Our annual summer shore guide is here! 🏖️🌊😍
This issue is packed to the brim with all things Jersey Shore. Inside, you’ll find 33 water activities, from adventure sports to stand-up paddleboard yoga and pool bars, as well as a list of the best seafood shacks, can’t-miss coastal festivals, and a roundup of new places worth visiting this summer.
Head to the link in bio to start reading. ☀️
Coming next month...
🦷 Top Dentists: Our annual list of the best practitioners in New Jersey, as chosen by their peers.
🛶 Lake Life: A guide to the beautiful lakes that crisscross our state.
🍕Boardwalk Eats: Our favorite fare from Asbury Park to Wildwood, beyond the typical greasy pizza or soft-serve.
Cover Model: Caroline Duerr (@cduerr__ )
📸: Ann Coen (@anncoenphotography )
Exclusive: Meet our May cover star, Mr. New Jersey himself!
Just days before embarking on the E Street Band’s Land of Hope and Dreams tour last month, Bruce Springsteen sat down with 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘑𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘺 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘺—for the very first time in our magazine’s 50-year history—to discuss his new Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music, set to open June 7 at Monmouth University.
@springsteen spoke with Jennifer Finn about his initial hesitation over a massive namesake building, warming to the idea of a more all-encompassing educational center, his oldest handwritten lyrics on view there, the poignant initiatives that make this new institution so “satisfying,” and more.
Read the conversation, and the deep dive into the exciting new Springsteen Center, at the link in bio. 🔗 🎶🌊🇺🇸
📝: Jennifer Finn
📸: Danny Clinch (@dannybones64 & @transparentclinchgallery )
In the Garden State, the best things in life can be free. We have so many places that showcase our state’s particular brand of quirkiness that don’t cost a penny.
That’s why the April issue is our Free Issue (no, the print edition isn’t actually free, but the places inside it are). It’s packed with experiences and unexpected perks across the state that won’t cost you a dime. Whether you’re a culture vulture, a panicked parent looking to fill the weekends, or a bargain hunter looking for great deals, there are gratis experiences for every type of New Jerseyan. Tap our link in bio to read on.
What’s your favorite free place to visit in New Jersey? Let us know in the comments below. 👇
Coming next month...
🌎 Dine around the world—without leaving NJ.
🪴 Sprucing up your outdoor space.
🏥 Highlighting innovation and success in medicine.
🎨: Gail Ghezzi (@gail_ghezzi_design )
This Allentown Victorian was once a doctor's office—now it's a dream home. 😍
When Jenna and Drew Reading first glimpsed the 1890 Queen Anne Victorian in Allentown more than a decade ago, they immediately pictured a future there. But as their family grew, so did the home's shortcomings: one upstairs bathroom for a family of five, scant closet space in four bedrooms, and no dedicated laundry room.
The solution? Adding a 1,300-square-foot, single-story wing.
Jenna Reading, an interior designer and co-owner of Allentown-based @southmaindesign , began sketching the layout and worked with an architect to produce construction-ready plans for a new primary bedroom, bath and laundry, with a finished basement below!
Read all about the design inspo at the link in bio. 🔗
📝: Meg Fox
📸: @meghanbalcomphotography
Doggone it—this is cuteness overload! 🐾
New Jersey photographers Lauren Kara Majors—who specializes in newborn and family photography—and Stephanie Blum—who does a lot of pet photography—recently joined forces for a newborn puppy photo shoot, and their adorable results are going viral, with more than 3.1 million views (and counting).
Timmy the Black Lab, a Seeing Eye puppy, is the subject of the adorable shoot. Read all about his photo op at the link in bio. 🐶🔗
📝: Julie Gordon
📸: @laurenkaraphotography@stephanieblumphoto
Join @uniquephoto , @jackfusco , and @sigmaphoto for a 3-part astrophotography workshop with an excursion at Island Beach State Park! This includes a seminar at Fairfield, NJ, night sky shoot at IBSP and the Judge’s Shack, and an online Zoom session. See the link in our bio for details and registration!
📸: @jackfusco
Last night, Hyatt Regency Jersey City (@hyattregencyjc ) hosted the ultimate espresso martini–themed summer kickoff in partnership with 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢’𝘴 𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘛𝘰𝘱 𝘔𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭 photographer @nigelbarker . 🍸✨
The stylish waterfront event featured the debut of the Barker Espresso Martini — crafted with real Colombian espresso, six-times-distilled vodka, and caramelized brown sugar — alongside chef-paired bites, DJ vibes and live glass and metal etching by @ny_engravings .
Set against one of Jersey City’s most iconic views, is dining on the Hudson and sipping espresso martinis on your vision board for this summer? 🌃🔮
Is this Hoboken’s most cheerful home? A once-lackluster brownstone gets a colorful makeover.
Designer Kate Jacobowitz, of @katesusannahhome , enlivens the home to suit her Charleston-native client. To create the look, Jacobowitz incorporates bright and whimsical patterns, fun colors, stripes and florals for an aesthetic that’s cheerful yet sophisticated. Read all about the transformation at the link in bio.
📝: Marirose Krall
📸: @shannondupre
Mayor Jay Gillian’s patience finally reached its limit in 2019 when he witnessed a seagull yanking a slice of pizza from a toddler in a stroller on the boardwalk.“ I said, ‘That’s the last straw! Something must be done,’” the mayor recalls.
The solution? A professional team of falconers (bird handlers) who release trained falcons, Harris’s hawks and, occasionally, a Eurasian eagle owl into the Ocean City sky. It’s the only program of its kind at the Jersey Shore and has been successful every summer since 2019. 🦅
Read the full story at the link in bio. 🔗
📝: Barbara Leap
📸: Matt Zugale
Bold Indian fusion meets instagram-worthy flair @thumbkaarestaurant in Jamesburg. 🍛 The restaurant serves some of the best Indian food in New Jersey in a dramatic setting.
Head to our link in bio for the full review. 🍽️
📝: Jill P. Capuzzo
📸: Arron Andrews
Often referred to as Little India, the mile-long stretch of Oak Tree Road, which dips into neighboring Iselin, is lined with shopping plazas full of Indian restaurants, supermarkets, hair salons, jewelers, electronics shops and clothing stores. With more than half of Edison’s 110,000 residents identifying as Asian, and more than one-third of Indian descent, it is no surprise that this is where you will find some of the most authentic Indian cuisine in the Northeast.
Tap the link in bio for the full article. 🔗
📝: Jill P. Capuzzo
📸: Courtesy of Shalimar
You don’t have to pack your bags to find authentic international cuisine. New Jersey is one of the most diverse states in the country, and our neighborhoods and restaurants reflect that. From north to south, east to west, New Jersey’s diverse restaurant scene includes food from all regions of the world.
At the link in bio, check out these captivating foodie enclaves right in your own backyard in neighborhoods across New Jersey. 🍽️
📸: Rebecca Handler
