These are the ten most popular New Jersey Monthly articles of 2023—those stories that readers visited the most on our website.
In addition to the stories below, readers frequented our Things to Do page, our Top Doctors and Top Dentists directories, our list of outdoor things to do in the spring, our favorite restaurant towns feature, and our detailed restaurant guides to Cape May, Montclair, Atlantic City, Morristown, Princeton, Jersey City, Asbury Park, Collingswood and Maplewood.
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1. The 30 Best Restaurants in New Jersey
Chef Robbie Felice had three restaurants on our 30 Best Restaurants list in 2023, including Pasta Ramen in Montclair. Photo: Christopher Lane
Our annual August cover story is consistently a reader favorite. The 2023 list spanned a spectrum of cuisines to satisfy every kind of eater—from French food at Madame in Jersey City to Japanese-Italian fusion at new hotspot Pasta Ramen in Montclair. | READ
2. Aaron Rodgers Revealed as Mystery Buyer of NJ Mansion
New Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers Photo: MediaPunch Inc/Alamy Live News
It was huge news when the New York Jets revealed that Aaron Rodgers would be joining the team as their starting quarterback this season (and even bigger news when he had a season-ending injury right at the beginning of it). Our readers couldn’t get enough of this story about the ultra-modern mansion Rodgers bought on the border of Montclair and Cedar Grove. Over the summer, he plunked down a whopping $9.5 million for the the eight-bedroom, nine-bathroom pad. | READ
3. Inside the Jersey Shore’s Unique Community of Tiny Houses
Kevin and Lisa Iredell walk the sandy streets of Ocean Beach III, where they have a vacation home. Photo: R.C. Staab
Ocean Beach III is a small seaside section of Toms River Township with a close-knit, “old-school, 1950s” feel. Over the summer, we published a fascinating inside look at this unique community at the Shore that has a loyal legion of visitors every summer, as well as newbies who want to enjoy a slice of old-school Americana. | READ
4. Mystery Solved! How Hundreds of Pounds of Pasta Ended Up in NJ Woods
An estimated 500 pounds of pasta mysteriously ended up in the woods in Old Bridge. Photo: Courtesy of Nina Jochnowitz
The materialization of 500 pounds of noodles in Old Bridge riveted the state. How, exactly, did this massive amount of pasta end up in the woods? Our readers wanted to find out—and, frankly, so did we! | READ
5. Beyond the Beach: 15 Fun and Unique Things to Do at the Jersey Shore
Bell Works boasts a diverse array of family-friendly activities. Photo: R.C. Staab
There’s more to the Shore than just surf and sand. This guide to interesting off-beach activities was a must-read for the summer of 2023 (and should stay on Jerseyans’ reading lists for 2024 as summer approaches!). | READ
6. NJ Italian Restaurants You’ll Love
“Food, service and atmosphere all go into the art of living,” says Il Capriccio chef/owner Tony Grande. Photo: Ted Nghiem
There are more Italian eateries in New Jersey than any other kind of restaurant. Our editors and critics spanned the state to try plate after plate of pasta, chicken, veal and more. These are our favorites. | READ
7. Poll Results: Readers Choose Their Favorite NJ Restaurants of 2023
MudHen Brewing Company in Wildwood is a reader favorite. Photo: Courtesy of MudHen Brewing Company
Here at New Jersey Monthly, we don’t just create our annual list of the best restaurants in the state—we ask for our readers’ opinions for their favorites in more than 40 categories. New Jerseyans voted, and crowned these spots the winners of New Jersey Monthly‘s 40th annual Jersey Choice Restaurant Poll. | READ
8. Jaw-Dropping $11 Million Cedar Grove Mansion Finds Buyer
Photo: Courtesy of Stanton Company
This stunning glass home (which we later confirmed was bought by Aaron Rodgers) has spectacular views of New York City and caused a frenzy of speculation when word got out that it had sold. Rumor had it that Rodgers was the buyer, which we later confirmed to be true. | READ
9. NJ Couple Turned a Vacant Bank Into a Brewery
The former National Bank building in Woodstown, built in 1892, sat vacant for more than a decade until Mike and Rebecca Melniczuk, of nearby Pilesgrove, swooped in. Photo: Courtesy of Farmers & Bankers Brewing
Deemed one of the state’s most endangered buildings in 2018, the Woodstown structure is now home to Farmers & Bankers Brewing. This is but one example of old banks around New Jersey being turned into restaurants and other businesses as people turn to online banking. It’s quite an interesting read. | READ
10. At 81, Martha Stewart Covers Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Like a True Jersey Girl
Martha Stewart reveals her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover on the “Today” show. Photo: NBC News/Today
This Jersey girl knows how to work it! Readers couldn’t get enough of Stewart’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue spread—and neither could we! | READ
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