Hi, Joan,
I used to live in New Jersey (live in Tennessee now). I lived in the northern part of NJ for most of my life, then moved to the central part later. When I lived north, I used to take trips up to New York every fall to enjoy the beautiful foliage. I used to take my kids to either Bear Mountain to see the beautiful trees and lakes or to Warwick for apple-picking. I believe that New York state is one of the most beautiful states in this whole country! Northern NJ is also beautiful, especially by Ringwood State Park. I lived about 7 miles from there and brought my kids there regularly.
Leaf-burning was not allowed in NJ, so that was never an issue. Enjoy the fall in your beautiful state!