This article is classified "Real"
Chester, New Jersey, is a quaint little town located in the central part of the northern half of New Jersey. I realize that at the outset, that description might seem a little suspect, given that Chester is in New Jersey, and New Jersey is not known for having the adjectives "quaint" and "nice" associated with it. Chester, however, does deserve their application. Chester has two municipal divisions, the "Township" or everything that is not in the town center, and the "Borough", everything that is the town center. This curious division makes for a "town" with two mayors, two town councils, and two police departments. All this for a municipality of less than 10,000 people (1990). There has been some speculation as to why this odd division is in place. The most commonly accepted hypothesis is that "it's always been that way", a very convenient explanation, given that the people who might have remembered why it was made that way in the first place are all long dead and buried. Chester is drawn and quartered right through the middle by its two main roads, known as Route 24 and Route 206. It is a typical New Jersey custom to name local roads after numbers, in memory of the fact that New Jersey was the first state on the East Coast to legalize gambling, as well as to make directions easier to give. Chester is something of a local marketplace for the surrounding towns. While malls are the primary locations of commerce in New Jersey, Chester has remarkably been able to maintain a strong business in small stores and specialty shops. Many people weekend in Chester, looking through the shops and purchasing antiques and trinkets. Chester also has the only movie theater in the surrounding 10 mile area. This makes it something of a hangout for local youths. These interesting specimens of New Jersey can be seen on their typical mode of transportation, the skateboard, engaging in various feats of devilry in the parking lot. Anthropologists have long wondered about the causes and effects of this behavior, and indeed, the population of youths themselves, but as yet the question remains unanswered. As for bars and parties in Chester, you are going to have something of a difficult time finding good ones. There is a bar at the Publick House in the center of Chester, but it is a rather ritzy place with high prices. Olivers, east on Rt. 24, also has a bar, but it is only a step down from the Publick House. About two miles west on Rt 24, in the Township, there is the Old Mill Tavern. This is the best bet for a bar in Chester. They have over 20 beers on tap, make excellent hamburgers and chicken fingers, and always have the game on TV. If you find yourself in Chester with time on your hands, looking for something to do, you might want to investigate the many parks that Chester has. Chubb park is right next to the Library on Rt. 24 West, the Black River Conservation District is four miles (or so) up Pleasant Hill Road (the road to the left of the Publick House), in the Township. Also, on the opposite side of the Township is Hacklebarney State Park. This is the most civilized of the parks in Chester, to the point of actually having bathrooms! There is a park with a playset south of Rt. 24 in the Borough. (The Borough is only about 1.5 miles in area, wander around until you find it.) If you are looking for a place to stay as a hitchhiker in Chester, forget it. Given that you are a hitchhiker, you cannot afford the one inn in town. This place is that infamous "Publick House," a restaurant and "inn" in the 18th century understanding of the term. The rates are rather expensive, which is odd considering that people would probably be more comfortable at a hotel than the "Publick House". Given that you are a hitchhiker, your best place to sleep a night, assuming a sleeping bag and decent weather, would be Chubb Park, about a mile west of the town center (or Borough) down Rt. 24. The people of Chester are remarkably kind, if a might bit uptight. The Borough sports Nazareth village, a retirement community for Catholic priests, so Chester is a nice place to be if your soul is in torment, or the Apocalypse is nigh. While residents of Chester are New Jerseyans, they are far enough from the areas of New Jersey that people commonly think of when they think "New Jersey" that they may as well have their own culture. Chester does not have any major social problems, although it does have its share of "poor". (The poor of Chester would be the fabulously wealthy of Bangladesh.) The Township sports many developments of very nice houses, and there are a good number of Fortune 500 Execs and middle management living here. Chester is a nice place for a hitchhiker to spend some quiet time, especially if one wants to stay close to the highways and heartbeat of excitement. Chester has the benefit of being close to New York City and Philadelphia, with their clubs, bars, parties and excitement, while being far enough away to be quiet and prosaic. If you are interested in excitement, and the latest debate over the school board's budget just doesn't give you goose bumps, then Chester may not be the place for you.