"Well, let's put in this way, I grew up in West New York, New Jersey"
About this Quote
West New York isn’t a poetic hometown name, and the phrase “West New York, New Jersey” lands with a built-in punchline. It’s geographically true and linguistically ridiculous, the kind of municipal label that already contains the joke of American identity: aspiration (“New York”) stapled to the overlooked margins (“New Jersey”). For an actor best known for Seinfeld’s meticulous social humiliations, that’s not incidental. It frames him as someone who understands status anxiety from the inside, someone raised close enough to Manhattan’s glow to feel the hierarchy, far enough to learn how to puncture it.
The intent is to preemptively explain a worldview: if he’s blunt, skeptical, or quick with a wisecrack, it’s not bitterness - it’s upbringing. It also dodges celebrity exceptionalism. Instead of “I’m a star,” he offers “I’m from there,” using place as personality. In a culture that sells authenticity as a brand, this line keeps authenticity stubbornly local, specific, and slightly funny.
Quote Details
| Topic | Youth |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Alexander, Jason. (n.d.). Well, let's put in this way, I grew up in West New York, New Jersey. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/well-lets-put-in-this-way-i-grew-up-in-west-new-106242/
Chicago Style
Alexander, Jason. "Well, let's put in this way, I grew up in West New York, New Jersey." FixQuotes. Accessed February 1, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/well-lets-put-in-this-way-i-grew-up-in-west-new-106242/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Well, let's put in this way, I grew up in West New York, New Jersey." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/well-lets-put-in-this-way-i-grew-up-in-west-new-106242/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.





