Sunday May 27, 2012SUBSCRIBE
New Jersey Monthly Magazine
Long Branch

See-Through

A porch with stately columns in Long Branch...

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Top 25 Restaurants 2011

Long gone are the days when New Jersey, sandwiched between two imposing cities, could only look outward for its best food. Now the top restaurants in the state stand shoulder to shoulder with the finest in the region. more

Sandwiches for the Sand

Where to pick up gourmet sustenance on your way to the beach. more

Beyond Pizza and Frozen Custard

If you've had enough of the typical Shore fare, and are looking for high-quality cuisine, we've got some tips that will point you to the right exit. more

Ahh, Summer (Memories For a Rainy Day) 3

Those were the days, which seem so distant now, when you needed a badge to walk on the beach...

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Ahh, Summer (Memories For a Rainy Day) 2

The impromptu sports of summer don't get any better--for participants or spectators--than beach volleyball...

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Ahh, Summer (Memories For a Rainy Day)

Chairs set up for a beach wedding in Long Branch...

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Stay in Style

Boutique hotels find the sassy (and often luxe) sweet spot between the charm of B&Bs and the prestige of resort hotels. more

Single Down the Shore

The scene is smart and sophisticated. Snooki and the Situation need not apply. more

Home On "The Res"

"The Reservation," a beachfront development in Long Branch, was built by the principal owner of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. more

A Seaside Gem Sparkles Again

After years of decline, Long Branch has reclaimed its place as a top Jersey Shore destination—but not without controversy. more

Jersey: "The Most American State?"

What does a three-term United States Poet Laureate have to say about growing up in New Jersey? Find out in this month's Q & A with Robert Pinsky. more

Marathon Man

What happened the the Jersey Shore Marathon? Well, through the efforts of Art Castellano, it became the New Jersey Marathon. more

25 Best Restaurants 2009

Our experts scoured the state to find elite dining establishments old and new. How did they fare? Read our Top 25 Restaurants list to find out. Feel free to comment on their findings. more

Fill-'Er-Up Millinery

We pulled into this unpromising station for a tank of gas, and while it was pumping, my wife found three stylish straw sunhats inside...

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Here Comes The Sun

Until yesterday and today, spring looked and felt a lot like what you see here. Click below to see full picture...

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100 Shore Things

If there is anyone out there who hasn’t spent time down the Shore lately, please raise your hand. Okay, you two in the back, this article is just for you. more

Shore Things: Shopping

Looking to pick up a few beach items for your Shore vacation? We've got a list of places to pop into where you'll find exactly what you need. more

Shore Things: Food

Sun, beach and food. Those three things have been driving droves of visitors to the shore for years. Check out these staple eateries and unique spots to grab some grub. more

The Stair Series 3

In today's resonant finale, we look back at the stairwell and all the neatly hung household cleaning implements it contains, each a tiny soul awaiting its moment in the schmutz...

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The Stair Series 2

In today's exciting episode, we reach the top of the stairs and look back...

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The Stair Series

Friends in Long Branch have just moved into their first home—a beautifui and cozy one in Craftsman style. One of my favorite parts of the house is the back stairs from the basement to the kitchen.

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Out, Damn Wrinkle

In the laundry room of a home in Long Branch, this tableau brought to mind an ocean liner and its escorts, a sovereign and its retainers...

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Best of NJ: Places

We traveled far and wide to pinpoint the following fun destinations from A (aquarium) to Z (zoo). more

Last Unfallen Leaf

At a lonely table for one, late at a wedding in Long Branch, burning the candle literally at one end, figuratively at both.

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That Empty Feeling

After the chafing dishes have been swept away, the wedding cake has been cut and the crowd has migrated to the dance floor, leave it to Mr. Lugubrious to find an altar of conjugal emptiness.

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A Chorus Line

A wedding in Long Branch brings to mind John Updike's wonderful brief essay, "Women Dancing."

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Cute! / Borrrring!

It depends on which side of the point-and-shoot you're on.

Click "read the rest of this post" to see full picture.

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Girl Talk

On a bench on the promenade at Pier Village in Long Branch, a mother and daughter had a heart-to-heart while the menfolk did what menfolk do, at least if you ask the women.

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The Palms of Pier Village

As seasonal as the weekenders who bask beneath them, palm trees on the Jersey Shore have to be replanted each summer, just ahead of the snowbirds who follow them north.

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Say "Cheese Sandwich!"

My stroll up the Long Branch boardwalk next brought me to a bench where a young woman in a funny hat was taking pictures of her husband and twin boys as they munched on floppy white bread sandwiches. Clouds had covered the sun, but their radiance was undimmed.

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Two Thumbs Up

As I passed the refreshment stand (see yesterday's Plain Sight) and continued my stroll up the Long Branch boardwalk, a boy ran after me, waving a white piece of paper...

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Pretzel Logic

Justine Pecora, a sophomore at Caldwell College, has spent the summer selling soft pretzels and ice cream and drinks and candy to people on the Long Branch boardwalk. It's a hard job, but there are compensations...

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Bench Warmed

Sleep on a park bench, even at high noon, and a cop is likely to tap you on the shoulder and tell you to move on.

Do the same thing on the boardwalk and you are left to your sweet dreams...

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Keeper of the Kiosk

You feel you will mess with the dude's vibe if you ask him to okay your beach badge.

Skateboarders get in free if they can grind the handrail alongside the stairs to the beach.

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Brooding on the Boardwalk

While this fellow took the measure of the waves, two young women stood on the boardwalk, lost in thought.

Click below to see full picture.

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Jump For Joy!

Sunday on the boardwalk at Pier Village in Long Branch...

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Grownup Pleasures

Cape May and Long Beach Island cater to those who appreciate fine dining, luxurious quarters, sailing, birding, and good old peace and quiet. more

Shore Points

No matter your age, your shape, your interests or your hometown (out-of-staters also welcome), the Shore makes summer super. more

Bright Lights, Small City

If all the world’s a stage, towns with local theaters are important players on it. more

Foy Story

The Write Stuff

Survival of the Richest

Cask 591

McLoone's Pier House

Sirena

Shore Lore: Hail to the Beach

Sirena

Cheap Eats

The Little Kraut

Making Waves

Fries Poll: Windmill Rules

The Little Kraut

Both Sides Now

After years of bringing joy to the needy with his band, Holiday Express, multitalented good-guy Tim McLoone faces a medical crisis at home. more