Moving to New Jersey

Moving is an adventure. The new home, the new surroundings, the new neighborhood, the new people—it’s all quite an adjustment. Whether you’re moving cross-town or you’re moving across the country, knowing your new home before you make the trek will help to acclimate you to your new home. If you’re considering moving to New Jersey, there are a lot of factors to consider. In this post I will cover a variety of things to consider since I just helped a friend move her business there. We were lucky enough to receive some help as we hired this relocation company in New Jersey.

One important factor to consider when you move to New Jersey is the weather. There are five distinct climate zones in New Jersey:  the North, Central, Southwest, Coastal and Pine Barrens. Depending upon where you decide to live in New Jersey, the weather can vary. The northern section of the state can receive an average of forty inches more in snow than the southern portion of the state! One constant you can count on regardless of which climate zone you select in New Jersey, you will experience all four seasons in New Jersey, from sunny summers to frozen winters. If you love the ocean, the coastal section of New Jersey features over 127 miles of coastline, a popular tourist attraction in the summer.

Another plus to living in New Jersey is the economy. Unemployment is under 5 percent, and the crime rate is lower in New Jersey than the national rate.  Have children? New Jersey ranks consistently in the top five of educational systems in the United States. In addition to having a low pupil-to-teacher ratio, New Jersey spends approximately $20,000 per student while the national average is only about $12,000 per year. The high school graduation rate is at 99%–an impressive number for any state! And there are a lot of fun activities for kids in Jersey, too, like the Library Science Center, Six Flags Great Adventure and the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk.  Kids of all ages will enjoy the scenery and will benefit from the education.

If you are a sports fan, you’ll love Jersey. While the New York Giants and the New York Jets both have New York in their name, they are both technically New Jersey teams. New Jersey also boasts the New Jersey Nets basketball team and the New Jersey Devils hockey team. Plus, you are just a state away from other professional sport teams, like New York’s Yankees, Mets, Buffalo Bills, and Philadelphia’s Eagles, Flyers, 76ers, and Pittsburgh’s Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins, just to name a few! New Jersey’s proximity to other thriving Eastern cities only adds to its appeal.

New Jersey is home to much of America’s history. One of the 13 original colonies, Jersey was the site of many Revolutionary battles and is nicknamed the “Crossroads of the Revolution”. New Jersey was also one of the first three states to ratify the Constitution and the very first state to sign the Bill of Rights.  Currently, New Jersey is now the leading producer of biopharmaceuticals in the nation, as well as a leader in health care, technology, transportation and manufacturing.

If pop culture history is more your speed, New Jersey is home to many a celebrity, past and present. In addition to musical legends Bruce Springsteen, Frank Sinatra and Jon Bon Jovi, Jersey was the birthplace of actors Nathan Lane, John Travolta and Meryl Streep. Many celebrities and athletes still call Jersey their home. A fun pop culture fact about New Jersey:  the properties in the game Monopoly are named after real streets in the state.

Ask anyone from New Jersey about their food and you may have a long conversation. New Jersey boasts the tomato pie, a century old pizza recipe; the iconic Taylor Ham also known as the Pork Roll; Atlantic City’s candy staple, the salt water taffy, and don’t even ask New Jerseyans who makes the best bagel—don’t think of insulting them! Jersey also is considered the Diner Capital of the World with more diners per capita than any other state. And if you like to shop, New Jersey has the most shopping malls of any one are of the world and don’t forget its proximity to the great shopping in New York!

Another reason to move to New Jersey: its agriculture. While agriculture may not be the first image in your mind when you think of this state, Jersey’s over 9000 farms grow blueberries, potatoes, wheat, corn, tomatoes, bell peppers and spinach, just to name a few. One of Jersey’s many nicknames is the Garden State.

Enjoy gambling and nightlife? Atlantic City, New Jersey, is your haven. Even if you decide to live elsewhere in the state, Atlantic City is a huge draw because it is so close. The Atlantic City boardwalk, the longest boardwalk in the world at six miles, entertains young and old alike. The Atlantic Ocean, the games and rides on the boardwalk as well as the shopping and casinos offers something for everyone. Impress your out of town friends by picking them up some famous salt water taffy, a must-have from the Jersey Shore. Adults craving some nightlife can venture over to the clubs that line the shore or can take in the shows that rival the Vegas entertainment. Plus the businesses downtown are flourishing. Here are some small business financing tips for anyone else looking to relocate their business here.

While the Jersey Shore is well-known, the arts and culture in the big cities of New Jersey are abundant but not as well-known. While overshadowed by the arts and culture of New York, Jersey has enough theatres, museums and art galleries to satisfy even the most discerning of art connoisseurs.

Looking for diversity? This state is home to a variety of people from all creeds, religions, and races. The diversity of New Jersey is so rich, it is one of the few minority-majority states in the union, with Jersey City named the country’s most ethnically diverse city. With its location to Ellis Island, it is only natural that New Jersey would be a cultural melting pot.

The reasons to move to New Jersey are abundant. Whether you decide to move to a new city in New Jersey or relocate from across the country, you will easily find yourself at home in this welcoming state.