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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. For our last 15 minutes today, back to the New Jersey side of New York and New Jersey Public Radio as we open up the phones for certain New Jersey listeners on the question, where is Central Jersey exactly and does it even exist? Give us a call, 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692, or text us at that number. Where is Central Jersey and does it actually exist?

Why do we ask? Well, last month, New Jersey lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favor of a bill that would redraw the state tourism map and create a Central Jersey region. Lawmakers hope it will increase tax revenue from tourism. The bill now awaits Governor Phil Murphy's signature, which he has voiced strong support for in the past. The governor is from Middlesex after all. The debate on whether or not Central Jersey even exists, some of you know, has been ongoing for years, and this bill will officially create the area designated Central Jersey.

Now that the debate is almost settled, at least the existential one, we are inviting you to tell us where does Central Jersey begin and end? Which counties are in and which are out, and how do you know? What do you do? What do you think? What do you believe? Who do you root for if you are a Central Jerseyan? 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset are in according to a recent article from our colleagues at Gothamist, but what about Ocean County and Union County?

Central Jerseyans, if you think of yourself that way, where do you live and where do you draw the lines? 212-433-WNYC. Now, we know North and South Jersey have long been divided on the Taylor Ham vs. pork roll and sub vs. hoagie lines. Governor Murphy was grilled on where Central Jersey comes down in that debate. Here he is making his case in 2018 on the Stephen Colbert show. Colbert speaks first. Let's take a listen.

Stephen Colbert: "Taylor Ham or pork roll?"

Governor Phil Murphy: "That's Taylor pork."

Stephen Colbert: Take a stand. Grow a spine. Come on, what is this?"

Governor Phil Murphy: I love every corner of the state, but we're very cool people in the Central part of the state. We're cool."

Stephen Colbert: "What is cool? What is cool about not having an opinion?"

Governor Phil Murphy: "That right there is Taylor pork."

Stephen Colbert: "What is this?"

Governor Phil Murphy: "That looks like a sub or a hoagie. Those are the two words I would think."

Stephen Colbert: "Okay. You can't--"

Governor Phil Murphy: I can't do both?"

Stephen Colbert: "See, this is the problem with you Central people. It's either a sub or a hoagie."

Governor Phil Murphy: "That's a sub or a hoagie."

Brian Lehrer: For those in Central Jersey, where do you fall? Is there a consensus somewhere in the middle? Maybe you split the difference. Does anyone really call it Taylor pork? 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. Jon Bon Jovi, the singer, is from Perth Amboy, Middlesex County. The actress Meryl Streep is from Summit, the northernmost city in Union County.

Union County is considered Central debatable. According to our Gothamist colleagues, it's kind of north, right? Central Jerseyans, who or what is your biggest cultural export, or what defines the culture of Central New Jersey in general for you? 212-433-WNYC. Anthony in Mendham. You're on WNYC. Hi, Anthony.

Anthony: Hey. How are you doing? I'm originally a South Jersey guy. I was born in Burlington, Burlington County, which I would call the top of South Jersey. I draw the line right in the skinny part of the state over. It's Burlington and Ocean. Burlington, Ocean and below is all South Jersey. Central Jersey would be Mercer, Monmouth, Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon.

Union, Morris, Warren, that's where North Jersey starts, and there's pretty strict delineations. You can tell by who's an Eagles fan, who's a Giants fan, who's in North Jersey, who's in South Jersey. There's no team in Central Jersey, so that's free area, but pretty big distinctions in the state. The part out of South Jersey I grew up in was below the Mason-Dixon line. Very weird. Very South Jersey

Brian Lehrer: [laughs] Culturally, you're saying.

Anthony: Yes.

Brian Lehrer: South Jersey, a little more politically conservative. Is that what you want to call it?

Anthony: Well, it varies in areas. There's pockets in the western part of the state that are more conservative. I live in a pretty red county right now, but we have big pockets of blue, and we all knew Trump pretty well. He tried to rip off all our families at one point or another, so we all knew to vote against him. I still think there's a large conservative swath in Morris County, Burlington County, but the state is primarily a pretty blue state. Yes, very big distinctions in the state.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much. Definitely that sports tension. When you're in the central part of the state, you probably can go into stores and see Phillies hats and Mets and Yankees hats, Giants and Jet stuff, and Eagle stuff. Hartford's the same way in Connecticut. You go into a sporting goods store in Connecticut or a clothing store, you're going to see Red Sox hats and Yankees hats. That is not true as you get closer to Boston or closer to New York. Janie - am I saying your name right? - in Middletown, you're on WNYC. Hi there.

Janie: Hi there. It's Janie.

Brian Lehrer: Hi, Janie.

Janie: Hi, Brian. So nice to talk to you. I live in Middletown, so we are Central Jersey. I would definitely say there is a Central Jersey. Monmouth County. Like the man before me said, there's a really big distinction. We're a little slower than North Jersey as far as driving crazy and all that, and we're a little faster, I think, than South Jersey as far as talking and shopping. There's a lot of stuff up here, not as much down there.

Brian Lehrer: Janie, thank you very much. We're going to go to Carrie in Trenton. Carrie, you're on WNYC. Thanks for calling in.

Carrie: I would have to say that Trenton is dead center Central New Jersey because, like I was telling the person who was answering a call, when you look on the map, the New Jersey map, we're in like-- when you're looking at the left-hand side, we're dead center. We could go either way. We could go Eagles or Giants or-- We could just go either way, but we are dead center. If anybody tells you any different, I disagree. In these parts that I know of, it's pork roll, not Taylor Ham.

Brian Lehrer: [laughs]. How about sub or hoagie?

Carrie: Hoagie. It could be sub. It depends. Like I said, we go both ways, so to speak.

Brian Lehrer: Carrie, thank you very much. Call us again from Central Jersey. Got another Trenton caller. Bob, you're on WNYC. Hi, Bob.

Bob: Hi, Brian. It's good to talk to you finally. I've been listening for a long time. I grew up in North Jersey. I grew up in Morris and Somerset County. Moved to Trenton about 15 years ago, and yes, I consider myself Central New Jersey. I agree with what everybody is saying about the geographic distribution from Mercer to Middlesex to Monmouth. I would note too that Asbury Park, I consider to be-- Central Jersey Shore is that whole area around Asbury and all. Pork roll, I grew up with [unintelligible 00:08:11] Taylor Ham, but I converted to calling it what it is, which is pork roll. Taylor Ham's a brand, pork roll is the actual product.

Brian Lehrer: Bob, thank you very much. We're starting to develop a consensus around pork roll, it seems like it, at the very least, Hilda in Robbinsville, I think is going to confirm at least the existence of Central Jersey. Hilda, you're on WNYC. Hello.

Hilda: Hello. I love Robbinsville, and I agree with the past two callers. Well, absolutely Central Jersey starts from Mercer County up. The wonderful thing about Central Jersey is we have wineries, we have farms, we have the shore, we have Princeton, and we have beautiful farmlands. I think Central Jersey starts at Mercer County.

Brian Lehrer: Starts at Mercer County. Putting a fine line on that, or a clear bright red line on that. I think Bob in New Brunswick also wants to put it at a very specific location. Is that right, Bob? Hi, you're on WNYC.

Bob: Yes. Long time-- a 40-year member. Let's cut to the chase. It's Exit 9 on the New Jersey Turnpike. That's New Brunswick, okay? This is Jersey here, or it's Exit 131 on the Parkway. That's the reality. I don't really care about pork roll, I never appreciated it, but let your customer say. Well, I've lived in New Brunswick for 4 years. It's Exit 9, Central Jersey, or 131 on the Parkway. Enough said. Bye-bye. [laughs]

Brian Lehrer: Well, bye-bye. Call us again. Michael in Somerset County, you're on WNYC. Hi, Michael.

Michael: Hi, Brian. How are you doing? Long-time listener. I live in Bound Brook, which is in Somerset County. Somerset County is a little different because if you look on the map, it's drawn vertically. I think actually, the southern part of Somerset County is in Central Jersey, but the northern part is in North Jersey. For a long time-- I am the music director of an orchestra that was called the Central Jersey Symphony for many years, but we've just recently, over the last three years, changed our name to the Somerset Symphony for this exact reason. [chuckles] Because a lot of people who live in Somerset County don't necessarily think they live in Central Jersey.

Brian Lehrer: Aha. Now, what about this Union County debate? Do you have an opinion on it? When I look at Union County on a map, it's like right beside Staten Island. Central Jersey could be right outside New York City. Could that be North Jersey right there?

Michael: That's a good question, but having been born and raised in Union County in Somerset, I'd have to say we're in North Jersey definitely.

Brian Lehrer: All right. Michael weighing in on that. Good luck with the orchestra, now called the Somerset. Cindy in Asheville North Carolina, but former Jersey, is going to get our last 30 seconds. Cindy, you're on WNYC. Go for it.

Cindy: Hey, Brian. Thanks. Yes, I was born in Middlesex County, but I am the founder of New Jersey Family magazine. This is an issue we constantly struggle with. That was started in 1991. We had a Central Jersey family, and that Central Jersey was Monmouth, Mercer, Somerset, Middlesex, Union County. It's interesting because I'm not sure why we did not include Hunterdon County in Central Jersey, but Union County is definitely Central Jersey. I agree with all the callers and everything they said except for the last caller. Somerset was always part of Central Jersey.

Brian Lehrer: Cindy, thank you very much. All right. The Union County debate continues. It looks like the Hunterdon County debate is engaged. Thank you all, Central Jersey listeners, for calling in. The legislature has made it official.

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