New Jersey

A folding table covered in old fishing reels, a crate of vinyl records, three mismatched dining chairs, and…

By Duncan Edwards · May 10

The porch lights come on early in these towns, and that is when New Jersey starts showing off.…

By Duncan Edwards · May 10

There is a moment in Madison when the whole town seems to line up perfectly: the old train…

By Duncan Edwards · May 10

A peacock steps across a garden path in Hamilton like it owns the place, a waterfall roars through…

By Duncan Edwards · May 10

A bench on a bookshop porch can be a dangerously powerful thing. One minute you are “just looking”…

By Duncan Edwards · May 10

A six-story elephant stares out over Margate like she has been keeping shore secrets since the Victorian era.…

By Duncan Edwards · May 10

A row of folding tables can tell you a lot about New Jersey. At Englishtown Auction Sales, one…

By Duncan Edwards · May 9

The best New Jersey pizza tip usually does not come with a neon sign or a glossy “best…

By Duncan Edwards · May 9

The first thing you notice at Hot Grill is not the sign, the parking lot, or even the…

By Duncan Edwards · May 9

A proper New Jersey pancake breakfast does not whisper. It lands at the table with a little thud,…

By Duncan Edwards · May 9

A paved path slips under Route 1 in Edison, ducks beneath the Turnpike, and somehow still manages to…

By Duncan Edwards · May 9

The smell usually hits before the sign does: oak smoke drifting over a parking lot, sweet sauce clinging…

By Duncan Edwards · May 9

The first clue that PieGirl is not your average bakery comes before you even get a fork involved.…

By Duncan Edwards · May 9

A crumb cake so top-heavy it practically needs a seatbelt. A scoop shop where the line becomes part…

By Duncan Edwards · May 9

The first thing you notice is not the sign, though the big Hot Dog Johnny’s lettering is hard…

By Duncan Edwards · May 8

A paper plate piled with fried scallops can tell you more about New Jersey than a glossy travel…

By Duncan Edwards · May 8

A stone building sits in the woods like somebody walked away mid-project and never came back. A few…

By Duncan Edwards · May 8

By 7:45 on a Saturday morning, the real pros already have coffee in one hand, cash in the…

By Duncan Edwards · May 8

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