The thing about being from New Jersey is that everybody has strong opinions, especially when it comes to their favorite towns. Whether it’s the town they grew up in or the one they believe has the best pizza or bagel shops, New Jerseyans are passionate about which places they believe deserve a state-wide spotlight. We asked our Instagram followers which towns they believe are the most underrated in New Jersey last week. Unsurprisingly, we received a ton of answers. Read on to learn which towns in North Jersey are the most underrated — according to our readers, at least.
Before we jump into the list of most underrated towns, we have to address the elephant in the room (or state). When it comes to North Jersey, people have different opinions on which parts of New Jersey actually consist of North Jersey. Some New Jerseyans even go so far as to say there is no Central Jersey, just North and South Jersey. Like having a favorite town, this is considered a subjective topic for some New Jerseyans. So while you may come across a town on this list that you consider Central Jersey or West Jersey, keep in mind that, for others, it’s considered a North Jersey town.
Ethan & the Bean, a Little Falls coffee shop
Without further ado, these are the most underrated North Jersey towns:
Westwood
Caldwell
Clifton
Nutley
Little Falls
South Orange
Passaic
Verona
West New York
Union City
Rockaway
Edgewater
Livingston
North Caldwell
Bloomfield
Palisades Park
Maplewood
Midland Park
Montvale
West Orange
Rutherford
East Rutherford
Hawthorne
Belleville
Glen Ridge
Multiple towns were submitted numerous times, including Nutley, Clifton, Rutherford, Glen Ridge, Westwood, Bloomfield and Verona. Clifton, however, was by far the most-submitted town by The Montclair Girl readers.
For those who may not be as familiar with Clifton as other North Jersey towns, Clifton boasts a ton of hidden gem restaurants, including The Tick Tock Diner and the iconic Hot Grill. Other popular restaurants in Clifton include The Barrow House and Hot Grill’s competition for best hot dog in North Jersey, Rutt’s Hut.
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(Photo credits: @thehotgrillofficial)
The real secret that North Jersey residents know, of course, is that it’s a great place to live because of all these underrated towns. From the restaurants to the parks and movie theaters, each town has something wonderful to offer both North Jersey and the entire state.
For more North Jersey news and updates, make sure to follow The Montclair Girl on Instagram and TikTok.
