Bon Jovi, Sinatra to have NJ rest areas named for them, but Bruce Springsteen ‘respectfully’ declines

Associated Press, Stephen M. Lepore, Nexstar Media Wire

Updated: Jul 28, 2021 / 02:55 PM CDT

A representative for the New Jersey Hall of Fame said Bruce Springsteen was offered a rest stop, but “respectfully declined to have a service area named after him.” (Mike Coppola/Getty Images for The Bob Woodruff Foundation)

TRENTON, N.J. (WPIX) — Do you want to stop at the Sinatra, the Bon Jovi or the Whitney Houston?

That’s a decision New Jerseyans will have to make in coming years after the state announced it would be renaming the Garden State Parkway’s rest areas after various New Jersey icons of stage, screen and sports.

On Tuesday, the state turnpike authority approved naming nine Parkway service areas after such luminaries as groundbreaking baseball player Larry Doby, rocker Jon Bon Jovi and late actor James Gandolfini.

It’s all being done in conjunction with the New Jersey Hall of Fame. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy added that it’s part of a larger effort to showcase local heroes.

“This is about putting New Jersey greatness on full display,” said Gov. 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.”

Frank Sinatra, Jon Bon Jovi and Whitney Houston are just a few of the nine celebrities being honored with their own rest stops in New Jersey. (Photos: AP)

Also being honored are Grammy-winning singer Whitney Houston; Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison; and perhaps New Jersey’s most famous native son, Frank Sinatra.

One name noticeably absent from the authority’s list is Bruce Springsteen, but it wasn’t a slight. A representative for the New Jersey Hall of Fame said he was offered a rest stop but “respectfully declined to have a service area named after him.”

“It should be noted, though, that Bruce has been very supportive of the New Jersey Hall of Fame over the years, and is very much a part of the fabric of the Hall,” said spokeswoman Natasha Alagarasan, adding that Springsteen himself has inducted fellow Hall of Famers in past years.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to rename the nine service areas in honor of the following notable New Jerseyans.

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