Garden State View of Changing Big Apple

Talk about mixed emotions. I'm a native New Yorker, born in a hospital in Manhattan. I grew up in Brooklyn until my family migrated westward to Staten Island. Even after I moved to the Garden State, I travelled for many years to my uncle's dental office in Queens. The Yankees, my favorite sports team, plays in the Bronx (although I did find myself rooting for the Mets in the 2015 World Series). I think that covers all the NYC bases - or boroughs, at least. I never expected to see professional teams in Brooklyn, but perhaps when we saw the circus in Coney Island a few years ago, that was a sign of things to come. Now the Nets and Islanders call Brooklyn their home. I'm still trying to figure out why the Jets and Giants are considered New York teams. The last time I looked at a map, Routes 3, 17, and the New Jersey Turnpike were located in, well, New Jersey. Come to think of it, Newark Liberty is the closest airport to lower Manhattan, but no one has proposed (yet) renaming it New York Liberty - then again there is a professional basketball team by that name. At least they do play in the Big Apple. 

Perhaps the best thing is for New York and New Jersey to take pride in the best that each other has to offer. We were thrilled to discover the High Line on Manhattan's West Side. From near the food options at Chelsea Market to the train yards near Penn Station, this abandoned elevated freight railroad line has become an elevated park instead, now attracting millions of visitors annually. Over the train yards, office, retail, and residential space is springing up rapidly. A new subway station opened near the Javits Center, further opening up the West Side. A brand new transportation hub is in its finishing stages near the new World Trade Center. Elsewhere in the Big Apple, skyscrapers are soaring to new heights. Within the last decade, five buildings over 1,000 feet in height have opened, with seven more at various stages of construction. 

In the Garden State, you have the long-time homes of two of the world's greatest scientists, Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein. NJPAC in Newark plays host to many of the world's greatest performers in a concert hall rivaling the best.  New Jersey has among the most diverse populations anywhere, allowing for an incredible selection of cultural and culinary choices. Even looking at New York is more impressive if done from the New Jersey side. From the panoramic Eagle Rock Reservation in West Orange, you can see from northern Manhattan out to the Rockaways in Queens. From Liberty State Park, you will feel like you can reach out your hand and be in the Big Apple. Along the Palisades,, you will feel like you are in another place, yet only minutes from New York. And let's not forget that New Jersey is the closest state to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.