New Jersey

On a clear day at Gunnison Beach, you can stand barefoot in the sand, look past the Atlantic…

By Duncan Edwards · May 8

There is a particular kind of magic in stepping off a train and immediately having a day unfold…

By Duncan Edwards · May 8

A few seconds after turning off Route 38 in Hainesport, the whole scene changes. The traffic noise drops…

By Duncan Edwards · May 8

New Jersey property taxes can make even the calmest homeowner stare into the middle distance like they just…

By Duncan Edwards · May 8

The oldest marked grave at Cold Spring Presbyterian Cemetery belongs to Sarah Eldridge Spicer, who died in 1742.…

By Duncan Edwards · May 7

The real test of a New Jersey food store is not the bakery case, the olive bar, or…

By Duncan Edwards · May 7

Order the cevapi before you overthink it. That is the move at The Balkan Kitchen, a small Cliffside…

By Duncan Edwards · May 7

A white tablecloth can’t compete with a hot dog that snaps open in the fryer, a deli sandwich…

By Duncan Edwards · May 7

A steak arriving at Steve’s Sizzling Steaks does not sneak onto the table. It announces itself. The plate…

By Duncan Edwards · May 7

At night in Cape May, the prettiest buildings can feel the most suspicious. A porch light glows against…

By Duncan Edwards · May 7

At Kittatinny Valley State Park, the strangest sound is not birdsong or leaves crunching under your shoes. It…

By Duncan Edwards · May 7

Walk into one New Jersey museum and you are standing in a stone jail cell where prisoners once…

By Duncan Edwards · May 7

A walk through Bridgeton can feel like New Jersey forgot to raise the prices on this place. One…

By Duncan Edwards · May 6

A six-story elephant stands a block from the beach. A glowing mine tunnel looks like someone spilled a…

By Duncan Edwards · May 6

A plate lands at the table with thick-cut brioche, caramelized banana, homemade whipped cream, and just enough powdered…

By Duncan Edwards · May 6

On Cedar Lane in Teaneck, you can pass sushi, deli sandwiches, steak dinners, and bakery cases in the…

By Duncan Edwards · May 6

A mint-green Victorian building with burgundy awnings is not where you expect to find one of New Jersey’s…

By Duncan Edwards · May 6

A waffle buried under ice cream on the Asbury Park boardwalk. A matcha drink in Cherry Hill that…

By Duncan Edwards · May 6

You can miss the turn the first time. That is part of the charm. Tucked at 1800 Bay…

By Duncan Edwards · May 6

A good reading cafe has a very specific magic trick: somehow, your “quick coffee” turns into two chapters,…

By Duncan Edwards · May 6

A blacksmith’s hammer rings out somewhere beyond the trees, and a few minutes later you might pass a…

By Duncan Edwards · May 5

There are places in New Jersey where the “menu strategy” is basically inherited. Your uncle orders the same…

By Duncan Edwards · May 5

A sofa with carved wooden arms, a stack of old Pyrex, a rack of winter coats, and a…

By Duncan Edwards · May 5

A slate roof over a lakeside plaza in Sussex County. A Portuguese bakery window fogged from fresh custard…

By Duncan Edwards · May 5

The first surprise is how quickly the road noise drops away. One minute, Route 29 is doing its…

By Duncan Edwards · May 5

The best New Jersey beach days do not always start with a boardwalk tram, a fried-food line, or…

By Duncan Edwards · May 5

A box marked “home” might hide a stack of small appliances. A “drugstore” lot can mean shelves’ worth…

By Duncan Edwards · May 5

There’s a certain kind of New Jersey meal that tastes better when it comes wrapped in wax paper,…

By Duncan Edwards · May 5

That little blue building on Plainfield Avenue does not behave like a landmark, which is probably why it…

By Duncan Edwards · May 4