[music]

Kerry Nolan: This is All Of It. I'm Kerry Nolan, in for Alison Stewart. Thanks for spending part of your day with us, whether you're listening on the radio, live streaming, or On Demand. On today's show, we'll speak with two curators from the Museum of Modern Art about a new exhibit spotlighting video games and interactive design. We'll hear from Jeremy Allen White, the star of the FX Hulu series The Bear, and we'll discuss an exhibit at the Jewish Museum, the chronicles, the fascinating story of a remarkable Iraqi Jewish family. That's the plan. Let's get this started with Garden State getaways.

[music]

Traveling doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate, it could just be a local weekend getaway. For New Yorkers looking to get out of the city and get a taste of smaller-town life or some natural beauty, New Jersey offers some perfect chances for a change of scenery. We're joined now by the editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure, Jacqui Gifford. Welcome back to the show, Jacqui.

Jacqui Gifford: Oh, thanks so much for having me. I'm very excited to talk all things New Jersey with you today.

Kerry Nolan: Me too. Listeners, we want you to join the conversation as well. Are you in New Jersey and wanting to shout out your favorite spots? Maybe you frequently have a favorite weekend destination. Where are the best restaurants, the best museums, some great hiking trails, maybe a hidden gem that you'd like to share with us? Give us a call at 212-433-WNYC. That's 212-433-9692, or you can tweet your stories and questions to @allofitwnyc. Jacqui, let's start at the bottom of the State of New Jersey. Cape May seems to be a really popular destination for a lot of reasons, not least of which, it's one of the great birding sites in the country according to National Geographic magazine.

Jacqui Gifford: Birding is on the rise too, let's be clear, it's a huge trend. We're seeing a lot of people, again, wanting to reconnect with nature, be in the great outdoors, but Cape May is really one of America's first great vacation destinations. There's this whole historic element to it that I think people really find appealing when you walk through the town.

It's really known for its stately well-preserved Victorian homes which line the shore. It's the country's oldest resort town, which I mentioned, and you've got the horse-drawn carriages and the trolleys lining the streets. It really just feels like you're stepping back in time, and obviously, you've got the sandy beaches, the attractions, the historic landmarks. You can go see the Cape May lighthouse, which was built in 1859. Actually, I love lighthouses, I think it's a really interesting thing, and for photo ops, you can't beat it.

Kerry Nolan: True.

Jacqui Gifford: It ranks at the top of the list for people who want to go have that Instagram moment. You can go to the top and climb the stairs for views out onto the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, and also there's this gorgeous promenade which runs parallel to beach avenue for about two miles, and you can go jogging and walking and strolling. It's a great family-friendly destination.

I have a son who I'd love to take there sometime, but also I want to mention there are several properties that you don't want to miss. The Congress Hall is the most famous. It was actually built in 1816, again, leaning into that historical element. It's a beautiful property. It's this bright, vivid yellow, and inside the rooms are blue and white. They really play up that nautical vibe. There's also a cool B&B called the Casablanca. B&B is if you're looking for something a little bit more affordable and intimate, I would suggest that.

Then there's also the local hotel. They sell themselves as a micro beach resort with apartment-style rooms and they also have a heated saltwater pool. Again, you've got a range of places to stay, and you can lean into the historical vibes and just have a good time. Also, I should add, it's pretty quick to get there. It's about two and a half hours. From Manhattan, you can rent a car, but also New Jersey Transit has bus options that go right to Cape May.

Kerry Nolan: I was also thinking that in addition to those big stately Victorian homes, they have these beautiful little cottages like neighborhoods of these gorgeous little cottages that you just want to stand in front of them and say, "I want that one. No, wait, I want that one."

Jacqui Gifford: It's like a real estate fantasy come to life, I know. It's a really charming place, and again, I think that people, they have their idea of what New Jersey getaways are in Cape May is really, really special. It was, again, America's first resort town. If you want that historical atmosphere, the charming cottages, there are plenty of things to do to keep you busy for a long weekend and more.

Kerry Nolan: We're talking with Jacqui Gifford. She's the editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure, and we're talking about New Jersey weekend getaways. If you have any suggestions for us, any great little spot, little secrets that you want to share with us, our phones are open at 212-433-WNYC. That's 212-433-9692. Let's talk to Alex in Allendale. Hey, Alex, welcome to the show.

Alex: Thank you so much, long-time listener. I live in Allendale, New Jersey, which is northern Bergen County, and we're in the foothills of the Ramapo Mountains up here. For people who like hiking, it's a super easy day trip to get out here. You take the train from Penn to Secaucus and then take either the Bergen County line, or the main line north, and you're here in like an hour and 15 minutes. There's miles and miles of beautiful hiking trails up here that people can enjoy from the city, and it's super easy to get out here.

Kerry Nolan: That's great. Thank you for that suggestion, Alex. Jacqui, let's move a little bit further north on the map of New Jersey to Asbury Park, which is a place that has big, and then it has been decimated and then it was rebuilt, and then it faded away again, and now there's a real renaissance in Asbury Park going on. Let's talk a little bit about that, one of my favorite towns in New Jersey.

Jacqui Gifford: Absolutely right, there's a renaissance going on there. Asbury Parks had its ups and downs, and people really-- it's long been known as a destination for music lovers and architecture fans. You've got places like The Stone Pony. This is where Bruce Springsteen cut his teeth. I think that the interesting thing though, is there's been some resurgence in investment in the boardwalk area, and that whole that's been renovated. It's become this new cultural hub, which is really interesting.

There's the refurbished boardwalk, new condo developments. There's an impressive public art scene. You've got places like The Stone Pony, which are still around, and it launched the career of Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi, and they're still there. There's all this new stuff to check out, which is really special. There's also a great festival, I should add, that happens in September. It's for one weekend. This year, it's September 16th and 17th. It's a music art surf festival called Sea.Hear.Now.

Kerry Nolan: It's fantastic. [laughs]

Jacqui Gifford: Yes. I should say too, another trend we're seeing in travel, people are really into live events, festivals, gathering together again, after so much time apart. If you want to do that, book in sooner rather than later. The other part, I should say, about Asbury Park, and part of the renaissance is there a couple properties and interesting places to stay.

First of all, you got the Asbury, which is really the hotel that put it back on the map and it's just a few blocks from the beach. It's 110 rooms. They've got a heated pool, it's very colorful, very vibrant, and then next door, they've got the Asbury Lanes, which is a bowling alley. Again, that started the whole thing. Then the second part is the Asbury Ocean Club. This is a beachfront property, very glamorous. There's 54 rooms. It's a 17-story beachfront tower. Hotel guests get access to the building's amenities. They've got a rooftop pool, suite-style rooms.

Asbury didn't have these kinds of hotels, and I have to say, when you look at it from a hospitality perspective, sometimes it just takes that one new place to anchor a destination. I have to give a lot of credit to the developers because they made a big bet on that and revitalizing the boardwalk, and it worked.

Kerry Nolan: The interesting thing to me about Asbury Lanes that you mentioned is that not only is it a bowling alley, but some nights, they cover the lanes and they have concerts. They have great bands that come in, they've got a little restaurant that serves diner food, which is New Jersey's cuisine, basically. It's that whole little section around the Asbury hotel and the Asbury Ocean Club, just so much to do, so much great nightlife.

Listeners, we still want to hear from you. Give us a call if you have a great little place that you like to get away to. Our number is 212-433-9692. That's 212-433-WNYC. Let's talk to Hank in Fort Lee. Hi, Hank, welcome to the show.

Hank: Hey, thank you, from one Asbury to another. I spent a lot of time in Asbury Park, but one day I took a different route to Pennsylvania and I went out Route 78, and apparently, it's the Warren Glen, Asbury exit. It's the other Asbury. You go towards Pennsylvania along one of the most beautiful roads I've ever been on in my life. I believe it's called the Riegelsville Road. It goes past orchards and vineyards, and it winds like an old-time road.

Then eventually, when you get to Pennsylvania, there's a tiny little bridge that takes you across to Delaware, and springtime with all of the blooms would be the time to go. That's when I went. It was really otherworldly. You get off the highway and then you're in a very different place. You could spend the whole day if you wanted to do vineyards and orchards. I didn't have time, but there's just tons of them along that road.

Kerry Nolan: What a great suggestion. Thank you so much, Hank. Let's go to Lotte in Boonton. Hi, Lotte, welcome to the show.

Lotte: Hey, thank you so much for taking my call. Great show. I'm calling from Boonton, New Jersey, and this is a great daytime getaway. We are in Northcentral New Jersey, just a straight shot up 287. It is an incredibly interesting middle historic town. It was owned originally a mining-- not a mining town. It was a canal town and it has lots of historic buildings.

It has a beautiful historic library that I'm the director of. It also has an incredibly culinary history here. There's restaurants from everywhere from Uzbekistan and Lebanon and pizza places galore. If you're into hiking, Pyramid Mountain, which is where you can get great views of Manhattan, this is just a straight shot up Boonton Avenue.

Kerry Nolan: Yes, go ahead.

Lotte: Boonton is definitely worth a visit. There's all kinds of fun little artisan shops here that are really fun to explore, and it's just a great little place, and I don't think anybody knows about it.

Kerry Nolan: Well, they do now. Thank you so much, Lotte. I also wanted to mention that our guest is Jacqui Gifford. She is the editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure. We're talking about great weekend getaways now just in New Jersey, but if you have someplace wonderful you want to share with us, that would be great as well.

We did have a caller who took exception to my calling diner food Jersey cuisine. I just wanted to say that, for me, it's classic Jersey cuisine, but I am well aware that there are some of the finest restaurants in the country that are found in New Jersey, and I don't want to slight them at all. Let's go to Lauren in Bergen County. Hi, Lauren, welcome to the show.

Lauren: Hi. Thank you. I was so excited to hear you talking about Asbury Park. My husband and I, one of our first getaways together was to go see a Bruce Springsteen cover band called B Street at The Stone Pony. I just wanted to also bring up a couple of amazing places. I'm not sure if you mentioned or not, but the Silverball Pinball Museum, which amazing historic video games and ski ball and pinball machines. So much fun.

Aso the Wonder Bar, which is right down the road from Stone Pony. You could see bands like both in one night, and they have a thing there called Yappy Hour where you could bring your dog. It's great in the summertime, you have a beer, you have your pooch with you, you listen to some music. It's like romantic Jersey Shore. Just really fun. Great for kids and families and adults.

Kerry Nolan: Thanks so much for your call, Lauren. I think we've pretty much covered Asbury Park for the moment, Jacqui. Do you think?

Jacqui Gifford: I love the love for Asbury Park. People are really passionate about it, which is great to see and hear.

Kerry Nolan: It sure is. We're going to take a quick break. We'll be back with more with Jacqui Gifford from Travel + Leisure and more on Garden State getaways right after this quick break. Stay with us. This is All Of It on WNYC.

[music]

It's All Of It on WNYC. I'm Kerry Nolan, in for Alison Stewart, and we're talking weekend getaways. Today, we're focusing on New Jersey, and my guest is Jacqueline Gifford. She is the editor-in-Chief of Travel + Leisure, and we want to hear from you as well. Give us a call at 212-433-WNYC. That's 212-433-9692. Share your great weekend New Jersey getaways with us. We want to know your secrets to a great getaway.

Moving up the coast slightly from Asbury Park, Jacqui. If you're looking for just a day trip, Sandy Hook is a really great option. It's a seven-mile stretch of what we like to say is paradise, and it is accessible directly from Manhattan on the Sea Streak ferry. Let's talk a little bit about Sandy Hook.

Jacqui Gifford: Like you said, it's a day trip. Not necessarily a ton of accommodation options, but sometimes you don't necessarily even need that. You just want a quick break. Seven miles, they have complimentary shuttle service provided between the Sandy Hook ferry landing and several beaches within Sandy Hook. Obviously, the beaches are the main attraction, but within Sandy Hook, you actually can access the oldest operating lighthouse in the US. It is a real landmark, and the National Park Service owns the tower. The US Coast Guard maintains the light.

I'm obsessed with lighthouses, like I mentioned earlier. They're great for photos. You wouldn't want to miss that. It's actually on the grounds of Fort Hancock, and it's a major tourist attraction. Everybody wants to go and see that and there's tons of outdoor activities in the whole area. You can go kayaking. There are biking trails and campgrounds. You can do rollerblading, grab your running shoes and go on the five-mile multi-use pathway, which is a 12-foot wide thoroughfare. It's a well-maintained trail and it starts at the park's entrance, and you get to go through a beautiful shady Holly Forest along the salt marshes and that skirt the beach.

Again, I think people really are still appreciating being outdoors in nature. Sandy Hook has a lot of attractions and it's a little more quiet. It's not Asbury Park in terms of nightlife and the scene.

Kerry Nolan: No.

Jacqui Gifford: It has a different kind of appeal, but if you need that, if you need that quiet and you just want to go for a nice long hike or bike ride, I think it's perfect.

Kerry Nolan: Let's talk with Jacoba in Montclair. Hi. Welcome to All Of It.

Jacoba: Hi. I was calling to suggest that people could take the New Jersey Transit and the Newark subway to Branch Brook Park in Newark, which has 5,700 cherry trees far more than at the Tidal Basin, and it's just a gorgeous place to walk around this time of year. The cherry blossoms are starting now and will continue for the next couple of weeks. On April 15th, they have a family fun fest day.

Kerry Nolan: That's great. Thank you for sharing that with us. Ocean Grove, moving back down the map a little bit, is a little tiny unincorporated village really right next to Asbury Park, and it used to be a Methodist encampment. I believe most of the land is still owned by the church, and it's another one of those little Victorian villages that is so beautiful. Are you familiar with it, Jacqui?

Jacqui Gifford: I am, and I think it's a really, again, an underappreciated gem. I love seeing that Victorian architecture, and also there's the Great Auditorium, I think.

Kerry Nolan: Yes.

Jacqui Gifford: The huge wooden theater. They have-

Kerry Nolan: Oh, so beautiful.

Jacqui Gifford: -worship services, coral concerts, and the Ocean Grove Beach is obviously really popular with families. There are tennis and shuffleboard courts. It's got a huge amount of appeal to a wide range of people. I think it's another underappreciated gem.

Kerry Nolan: One of the things that I love most about Ocean Grove is that they have a tent city, but it's not like Girl Scout camp. These tents are connected to a shed, which has a kitchen and a bathroom, and then you erect the tent over that, and there's a 10-year waiting list to rent one of these little tents for this summer, and people decorate them and there are flags and flowers and it is among the most charming streets in, if not in the country, certainly, in New Jersey.

Jacqui Gifford: Oh, I love that. Little slice of America, right?

Kerry Nolan: Yes, exactly. Let's talk to Roger in Clinton, New Jersey. Hey, Roger. Welcome to the show.

Roger: Hi.

Kerry Nolan: Share your getaway.

Roger: My recommendation is there's a little 18th-century town on the Delaware River. As opposed to what you've been talking about, this is more in the western part of New Jersey on the Delaware and not far from Manhattan, but it's great restaurants and their art venues and galleries, but not only that, there's the old towpaths on the Delaware River are walkable either on the Jersey side or on the Pennsylvania side. It's just a quaint little town.

Kerry Nolan: Thank you so much for sharing that with us. Doug, calling us from New Mexico. Hi, Doug. Welcome to the show.

Doug: Greetings. Longtime listener. I just wanted to shout out a getaway for visitors to New Jersey. I'm from Bergen County, but I moved out to New Mexico many years ago. We love the tomato pie in the Trenton area. For those that are not familiar with tomato pie, it's a original Italian take on pizza, but it's distinct in many ways, and I highly recommend a trip to Trenton for tomato pie.

Kerry Nolan: Can you describe what the distinction is?

Doug: There's herbs on it and just incredible delicate tomato sauce flavors. It's a more delicate preparation than a traditional pizza.

Kerry Nolan: All right. Well, thank you so much for that. Jacqui, when we were talking about Trenton, another place near Trenton in Hamilton, New Jersey is the Grounds for Sculpture, which is so beautiful.

Jacqui Gifford: Oh, it's so special. It's close to Princeton, which I shout out to Princeton. That's where I went to college, and it's very, very special. Grounds for Sculpture, it's close to Princeton, close to Trenton, and it's a 42-acre public sculpture park. It was started in, I believe, 1992. What you get to when you go and see it, it's a huge outdoor permanent collection of about 270 sculptures or so by both established artists, emerging contemporary artists.

Then they also do indoor seasonal exhibitions in eight galleries, but there's a garden and arboretum. They have paved terraces and pergolas and courtyards. Then you've got also those natural woodlands and ponds and groves of bamboo. It's a really amazing immersive indoor-outdoor experience. They also have great public programming. You've got family events and music and dance performances. In terms of the art scene in Hamilton and in New Jersey, it's something that's really fun and interactive and people might not be aware that it's there.

Kerry Nolan: Let's talk to Bob in Staten Island. Hey, Bob, welcome to the show.

Bob: Hi. You got me with Ocean Grove before, so I hung up and came up with another one. It's the Patterson Falls in Patterson, New Jersey.

Kerry Nolan: Tell us about it.

Bob: Not only is it famous for Lou Costello having been born there, but there's a huge waterfall there that Alexander Hamilton found, and they used water power, and there's a park there, I think, Obama, that was one of the last Obama National Parks that he founded. There's cherry trees there. There's a lot of cherry trees for when the trees bloom. There's also an old Negro baseball stadium there, old Negro League baseball stadium that is still partially there. It's a fun day just to explore.

Kerry Nolan: That is terrific. Thank you so much, Bob. Not too far from Patterson is Montclair. It's known for some great boutiques and a really vibrant downtown area. Let's talk a little bit about Montclair.

Jacqui Gifford: Montclair is really known for-- it's a suburb. It's beautiful. It's got tons to do, but I think some interesting things, the Montclair Art Museum is a real gem and they have a ton of exhibits, things that are permanent and changing. One thing they do on Fridays, they do sketching in the galleries and everyone is welcome to come in and create their own art. They really focus a lot on public programming, which I think is important.

Also, the food scene has really improved and there's a lot to do. You've got Halsey and Brasserie, which has a great raw bar, Lazzo Pasta company, which has live music on Fridays and Saturdays. You have Coriander, which is another hit. Then Marcel Bakery and Kitchen, which is more of a breakfast light bites coffee kind of a place.

Then also I should say, there is a great new hotel called The George. It's a 31-room boutique hotel, which is owned by one of Montclair's most famous residents, Bobbi Brown, the makeup artist and entrepreneur. She's really passionate about Montclair when she started the hotel. I remember talking to her about it years ago, and she just really wanted to put the town on the map and add a new place to stay. I should add, because someone mentioned traveling with their dog earlier, the hotel is dog friendly, and if you check in with your dog, they get special amenities. They get a dog bed and treats. That's another trend we're seeing in travel. People are not willing to leave their pets at home when they go out.

Montclair, again, because of the proximity to the city, it's a beautiful, beautiful suburban area. It's very easily accessible via New Jersey Transit, and there's so much to do there. I really think with The George, with some of the beautiful public gardens too, you've got the Avis Campbell Gardens, the Van Vleck House & Gardens. You get that residential feel as well as these beautiful, sophisticated restaurants and places to stay.

Kerry Nolan: Trisha in Morristown, welcome to All Of It.

Trisha: Hi. Thank you. As you journey around New Jersey, I would like to welcome you to Morristown, New Jersey, also easily accessible on through the train or bus from the city. We are home to Morristown National Historic Park, which is the site of where General Washington and the Continental Army had their winter encampment from 1779 to '80, a great downtown with lots of places to eat and drink and be merry and wonderful historic homes and historic house museums like Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, Acorn Hall, and the Schuyler Hamilton house. There are places to walk and hike and eat and drink and make great friends, and a lot of it is available for free.

Kerry Nolan: Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Trisha. My guest is Jacqueline Gifford. She is the editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure, and we're talking about weekend getaways in New Jersey. If you've got a place that you want to share with us, we'd love to hear from you. 212-433 WNYC, 212-433-9692. Jacqui, a lot of people like to go antiquing on the weekends, and one of the magnets is the town of Lambertville.

Jacqui Gifford: Lambertville, I have to say, shout out. I grew up in New Hope, which is in Pennsylvania, right across the Delaware River, and we would go to Lambertville all the time, just take a car right over on the bridge because it is just absolutely charming and it is known for its antique scene. Lambertville dates back to 1705.

All the buildings have some some sort of history right to them. The thing, really, if you're into antiques, and which is another trend, people are looking to buy vintage and be a little bit thinking about the environment, sustainability. I think this is the place to go for a shopping weekend. You've got the Golden Nugget Antique Flea Market, which is open three days a week, and they've got vendors selling everything from vintage jewelry to games to fossils. It's quirky, it's fun, it's cool.

Then there's a couple of shops you don't want to miss. One's called Funk & Junk. Then you've got the People's Store. Then Lambertville also has a really lovely art gallery scene. A few places I want to mention, there's Gallery Piquel, Jim's of Lambertville, and then Michael Fratrich's Ten One Gallery. Again, antiques, art.

Then the other place to go for a meal, and this is where I grew up going as a kid, so it's really fun to talk about, is the Lambertville Station. It's a restored 19th-century train depot. Because, again, people would travel by train and go there many, many moons ago. What's lovely about it, it's a really special historic environment. You're right on the Delaware River. It's also a cozy inn.

Then there's a few other historical landmarks that might be worth checking out. One's the James Wilson Marshall House, which dates to the early 1800s. It's done in this federal style. When you go in, you can see some of the old period furniture and what it was like to live there, as well as the Holcombe-Jimison Farmstead Museum, which it looks at like agricultural heritage and what it was like living on the land years ago, and then the Howell Living History Farm. Lots to do in Lambertville. Then I guess I can recommend going across to New Hope since I grew up there. If you feel like you have to leave the state and go to Pennsylvania, it's another great place to see.

Kerry Nolan: I took a drive out to Lambertville about a month ago, and I was just astonished at how beautiful that town is and how beautiful that drive is along the Delaware. It's well, well worth it. Let's go to Marshall in Leonia. You've got a different take on what to do for the weekend in New Jersey.

Marshall: Yes, hi. I'd like to recommend High Point State Park, which is in the northwestern corner of New Jersey. It's the tallest, it's the highest point in New Jersey. There's a huge obelisk there, which, at various times, you can go up in. Again, it's a very hilly, slightly mountainous area. The Appalachian trail goes through there. There's great camping in the High Point State Park and also in Stoke State Forest.

There is great hiking in both of those parks as well, as well as there is a restored village nearby. If you get to that part of New Jersey, and to me, I can hardly believe that I'm in New Jersey when I'm there. I just want to say for those who mentioned Lambertville, I would like to put a plug in for Washington Crossing State Park, both in New Jersey and in Pennsylvania, which for those who are history buffs, is a great place to visit.

Kerry Nolan: Well, thank you so much for all of that, Marshall. We appreciate your call. Call us again. Jacqui Gifford, we could spend the entire hour and more talking about great hidden gems and not-so-hidden gems in New Jersey. I want to thank you so much for coming in and steering this for us today.

Jacqui Gifford: Oh, thank you. I got to give a shout-out to my Princeton Tigers. They're in the sweet 16, so hopefully, they advance to the next round, so more New Jersey love.

Kerry Nolan: Yes, indeed. Thanks to everyone who's called. Our phone lines were completely full. That was so great.

 

Copyright © 2023 New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use at www.wnyc.org for further information.

New York Public Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline, often by contractors. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of New York Public Radio’s programming is the audio record.