So, a friend of mine started a blog about New Jersey, and he plans to go to every municipality in the state and take a picture there. He needs some suggestions of places to go, and we’re hoping you can help. He wants these photographs to be of interesting/unique places, ones that will be recognizable to people from the area. Any ideas, especially in South Jersey?
Every municipality? That’s going to take awhile!
In my tiny town, Landing, he would probably take a picture of the lake, maybe from the the country club or the main stoplight where Mount Arlington Road splits from Lakeside.
Well, in the Southern Most municipality (Cape May County), the Cape May Point Lighthouse is a must (Cape May Point, NJ). Further up, in the next county up (Atlantic County), Lucy the Elephant in Margate, NJ (Atlantic County) is a must.
Batsto in Hammonton.
East Point Lighthouse in Maurice River.
Griffith Morgan House in Pennsauken.
In Haddonfield, there’s the Hadrosaurus statue.
(I was going to list a bunch more similar things, but the ones I was thinking of were all on Roadside America – especially “Nitro Girl” in Blackwood/Gloucester Twp., the Evil/Masturbating Clown in Middletown, and what they list as “Muffler Man Halfwit” aka the thing in front of Mr. Bill’s in Winslow)
I could probably think of something for every town, actually, but these are the first things that come to mind…
Notable sights in Cherry Hill, NJ:
The water tower
Vito’s Pizza
The JCC
We used to have a very nice racetrack, but now it’s condos, and chain stores. Sometimes I think Home Depot and the Cheesecake factory could save themselves zoning troubles if they just went ahead and bought the whole town.
To continue in the dinosaur direction, isn’t there a large pink & yellow spotted dinosaur statue right by the Home Depot?
Speaking of dinosaurs there is a T. Rex, stegasaurus, triceratops and a giant caveman in Alpha NJ. All done in steel inside an idustrial park.
Also in Hunterdon County, the only covered bridge in the state. That’s in Sergeantsville.
In Holland Township there is an authentic Dutch windmill . It is looking run down because the guy who built it can’t afford the upkeep.
A forgotten piece of history that I stumbled on, on River Rd near Rutgers in Piscataway there is a plaque commemorating July 4th, 1777. George Washington was there with the Continental Army and they had a parade to celebrate the anniversary. It was the first 4th of July celebration in the country.
In East Brunswick, there’s the Mary Murray, a grounded Staten Island ferry visible from the turnpike – it’s huge, and orange-yellow, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t notice it. Here’s a NY Times story (registration needed), or you could just put “Mary Murray” into a Google image search.
There’s the Trenton Makes bridge, in Trenton, natch.
The “Little India” section of Edison is worth looking into – great food, anyway, and interesting photos I’m sure.
I love the old silvery diners. Worth a trip: the tiny li’l White Manna in Hackensack.
I’ll just post as I think of them. In New Brunswick (really outside of New Brunswick) on RT 1 there is a massive Loews millionplex. In the parking lot behind it is the grave of Mary Ellis. It is raised up in the air about 6 feet. When they put in the parking lot they left the grave where it was but graded the surrounding land lower. It used to be the RT1 fleamarket and the grave was there too. I’m glad the Loews people decided to keep it there. Contrary to popular belief (popular in NJ anyway) Mary Ellis did not inspire the song Brandy.
North Jersey is pretty easy
Jersey City - entrance to the Holland Tunnel or the Liberty Science Center
Hoboken - the ferry/PATH station by the waterfront
Kearny - the Pulasky Skyway
Newark - The airport, naturally
Secaucus - The factories
East Rutherford - The Meadowlands Sports Complex
Fort Lee - The George Washington Bridge
Weehawkin - The entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel
or basically just take a bunch of captures from the Sopranos opening credits
Twin Lights in the Highlands.
The old bunkers on Sandy Hook.
The Seabright & Monmouth Beach Seawall.
The Molly Pitcher Inn in Red Bank.
Visit Delicious Orchards in Colts Neck during apple picking time. (Stop in and get some great cheese and baked goods while you are there.)
Take a picture of the Bell Labs Water Tower in Holmdel before they tear it down. It is in the shape of a transistor, where the transistor was invented.
Visit the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange.
Visit the Yogi Berra Museum in Montclair on Montclair State University.
Visit the Battleship NJ in Camden
Go to Hoboken and take some shots of Manhattan, the view is great.
Go to Liberty State Park and snap the pictures of the Statue of Liberty.
Seaside Heights in the Summer.
Take a picture of the Evil Clown of Middletown on Rt 35 in front of the Spirits Unlimited. This was once upon a time a Super Market known as the Food Circus.
Visit Northlandz in Flemington. The largest model train display in the US.
Visit Allaire State Park, get to the train and the blacksmith shop.
Look for the Jersey Devil in the Pine Lands
On the third Weekend of August, visit Asbury Park for the Clearwater Festival. One of the oldest Environmental Festivals in NJ.
Visit the Albert Hall on a Saturday night for the music of the Pine Barrens in Waretown.
Visit the Cowtown Rodeo in Pilesgrove, New Jersey and Woodstown, New Jersey. The Cowtown Rodeo is the longest running weekly rodeo in the United States, it was started in 1929. The show is at 7:30 from May through September.
Visit Great Adventure of course and take in the Safari. (In Jackson)
Visit Keansburg Amusement Park, in is one of the oldest in the US. I think #2 but I cannot find the cite.
Visit the Edison Museum when it re-opens.
I will stop for now.
Good Luck,
Jim
I’d like to suggest the house at 290 Broadway in Long Branch. Not because it’s historically important - it isn’t. But because it was the house I spent my summers in growing up and the house of my heart and I miss it a lot now that my family doesn’t own it anymore. I wonder what it looks like these days, if it’s still standing (it was a pretty Victorian in desperate need of a paint job and some fairly major work) or if it’s been bulldozed for condos. The street hasn’t been photographed by Google Maps yet.
Kinnelon has Tripod Rock. It’s possible that someone still puts weird stuff on utility poles. Or there’s the Untermeyer Estate.
[sniff] Three listings on weirdnj.com - I’m so proud of my old hometown.
I found this on Google: Google Maps
A search of the NJ Tax Records shows this info: http://tax1.co.monmouth.nj.us/cgi-bin/m4.cgi?&district=1327&block=233&lot=14&qual=
I hope that helps.
If Keansburg is the place then the picture must be with the Bumper Car Psychos.
He already got pictures of East Rutherford, Secaucus, and the JC. For Newark, I believe he was thinking of the Garden State Diner in the airport, or the words Oil Heats Best, as seen from the turnpike.
Also, isn’t he just the cutest turtle?
Jim,
If you look down to #2 in the blog…
Regarding your Hoboken suggestion, Rocco is scared of NYC, and the point of the blog is to get Jersey pictures. But, please, he thanks you for your help.
Gah! I had no idea! I saw a matinee of The Water Horse there today!! I wish I had known.
And along the lines of “OIL HEATS BEST” is the Ronsonol lighter visible from the parkway just north of the Rt. 1 exit.
gasp
Oh, my goodness! I never would have picked that out of a line-up, but yeah, that’s her. The trees and bushes that used to make her shady and very private are all gone, and she’s changed hands several times since my folks. Wow. Thanks!
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