Bringing a Southern Belle to New Brunswick

Roughly 14% of the students at Rutgers are not from New Jersey. Given that it’s a state school, this makes sense, but what do those out-of-staters think of the dirty jerz? Almost four years ago, I moved 866 miles from Atlanta, GA to New Brunswick, NJ. I never really assimilated to the Jersey girl identity. I’m definitely forever a Georgia Peach and here’s why:

Where’s Chick-Fil-A? 

Not having chick-fil-a readily accessible is a rough concept. Tbh not having a lot of the food places I’m used to has hurt my heart. Although Chick-Fil-A actually exists here, there isn’t one readily available at RU. One of the few reasons I work at Menlo Park Mall is because there’s a Chick-fil-A in the food court and I can get my fix every time I work. 

What the hell is a pork roll?!

I still have yet to try this indigenous meat of New Jersey. And no real desire to add it to my adventurous eats. There have been many returned bagels when I say I want a bacon, egg, and cheese, and then I’m served pork roll, egg, and cheese. Don’t do that because I don’t want it. 

New Jersey humans v. southern charm

I’ve always been known for having resting bitch face and seeming unfriendly, but I always embodied the southern charm of saying good morning to coworkers, smiling at the occasional stranger, and consciously putting the resting bitch face to rest to smile at others. That’s not a common thing here. In my experience, the majority of New Jersey natives are inherently not charming towards strangers. I’ve smiled at many New Jersey residents and have been scowled or simply ignored. How rude *in my Stephanie Tanner voice.*

Dunkin’ Donuts no, Starbucks always yes. 

Just no to dunkin’ donuts. Just no. 

Gimme the green. 

I’m so not used to the lack of natural appreciation! Atlanta, though a city, still has beautiful, well-kept parks, walking paths, and just is aesthetically pleasing to an Earth sign like me. New Brunswick isn’t big on the large stretches of green that welcome yoga in the park or long strolls. The only gem in New Brunswick that I can think of is the Cook/Douglass campus, where you have the farm, passion puddle, and Rutgers gardens to get your natural fix. 

I hate driving here! 

First, I’ve never met so many people my age and older that do not drive or even know how until coming to New Jersey. Public transportation just isn’t as big of a deal in Atlanta as it is here. And don’t get me wrong, Atlanta traffic can be horrific but at least you can make left turns at lights and there are 10 miles between highway exits.  And who the hell invented the jug handle? I’d like to know the thought process for this awful phenomenon. I thoroughly enjoyed driving when I lived in the South; here, not so much. 

I’m grateful for Rita’s. 

Simpe as that, I am grateful for Rita’s. Even though, we have popular ice cream spots in Atlanta — there’s nothing like Rita’s Italian ice.

Better Pizza

I’m such a pizza lover and New Jersey has way better pizza. Pizza in Atlanta means the crappy chain pizza places or a gourmet pizza restaurant. And sometimes you just want a greasy slice of pizza for the low.

Diners

Even though there are tons of diners in New Jersey, one of my favorites is actually Top’s Diner. There’s still one diner that is one of my guilty pleasures: Waffle House. That was a breakfast that I was never disappointed with or that didn’t have grits.

Bringing a Southern Belle to New Brunswick really showed me tons of new things but most importantly, it changed my food life and not always for the better. I miss food from home, dearly. Upon returning, I can tell that most of the visit will revolve around eating. And as I get older, I also pay attention to things like median salaries, cost of living, etc. And my hometown, Atlanta, Georgia always wins. There’s a reason that people from New Jersey end up in Atlanta.