One of the hardest things about growing up is leaving behind your hometown and the things in it. Bayonne is a pretty small city. Everyone has a love/hate relationship with Bayonne, but no matter where you end up, there’s going to be something about it that you’ll miss. This is especially true for college students. Leaving your hometown is a huge transition. You go from being surrounded by things and people you have know your whole life, to missing them. Here are some of the things I miss the most about Bayonne while being away for school.

1. The Broadway Diner

Of course we all have our favorite, some like the uptown diner better, some the downtown diner. Whatever your preference may be the diner is one place you miss when you leave Bayonne.

2. Judickies Bakery

Where else can you buy a dozen sprinkled donuts and a pound of sprinkled cookies without judgement?

3. Dunkin’ Donuts

Yes there’s four of them! Whether it’s the 8th street one, the one on broadway, the city line one, or the one by the movies we all have our favorite one to go to, where they get our coffee orders wrong!

4. Little Food Cafe

Who doesn't love Little Food? I know I’d love to have a thanksgiving wrap or a zoe special right about now.

5. Sledding Down Double Hill

Sure sledding as a college student isn’t really socially acceptable, but boy do I miss it, especially sledding down a hill as awesome as this one.

6. Magic Fountain

This might just be the place I miss the most. Where else can you get a milkshake in the summer and a christmas tree in the winter?

7. Petridis Hot Dogs (or is it Georges now?)

This place was the best for hot dogs, waffle fries and of course a Yoo-Hoo on the side.

8. Captain Bayonne

To anyone who does not live in Bayonne or has not in a while will find this incredibly strange. But, yes I even miss seeing this man running around town doing good deeds.

9. Chinese Food Places on Every Corner

We all have our favorites and our least favorites, but at least there are many options to choose from.

10. Quickcheck and 7eleven

Where else can you get a snack twenty four hours a day and seven days a week? Your local QuickCheck or 7eleven just down the street.

11. How we all get really into Holidays

Bayonne has some of the best holiday parades ever, especially the St. Patrick’s Day parade. We also go all out for decorating (Frightmare on 16th street). I miss how involved everyone was during the holidays, yes even those “shop Bayonne commercials.”

Yes, Bayonne is small. Yes, Bayonne has a bad reputation. And as we all know, “if it’s from Bayonne leave it alone.” But these are a few of the things I never want to leave alone. These are the things I miss most while away from my hometown. Bayonne may not be everyone’s ideal place to live, but it made me who I am. I am proud to say that I am from Bayonne, New Jersey.