Berlin is a small town in the state of New Jersey and is a place approximately 7,600 people call home. If you grew up, lived in, or currently live in Berlin, you will be able to recognize all of these things.
1. Every person from Voorhees making fun of Berlin.
This is something that will never end. Voorhees kids are always making fun of Berlin being this small, boring, beat-up town. But the funny thing is, a lot of Voorheesians end up moving to Berlin. After all of those years and endless jokes about Berlin, here you are in Berlin, dating Berlin kids, hanging out with your Berlin friends. Funny how things work out, huh?
2. Berlin Farmer's Market (The Auction).
You know that the best pretzels are from the mart.
3. Attending Eastern and only knowing your Berlin buds.
That first moment you walk through the doors of Eastern High are almost as terrifying as realizing you'll probably only know about three people in your class. Out of the 20 or so kids in the class, usually one is from Gibbsboro, three (if that many) are from Berlin and the rest are all kids from Voorhees.
4. BCS.
BCS was like, the greatest. You knew everyone, you walked the blue halls and you felt like you were invincible ... until you got a detention for chewing gum. The best part about going to BCS was usually that all of the teachers knew your parents. I had my mom's old gym teacher. If you went to BCS and stayed from K-8, it's not unusual for you to see your old teachers around town (they even remember you).
5. Playing field hockey wasn't much of a choice.
If you went to BCS and you were a girl, you played field hockey for at least one year. There was no choice. You used the old wooden STX stick until you committed yourself to the sport and then, from there on out, your soul was sold to Mr. Kirkwood and Mrs. Spirit.
6. The movie "Jersey Girl" has a whole new meaning.
"Jersey Girl" has a whole new meaning because the "shiny Berlin diner" was featured in the movie. You totally freak out when you get put in the same booth Jennifer Lopez and Ben Aflleck sat in.
7. You know the Berlin bag lady.
I haven't seen her in a while but if you're a true Berliner, you know exactly who I'm talking about.
8. You consider the bike covered in leis as a landmark.
When someone asks you where they're supposed to go, you use the bike as a landmark. You also know when you can expect it to be there and gone within the day. The guy is a legend, really.
9. Camp Long-A-Coming.
When you were a kid you knew the thrills of going to camp. You were assigned a group and a color, you made up dance routines, had movie days and magic shows, went to amusement parks, the whole works. If you're just moving to Berlin, sign your kids up. Seriously. They'll love it.
10. Riding bikes around town was, like, the thing to do.
Riding bikes around Berlin was the cool thing to do. You would lace up your Etnies, get on your bike and ride until your butt was numb from your seat.
11. Crying hysterically when you found out Cross-Keys Skating Rink closed down.
Whether you were five, 10, 14, 34 or 44, you definitely felt some sort of way about this. Where were you supposed to go on Friday nights? Where were you supposed to throw your kid's birthday party?
12. Running into 500 people within the first five minutes of entering any public place in town.
Running into someone in any place, as long as it is public, is a given. Don't leave your house without a bra or make-up if you don't want people you know to see you in that light. Because it will happen. Without a doubt you will see at least four people you know as soon as you walk out of your house.
13. The Fourth of July parade.
I mean, c'mon! People from all over come to Berlin to watch the parade.
14. The Berlin bridge.
You refer to the overpass into Berlin Township as the "Berlin Bridge."
15. Getting totally mad when someone from West Berlin says they live in Boro.
When people say they live in Berlin, your immediate response is "Township or Boro?" If they say Township, you die inside.
16. Knocking on your friends' doors asking if they can come outside.
In Berlin, you didn't call. You rode your bike to your friends' houses, knocked on their doors and asked if they could come outside to play.
17. Knowing when you had to go home.
When you were outside with your friends, you knew when it was time to go in for dinner when your parents flipped the porch light on. When you were outside with your friends after dinner, you knew it was time to go inside when the street lights came on. And not a second later.
18. Crying about how small the town is.
Nothing was a secret. Nothing.
19. Referring to people based off of what development they live in.
Forget last names. Referring to people by their house development was easier for your parents to remember. It was like a double whammy: you told them who you were going to be with and they knew where you were going.
20. The Berlin parks.
The only way people knew which park you were talking about was if you said "the ones with the baseball fields" or "the ones with the tennis courts."
21. Having all of the Berlin police officers' baseball trading cards.
Literally. Every. Single. Card. You had everyone's card and you had them from every year they were on the force. I think I still have them somewhere to be honest.
22. Tree lighting ceremony.
Going to the tree lighting ceremony was the best. You would bundle up, go with your friends and family, drink hot chocolate, sit on Santa's lap and watch the big tree in the center of town light up. The best part about it was that you were never too old. You would go with your family and then meet up with all of your friends. Your parents would hang and you and your friends went off on your own.
23. Complaining about wanting to leave but missing it like crazy when you're gone.
After a while, the town seems like it starts to shrink. You're tired of seeing and doing the same things and you're tired of the same people. Once you leave to go to college or if you happen to move away for good, you miss it like crazy and you hope that there will be another town that can offer your kids the same things you had.
Even if some things have changed since you lived in Berlin, most of these things are the good memories you can recall. Whether you grew up in Berlin, just moved to Berlin or if you are even missing Berlin, I hope you enjoyed this. This was every Berliners childhood and life.
