I'm probably alone on this one but outdoor dining seems to be a vestigial consequence of the…read morepandemic that's sticking around and I am, to put it succinctly, not a fan. Sure, on a beautiful Spring day, who doesn't love relaxing outside over an excellent meal but for the most part, throwing some chairs and tables on the sidewalk is in reality, a hastily arranged birthday party for your third cousin, not a substitute for legitimate atmosphere especially when your plastic is being scorched for some overpriced artisanal, farm to table grub. Now Princeton proper has decided to turn upper Witherspoon Street into a pedestrian mall/outside dining space, writ large. Spare me please. For three months during the Summer, I guess it makes sense but if this past Winter is any guide, most restaurants seem to enjoy the game of how many fools will acquiesce to dinner in their Canadian Goose overcoats under a heat lamp in December? Not this fool. If there's a roaring fire inside why would I willingly freeze my tuchus off stuck in a tundra of my own making. I'd like a cocktail before dinner, not a hot chocolate... but bring one for my third cousin anyway. Cluelessness may be an actual major at Princeton. Two frozen stars.

Still one of my favorite New Jersey towns. All out-of-state guests get a tour of Princeton,…read morecomplete with ice cream from the Bent Spoon, $1 DVDs from Princeton Record Exchange and a stroll through the university campus. Cute shops of every kind are plentiful and if it is nice outside, you won't get tired of strolling around. Stick to Nassau Street, Palmer Square and all of it's many side streets and you'll do great. Go in the summer for ice cream and iced coffee and sunshine or go in the fall for the real college feel around campus but a personal favorite is winter when the Christmas tree is up in the square. Thanks for many wonderful day trips, Princeton!

As the old adage goes, "Home isn't just a place, it's a feeling." And no place that feels quite…read morelike Central Jersey. A little hustle, a little suburbia, a whole lot of personality. It's the kind of place that stays in your bones, even when you think you've outgrown it.

Hoboken looks like a great place to live, if you can stomach the dense traffic. I often see young…read moreprofessionals and budding families out and about. There are a plethora of dining and entertainment options in the vicinity. It's definitely a welcome reprieve from the hectic energy of NYC. I enjoy going for walks on the purrs along Sinatra Drive.

Hoboken. The destination for all the cool kids and NYC'ers looking to pay a little less by leaving…read moreNYC but brag or even say they live there to their out of the tri -state friends that are none the wiser. Yep Hoboken. Accessible to and from Manhattan in under 30 minutes pretty easily really makes this a hot spot along with all the towns and cities that line the Hudson in NJ. Besides the very notable waterfront which is a popular walk for residents and visitors, there is much history in Hoboken. Frank Sinatra was born here and even has park here named after him, As well as John Stevens the inventor whom has a School after his namesake making it one of, if not the oldest tech school in the country. Like NY, Hoboken has a history of being home to many immigrants ranging from German, Irish and Italian descent to Cuban, Puerto Rican and more. The great draw to Hoboken is of course Washington st. which is packed with restaurants, boutiques, book stores, mixed in with the more usual stops on a modern day strip like cell phone stores, coffee shops and stuff for your pets. It's a popular destination and walk for residents, all surrounded by the brown stones and old style apartments. The Hoboken Ferry Terminal as well as station both also have a historical look about them but kept to maintain their Beaux-Arts architecture I think Hoboken is alright. It's popular and trendy and has Manhattan's influence all over it which means high prices on everything and cramped like a box catering toward those who prefer a car-less lifestyle. There is history and things to do in Hoboken, but that's just perk for most as folks do nearly everything else across the water. It isn't my cup of tea, but definitely see the appeal with all the action going on, particularly when it's warm out or there is an event of sorts going on such as a concert or parade.

Such a cute downtown! Loved their dickin's village setup great for the kids with small horses of…read morescrooges home and other small homes. Santa was there for free visit and pictures. It looked like a reindeer was supposed to be there but I think it was too cold. They had a DJ. Also, wagon rides but a long line, and way too many people on the wagon at one time. Nice, safe area!

Visited Maplewood for the first time this past weekend to watch a limited release film that was…read moreplaying at Maplewood Theater. Upon arriving on Maplewood Avenue, it was love at first sight. Its a street lined with restaurants and shops that has a old fahshioned, village feel to it. During the visit I went to the yogurt shop and then to the movie theater. I plan on coming back soon to for the shops and restaurants.

Massive street art wrapping full building. Great spot for a photo shoot and solid…read morerestaurants/coffee nearby.

I was so excited when I saw this event pop up! I have never taken a workout class before, and this…read morewas the perfect introduction. Check-in was quick and easy, and I loved that we had lockers available to keep our belongings. Our instructor, Ali, was so upbeat and didn't make me feel bad for not always being able to keep up with the workout. I loved switching between boxing and strength training; it was definitely challenging but a worthwhile experience. The refreshing playa bowls smoothie at the end was the perfect treat to celebrate finishing strong. I really enjoyed my Aloha smoothie! Thank you again Katarina for another amazing event, and thank you Rumble for hosting us and making my first workout class not so scary!

First boxing workout ever and I am officially sweating from head to toe! Rumble Princeton is in a…read moregreat spot right on Route 1 next to Whole Foods. Check-in was a breeze even with a packed house of fellow Yelpers, and the staff was so friendly. Plus, their lockers have built-in digital locks, which is incredibly convenient. The workout room has a super cool, dark, club-like vibe with amazing lighting. Our instructor, Coach Ali, was an absolute powerhouse of energy. The class was split between the floor and the bags, rotating on the fly. Coach Ali directed us like a symphony conductor--though being my first time, I definitely missed a few beats trying to figure out if he was talking to the floor or the boxers, haha! Afterward, we cooled down with some awesome Playa Bowls smoothies (love that they had both vegan and non-vegan options!). Thank you so much to Katrina for putting together such a fun Yelp Elite event--I saw you working out in the back! Thanks to Rumble and Playa Bowls for a killer experience!

If you work, live or just happen to be in the area this plaza makes for a nice local place to eat…read moreor sit back and enjoy leisure time. It is secure in that it has huge boulders to block off cars. It changes scenery. August 27th, 2018 was a very nice day. It began a notice for a heat wave but it didn't hit yet. The sun was out and the weather was nice in the plaza. There was a sign up sheet for the two tables of table tennis and there were two couples occupying and playing. They had throw a sack in a hole games. There was a huge set of chess. Now, when I was younger, smarter and enthusiastic I would have enjoyed a game of huge chess piece gaming with you. A little bit further down from Lenwich was a stage of musicians playing music. I think these festivities were on for the day or other days only. Some days they may not be based on the weather. The plaza is on 7th Avenue on 33rd Street. It is a small plaza but a side of leisure from the main of Madison Square Gardens hustle and bustle.

Newly opened Plaza as of last week for the summer with live music! Definitely has more seating then…read moreOne Penn Plaza next door during lunch time. I usually stopped by in the morning and definitely during my lunch break to catch some vitamin d. I noticed that its quite windy especially on the 33rd St block for some odd reason. Construction men are still working on different wooden projects. The Pennsy has a coffee cart right between Kmart and Lenwich.

"It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood, A beautiful day…read morefor a neighbor. Would you be mine? Could you be mine?" I have taken to dubbing Windsor Terrace, bordered by Prospect Park and Greenwood Cemetery and split in two by the Prospect Expressway, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" for two reasons: 1. I've repeatedly been involved in conversations that go something like this: Q: Where do you live? A: Brooklyn Q: Which neighborhood? A: Windsor Terrace Q: No, which neighborhood? A: (with frustration) Windsor Terrace These dialogues tend to remind me of "Who's on First?," and it doesn't surprise me in the least that Windsor Terrace was not (until now) on the Yelp map. 2. Park Slope should not be taking all the flak for containing the most Maclarens / Baby Bjorns per square foot of sidewalk. After all, it was the Double Windsor on Prospect Park West that lead the pack in instituting a stroller ban after 5 p.m. (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/babies_bounced_after_at_windsor_NV2B1Yw7GlvFXy1wdY6rVO). The incidents leading to the stroller ban illustrate that, for the most part, the childless and those with child (or broods) who call this neighborhood home "blend but do not mix." Perhaps the most famous resident of Windsor Terrace was Isaac Asimov, who is believed to have written "Nightfall" in his family home here in 1941. In addition to its human denizens, Windsor Terrace boasts a large population of canine counterparts and perhaps the largest feral cat population in the borough. In addition to dozens of schools and rowhouses, Windsor Terrace also contains a strip of restaurants and local businesses on Prospect Park West that resembles a collegetown, the best of which are Terrace Bagels, Windsor Wines, DUB Pies, Krupa Grocery, and Le P'tit Paris. "It's a neighborly day in this beauty wood, A neighborly day for a beauty. Would you be mine? Could you be mine?..."

Every year we come to Brooklyn for the Park Slope historic brownstone tour. I'm in awe of these…read morebeautiful homes and short of owning one, touring these multi-million dollar homes is the next best thing. We prefer to stay in Brooklyn (my favorite city in the world) and live like a local for a few days, choosing a rental apartment over staying in a hotel. I like to explore different neighborhoods and the culture each one offers, as every one is distinct in their own right. This year we choose Windsor Terrace, a more residential and somewhat suburban neighborhood compared to ones in the past. We drove to Brooklyn instead of taking the train so the ample street parking was a key factor in our decision. Like mentioned before this neighborhood felt a little more suburban and featured a variety of home styles. While I didn't see any genuine brownstowns there were some with the same styling. Many of the homes had driveways and/or garages. The neighborhood was flanked by a highway on one side and the historic Greenwood cemetery on the other. The subway accessibility was not as saturated as in other neighborhoods so we opted to walk and drive. There were several small parks within walking distance that featured nice playgrounds for smaller children but limited green space. Overall it was much quieter and you almost forgot the hustle and bustle of Brooklyn was only a few blocks away. For me personally as much as I appreciated the safety and ease of parking I prefer someplace more upbeat and lively. We had to drive or walk a good 20-30 minutes to get to an area that had multiple retail and dining choices. In our immediate 5 block radius there was only a café, a pizza joint, and an ice cream place. The residents were all very nice and Sat and Sunday had "stoop sales" where everything was free. It was relaxing to walk around and check out everyone's items that were up for grabs. We enjoyed ice cream from Kathy's and sat in the park. Overall a nice visit, one that I would consider again if I was driving.