Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving with friends and family!

New Thanksgiving Side Dishes

This week we are giving you an idea for a new Thanksgiving side dish to try this year.  Have you ever thought about adding asparagus to your meal.  It is a pretty easy recipe, and it tastes delicious.  Keep reading and check out My Recipes for more information.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds fresh asparagus $
• 2 tablespoons olive oil $
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Preparation

1. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus; place asparagus on a lightly greased baking sheet. Drizzle evenly with olive oil; sprinkle evenly with garlic, salt, and pepper.
2. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or to desired degree of tenderness. Transfer asparagus to a serving dish; sprinkle with almonds.

Quick Dinner Recipe

Do you need a quick dinner recipe for when you are on the go?  Check out this great one from the Food Network.  This is great for the nights that you have errands to run, and you need a quick thirty minute meal!

Thank You to Our Veterans!

Thank you to all of our Veterans for their service to our country!

Happy Halloween!

Have a great Halloween Rockoff Hall!  Stay safe and have fun!

The Daily Targum's Rockoff Hall Article

The Daily Targum has written a great article about Rockoff Hall.  Rockoff Hall has become a great off-campus housing alternative.   The residency will be under Rutgers jurisdiction until May 2014.  You can learn more in the article below.






For the first time, students will not have to stress over lottery numbers to snag a bed in Rockoff Hall.

The New Brunswick Development Corporation sold the George Street apartment building to McKinney Properties in January 2013, making the 674-bed apartment complex another off-campus housing alternative, said E.J. Miranda, director of University Media Relations.

Miranda said the property will remain under Rutgers jurisdiction until May 2014, at which point it will transition to a private residence.

David Strassberg, leasing manager for Rockoff Hall, said like any other commercial property, students could take tours of the building, fill out an application and sign a lease.

He said one advantage to living in Rockoff is the by-the-bed leasing model.

“If you were to go to any other apartment building in the area, and say you and your roommate were to sign a lease, you would both be held equally responsible for the lease term,” Strassberg said.

For most apartments, if one roommate cannot afford to pay the month’s rent or has to break the lease, their actions would be a breach of contract and would reflect badly on all of the roommates’ credit, Strassberg said.

“It’s shocking how many students end up having their credit ruined because they were held responsible when a roommate didn’t pay his or her share of the lease and the utilities,” Strassberg said in a news release.

At Rockoff, he said, it is no longer a problem.

“Here, it’s by-[the]-bed, meaning if you were to sign a lease, you’re only responsible for your part of that lease agreement,” Strassberg said.

Rodd Werstil, managing director of real estate investments for McKinney Properties, said this is the first time this nationally recognized student housing leasing model is coming to Rutgers.

He said aside from being out of the lottery system, Rockoff Hall is offering students a roommate matching system.

If students want to rent a house in New Brunswick, he said they need to know the six or seven others they are living with before they go to the landlord.

“With Rockoff, you can come there, say, ‘Hey it’s only the two of us, we don’t know another group of people, we don’t have another group that wants to live with us, but we would like two bedrooms in a four-bedroom unit,’” Werstil said.

Werstil said staff will assist in matching individuals or roommate pairs with two or three other students to live with based on a compatibility survey.

He said Rockoff will remain primarily student housing.

“I think it will … by its very nature, because of where it’s located and who it attracts, and because of the existing relationship with Rutgers, I think it’s likely to end up just being Rutgers students,” Werstil said.

The price is still being worked out, but Werstil predicts the apartments will be less expensive than they were when Rutgers owned them.

He said dishwashers will be added to all of the units, which can alleviate roommate stress.

“We’re highly amenitized,” Werstil said. “Business center, common areas, lounges, we’re upgrading some of those amenities, and I think that, coupled with the roommate matching system and the lease situation, will attract students.”

Strassberg is setting up a student question-and-answer session with the Rutgers University Student Assembly to publicize Rockoff’s new ownership.

“The property itself is beautiful — all amenities are included, we don’t charge for electric, water, gas, heat. … So they’re just paying for rent and a lot is included for them,” Strassberg said.

They are in the process of expanding the gym and adding a pool table for residents, he said. Some lounges already have flat screen televisions.

Things You Need in Every Apartment

Is this your first apartment?  There are always a few things that you will want to have in every apartment.  Check out this list of five objects to keep with you through out all of your apartments that you will rent and own.  Keep reading to learn more.  There are more great apartment tips on apartment therapy.

If you're in the market for your first apartment, chances are you don't have a lot of cash to throw around. But remember, kids, buying the cheapest version of what you need isn't always the smartest budgeting strategy. Investing in quality classics that will last you through many moves is worth more than all the Lack dressers you'll abandon over the years.


1. Key rack — Congrats, you're officially an adult. From now on, you'll never be keyless again so do yourself a favor and get a system in place right now for keeping track of those pesky little buggers.

2. Good tools — Just ask your dad! You'll never regret money spent on basic, good quality, long lasting tools.

3. At least one good pot and one good knife — Go for classic, useful and portable. Owning a few great kitchen basics is better than a whole drawer of plastic gadgets. Take care of them and they'll outlive you.

4. Noise Machine — As you'll soon discover, apartment living gets noisy. The sooner you find a solution, the easier your transitions to each subsequent apartment will be. A soothing noise machine can go a long way toward solid mental health, not an area worth skimping on.

5. A piece of art you love — When you find something that you just have to have, go for it. Art grows with you; the longer you keep it, the more it reminds you of all the places you've been and how far you've come.