New Jersey Metro: How Do We Rank For Retail Therapy?
Maybe it’s not scientifically proven, but it’s no surprise that shopping can make you feel better. You browse online or pop into your favorite store, and there’s a distraction element that soothes the soul. In fact, StorageCafé recently released a report that details the best spots for retail therapy, and as expected, New Jersey is a great place to be.
“Often at the crossroads between being considered therapy or necessity, shopping remains a favorite pastime for millions of Americans who turn to shopping to relieve stress and uplift their spirits,” StorageCafé says. They go on to point out that part of the appeal to retail therapy is the instant gratification.
Consumers have numerous options to shop these days, literally at their fingertips. StorageCafé researched what is really going on here. They examined the primary spending interests of today’s generations. Areas such as number of retail establishments and employees per 1,000 residents, and retail square footage per capita were considered. Then, that was compared to the income and spending habits within the major metros across the country. As a result, an official list of best cities to get your retail therapy on was compiled.
In New Jersey, retail therapy can mean going in a few different directions. Sure, we have our malls in every county, but we are also in close proximity to the city areas named here.
Jersey City, Newark, New York City Ranked 9th
This area came in just behind Dallas and ahead of Tampa. In fact, our region was only one of two in the entire Northeast to be recognized. There’s the obvious abundance of retail that New York City has to offer, but that wasn’t the only thing making an impression. “The NY-NJ area takes the first spot for walkable urbanism with a 100 score in the foot traffic index,” StorageCafé said.
As for New Jersey specific, many of the Garden State malls were highlighted. For example, Newport Centre and the Outlets at Bergen Town Center were called out specifically. Their affordability and wide variety of of options was positively noted.
Redrafting Each Of The Giants First Round Picks The Past 5 Years
This is the time of year when sports talk starts to get dominated by NFL draft talk. Speculation and theories galore factor into analysts’ suggestions on who each time will or should take. Here, we will “redraft” all of the Giants first round picks of the past five years. The team is an important spot this year, with high hopes that they will get it right and set the franchise up for future success.
Let’s face it: it’s been a tumultuous ride since the GMen last won the Super Bowl in 2012. It has been a roller coaster of sorts, where certain players have unexpectedly succeeded, and many have not met expectations. What’s unique about analyzing the top picks since 2019 is that it covers different front office staffs. Dave Gettleman was the team’s General Manager from 2018 to 2021. Joe Schoen then took over in 2022. In addition, the past five years have seen three different head coaches. Pat Shurmur and Joe Judge each had less-than-successful two-year runs before Brian Daboll came in.
Of course, much of the draft discussion revolves around quarterbacks. The Giants are no exception to this. In fact, what to do with often-injured Daniel Jones is one of the two primary topics this off-season (the other being Saquon Barkley).
Our Redrafting Guidelines
As acting GM from 2019 on, this exercise considers the success players have had in the NFL over the past five seasons. It’s important to note that each player listed below that we are saying the Giants should have selected was drafted after the choice they actually made. In other words, the Giants passed on each of these players.
Now, with the NFL combine underway, pro days coming up, and prospective meetings, there is a ton of due diligence that goes into each team’s draft process. While no team bats a thousand each year, the preparation the organization does pre-draft is essential to creating a plan that is best for the team. Furthermore, the GM and player personnel departments need to be ready to adjust and make quick decisions based on what happened in the current draft before their pick. This is where the Giants fell short (mostly in the Gettleman days) in years past, and had to make a panic move.
Nonetheless, as we wait for this year’s big draft day in Detroit, here are our Giants 1st round redraft picks from the five previous years. Imagine this: the Giants could have had Justin Herbert passing to Garrett Wilson, with Micah Parson patrolling the defense.
Jeff Gorra is a Boston-based writer who has been with Beasley Media Group since the beginning of 2023. He writes about restaurants and food, as well as sports and rock music. His experience also includes show hosting and in-depth creative writing in rock and reggae dub music. Jeff’s an avid surfer, New York Giants, and Pearl Jam fan, however, if you make unforgettable pizza, he is sure to find you.
