Hidden Gems Of New Jersey

Over the past few months I have had the pleasure of visiting New Jersey. A state that I have not spent much time in. Being a native New Yorker with everything from the culinary delicacies of Manhattan to the beaches of the Hamptons at my fingertips, I never had much reason to leave the state. Of course every state has its stereotypes, some true and some fallacies, but I was curious to find out the truth behind New Jersey. Is it truly the place that the ever famous Jersey Shore show makes it out to be or is it something more?

Last Fall I took a weekend trip to West Milford, New Jersey to attend a leadership excursion at Camp Vacamas. The property stretched for miles and included hiking, zip lining, high ropes courses, s’more making, and a scenic view of the camp’s lake. I was impressed with the service offered at the camp and dedication of the employees. On the ride there I was able to check out West Milford through the windows of the bus. Visually it was appealing and well kept. Unfortunately, most of my time was spent at the camp, so I did not get a chance to explore the town more thoroughly. I would have loved to have discovered their good eats and entertainment options. I enjoyed West Milford enough that I’m planning on returning in the near future.

Freehold, New Jersey was my next stop! More recently I ventured to one of my closest friend’s hometown. The town mainly consisted of beautifully decorated private residences, shops, and restaurants. Wide open spaces were everywhere. The streets were lined with wooded areas. It was so nice to escape to a place where the green of the grass and the blue of the sky were illuminated by the sunshine. These are comforting features that the gray streets of Manhattan can not offer. It seemed to be a lovely place to grow up. For entertainment purposes Freehold contains the Freehold Raceway Mall which has a variety of shopping options (my favorite stand sold Turkish style mosaic glass lamps), Battle of Monmouth battle grounds, an iPlay America which features an indoor amusement park, Jersey Freeze which is an ice cream shop frequented by the Jersey famous Bruce Springsteen, Sweet Lews which is a brunch spot, the Moore’s restaurant which has revolutionary war ties, and the house from the hit show Sabrina the Teenage Witch. If you’re interested in visiting the set, the house’s address is 64 East Main Street, Freehold, New Jersey 07728. Two great spots for food that I tried while visiting were The Cabin and Cracker Barrel. Cracker Barrel wasn’t in Freehold, but it was close by. New York isn’t home to many Cracker Barrels so it was great getting to experience the southern style cuisine that the chain has to offer.

My friend introduced me to Ocean Grove and Asbury Park. If by chance you’ve ever been to Sag Harbor in the Hamptons, Port Jefferson on Long Island, and Fire Island which is off the coast of Long Island then you’ll easily be able to picture Ocean Grove. It shares the same quaint mood as them. The main street was littered with tiny shops and restaurants, each with victorian style architecture. Most of the stores sold hand crafted goods and one of a kind trinkets, such as aquatic themed cuckoo clocks. The art gallery featured beautiful pieces by Norma Tolliver and other local artists. For lunch we went to Nagles which is known for its unique ice cream flavors. The restaurant had an old school feel to it being that it is a renovated apothecary which still holds old pharmaceuticals on its decorative shelves. Within walking distance is Asbury Park, with its boardwalk and entrance to the beach. The bazaar follows the boardwalk with an array of restaurants and beach shops. Along the walk the walls of the bazaar showed colorful murals of life and pop artists.

My trips to New Jersey squashed any thoughts I had of it relating to its rumors. West Milford, Freehold, Ocean Grove, and Asbury Park are full of adventure and class. I countdown the days till I can visit again. If you can’t drop what you’re doing right now and head on over to Jersey I suggest you try Manhattan’s Playa Bowl. An acai bowl chain that first scattered Jersey and now stretches beyond its borders. It’s a nice introductive spoonful to the exotic flavors you’ll encounter in New Jersey.