When we decided to leave NJ, pizza and bagels was basically the reason everyone gave for us being dumb for leaving. I don't want to shit on NJ food, but it definitely is mediocre considering the population density. There's definitely some great food options but it's amazing you can live in a high density spot and everything is mediocre. I attribute it probably to the high cost of running a food establishment. But then I almost moved to a place with OK food options but very limited on choices. I have to travel half an hour for OK Ramen or Indian. My pizza consumption is easily 10x what it was in NJ... I haven't even attempted to eat pizza from the generic pizza places in my town but there's a couple "gourmet" pizza places.I do find it interesting that in a state where the average house price is like $600k, a few $1-$2 items are such a topic.
I think Walter alluded to it above, but NJ really does have a lot of mediocre food. You can get almost anything here, but it's not always great. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good bagel and/or pizza as much as the next NJ native. But that's not enough to tip the balance to stay here. That said, there are a lot of positives about this area. Between NYC/Broadway and the ease of EWR to literally fly direct to almost anywhere in the world, it's hard to beat.
I also find the passive aggressive stuff about rich people & private schools pretty weak/obnoxious. We send our kids to public schools but we also know people who go to or send their kids to private schools, and the characterizations above are pretty pathetic. Again, don't get me wrong. I'm sure as hell not paying for our kids to to go Pingry. But good for the people who do. Make the decisions that you think work for you. Glass houses and stones, etc etc.
And it's pork roll.
NJ has a ton of great jobs, I can't say it's any worse than most places out there and it's very diverse. You could be as urban as you go living near NYC or living in the middle of nowhere in plenty of the state. If you're in a few industries like finance or pharma it's worth paying the costs during your career. Part of surviving is to get the job that does not require a stupid commute, or live in a spot that leaving the driveway for anything sucks the life out of you.