There are a lot of ways to tell if someone is a Jersey girl. Regardless of how she acts, dresses, or spends her time, there are certain signs that will let you know when you have encountered someone truly from Jersey.
1. You don't go to the beach – you go “down the shore.”
For me, the summer is never complete if I haven’t been down the shore, even if only for a day. For many years, I would spend a week in August with my family in Wildwood Crest and Cape May. Swimming in the ocean is easily one of my favorite parts of the summer, but now that I am older, my parents and I tend to take a day trip down to Asbury Park to walk the classic pier.
2. You understand how a real bagel should taste.
As soon as you leave Jersey or New York, you are hard-pressed to find a decent bagel. I am always skeptical here at school when someone says that they had a great bagel. Clearly, they have never had the privilege of eating a bagel from Hot Bagels Abroad.
3. You know that your mother would leave your father if Bruce Springsteen showed up at her door.
My mother has been a die-hard Springsteen fan for years and she is not ashamed to show it. Whether it is going to his concerts or hanging her old college poster in her classroom, she has a devotion that is unparalleled. Her love for Springsteen has been passed on to me and honestly, how could I call myself a Jersey girl if I did not have his songs on my playlists constantly?
4. Your dad loves the Mets/Jets or Giants/Yankees.
“Let’s go Giants/Yankees!” are words that you will never hear spoken in my household. My dad has suffered as a Jets and Mets fan for years, but regardless of where your loyalty for the New York teams lie, the passion is real.
5. There is a good chance that you are at least part Italian.
I am three quarters Italian and I always know that my grandmother is ready to make the best meatballs when I come home from college. Also, chances are that you have at least one uncle named Tony who is referred to by everyone as Nino.
6. You have seen at least one concert at MetLife Stadium.
I have seen a total of three concerts at MetLife Stadium - two One Direction concerts and Taylor Swift - and going there is a true experience. Both concerts made me hoarse from screaming along with 60 thousand other fans, but the experience was worth it… even though I spent nearly two hours in the parking lot trying to leave afterwards.
7. Going to the mall is an entertainment option.
Whether your preference is Willowbrook Mall or Garden State Plaza, chances are that you have spent an entire day there with your friends at some point. Garden State is my personal favorite because you can easily get lost wandering around the multi-level department stores.
8. When you ask where in Jersey someone lives, you ask what exit.
I’ll be the first to admit that I have a horrible sense of direction – thanks mom! – but I have heard numerous people tell others which exit they take off of the Garden State Parkway or the NJ turnpike to get to their house. Take GSP 153B and you will be in my neck of the woods.
9. You have been to the Brownstone, made famous by the Real Housewives of New Jersey at least a dozen times and have probably met Al Manzo.
Several years ago, my cousin Sebastian was having his graduation party. Low and behold, we encountered Mr. Manzo, who was kind enough to take a photo with my great grandmother.
10. There are at least 25 nail salons in your town, usually next to a dollar store, pizzeria, or bagel shop.
Don’t believe me? If you’re ever passing through Jersey, drive through my hometown Clifton and see for yourself.
11. You can tell what town a guy is from by the number of earrings that he has or by the color of his shorts.
If you see a guy who has two earrings and has not figured out that his baseball cap is on backwards, he is probably from Nutley. Alternatively, if his shorts are salmon, you have entered Montclair.
12. Meeting someone who has not gone to Great Adventure is scandalous.
I have been to Six Flags countless times and the reality that there are people who have not makes me sad. Your childhood was lacking if you do not remember the bald, Six Flags man dancing on your television screen – or if you are like me, seeing your father dress up as the old man for Halloween.
13. You are the only one of your friends who knows what Taylor Ham is.
My friends are from New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut and once as a test, I asked them if they knew what Taylor Ham was. It was a rude awakening.
Chances are, if you are from Jersey, you have experienced all of the things on this list. If you have not though, you are missing out "cause nothin' matters in this whole wide world when you're in love with a Jersey Girl..."
