Saturday, May 19, 2012
Looking to avoid the mosh pits, Mom prepares for mega music festival with four teens on Saturday.
Like any good mom, I wanted to give my 15-year-old daughter something she really wanted for her birthday. So what did she want to do more than anything else this weekend to celebrate? Maybe a Broadway show? A Knicks game? A day at a spa? A trip to the beach? She wanted to go to the beach all right — to Bamboozle, the three-day music festival at Asbury Park that is expected to draw 90,000 concertgoers down the shore over the weekend. A few months ago, a concert on the beach sounded like a fun and reasonable thing to do — at least one day of it — so I let her pick a day, and I offered to drive and chaperone. I didn’t really think too much about what I was getting myself into. Now it’s here, and I’m getting bulletins about traffic and how to …
Friday, May 18, 2012
Mild temperatures send anglers into action
There's no doubt I'm a bit late to the party this year. History holds that my boat is often one of the first in the marina and, almost always, the last boat to be hauled out. Jingle Bell Rock has played from the speakers mounted in my center console. But this year, my fishing season has yet to begin. I have a tentative appointment with my boat hauler in Barnegat to drop her in the water Monday, but that's after a spring where some busy work weeks here at Patch and marathon rounds of graduate school studying have pushed fishing to the back burner. Luckily, with formal graduation ceremonies at Monmouth University now complete, I'll continue a much more elusive educational endeavour: finding every last honey hole in Barnegat Bay! With the …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
It's what sells; can it work (partially) in Point Pleasant Beach?
Imagine riding a bike upside down ... with barely a strap to keep you from falling on the street. That's what the Loop-O-Plane felt like, a zippy ride that turned in ovals - and all that kept it running was an old motor with something that looked like a bicycle chain pulling through it. First it was in Point Pleasant Beach, the scariest of all the scary, stitched-together rides at the now defunct Herman's Amusements on the Boardwalk. When Herman's disappeared in 1987, I thought the ride would, too. When I worked at Herman's in the early 1980s, we kept this ride together with practically tape and glue. When it needed to be cleaned, the maintenance guy sounded the same alert: "Get the hose!" Back in the 1990s, while I was walking on the …
Friday, May 11, 2012
Island Beach State Park and Jenkinson's finished second and third, respectively
A late, improbable rally put Belmar beaches at the top of this week's Readers' Choice poll for favorite Jersey Shore "staycation" spots, with 113 votes. Belmar is known for it's wide, long boardwalk, and its attraction to college-age adults who enjoy the beach and the local night-life. Island Beach State Park, the only natural beach on the Jersey Shore other than Sandy Hook, led for much of the week but finished second with 82 votes. Jenkinson's Boardwalk, which includes an aquarium, rides, food and other seaside pleasures in Point Pleasant Beach, finished third with 77. Thank you for voting in this week's poll. Results are at the bottom of this article. Other choices in the poll included: Fantasy Island Family-fun amusement park in Beach …
Monday, May 7, 2012
Why travel when there are fun places nearby?
Summer comes and goes. But, at the Jersey Shore, the beach, the sand, the sea and some of the amusement attractions never leave. Patch would like you to pick your favorite Jersey Shore "staycation" spot - a place to bring the boyfriend or girlfriend, or the family and grandparents - when cash and time are too short for the plane trip to Florida or Mexico. Voting for your favorite places is easy. All you have to do is: The voting goes until 9 a.m. Friday with the winner being announced at noon so there is plenty of time to cast your vote. Jersey Shore "Staycation" Spots: Fantasy Island Family-fun amusement park in Beach Haven on Long Beach Island. Jenkinson's Boardwalk An aquarium, rides, food and other seaside pleasures in Point Pleasant …
Friday, May 4, 2012
New Jersey's prime sport fish species opens to anglers
Summer flounder season begins Saturday, and with the first minimum size limit below 18 inches in several years, anglers are gearing up for a lengthy season of fun fishing from Sandy Hook to Cape May. Fluke season needs no introduction. It's prime-time. It's a relatively easy fishery in which to participate - both bay and ocean anglers have wide access - and there are as many fun ways to catch these tasty flat fish as there are recipes to cook them for dinner. We'll begin with a rundown of the best spots (north to south) for early-season fluke, and end with a few quick reports: Manasquan River: There's no secret on this one. The Manasquan is arguably the best early season location statewide to catch keeper fluke on day one. The river …
Monday, April 30, 2012
Maria's in Manasquan gets the most votes in this week's poll
This year Mother's Day is May 13, which means you still have just less than two weeks to get your plans together for the big day. You already told us where you'll get flowers for mom, and this week you told us where you'll be taking her to eat. Maria's in downtown Manasquan received the most votes and looks to be the go-to spot for Mother's Day this year. Congratulations are in order for the Italian restaurant on Main Street! Happy Mother's Day! Editor's Note: Because this poll is not scientific, it is not the sole consideration in choosing a winner. The winner will be determined by the Patch editor, based on poll results and reviews on Patch Places. Please vote only once per survey, per Patch. Official rules for the Readers' Choice …
Friday, April 27, 2012
With Mother's Day only a few weeks away, now is a good time to think about where you like to purchase your posies
Which florist in the Mansquan and Belmar area is your favorite? Looks like it's Belmar Florist and Greenhouses. This week's poll asking readers where the best florist in town is netted 189 total votes. With a whopping 111 votes, the Belmar florist took home the first prize. In second place with 48 votes was Gig Morris Florist. Congratulations to both and thanks to everyone who voted. Mother's Day is on May 13, only a few weeks away, and prom is coming up soon too. So think about where you would go to get your arrangements, bouquets and corsages and let us know. Sure you can buy flowers online or over the phone, but sometimes you just need to go in and see what the shop has to offer. Editor's Note: Because this poll is not scientific…
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Kids = Energy, Parents = Tired
My son woke me up on Saturday morning fully dressed in his soccer uniform, shin guards, socks, cleats and all. Mom, can you help me tie my cleats? What?! What time is it? I squinted at the clock. It was 6:30 a.m. His game was at 10 a.m. Hey, Buddy, you don’t need your cleats yet. We’ve got some time. I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, to no avail. When I finally dragged myself out of bed and got my contacts in, I looked at my son. He was SO EXCITED. He had so much enthusiasm for his day ahead that he couldn’t bear to stay in bed one moment longer while all I wanted was to stay in bed one moment longer. When does this change? When do we go from full of enthusiasm, ready to take on the world, tons of energy to a sluggish, tired …
Friday, April 20, 2012
Patch readers this week told us where their favorite bagels were
This week we asked our loyal readers to tell us where their favorite bagels in the area were -- and they did! Belmar Bagel Cafe in Pyanoe Plaza took the cake... or dough. This poll had a great response with 84 total votes, of which our winning bagelry took home exactly half, or 42 votes. Bagel International in Bradley Beach was the runner-up with 22 votes, while Corner Bagelry in Manasquan finished right behind them in third place with 17 votes. And while they finished in last place, an honorable mention should go to the Belmar landmark of Freedman's Bakery. Let your favorite bagel shop know why you picked them by clicking on their link and rating their fine establishment. You can also write them a sparkling review -- this editor is …
whatdontyouget
8:29 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
PPB has not but should be with all the partying going on. That is all the residents think and talk about is drinking and they are passing it down to their kids too. It is just one big partying town. Then they want to blame everyone else for all there drinking problems. more ›