Life’s a breeze for Michael Parisi.
The World War II Army vet, who turns 102 on October 6, told The Post the No. 1 key to longevity is marrying a good wife.
And the second must, according to the centenarian, is breathing in the fresh air of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, a community he’s called home for the past 60 years.
“The air is excellent compared to city air,” says Parisi, a great-grandfather of five, from Stockton, NJ. “You don’t get gasoline and all that other junk in there.”
“You sit outside for an hour breathing in the fresh air,” added the widower, a professional accordion player and tap dancer, “and you’re a different person.”
And Parisi, believed to be one of the county’s oldest living residents, is not just blowing smoke.
Hunterdon’s transformative atmosphere has, in fact, afforded the rural region bragging rights as the fourth-best community for health outcomes in the nation, per U.S. News & World Report. It’s an honor lionizing the county for producing low numbers of adults in poor health and high life expectancy rates.
The lush land — located just 65 miles south of Manhattan — also earned the 35th overall spot on the report’s 2024 Healthiest Communities roster. The annual roundup appraises residential areas based on qualities such as population health, education, food and nutrition, and housing and environment.
Hunterdon County Commissioner Director Jeff Kuhl lauds its evergreen environment for enhancing the quality of life of its 130,000 citizens, as well as its frequent visitors.
“We have people from different countries come here and say, ‘This can’t be New Jersey,’” he said of outsiders’ shock that the scenic space within the Garden State doesn’t mimic the hustle and bustle of NYC, nor the table-flipping chaos featured in series like “The Sopranos” or “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.”
“It’s a different world here,” said Kuhl, a sixth generation farmland-lord. “We’ve preserved 38,000 acres [of open space] and a lot of our farms are No. 1 in the state.
“My dad called it ‘God’s Country.’”
The county’s pride, its 579 Trail, is a path on which townies and tourists are invited to explore the agricultural wonders of the province, including its produce stands, livestock, wineries, breweries and many farm-to-table eateries.
Karen DeMarco, director of the Department of Health, praises the prairies for bearing a bounty of nutritious noshings.
“Having access to farm-fresh fruits, foods and vegetables, areas to take walks and move your body — that’s all part of staying healthy,” said DeMarco.
She added that the county also prioritizes waterway maintenance and the removal of hazardous materials as efforts to keep its townships clean.
And to support the mental health of both locals and guests, the countryside boasts a number of senior citizen centers, fitness clubs, hiking trails, antique shops, river towns and community engagement events, like the Corn, Tomato and Beer Festival, which was celebrated this past Saturday.
“[These are all] big draws for people to come from the city,” she said. “Being in a community like this … it’s very low stress.”
Brent Walker and Amy Serridge, owners of WoodsEdge Farm in Stockton, told The Post that grind-worn Gothamites often flock to their 90-acre fields to enjoy rest and relaxation among their yaks, llamas and alpacas.
“We host events like ‘Lunch with the llamas,’ ‘A paint party with the alpaca’ and ‘ShearFest’ that bring in people from nearby and New York City,” said Serridge.
She and Walker, natives of Hunterdon County and married high school sweethearts of 25 years, lovingly breed their critters to produce fibers for clothes and home goods. The farm, which has been in Walker’s family for nearly five decades, also houses a sprawling wedding venue, where lovebirds with a taste for down-home décor can get hitched in rustic majesty.
“We’ve had at least two couples get married here,” said Serridge, “then purchase homes in the neighborhood because they fell in love with this county.”
The allure of the welcoming woods captured Parisi’s heart back in 1964.
He and his late wife, Esther, relocated to the county from Irvington, New Jersey, after family members tasked him with overseeing 100 acres of farmland.
With help from his grandchildren, neighbors and caretakers, he still maintains a garden of goodies, raising tomatoes, peppers and potatoes.
“There’s a three-mile trail I used to walk twice a day — sometimes backward,” said Parisi, who gets around with a walker nowadays.
And he’s looking forward to getting out and celebrating his upcoming birthday with friends from the community, as well as a big chocolate cake, this fall.
“My wish [for my 102nd birthday] is that I’m doing as well at that age as I am now,” he said.
“I’ve had a terrific lifetime.”
