I'm a Jersey girl, born and raised and, with the exception of a two-year exodus to Northern California, a life-long resident. I was born here and I plan on dying here in the house my mother grew up in. Yep, I'm THAT kind of Jersey girl. Needless to say, a girl like me doesn't say no to an invite to The Brownstone in Paterson, NJ to attend the official 'The Real Housewives of NJ' premiere party.

So, with my mom in tow (natch; that's her in the photo next to star Teresa Giudice), I hit the biggest party in town Monday night. The Brownstone is a beautiful venue in the state's third largest city. After checking in, we noticed a massive spread - a very Italian feast including calamari, eggplant parm and a stunning arrangement of cured meats and fresh mozzarella.

While most of the cast was holed up on another floor with press, Teresa and her daughter Gia were mingling with diners, graciously taking photos and answering questions. Despite her fabulous new "bubbies," it was her amazingly styled hair that seemed to draw the most attention.

The ladies of The Real Housewives of New York City are, needless to say, a colorful bunch. The Bravo franchise seems to have hit its stride, with each cast of Housewives providing their own flavor. But in comparison to Orange County and Atlanta, the ladies of New York seem especially weird. Perhaps it's apropos to their all living in a city with crazy people at every corner, but whatever the case may be, these gals are bonkers.

Sure, the show may just be a well-delivered product of sneaky producers and menacing editors, but somebody's doing something right in bringing out the bizarre nuances of Jill, LuAnn, Alex, Ramona, and Bethenny - although she, of the whipsmart one-liners and catchphrases, seems to be the crowd favorite (judging by ... conversations I've had with people).