I hadn't been to Atlantic City in years; not since I was a middle-schooler visiting the Sail Expo for the day with my family. And despite growing up in Jersey, my husband had never made the trip. So when the opportunity arose to visit Caesars (and its Qua Baths and Spa), we jumped at the opportunity—and were not disappointed.

Maybe it's because of the economy, which has elicited daily comparisons to—and discussions of—the Great Depression/WWII era. Or maybe it was just the retro red bodice dresses that the Puppini Sisters were wearing. Either way, it was easy for me to be swept into the feeling that I was in a 1940s cabaret hall last night.

When the 11 p.m. local news anchors shared the "Breaking News" that there was an earthquake in Jersey last night, I was actually kind of disappointed.

Wow.  It's difficult to not be overwhelmed by the magnitude of today, a historic inauguration day.  But in addition to being a milestone day for our country as Barack Obama takes the oath of office, it's also a big day for the state of New Jersey.

Despite the Rutgers bowl victory last night and the reigning-Super Bowl-champion Giants' spot at the top of the NFC East, New Jersey still isn't quite recognized as a sports powerhouse. Princeton, even less so. (No offense, eggheads.)

I don't know what it is about the holidays that makes you want to watch shows, movies, and performances you've already seen a bunch of times. A combination of nostalgia and tradition, I suppose. But we're all sucked in.

As a former Sunday School attendee and teacher, I've heard more than my fair share of "This Little Light of Mine." Listening to twenty or so gospel singers from South Africa belt it out, however, was an entirely new religious experience.

Nothing quite brings a smile to your face during the holidays like the line "I'm going to have you killed."

At a time when many people are, understandably, tightening the hold on their wallets, it's important not to overlook what matters most. Last weekend, scores of Jersey City kids demonstrated that they get it.

How can you not love Tim McLoone? In addition to the endless string of titles he claims (from restaurateur to marathoner to dad), he's just an incredibly likeable guy. And this time of year, he pours himself into an organization that deserves our attention.

On my first trip to the newly restored Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, I wasn't exactly surrounded by my peers. But that doesn't mean I didn't have a blast.

Have you voted yet?  I hit the polls this morning and was amazed at how long the lines stretched -- but there's something very satisfying about that. To speed up the process, make sure to have ID with you (just in case) and study your sample ballot carefully, so you don't waste extra time while in the voting booth (those in line behind you will appreciate it!).  And here are some resources for you NJ voters.  Use them if you need them, and then get out to the polls and VOTE!

I've never been big into the gory Halloween decor. As I walk through the streets of my town, I see "festive" hanging bodies, sawed-off limbs, and mock graveyards. It's not that they're super scary, they're just a little morbid for my taste. And there's enough stuff scaring me these days, without the help of fake blood.

Some of the credit has to go to the weather, no question. But the sunshine and perfect temperatures weren't the only things keeping us smiling at our first block party on Saturday.

Everybody has a 9/11 story, it seems.  Mine isn't one of the poignant anecdotes that gives you chills, or one of the tragic ones that makes your heart ache.  But I relive it on each anniversary, and today is no different.

New Jerseyans seem to be programmed to hit the Parkway and head to the Shore every summer. But when my mom told me on the phone yesterday that that's where she was driving, my reaction was "you're going WHERE?!?" Count me as one Jersey Girl who bucks migration to the taffy, the boardwalk, and the sand.  I'll take the lake any day.

With every passing day, we love our house—and our neighborhood—more and more. But our feelings about the new address shot through the roof last Friday, when we went to our first shindig at a neighbor's place two blocks down.

I grew up on Lake Hopatcong, and every summer (or summer-like) day I spend there feels like something special. But this past weekend was extra sentimental.

Thank goodness for my mother-in-law. That may be as rare an expression as there is, but I've said it to myself, silently and aloud, dozens of times in the last few weeks.

A friend of mine bought a house in North Carolina a few years back, and when she first moved in, she slept with a hammer, a garage-door opener, Lysol spray, and her cell phone under her pillow. (The plan, apparently, was to distract an intruder by opening the garage door while spraying Lysol in his face, calling 911, and threatening him with a hammer). As an easily scared whimp, I figured I'd probably do the same thing someday.

Before I write anything about Gary Vaynerchuk, I need to send you to winelibrarytv.com. There's nothing I can put here that would capture him the way any of his daily ten-minute web videos do. In each one, he uses a gonzo-journalism approach to convey his latest feelings about wine—doing tasting showdowns and going off on tangents about everything from his beloved Jets to the WWF battles of his youth. It's as fun as you could imagine an intellectual wine discussion can be. And now that energy is focused in print, in the pages of Vaynerchuk's new book, 101 Wines to Inspire, Delight, and Bring Thunder to Your World.

There may have been empty seats in South Orange Performing Arts Center on Wednesday night. But the ticketholders who belonged in them weren't far away—they were likely dancing in the aisles or up on stage with Grammy award-winning singer Angelique Kidjo, whose performance electrified the room and got everybody on their feet. 

We at New Jersey Monthly don’t often venture across the Hudson when showcasing the best of the Garden State, but for New York’s Art Expo this year, we decided to make an exception. Not just because Art Expo is celebrating its 30th year as the world’s biggest fine and popular art fair—which is exciting in itself—but because so many New Jersey-based artists are being celebrated at the Javits Convention Center event, which starts on February 28 and is open to the public from March 1 to 3. 

Early in Marc Cohn's performance at South Orange Performing Arts Center last night, the soulful singer-songwriter referenced his newest album, Join The Parade. When someone in the sold-out crowd yelled "keep 'em coming," Cohn smiled demurely.  Back when he was cruising in "Walking In Memphis" glory, he said he made a decision not to become overexposed.  Laughing with the audience, he stated, "mission accomplished."

But the 1991 Grammy winner is back on the scene.  And not only is his music just as powerful as ever, but the guy is hilarious--and incredibly humble--on stage.  In recent years, Cohn weathered a divorce, was shot in the head after a random carjacking attempt, and watched Hurricane Katrina's destruction as he recuperated from his injury.  He says those experiences, though tragic, turned a switch in his brain that got his creative juices flowing again.  Those in SOPAC's 415-seat theater on Valentines night got to take it all in, in an atmosphere startlingly intimate for the likes of a 1991 Grammy-winning Best New Artist.

It was a little premature to call last Friday evening a night out with my Valentine—we had three full weeks before the big fat day of love. But after watching a performance of Almost, Maine in the Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum, I was easily swept into the season of cupid. 

As I watched—and celebrated—the Giants' victory last night, I felt a tingling in my veins that I haven't had since the Knicks' miracle run to the NBA Finals in 1999. In a North Jersey bar where scores of Giants fans were spraying beer, hugging, screaming, jumping, dancing, and crying, it felt good to be a sports fan in the New York City area again.