Dajo,
Did you ever hear the term, "Flyover Country"? This what most elitist liberals living on the West or East Coast call the area that lies between the East and West Coasts. They have utter contempt for most of the citizens living in that territory, for their occupations, their life styles, and their politics.
I had a close friend, a well-known UC Berkeley Professor, who had two children in New York City, one living there, and one visiting, at the time of the World Trade Center Attack on 9/11. She was frantic about her children, and wanted them to come home to California right away, but all flights out of New York were canceled, as the airports were all locked down. I suggested that they travel back to California by train or Greyhound bus. I said it could take them a week or less to make this journey, but it might be a very rewarding experience, to see how other people live in our country. My friend was shocked that I would propose such a thing. She said, "My daughters would NEVER take a train or a bus across the country."
New Jersey is the first state you fly over when you fly from New York to the West Coast, so unless you live at the Jersey seashore, you live in flyover country. I've spent a little time in New Jersey, visiting relatives in Patterson. I suppose New Jersey has its good points. It is mostly old towns and old suburbs, suburbs of New York City. The beaches don't compare to any beach on the West Coast. It is not very picturesque. The politics are as corrupt as anywhere. The Mafia was big there, but I don't know about now. I'll take a pass.
