Jersey Shore Anniversary: Relive The Cast Arriving In Seaside Heights For The Very First Time

"Honey, I’m residence Humbug. "Good morning, Vietnam?" Get outta here.


If you’re looking for the most iconic greeting of the past 10 years, imagine directing your attention back to the inimitable Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, who captivated a country a decade ago while entering a shared rental residence at the Jersey Shore for the opening time. In seconds, she uttered two words several stunned viewers wouldn’t soon forget:


Yep, way back in 2009, between President Obama’s inauguration, Kanye West rushing Taylor Swift off the VMAs stage and Twilight fever, one of MTV’s biggest pop culture risks proved to pay off, as Jersey Shore ­— which has since been reborn as Jersey Shore: Family member Vacation — rapidly became a gigantic hit for the network. Across the opening season’s nine episodes, four self-proclaimed guidos and four delighted guidettes taught us the merits of GTL, brought the residence down while first-pumping at Club Karma and — as soon as they weren’t fighting — warmed our hearts with reliably sweet Sunday dinners, featuring enough marinara to fill a bathtub.


Nowadays, it’s tough to remember Snooki without JWOWW, Pauly D without Vinny, yet — let’s not forget — upon moving in, Seaside Heights’ eight finest housemates had never previously met. We can barely remember those first few interactions — can you?


That’s why — in honor of the show’s milestone anniversary (can you believe we first became acquainted with the shore on December 3, 2009?) — We’re looking back at those precious early moments, as soon as “The Situation” ogled the rental’s prominent Scarface poster, Ronnie recommended a stripper pole might complete the kitchen and Snooki was described as a chihuahua who’d been “spray-painted black.”


Check out the cast move-ins above, and also a couple of of our preference highlighted moments, below. Then tell us what you’ll never forget about those first few moments from the Jersey Shore Season 1 premiere.


* Pauly had never even been to Jersey before and mentioned he and Mike clicked “right off the bat” (ohhhh, how things would change).


* Sammi called both Pauly and Mike “hot as hell” while wearing a purple leopard halter top (again, how things would change…). She instantly agreed to bunk with the two of those, calling herself a “chill girl.”


* Vinny mentioned Sammi “is not the hottest girl; I would certainly expect a little hotter” [uncomfortably stern emoji]. He also took the single bedroom to avoid sharing a room with JWOWW, whom he predicted could be also high servicing because of her “big fake boobs.”


* Snooki’s vehicle, sporting a couple of dents, broke down while en route to the residence and, almost again, while pulling into the rental’s driveway. Nicole famously demanded shots as she greeted a handful of her housemates, drawing a look from JWOWW that could have killed. No one was able to remember her nickname.


* Ronnie’s shirt was off before the rooms had been officially picked.


* Perhaps most famously, Angelina used garbage bags as luggage while moving in (Pauly called the choice “ghetto and weird,” asking, “No one in your family members has a suitcase you could borrow?”). She proceeded to toast to Snooki with an empty red Solo cup.