Toast Montclair

Do you like your toast with a cheers or nice and warm with melted butter (yum!)?

I like both, but it's a whole different world of fun at Toast in Montclair, NJ.

Forget the chain restaurants and diners, because you won't get any cookie cutter breakfast, lunch, or brunch here at Toast. Completely unaware of what I was about to find, I recently joined a friend for a long overdue brunch at a place simply picked due to its convenient location and positive Yelp reviews for Red Velvet Pancakes. The name alone provides an air of trendiness and fluff, but needless to say, I wasn't disappointed.  

Cute outdoor seating set the scene, and I didn't even take a step indoors. Chai lattes, cappuccinos, bella nutella (french toast stuffed with nutella), and to-die-for red velvet pancakes made Toast a rare 4 star rating on my list of places to feast in NJ.Prices are moderate - not cheap, but not expensive. Definitely take a look at the menu online before going.

Jersey Shore

New Jersey is known for the Jersey Shore. Miles and miles of beaches, gorgeous houses, seedy nightclubs, and of course the MTV show that has made Seaside Heights a household name. We have Seaside, Pt. Pleasant, Belmar, Sandy Hook, Spring Lake, Asbury Park, Wildwood, Cape May, and my favorite Long Beach Island.

With each beach comes a unique set of pros and cons. Pt. Pleasant has a great boardwalk, but parking can be difficult and uber expensive depending on whether you park on in a lot ($20 - $50) or at a meter (just a couple of bucks an hour). Beach access on the weekends will run you about $8 per person too. If you're into the boardwalk and people watching, and you have some cash to spend, Pt. Pleasant is the beach for you.

Sandy Hook, a beach I experienced for the first time this summer, was a surprise favorite for me. Without a boardwalk, Sandy Hook will only cost you $10 per car. The beaches are big and clean, the walk from the car to beach access is pretty short, and the facilities are big and clean. If you're looking for an inexpensive trip to lounge on a sandy beach and swim in the ocean, Sandy Hook is the beach for you.

By far, my favorite beach in New Jersey is in Long Beach Island. LBI is an 18 mile island with a variety of neighborhoods, shops, stores, historical sites and miles and miles of beaches and bays. What I love about LBI is the fact that it is more of a mature setting, but it still has fun youthful activities. The beaches are clean and fun. While there isn't a boardwalk, there are still boardwalk type areas off shore. Good restaurants and areas for nightlife, and The Chicken or the Egg (Chegg) as the local hangout for a bite to eat after hours. If you're looking for a family beach and plan to stay for longer than one night, check out Beach Haven in LBI.

Bingo in New Jersey

Love the thrill of gambling but don't feel like going all the way down to Atlantic City? Try bingo!

I know, I know. Bingo is for old people, right? WRONG! There are plenty of bingo halls all over New Jersey, and they aren't all at churches. Some even have jackpots that reach 4 digits!

Over the weekend, we went to the Wayne PAL (1 PAL Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470, USA. Phone: 973-696-2896) and we had a blast! While we didn't win, we had three full hours of entertainment for the bargain price of $17 each! Most games had a payout of $100 with an additional game that accumulates from week to week (until someone wins) that is currently over $3,000.

Active NJ

Welcome to Active NJ, a resource for fun things that active adults can do in (and surrounding) the great state of New Jersey. This site is a result of too many conversations with friends that have started with the classic "I'm bored" and ended with "there's nothing to do around here" when there is, in fact, plenty to do, see, and explore all around us. I invite you to join me on this journey as we take a walk on the fun side.