New Jersey seniors having fun — and it’s not playing pickle ball!

There is a new study that came out that says that here in New Jersey we ranked 31st for most senior fun in the country. 31st! That is a travesty.

Seniorly released a study on the Most & Least Fun States for Seniors using the most recent federal data from the CDC, BLS, Census Bureau, and other government agencies.

A total of 11 senior lifestyle factors were analyzed in all 50 states and D.C. including average weather, the cost of living, the number of restaurants and golf courses per capita, the size of the senior population, overall health, proximity to airports for family visits, and more.

New Jersey ranks 31st?

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I think New Jersey seniors have a great time, a lot of fun, we just don’t tell anybody about it. We’re not out there in tennis whites playing pickleball. We’re in back rooms playing bingo and card games, for cash. We have a bevy of casinos in Atlantic City; we have two NFL football teams that play in our state. 31st?

We have great minor league baseball, two major horse racing facilities and we are the kings of karaoke. We have the best beaches from Sandy Hook to Cape May, which was named one of the best beaches in the country by the way. 31st?

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We have national parks, miles and miles of beautiful walking trails, world-class golf courses. We have festivals, celebrations and parades. We have music, lots of music almost as much as Nashville. We have museums, planetariums and science centers including the Intrepid Aircraft Sea and Space Museum.

We have outstanding shopping in some fabulous towns. We have vineyards and a world-class theme park. 31st? Fuhgetaboutit!

Sometimes rankings are fun and while the criteria that was set for these rankings is a little watered down, there is so much more available to us here in New Jersey then the criteria of these rankings, most of which we unfortunately take for granted. So the next time a senior says let’s do something fun, you better go over the long list of available attractions in advance so that you can enjoy your senior time.

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The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.

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