Dylan from The Lower Aetna stuck around to give us the expert insider opinion on Medford Lakes! This focuses on one of the specific communities in South Jersey, with a hyper-focus on the Canoe Carnival, an annual tradition of Medford Lakes that sounds delightful, intense, and strange. This is one of the best deep dives EVER! Get bonus content on Pa…

The Lower Aetna is a band that recently released PINE, an album that evokes Springsteen, outlaw country, Gaslight Anthem, all while telling stories of queer longing in the Pine Barrens. It rules so hard and you can find it at https://theloweraetna.bandcamp.com/album/pine We were lucky to talk with Dylan from The Lower Aetna about how these songs ca…

Welcome to our third installment of the Officially Unofficial New Jersey Is the World book club. This time, Andrea and Kerri read Welcome Home, Caroline Kline. It’s a very Jersey book about a young woman who–in the middle of some life upheaval–returns to her hometown to fill in for her dad on the local men’s softball league. It features everything …

Last weekend, without any pre-planning, two of our NJITW stalwarts did some very Jersey things: Mike D and his family went to Camp NoBeBosCo, better known to horror fans as Camp Crystal Lake. Geth and his family wound up on an impromptu trip to the legendary Wild West City, and the experience was head spinning. We discuss both in this episode, alon…

This episode was not planned. Gethard found himself with time to kill and in need of an electric car charger, and the nearest one was at the dreaeded Short Hills mall. Listen as he wanders through the land of the wealthy, in this barely edited audio, mostly marveling at the watch stores. Including that one with a red velvet rope. That one, in parti…

Kerri and Andrea are back, talking with another Jersey author! This time around, they're chatting with Nick Corsaniti, New York Times correspondent and author of I Don't Want to Go Home: The Oral History of the Stone Pony. They dive into the book's exploration of Asbury Park's music scene, its unique culture, and its rich New Jersey history. They t…

Mike D was able to sit down with Scot DeBockler the founder and everything else of NJ’s iconic SNK Pedals. They discuss what it’s like to start a business in NJ, the important role that NJ has played in the history of music gear and of course a very nerdy exploration of guitar pedals and amps. All the music fans out there are going to love this one…

First off, a big announcement in this episode. More on that to follow soon. Secondly - your voicemails! Our reactions! Lots of laughs! Lots of reminiscing. Chef Volas! Letters home from camp! Road signs that are inappropriate even for New Jersey. And much, much more! Turnpike tier patrons, you'll get a second dose of these soon including a voicemai…

As you can see, this was supposed to be an episode of our Patreon-exclusive Garden State Gagootz. It went in a different direction. I couldn't hide this behind a paywall. Don't worry patrons - the new Gagootz is coming soon with some killer voicemails. But in the meantime, enjoy whatever the hell this is. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acas…

It’s finally happening. Andrea has been threatening it for years, and now she’s got backup in the form of the great Kerri Sullivan, who our listeners know as the editor of New Jersey Fan Club: Artists and Writers Celebrate the Garden State and the person behind Jersey Collective. This episode is the first installment of our unofficial book club. Th…

The Devil and Daisy is a play. But it's not just a play - it's a play that involves an eight foot tall Jersey Devil puppet and a whole lot of Jersey folklore embedded deep in its roots. In this interview we talk with Alex Dawson and Dan Diana about how this play came to be, their involvement in immersive/grassroots Jersey art, how one makes an eigh…

If you’ve been with NJITW for a while, you might remember a super brief stint we had way back in August of 2021 with a New Jersey Is the World role-playing game, appropriately titled, New Jersey: The Role Playing Game. It was livestreamed just for our Patreon subscribers, and it only happened three times, so even long-time listeners might have miss…

If you've been listening to the show, you know that Hebba is a woman who asked to intern for us, and to whom we explained that we aren't nearly successful enough to need an intern, BUT she occasionally comes out of nowhere and designs killer episodes of the show even though I literally don't have her contact information. This time, Hebba let us kno…

On today's episode we have a great interview with none other than S.P. Sullivan, who covers the crime beat at the Star Ledger. He talks us through the Menendez trial, Norcross, the county line, who's now sweating it, in what ways Menendez might be an empathetic figure, and why this state is as shady as it is. It was a true joy and honor talking to …

We are joined by Jodie Bergen County and Kerri Sullivan as we discuss Bobby Gold Barz, his downfall, what happened, and our quick reactions to this insane year in New Jersey politics. THEN some of your voicemails, from heartfelt to strange to nonsense, and our delighted reactions. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy …

Ever curious about how NJITW actually gets made? Well we know some of you are - because you’ve asked us. In this episode Andrea and Mike D take you behind the scenes and dig into: the infamous lost episode, NJITW the Role Playing Game, some history from the early days of the show and of course lots of random NJ related tangents. Get bonus content o…

Don and Geth make their way to Fattal's supermarket in Paterson, where they make their way to both the baklava bar and the brick oven bakery in the back. They take their food down to the Great Falls, and then spend this episode telling you about the incredible experience. FIX THE FUCKIN' FOOTBRIDGE! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See…

Have you ever taken a drive through Mendham - and have you ever noticed a sign claiming Mendham was the hometown of the man who invented baseball? What if we told you this was a giant fraud. Did George Washington really sleep here? Did Jackie O actually live here? Seriously, What is going on in Mendham? We’re joined by our new friends Ryan and Kati…

Martyna Majok is the Pulitzer winning author of many great plays, many of which focus very specifically on Jersey. We talk about Jersey artists, about Belleville and Kearny, about immigrant groups finding each other in this state, and so much more. Seriously, just listen to it, Martyna is so fucking great. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Aca…

Chris Payne is the author of the book Where Are Your Boys Tonight? The Oral History of Emo's Mainstream Explosion - you will probably not be shocked to hear that this book is VERY heavy on New Jersey content. That being said, upon reading it I think you will be pleasantly surprised to see how much New Jersey was at the core of this massive explosio…

On this week's show we ask a simple question: "What's the dumbest/weirdest/most inexplicable stuff to be found on New Jersey Craig's List right now?" This leads, as you imagine, down some real weird rabbit holes as we suss out not just the stuff that is odd at face value, but some other things that are clearly written in coded language. It's also f…

This week we talk with friend of the show Anthony DeVito, a hilarious comedian and Bloomfield native. He's also currently starring in the off-Broadway show Jersey Boy: A True Crime Story about how he came to find out that his family and organized crime in New Jersey were intertwined. It's a jaw-dropping show, hilarious, smart, and VERY JERSEY. We t…

WARNING: Some listeners may be disturbed by the fact that at no point in this episode do Mike D and Andrea mention diarrhea. This is a diarrhea-free episode. Proceed at your own risk. Longtime subscribers to our Patreon may remember an early episode of South Jersey Is Also the World where Andrea and Gethard went deep into the history of Ong’s Hat, …

A recent article revealed the existence of a secret super clean bathroom in the well known NYC nightmare commuter hub, Port Authority. Being that Port Authority is a place MANY North Jersey residents know well and have true hatred/fear for, we figured this was a perfect excuse to look not just at the secret bathroom of Port Authority, but the many …

Kate and Danny Tamberelli are not just a married couple, they're also the co-authors fo the new book Road Trip Rewind, which is great and you should read. The book features characters born in Jersey, much like Danny himself was. Danny was raised in Wyckoff before starring as Little Pete on The Adventures of Pete and Pete, a show Gethard has long ar…

On this episode we give you: some Jersey authors, some Jersey specific writing, some Jersey adjacent books, some historical looks at authors who help set the tone of what Jerseyana is, and a proposed summer comic book book club. ENJOY THE BEACH, YOU CHOOCHES. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Your voicemails. The hosts on our mini-network. Like so many of them. WOTown, Andrea, Fanelli, Fierro, HEBBA. The largest gang of gagootz ever assembled, listening to the batshit messages you all have left us in recent months. What beats that? Nothing beats that. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati…

We break down everything you might need for a New Jersey survival kit if you're not from this place. From items you should own to rules you should know to conversations you should be ready to have - if you want to survive in New Jersey, this episode fills you in on everything you need to know about. Whose idea was this? Hebba's idea. Who is Hebba? …

Ostensibly, this episode reviews Fanny's - an Italian restaurant in the blossoming food hub of Bloomfield. But when Don starts speaking to how he orders for groups, we realize this episode is actually a glimpse into the mind of a mad man. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Here is real found audio of what it sounds like when Bonadooch comes by your house to watch a Seton Hall game and you shoot the breeze. We turned mics on and gave you exclusive access to the real life sounds of a good old Bonadooch hang at home. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Mike D has recently read up on some of the historical roots of the legends surrounding the New Jersey Devil, the Garden State's most infamous legend. How was Benjamin Franklin involved? Is this all just the hundreds year old result of a smear job campaign directed to one unfortunately targeted family? Were almanacs the fanzines of their day? Get bo…

This episode has some technical disasters. Broken headphones, weird audio, and even right now I'm posting it from the Denver airport where my flight has been delayed over five hours. And that's all fitting because we talk about NJ's greatest disasters throughout this thrilling piece of audio. We are the only podcast on earth that can have a surpris…

New Jersey is a place of chaos. St. Patrick's Day is a holiday of chaos. New Jersey also has a lot of residents of Irish descent. You will not be shocked to hear that it was very easy for us to find many examples where St. Patrick's Day in New Jersey descended into absolute chaos. You will also not be shocked to hear this one talks a lot about Hobo…

In this episode we interview Shawn Hendricks, the owner of New Jersey's longest operating comic book store. Located in Whippany, this store is really special, and Sean has a lot of experience and philosophy into what goes into running a kick ass comic book store. On top of that, how does New Jersey's proximity to New York City give it historical ti…

Politics in New Jersey is becoming must see. We're currently embroiled in the "Tammy Murphy versus Andy Kim" Senate primary that's getting nastier by the day. Soon we'll have the governor's race, where Steve Fulop, Ras Baraka, and Steve Sweeney have already joined, with more rumored to be eyeing the prize. It's a crazy time. That made me think: how…

Who is the real Bonadooch? The question we get asked the most here at NJITW - after “Why don’t you talk about Bergen County more?” - is "Who is Bonadooch?" Here’s your answer. An in-depth interview with the one and only Bonadooch where no topic is off the table. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio…

You'd think if you have Joe Steinhardt from Don Giovanni Records and Marissa Paternoster of Noun and Screaming Females, you might talk a lot about their legendary impact on New Brunswick's basement scene. Or at the very least about their great new graphic novel, Merriment. Nope. This is New Jersey is the World, so we're talking about the Northeast …

Last week it was announced that the World Cup Finals are coming to New Jersey in a couple years. This is a huge deal. Like, more than many American sports fans might even realize. Mike D and Chris get together to discuss the impact, how it happened, all the ways we hope it goes right, and the many ways we assume it could go wrong. What happens when…

I didn't set out to create controversy. The idea felt simple. "Hey, we talk about Jersey relentlessly on this show, let's go through the list and see which towns we as a collective have and haven't actually been to." I thought it would be basic: Exhaust ourselves reading the list of New Jersey town names and everyone says yes or no and we probably …

Don Fanelli, the Jersey Dude Who Loves Jersey Food, is back! Not just on the podcast, but Don was also recently back in New Jersey, and he visited the legendary Rutt's Hut to try their duck. We talk about that much buzzed about item, but this leads to a WAY TOO THOROUGH breakdown of the entire Rutt's Hut menu, which honestly keeps going and going i…

It's well known that this podcast's participants are big fans of New Jersey. They give it an A+. But that begs the question: what grade do they give each of the other 49 states? Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keith moved to Montclair from Brooklyn six years ago. He considers himself a Montclair guy. He has nothing against New Jersey, but isn't particularly interested in participating in it on a larger level. We ask him the crucial questions about this like: "Do you know this attitude is infuriating to everyone else in the area?" and "Why not drive like …

Today we discuss all the things we think might happen in and around New Jersey in 2024, so that we might build a bingo board for your enjoyment throughout the year. Some of them are very chattered about political moves we expect people to make, for example. But in typical NJITW fashion, our predictions get progressively more off the rails and don't…

Guys, this is crazy. We set up a whole bunch of police scanners and short wave radios last night, and we were able to record Santa's communication with local authorities as he flew around above New Jersey delivering presents last night. This is a stunning glimpse into Santa's strategies in how he handles different areas of New Jersey, what route he…

Here are some of the voicemails YOU left at 973-780-4660 for us. Joined by Nick Fierro for the first time, the Gagootz assemble and react to all things Jersey. A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS LIST IN THIS ONE, plus a whole lot more! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

This episode is a loving tribute to the iconic, wild west television station many of us grew up with: Channel 9. If you were in the New York media market, you were exposed to the weirdness of this TV station, much of which originated out of Secaucus, NJ. In this episode we discuss the station, PLUS Mike D tracked down a daily schedule of Channel 9 …

We're back with our semi-regular series highlighting small businesses around New Jersey, this time with our friend Steve Zig over at Backyard Cinemas! Steve's company has a Jersey origin, a lot of hustle, and is growing fast. By going all over the state setting up mobile screenings, he and his crews see different parts of New Jersey, run into Jerse…

This week, Don Fanelli and myself had the pleasure of interviewing Peter Candia, a writer and editor at the New Jersey Digest. We set out to talk about his list of the 40 best pizzas in the state, but we never got there. Mostly because him and Don have a longstanding bromance and took off running. From restaurant etiquette, to new school fancy plac…

In this very idiotic high concept episode, we pre-suppose the not at all important question: "If New Jersey was in fact a prepared dish cooked in a kitchen instead of a state, which towns would be the ESSENTIAL ingredients?" We had a lot of fun sorting this out but also we imagine there are going to be people telling us we got it wrong. We can't wa…

Newark Airport is a center of gravity for this entire state. Which leads us to ask: What do we hate about EWR? What are the good aspects? Are there any? Also, roughly a dozen manic tangents that have nothing to do with Newark Airport. Plus, Bonadooch tells stories of what it was like building portions of Newark Airport. Also, Geth almost bought a p…