Glassboro: Community or College Town?

By: Savannah Love Chadee

For years, Glassboro has existed at the intersection of two identities: a college town shaped by Rowan University and a South Jersey community. According to Point2Homes, the borough is home to an estimated 23,000 residents. Rowan University’s Fast Facts reports that approximately 8,700 Rowan students live on campus or elsewhere in Glassboro. This figure represents students living in the borough rather than the university’s total enrollment. As students make up a significant share of the local population, their presence is evident to both business owners and residents, raising questions about the university’s influence on Glassboro and the town’s future.

From Main Street to High Street, these two identities intersect throughout the borough, from restaurants and storefronts to the people who work and reside there. Justin Baustista, a server at LaScala’s Fire, notices that the balance between students and residents shifts throughout the year. During the academic year, he notices an increase in college students and their families, while the summer season brings a larger share of residents.

“Personally, I would say that we get a good mix of both residents and students. However, I feel the restaurant is more catered to students and their families. Especially during the school season, we definitely see a rise in students. While summer is our slow period, we tend to see more residents,” said Baustista.

Business owner Luis Ochoa of GoFixIt, located at 16 West High Street, has experienced Glassboro’s changes firsthand. Ochoa noted that residents remain a crucial part of the Glassboro community while also expressing concerns about the displacement of businesses along East High Street. He said he has operated GoFixIt in Glassboro for the past seven years, including the past two years on West High Street. Before relocating, GoFixIt operated on East High Street, where Ochoa said the property is now expected to undergo redevelopment.

“I’ve been in this business for 7 years, and my business has been located in Glassboro for the same duration. However, we’ve been in this other location for 2 years, but before that we were located on East High Street; now we’re in the West. Apparently they are planning on tearing out our old location and creating some sort of Rowan project,” said Ochoa.

While Ochoa believes the redevelopment may be connected to the university, that connection has not been independently confirmed. Despite what Ochoa described as changes affecting local businesses, he said the connection between Rowan students and Glassboro residents is most visible during community events.

“Currently, I feel that we are at a point where both college students and the rest of the Glassboro residents’ interactions are most noticeable during the borough’s community events, becoming more consistent. While I see that with my business as well, we tend to not become dependent on students as much because everyone leaves during the summer, but it’s definitely a good variety of customers with residents as well,” said Ochoa.

As business owners experience the differences between students and residents through their customers, those distinctions are also reflected in the perspectives of people who spend time in Glassboro as part of the college community.

An employee at Rohan’s Indian Bistro on East High Street who asked to remain anonymous also discussed what the employee described as displacement and changes among businesses near Rowan University.

“Glassboro is definitely a college town catered more towards Rowan students, and Rowan actually bought all across the street from us. Businesses that once supported the community and were community-based are gone. Some businesses decided to sell for a price they felt was financially appealing, although it might cause displacement; it offers more expansion and creates a way for students to become more engaged. I don’t think it’s a bad thing; for instance, the boulevard encourages student needs and makes the students more engaged,” the employee said.

The employee’s claims about Rowan’s property purchases and the departure of businesses were not independently verified by Follow South Jersey; the employee’s assessment of redevelopment reflects the employee’s own perspective.

For Rowan students, changes in Glassboro can look different from the perspective of someone experiencing the borough as part of college life.

J’oni Herbert, a freshman majoring in special education, feels Glassboro is more than just a college town.

“I feel like it’s not a matter of just Glassboro or just Rowan University but a blend between the two, and it’s very open in catering to both residents and students. Treating each other with the same amount of respect is crucial. I appreciate that a lot of businesses outside of campus cater to students, and it can make students more engaged,” said Herbert.

Kate Hewitt, a Rowan junior majoring in studio art who is also from South Jersey, feels Glassboro caters to college students and is losing its sense of community.

“Rowan has shifted the community into something it’s not; it isn’t just a small town in South Jersey anymore but a college town working around Rowan. While it does bring some business, at the same time it can leave the community’s small-town mom-and-pop shops dried out. Take Rowan Boulevard, for example, with the midnight shutdown and business owners having to work around it because of college students and adolescents, which isn’t fair for the business owners nor the rest of the community. Residents want to see college kids support and respect the community, not tear it down,” said Hewitt.

The midnight restrictions Hewitt referenced come from a borough ordinance affecting businesses in the designated development zone, according to The Whit.

Ellie Yardim is a waitress at Angelo’s Diner on Main Street. The diner opened in 1946, marking approximately 80 years in business in 2026. Yardim has been working at Angelo’s for about a year and has seen a blend of both college students and residents who return to the diner.

“Glassboro is a college town, and college students come by quite often; we do get a nice blend of residents and students here in the diner. I’ve been here in this diner for about a year, so the community’s been fine,” said Yardim.

The perspectives of longtime business owners, employees, and students reveal a Glassboro shaped by more than one population. Both the community and Rowan University are visibly present throughout the borough; local businesses and residents continue to play a key role in shaping its future.

This article was produced as part of Follow South Jersey’s student journalism program, which provides aspiring journalists with practical experience in professional news reporting and writing.

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