50 / matters magazine / spring 2026 finalmatters M y first thought when vis iting Maplewood Avenue was that it reminded me of Main Street in Park City, Utah, a charm ing, uphill drag that was one of my favorites back home. It was early September 2024. Even on a week day afternoon, snippets of chatter floated down the sidewalk from outdoor diners. Commuters walked purposefully to and from the train station. To a cou ple from a sleepy mountain city, the trains hurtling toward Penn Station seemed like they were headed to ward the center of the universe. My husband, David, and I ventured into Village Coffee for Americanos, then down to Bagel Chateau for the first cinnamon raisin and everything bagels in what would become a weekly tradition. We were searching for a place to call home after completing the 30-hour drive from Salt Lake City with our two less-than-enthusiastic cats in tow. It had already been a whirlwind of a year. We were laden with the kind of dread- filled hope that can only come from uprooting your life to move to a strange new place. We had temporarily moved to the hustle and bustle of downtown Philadelphia for an internship in July 2023, then back to Salt Lake City for David to finish grad school before we embarked on yet another cross-country move for his first post-grad job. Needless to say, we were exhausted. Maple wood was the first town we’d visited after arriving at our Airbnb in South Or ange the night before. Even after the subsequent days spent exploring North Jersey, it still stuck out in our minds with its small-town feel just miles from the big city. When a rental came up close to Maplewood Avenue, we knew we had to jump on it. Our first few months in New Jersey were a total learning curve. But for me, the most difficult change was the driving. Legend has it that Brigham Young, the first governor of the Utah Territory, designed the streets of Salt Lake City to be wide enough for a covered wagon to make a U-turn without “resorting to profanity.” As a native Utahn, navigating New Jersey’s narrow, congested surface streets and the relentless flow of the Garden State Parkway felt more like something out of The Fast and the Furious franchise. I didn’t drive by myself for the first two months after we moved. When I finally made my first solo voyage, a 15-minute trip to a craft store on Route 22 (before I learned to avoid Route 22 at all costs), I had to do breathing exercises in the parking lot before going inside. I may have also resorted to some profanity. After we moved in, we’d spend our evenings walk ing up and down Maplewood Avenue, enjoying the early fall weather and marveling over this place that we felt like we’d just stumbled upon. During the day, we did our best to assimilate into our new lives. We frequented Stop & Shop, bought pies at Roman Gourmet and cupcakes at The Able Baker. I even tried a pork roll, which I was disappointed to learn is essentially just a ham sandwich. In hindsight, I’m not really sure what else I expected. One night after class at Baker Street Yoga, I spot ted a “Help Wanted” sign in the front window of City W. Working there, I’ve been lucky enough to meet so many members of the SOMA community and to watch several seasons of life unfold from behind the shop window on Baker Street. From the tree lighting at Dickens Village to the senior bus ride on graduation night, it’s been wonderful to be welcomed to a place so steeped in tradition. Before leaving Salt Lake, we’d joked that we want ed to live somewhere like Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls. Now we felt like we’d found the real thing, just with more Italian food and 10 times the popula tion density. A year later, I still have to say positive affirmations before get ting on I-95. But hey, at least I don’t have to pump my own gas. I probably won’t always be lucky enough to call Maplewood home. We do rent, after all. But I am grateful for the time I have been able to spend in a place that made moving across the country feel a lot less scary. Originally from Spanish Fork, Utah, Ashtyn Asay is a freelance writer, part-time City-W fashionista and full-time cat enthusiast. From Salt Lake City to SOMA Route 22, culture shock and the community that made it all worthwhile BY ASHTYN ASAY
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