When you have "newbies" visit Jersey, which attractions do you insist on taking them to?

These are the places that make visitors shed all of those "things" that they've heard about us.

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I know, Jersey has some not-so-nice things said about it. Shocking.

From landmarks to destinations, NJ is chock full of interesting and beautiful attractions.

There are a wide variety of different places. Honestly, that's what makes our home so amazing.

Beaches, check. Wildlife, check. Nature, check. The list goes on and on.

I do have a bone to pick with these "lifestyle" publications and websites that are constantly choosing the best "this" and most popular "that."

Spread the wealth.

Every time I see that a best-of list is released the same places are consistently in the spotlight.

Photo by Jesse Gardner on Unsplash
Photo by Jesse Gardner on Unsplash
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For example, nine times out of ten when the topic of the best New Jersey beach or boardwalk is brought up, the award goes to Ocean City.

Nothing against Ocean City. It's a great place, but we get it.

U.S. News went state by state identifying the best tourist attractions in each of the 50 states.

I can think of a few spots off the top.

Lucy the Elephant (Photo Credit: Save Lucy Committee)
Lucy the Elephant (Photo Credit: Save Lucy Committee)
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Lucy The Elephant in Margate City is absolutely the most unique for sure.

American Dream (Photo Credit: American Dream)
American Dream (Photo Credit: American Dream)
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How about American Dream Mall in East Rutherford?

This next spot has been named the prettiest, the most romantic, the list goes on and on.

Now, U.S. News is saying out of all the places in NJ, this location is the absolute best tourist attraction.

Photo by Dan Mall on Unsplash
Photo by Dan Mall on Unsplash
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Cape May again.

I'm not hating on Cape May. Not at all. I'm just saying that I think we all know how amazing the town, the restaurants, the shops, the hotels, and the people are.

All I'm saying is, how about we let another part of the Great Garden State get some well-deserved attention?

Have You Even Heard of the 30 Tiniest Towns in New Jersey?

LOOK: See America's 50 Best Beach Towns

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

 

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