Living in New Jersey may be the best but it sure is NOT the easiest! The constant questions from people I meet all over the place, especially in college, start from "Did you ever see the cast of the Jersey Shore?" to "Do New Jersey people really pump their fists, act trashy, and act like Guidos?" Or just the plain old constant hate I receive starting at "New Jersey is so gross why would anyone want to live there?" to "How does it feel to live in the 'most hated' state in the country?" Let me just tell you people, it is a whole lot better than you think. Try not to envy us after you finish reading this article..

1. Pizza & Bagels.

Ok, so going to school in NYC does not bother me too much because their pizza and bagels are close enough to them Jersey bagels and pizza, but there is no where else in the world where you will find bagels and pizza as delicious as Jersey's. Whether it be from Alfonso's or Bagels4U, every trip there is never a waste. Let's not also forget Taylor Ham (or Pork Roll) that is a must add to your Jersey Bagels, that is also only found here.

2. Accents.

Let me just start by saying we do NOT say Joisey. Whoever got the misconception that people from Jersey say that needs new sources because I've lived in New Jersey my whole life and have never once said that nor heard anyone else from here say it like that... If you want to hear it said like that you are more than welcomed to take NJ Transit North to NY :) But as for what a real NJ accent is, we don't have just one, since our state is so massively diverse, with a huge variety!

3. Diners.

Why is it so hard to find a diner that is opened 24/7 in NYC or anywhere outside of Jersey?!?! Diners are a huge part of anyone who has lived in New Jersey's life. Whether it be after a party when you're drunk with your friends, or a hungover morning, or even when you were just looking for a place to eat where you didn't have to spend a lot of money but got some bangin' food and a lot of it! Jersey Diners are definitely something you can't find out of state.

4. The Shore.

First off, there is no such thing as a "beach" in Jersey. It is called "the shore." Second, the shore is more than just Seaside Heights. Third, we have 130 miles of beautiful adventure-filled places. Monopoly was even based off of one of our shore towns (Atlantic City)! It is also home of endless boardwalk games, $2 pizza, some of the best beaches in the country, and awesome nightlife. It's also the only place you can get the REAL fried oreos. The shore is full of many fun towns that are more than just a beach or boardwalk. It's actually pretty funny how many NY and PA people say it's trashy and gross because those are the people who invade our shore towns over the summer!

5. Springsteen (and the Many Other Famous Faces).

Victor Cruz, Fetty Wap, Whitney Houston, Jon Bon Jovi/Bon Jovi, Chelsea Handler, Jonas Brothers, Kelly Ripa, Frank Sinatra, Martha Stewart, John Travolta, Meryl Streep, Queen Latifah, James Gandolfini, Michael Douglas, Shaquille O'Neal, Danny DeVito, Zach Braff, Ashley Tisdale, Wendy Williams, Jason Biggs, Derek Jeter, Ice-T, Buzz Aldrin, Peter Dinklage, Paul Rudd, Carli Lloyd, Joe Pesci, Lauryn Hill, Rick Berry, Dennis Rodman, Frankie Valli, Lady GaGa, Zoe Saldana, Bruce Willis, Brooke Shields, Susan Sarandon, Theo Riddick, Miles Austin, J.R. Smith, and many, many more. Shall I continue?

6. Malls.

If you live in New Jersey, odds are there is a mall 20-25 minutes away from where you live. The malls in Jersey are so well-known and great that people from other states, especially NY and PA travel here JUST to go shopping. We have a plethora of malls like Bridgewater Commons, Short Hills, Woodbridge Mall, Menlo, and Jersey Gardens and everyone who has lived here has gone to at least 4/5 of the malls listed above.

7. Neighborhoods.

New Jersey is trash you say? New Jersey is gross you say? Let me just tell you that where I live (pictured below) doesn't look like trash, nor is it "disgusting." My town, and many others throughout all of New Jersey are nationally ranked for their school systems, safeness, etc. Yes, not every state is perfect and there will be places with crime and may not look the best, but New Jersey is filled with nice suburbs/houses, farmland, and beaches, than trash and crime. We not only have town houses, ranch-style houses, farm houses, condos, and apartments, but we're also home to many, many mansions, including those of many famous people, even those who don't originate from here.

8. Concert Life.

PNC Bank Arts Center, or known to some older folks, like my mom, The Garden State Arts Center, has held a concert of your past and that sits in your memories. People travel from Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and New York just for concerts that are held at PNC. Some other locations that have had many bomb concerts would be The Prudential Center, The Stone Pony, The Izod Center (RIP), Susquehanna Bank Center, and the Starland Ballroom. Have fun thinking about moments of the past!

9. Quick Chek/Wawa.

New Jersey "7/11's" that have the best sandwiches and food you can ever experience. Driving on the highway? Use these places as a pit stop, grab some food and drinks, and I can promise you, you will not regret it.

10. Views.

We have have some of the most beautiful scenery in the country, from waterfalls, to mountains, to farms, and rivers! If you take a trip to the Hudson River, the amazing NYC Skyline is in perfect view. If you want to go skiing or tubing, you can make your way to one of our awesome mountains! Now for someone like me, living near a lot of farm and country land, I never appreciated it until I moved to NYC, where there is not a farm in sight. Pumpkin picking and apple picking is such a fun activity to do, and the best way is at a farm in Jersey! Lastly, hiking is something most people from Jersey love to do. A favorite of mine is Chimney Rock Park because not only is it a great workout, but it also has a waterfall and many other beautiful views. Let's just say "gross" is something we are not.

11. Life.

Not only can you have a suburban life here, but you can also have a variety of other lives, if you wish. In New Jersey you can have a city life, a small town life, a beach life, or a farm life. Whichever one you adore the most, you can find it in Jersey!

12. The City.

We are an hour from New York City. An hour from Philly (if that was relevant). Some people wish they could even travel to New York City once in their lifetime, and we can just hop on a train or drive there in an hour and be in one of the best cities in the world as a day trip.

13. Jersey Shore.

Seven out of the eight people featured on the show are NOT even from New Jersey! They are from New York! First off, New Jersey is NOT like the TV show, nor is Seaside or the shore. We do not "GTL" and only GTL. Yes, we some like to be healthy and go to the gym on a daily basis. Yes, some people like to look tan all year 'round and go tanning. Yes, we do our laundry.. but doesn't everyone else? We do NOT all speak with Italian accents, because New Jersey is not only Italian; it's actually one of the most diverse states. We do not get arrested for being drunk and causing a scene on the beach nor do we get crazy drunk every night and bring home a new person. Seaside Heights was always known to be a "fun" beach where seniors would host their prom weekends, or teens would hang out at during Memorial Day or Labor Day Weekend. Not every other beach is like this. Actually, no shore town, including Seaside is anything like the way it is portrayed on a reality TV show. Our shore towns are actually very clean and chill. Get your facts straight!

14. Sports.

Okay, so we might be fans of New York teams (yay!) and Philly teams (boo!), but we also have a few teams of our own! We currently are home to the NY Giants (why??) and Jets, as well as the New Jersey Devils. We were also home to the "Brooklyn" (nope, New Jersey!) Nets until recently, when the Barclay's Center was built. Although our teams have had a slight downfall of being the best, we know our team is the best regardless and we will make sure that is known!

15. Music.

Let's just say that besides the many talented artists who were mentioned previously, we are THE birthplace of Jersey Club music. You're welcome for all of the DJ Lilman songs/dances (like the Sexy Walk and DJ Lilman Anthem) that you dance to in the locker room or at parties and clubs. Or the DJ Taj remixes that have been surfacing the web for the past few years and being discovered by many basketball and football teams, high schoolers, etc. all over the country.

16. Gas.

Not only is Jersey one of the cheapest places to get gas in the country, but we also don't pump our own gas. So on a cold winter's day or rainy summer day, three cheers for the gas station workers for pumping our gas so we don't have to leave our seat!

17. Seasons.

We have the ability to experience every single season of the year and at the exact time that it should be. The best of all four worlds!

18. Division.

Many people think that everyone from Jersey is the same, and thinks/speaks/eats/talks the same but little do you know, New Jersey is actually split with magical lines, that are still an ongoing state argument, of 3 divisions! North, Central, and South!

19. Schools.

Not only do we have some of the best school districts in the country, but we also have some of the top colleges! Princeton, Rutgers, Monmouth, Kean, Montclair, TCNJ, Seton Hall, and NJIT, just to name a few.

20. Strong.

New Jersey has been through a lot with natural disasters that have made us stronger than ever. Only within the past 15 years have we had devastating hurricanes like Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Floyd, but also the huge halloween nor'easter back in '11, which i clearly remember, since my Sophomore year of high school Halloween was nothing but a snow week. But let's not forget the worst natural disaster to ever hit the state, Hurricane Sandy, which left people powerless for weeks and people houseless until this present day. We have proved that we are "Stronger than the Storm" and will continue to show how strong we are as we continue to rebuild and get our beautiful state back to the way it was before the '12 storm.