I love about New Jersey, Island Beach State Park, the Park Bakery when it's open during the summer, and the Ocean County Library System, which is consistently one of the top library systems in the country.

Brian Lehrer: Yes, for calling out a library system. What do you get at the Park Bakery?

Michael: Just about everything. It's an old style bakery. They've been there forever and their stuff is just great, and they're only open from Memorial Day until Labor Day.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much, Michael. Niraj in New Providence, you're on WNYC. Hi, Niraj.

Niraj: Hey, good morning, Brian. How are you doing? Hey, listen, I echo the sentiment about diversity. As an Indian American, I feel as if I can get all the culture and food that I'd want here, which is great, but I'm going to mention something else, and that is The Sopranos. To me, one of the best, if not the best show ever. I got to tell you, I've lived in Connecticut in upstate New York and after watching The Sopranos, that reminded me who I am and where I'm from and that gives me a sense of toughness and pride that I'm going to carry with me for the rest of my life. I'm very thankful for the show and for this state that I call home.

Brian Lehrer: Of course, The Sopranos is a great show, but is there a downside to the reputation that it confers on New Jersey, mob-linked all that stuff?

Niraj: If there is, that's for everybody else. For me, listen, I don't endorse the crime and the violence, but what I do endorse is, like I said, the sense of toughness and the sense of pride and just the great reality that it is. You know what I mean? The Jersey Show is another show, which I don't think represents New Jersey, but with The Sopranos, I really felt as if I was watching something which is very close to home. Not that I'm involved, or I would say anything about that, but I think it's just something which accurately portrays what it's like to live in New Jersey. I'm really thankful for it, and again, it reminds me of who I am, so I really appreciate that.

Brian Lehrer: Niraj, thank you so much. Sheila on Twitter writes, "Patterson Falls in any season, especially in January, and Newark's Ironbound district where they have the best Portuguese food." Someone adds our tomatoes, and of course there are Jersey-- Oh, that was Carrie Nolan who threw that in. Yes. You know Carrie, who did the news on the show today, and she's from Jersey, so she threw it, "Our Jersey tomatoes." Tom in Rumson, you are on WNYC. Hi, Tom.

Tom: Hey. Hi, Brian. I love your show. Highlands, Mount Mitchell overview of New York City, highest point on the eastern seaboard from Mexico to Maine, 266 feet, beautiful day, like today, you can see everything in New York. I can probably see you almost [laughter] from New Jersey. It's just a beautiful spot.

Brian Lehrer: Now that the highest point-- I mean, in that-

Tom: Highest point on the Eastern seaboard from Mexico to Maine.

Brian Lehrer: [Crosstalk] Like, certainly if you go up to the mountains, New Hampshire, Vermont, everything where.

Tom: Where the water meets the land.

Brian Lehrer: Where the water meets the land. Right, right. Where is that exactly? I'd love to know where that point is?

Tom: Is Highlands New Jersey right off Route 36 Monmouth County.

Brian Lehrer: Oh, it's so close to the city. Yes. Thank you very much. Alan in Morristown, you're on WNYC. Hi, Alan.

Alan: Hi. I was calling for the natural world that New Jersey offers. Everything from the forest to the seashore and everything in between. It's just such a great, great spot. When I first moved here, someone was denigrating the state saying, "It's all the turnpike and dirty cities and all." When they realized what it's really like, they said, the main difference between New Jersey and Massachusetts is public relations. We get a bad rap and they get a good one, but they're very similar states.

Brian Lehrer: Alan, thank you very much. We are collecting your reasons to love New Jersey. Everybody talks about New York magazines, reasons to Love New York issue at the end of the year. How about your reasons to love New Jersey? A few more minutes to collect some more of those on the phones and on Twitter. 212-433-WNYC. Estella in Lambertville, You're on WNYC. Hi, Estella.

Estella: Hi. Good morning. How are you?

Brian Lehrer: I am okay. Happy holidays to you.

Estella: Happy holidays. I'm so excited. Well, I love Lambertville for the restaurant scene, the ant seeking the artist community. It's a Rivertown. You got Frenchtown next door, Stockton next door. All the great restaurants. It's a walking town. They have an amazing abundance of fruits and vegetables and gardens and hotels you could stay at and just enjoy the beautiful Rivertown.

Brian Lehrer: People don't know from the city about all the art out there. I went to an opening in Lambertville a few years ago and there is definitely culture out there, right?

Estella: A lot of culture and great chefs like Dennis Foy, you got the [unintelligible 00:12:27], the boys from Stockton. It's just amazing town. Come visit us.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you, Estella. Carrie in Ewing, you're on WNYC. Hi, Carrie.

Carrie: Hi. How are you? I had to call to tell anybody who doesn't know if you're ever in Trenton area, which is the capital of New Jersey, you have to go to Hamilton Township to grounds for sculpture. It's no way he's ever been to Grounds for Sculpture. I lived around this area for years and never went myself until four years ago. It is the brainchild of Jay Seward Johnson, who is the son of the founder of Johnson and Johnson. He was a painter. He passed away like two years ago. If you've ever seen any famous sculptures around the country, for example, that giant sculpture of that Navy guy who came back from the war and he grabbed that nurse and gave her a kiss in Times Square or if you've ever seen that sculpture.

If you've ever seen that sculpture called The Awakening that I believe is down in the DC area. It's like a man's hand coming up out of the ground. This is where you will find where all those sculptures were made. It's the Johnson Atelier and it's Jay Seward Johnson, who was part of the famous Johnson and Johnson family of pharmaceuticals and all that other stuff. If you ever come in this area in the capital area, you must go to Hamilton Township and visit Grounds for Sculpture. It's 42 acres of all kinds of sculptures. It's absolutely fantastic.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you, Carrie. Another one from Twitter, somebody says, "The Patterson Falls rainbows," and Don in Orange County, New York, not that far from New Jersey is going to get the last one. Don, what you got, a reason to love New Jersey?

Don: Thanks, Brian. Hi, yes, Orange County, New York. I'm a New Yorker, died in the wool. There's a wonderful section in Newark called the Ironbound District, which has a wonderful selection of Portuguese and Spanish food which I don't know of any place else quite like it.

Brian Lehrer: The Ironbound, the last reason to love New Jersey that we have time for on the air for today. You can keep posting them on Twitter and everybody can go and look at that Twitter thread @BrianLehrer. Thank you, all, for your reasons to love New Jersey in 2022. That's The Brian Lehrer Show for today. Reasons to love this show, our producers, Mary Croke, Lisa Allison, Amina Srna, Carl Boisrond, Esperanza Rosenbaum plus, Emily Lowinger and Shweta Watew. Today, Zach Gottehrer-Cohen, Producers, Our Daily Politics podcast. Our interns this term are Trinity Lopez and Brianna Brady. Megan Ryan is the head of Live Radio. Who is that at the audio controls today? Juliana Fonda and Mayan Levingston. I'm Brian Lehrer.

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