10 New Jersey Towns That Locals Love
It is in the small suburban communities that New Jersey truly shines, with numerous charming neighborhoods that residents love and appreciate. These towns offer a local charm, with their shops, restaurants, museums, and iconic landmarks. Each of these more diminutive towns has unique features winding through its streets, forests, and landscapes. When choosing a time to visit one of these charming haunts, timing a visit with one of the local community events that make the towns special will certainly enhance the trip.
Montclair
A mere twenty miles outside of New York City, Montclair is a wonderful mix of suburban and urban, with classic architecture and ambiance. Downtown offers locals and visitors amazing shops, restaurants, and museums. Just a short drive away from the Montclair Train Station is Laboratorio Kitchen, where patrons enjoy incredible meals and can bring their own bottles of wine. Also nearby is the Montclair Art Museum, where its visitors are treated to a collection of American and Native American art exhibits spanning from the 18th century onward to the present day.
An annual highlight in downtown is the Montclair Jazz Festival, the largest free jazz festival in the NYC region, held every September. The festival has hosted Grammy-winning artists like Christian McBride, Alphonso Horne and his band the Gotham Kings, and Samara Joy, among others. Their performances energize the community and turn downtown into a lively block party for everyone to enjoy.
Cape May
A true Garden State gem, loved by locals and visitors, is the iconic coastal city of Cape May, with its beautiful beaches and Victorian Architecture. Being a shore point, the Cape May Beach is a staple for the community, as beachgoers soak up the sun, play beach volleyball, surf the waves, and go kayaking. Right across from the beach is the Montreal Beach Resort, where guests enjoy incredible views of the beach and the Atlantic Ocean, access to Harry's Ocean Bar & Grille for great-tasting meals and drinks, outdoor seating, and the ability to host private events.
An annual event held in town is Victorian Weekend, which celebrates the rich history and colorful Victorian architectural examples throughout the community. It gives locals and visitors a chance to tour remarkable Victorian-style homes, watch and enjoy a historic baseball game at Lighthouse State Park, where baseball players wear late-1800s apparel, enjoy craft shows, and take part in architectural walking tours. The Cape May Museum, Arts, and Culture (MAC) organizes the annual event, making for memorable experiences for visitors to the city during the fall.
Princeton
Just 12 miles northeast of Trenton is the iconic borough of Princeton, which is the home of Princeton University, the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and has a rich history throughout the community. One of the interesting landmarks to explore in town is the Princeton Battlefield State Park, which marks the site of the 1777 Revolutionary War battle that took place on its hallowed grounds. The Ivy League University itself is also full of history, like Nassau Hall, which was built in 1756 and is the oldest building on campus, and played a significant role during the Battle of Princeton in 1777. Nassau Hall is currently the administrative center.
An energizing local event in the community that gets the adrenaline flowing during the fall is the Princeton Half Marathon. Participants run a 13.1-mile road-and-trail race through town and Princeton University. Registration for the marathon is online, and the proceeds benefit HiTOPS, a nonprofit providing health education for young people.
Morristown
In the heart of Morris County is the town of Morristown, a historic community that was the Winter Headquarters of George Washington during the Revolutionary War (the Ford Mansion). Admission to the headquarters is free, as visitors can see what the inside of the headquarters was like during the 18th century, along with Washington's Study and conference room, where he coordinated battle plans during the war.
Downtown is always thriving with life, thanks to a diverse number of bars like the Laundromat and Iron Bar, restaurants, museums like the Morris Museum, and the Morristown Train Station, taking commuters in and out of New York City. A wonderful annual event to see in the heart of downtown is the Morristown Festival on the Green. The festival started back in 1994, and it celebrates the community and brings people together with food vendors, a beer tent, supporting local businesses, carnival games for the family, fitness classes, and live music for everyone to enjoy.
Chester
In the western end of Morris County is Chester, a wonderful community with a blend of historical charm and a rural atmosphere, all in one wonderful package. Looking for local produce? Alstede Farms has that covered with their diverse arrangement of locally grown fruits and vegetables, homemade fudge, donuts, honey, and much more, along with hosting family activities and other various events for everyone to enjoy. A local staple to spend the night or weekend in town is the Publick House Hotel, which opened in 1810 as a popular stagecoach stop, and features the PH Steakhouse and can host banquets and other events.
A wonderful annual event to see in town is the Chester Fall Craft Show, which is a two-day event celebrating the harvest season, held each September since 1974. The show attracts about 175 exhibitors selling locally made crafts, jewelry, and food vendors, and is a rain or shine event regardless of the weather. The craft show takes place on the eastern end of Main Street by the Historic Shopping and Dining District.
Flemington
The borough of Flemington is loved by the locals with its historical charm, strong community feel, and quality of life. A wonderful place to learn more about the town's history is the Samuel Fleming House Museum and Garden, which shows its visitors how the town started, with the interior straight out of the 18th century, and has very lavish gardens in the back, which are open to the public and can host private events. The Union Hotel, Flemington, is an excellent place to spend the night or weekend in the heart of downtown, giving its guests access to all of the incredible shops and restaurants, like Bistro 55 Mediterranean Restaurant, and many more.
A wonderful local community event in town to kick off the beginning of the summer is the Flemington Summer Book Festival, which is held on Memorial Day weekend, featuring large books and media for sale from local writers, along with purchasing used books, CDs, comics, and DVDs in the Colossal Tent Sale starting at $0.99 for a lot of items.
Haddonfield
Just ten miles east of Philadelphia is Haddonfield, a borough with a walkable downtown, wonderful parks, and unique history. From a historical standpoint, people can visit the Indian King Tavern Museum, which was a tavern where the original state legislature met in 1777 and created the state's Great Seal. A prehistoric site to visit is the Hadrosaurus Foulki Site, which is dedicated to the discovery of the first nearly complete dinosaur skeleton back in 1838 in what is now known as Pennypacker Park, and was fully excavated in 1858. A plaque and dinosaur sculpture are on the site to make the spot.
A wonderful celebration of the arts is the town’s yearly summer event. The Haddonfield Crafts and Fine Art Festival, which is held in July for two days, brings together local artisans to sell their handmade artistic creations, rain or shine. Attendees of the festival can visit artist booths, explore the local restaurants and shops in town, and have their kids partake in a dinosaur make-and-take craft station. The event takes place downtown and is easily accessible.
Millburn
Millburn is a suburban township in Essex County with a very friendly downtown, incredible schools, calming parks, and the upscale Short Hills neighborhood. In the center of town is Taylor Park, which is within walking distance of all the shops, restaurants, like Millburn Deli, and the Millburn Train Station that takes commuters in and out of New York City. Just outside of downtown is the iconic Paper Mill Playhouse, which has hosted incredible plays since 1938.
Every fall, the township hosts Rocktoberfest at Taylor Park, featuring live music, beer gardens, fireworks, and carnival games to entertain families. Visitors and residents of the community can also enjoy the wonderful shops and restaurants downtown while taking in the fun activities during the event. All proceeds benefit the Millburn Education Foundation. Rocktoberfest starts each September and includes a rain date in case of bad weather on the scheduled day.
Red Bank
On the banks of the Navesink River is the borough of Red Bank, a vibrant and walkable suburb nicknamed the "SoHo of New Jersey." In its charming downtown, visitors and residents will always find incredible restaurants, bars, businesses, and shops to explore, like the Dublin House and Triumph Restaurant and Brewery for some excellent meals and drinks. Then, visitors to the community can spend the night or weekend relaxing at the historic Molly Pitcher Inn, where guests are treated to amazing amenities and can enjoy the views of boats exploring the adjacent Navesink River.
Before the summer begins, the community hosts the annual Red Bank Classic 5K, which drives fitness, fun activities, and philanthropy, as proceeds go towards the YMCA's third-grade swim program. The 5K attracts around 1,000 people, offering a day of fun and exercise out in the community since its inception in 2018.
Seaside Heights
Situated in the middle of the Barnegat Peninsula and just east of Toms River is the iconic borough of Seaside Heights. Being a "Shore Point" community, visitors and residents can explore the Seaside Heights Boardwalk with an endless number of shops and restaurants, visit Casino Pier and Breakwater Beach for some calm and exciting amusement park rides, venture on the sands of the Seaside Heights Beach to enjoy the waves from the ocean, and visit the Jersey Shore House on Ocean Terrace, where the MTV series was filmed.
Although many people flock to Seaside Heights during the summer, the borough hosts the annual Polar Bear Plunge every February, with brave people daring to run into the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The plunge will certainly give participants a very cold chill, but the cause is heartwarming, with the money raised going to the Special Olympics of New Jersey.
With Local Charm and History, New Jersey Beckons
Each of these incredible communities is beloved, not just for their local businesses, shops, and restaurants, but for abounding charm and welcoming community events that bring people together from far and wide. With an abundance of culture, history, and unique annual events taking place throughout the year, locals and visitors will make memories to share in every season. Filled with amazing communities that should be on everyone's next weekend trip, New Jersey is a great choice for the true local experience.
