This week, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced that several of the state’s service areas on the Garden State Parkway would be renamed for celebrities who hail from the state.
According to Murphy, nine rest areas will be renamed after “iconic New Jersey Hall of Fame (NJHOF) inductees in the arts, entertainment and sports.”
One of New Jersey’s most beloved celebrities, rocker Bruce Springsteen, reportedly declined the offer of a rest area in his honor.
“This is about putting New Jersey greatness on full display,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “This is the first part of an extended statewide exhibition of New Jersey heroes throughout our state. From military heroes on the Battleship New Jersey to historical figures on the New Jersey Turnpike to science and technology trailblazers at Newark Penn Station, New Jerseyans will find pride in our contributions to society and the world.”
You can view a list of the nine renamed service areas below:
- Montvale: James Gandolfini Service Area
- Brookdale North: Larry Doby Service Area
- Brookdale South: Connie Chung Service Area
- Vauxhall: Whitney Houston Service Area
- Cheesequake: Jon Bon Jovi Service Area
- Monmouth: Judy Blume Service Area
- Forked River: Celia Cruz Service Area
- Atlantic: Frank Sinatra Service Area
- Ocean View: Toni Morrison Service Area
“Millions of New Jersey drivers travel on the Garden State Parkway every day,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Scaccetti-Gutierrez.“The service areas they visit during those travels are a fitting place to call attention to the accomplishments of their fellow New Jerseyans in the arts, entertainment, and sports. And there is no organization better suited to identify the New Jerseyans worthy of this recognition than the New Jersey Hall of Fame.”