While Trenton’s marketing (and preservation) of its history can be faulted, no one can argue that some of the most significant events of the revolutionary war happened right downtown. Add to that the Jersey shore, plus a number of charming towns nearby. Oh, and Philly is only half an hour away (if you catch the traffic right), and New York is, well, New York and 1:10 by train if you catch the express.
If you need to get out of town quickly, there’s nothing like having a convenient airport. Trenton is blessed to have our own “hidden airport,” the Trenton Mercer Airport, just a 15 minute drive from downtown. Sure, it’s essentially a bus terminal with planes, but it’s a great deal and a terrific way to save … Continue reading Discount Departure→
Gravity Hill Farm is an immaculately managed, certified organic farm located in Titusville. Three days each week (Tu, Sa, Su) the farm organizes a market selling its own produce. Sundays it invites other local farms to join the sale: typically a local organic dairy farm that produces cheeses, and a second, local farm raising grass-fed beef and lamb. The quality is impeccable. Selection and variety is targeting chefs and foodies.
Sayen House & Gardens is a charming estate and botanical garden located in Hamilton, NJ. While the house is now used primarily for weddings, the grounds are open to all and make for a delightful stroll on a nice day. The estate was created in 1912, when Frederick Sayen, owner of the nearby Mercer Rubber … Continue reading Stop and Smell the Flowers→
New York is 1:10 on the NJ Transit express trains, which run frequently from the Trenton Transit Center. Instead of stressing with the traffic, and for less than it will cost you to pay for gas, tolls, and parking (in mid-town, anyway), you can relax while NJ Transit does all the work. And during rush … Continue reading Capital of the World!→
There are many great ways to tour the hidden parts of Trenton. Everyone loves the Mill Hill House Tour, or the tours sponsored by The Contemporary Victorian Townhouse Museum. And of course, we’re particularly fond of our own self-guided tour of the battles of Princeton and Trenton. But one of my favorite new ways to take in … Continue reading Social Cycling→
On May 16, 2015, we’ll be joining the Trenton Council of Civic Associations for a “small plate” restaurant crawl through Chambersburg, sampling the best of the Latino Revival, as well as some of the area’s wondrous Italian food and richly flavored Jamaican cuisine. Each of the twelve restaurants we will visit will be serving a special menu of appetizer sized small plates (for $3-$5), featuring the best of their menu. Tickets to the event are $10/adult at the day of the event, and $7 in advance (kids under 12 can get a free ticket with the purchase of an adult ticket–and uniformed police, fire, EMS, and Dept of Corrections officers will also be given free tickets). Tickets will give you parking assistance, a guidebook and map of the restaurants, and access to those special small plates. You can explore on your own or travel as a group, and you can visit the restaurants for lunch and dinner anytime between 11AM-8PM. Any profits from ticket sales will be donated to a local charity. If you haven’t tried gooey pupusas, pillowy sopes and huaraches, fragrant callaloo, and luscious Trenton guacamole, this is your chance. It’s not your momma’s Italian food (except here, which is exactly your momma’s Italian food!).
3x each year, the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market takes over the Roebling Machine Shop at Roebling Market and throws a party organized around buying stuff. It attracts over 200 vendors and thousands of buyers, mostly young. According to the organizers, “We embrace a life-long love of punk rock and hardcore, DYI ethics, the arts, tattoos, copious amounts of coffee, the occasional shot of Jameson and a solid, well-styled quiff.”
Every July, usually a week or two after the 4th of July, the wineberries (wild raspberries) start to ripen in open shade along the slopes of local mountains more than 300 feet or so above sea level. I’m not necessarily suggesting you need to go for a big harvest. My wife and I love hiking this time of year, just scanning the sides of the trail for ruby-red raspberries.
Moravian Pottery & Tile Works was founded in 1898 by Henry Chapman Mercer — a key figure in America’s Arts & Crafts movement. He directed its operation until his death in 1930, and it the factory remained in business until the mid-1950s. It reopened in the 1970s as a “living museum”, subsidized by Bucks County. Reproduction tiles are made today using Mercer’s original molds, clay that is obtained locally, slips and glazes that follow Mercer’s final formulations. They are absolutely beautiful, make fabulous additions to any home, and spectacular gifts.
For young kids, there’s something about sleeping in a tent outdoors that’s truly exciting. It’s great even when it’s in the back yard. When it’s in the woods with a blazing camp fire, next to a farm, a short walk from a pond that’s stocked with trout, and adjacent to fun hiking trails, it’s an experience they’ll remember for a lifetime. (Driving time is about 75 minutes from Trenton, Walks are rated Beginner to Intermediate)
This charming farm is located about a 30 minute drive north of Trenton. It makes for an incredible outing with kids to view the Llamas and Alpacas. Adults will find a visit fascinating as well, and will also enjoy the farm store which sells unique items, many hand made from the Alpaca and Llama wool. While not cheap, these items are priced lower than the equivalent quality in high end retail outlets.
I suppose most people who live here, and many who are just exploring for the first time, know Trenton is located between New York and Philly. If, like me, you were NY focused before you moved here, you may not know that Philly is a) unbelievably close (34 miles, city center to city center), and b) a really, really cool place to visit.
Every year since 1986, the Contemporary has sponsored tours of Trenton which provide an uncommon view of the city. The tours are fun, and will show you parts of the city you might never otherwise see. I happen to know 3 of the 4 guides in 2010 tour, and all are incredibly well qualified to conduct them.
Warren Street is the center of the revival area of downtown Trenton. Go there to check out Classic’s Bookstore, the Big Easy or the Hummingbird, or to have a wonderful Italian dinner around the corner at Settimo Cielo. And while you’re there, it’s worth checking out the “revolutionary art” on Warren. (Rated for Beginner walkers)
OK, so it’s not exactly hidden, what with Six Flags being a major player in the “Location Entertainment” business. But it’s only about half an hour from Trenton. And what a lot of folks don’t know is they have a great “season pass” deal.
You can leave Trenton at 11 AM on the hottest weekend in August, and be comfortably ensconced on the beach long before noon. On the same day when your fellow New Jerseyans from, say, South Orange, are contemplating a 3 hour crawl through the world’s second longest parking lot (the Garden State Parkway – the world’s longest, of course, being the Long Island Expressway), you’re whisking from the terminus of Rt-29 to virtually the beach at 70 mph.
The River Line is the best way to commute via public transit from Trenton to Philly, and it’s a fabulous way to go on fun weekend excursions with the kids, including the Camden Waterfront.