Not to be confused with Insolin NJ which is a great place for Diabetics to live…read more This is a cute little town which is next to Woodbridge which is a lovely and slightly larger town in New Jersey. I like it and I like the vibe and I spent a couple of nights here once with someone I know pretty well who I have visited on several occasions since then (hi love!) and the other time I was here, most recently, sleeping at the rest stop here, which she didn't know about or she would have come out to get me. It's a little out of the way, more so than many other parts of New Jersey, and I have no problem with that.

Iselin, New Jersey has become defined by the strong Indian community and the shopping, restaurants…read moreand more that lines Oak Tree Road. In fact, many refer to this area as "Little India," much like New York City has "Little Italy" and "Chinatown." I grew up in Edison (which is next door to Iselin) and I have many fond memories of this little part of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. The Iselin that I remember is not the same Iselin that I remember in my memories. That is not a disparaging comment, just a factual one. But I guess that can be said for many towns and cities and probably most if not all of these communities have changed. I will always have great memories of Iselin and the Iselin Fair. I will always remember Hank's and the Pioneer as the neighborhood bars. Both of these bars are gone, but both live in my memories. Jose Tejas is still there. Iselin has changed and if you go, check out some of the great Indian restaurants in the area. Iselin will always hold a special place in my heart.

Willowwood Arboretum is a 130 acre track of land which displays 2100 kinds of native exotic plants…read moremany of which are rare. It is presently administered by the Willowwood Foundation and the Morris County Park Commission. Open daily from 8 am-dusk, you can visit the arboretum free of charge on a self-guided tour. Featured in the arboretum is Pan's Garden and the Rosarie located behind the Tubb's house. An additional garden is the Cottage Garden located near the Shingle Bar. Other structures include the Red Barn. Hoop House, Stone Cottage and Myer's Center Stone Barn. Bamboo Brook is a three minute ride from Willowwood or you can walk the path which joins the property. It is also free to visit. I personally like to run the meadow and wooded paths areas of the property. Unfortunately, Oatie (golden doodle) is not allowed to set foot in either location. Oatie was very disappointed. A map of Willowwood can be found on their website with a description of the various areas and plant identification data. Visitor's can dial 973-349-3020 for a station to station self-guided tour. The clips are short but informative.

This special and beautiful property, open to the pubic, is a must-visit location every Spring about…read morethe first or second week of May. It is a glorious immersion into nature's amazing world of lilacs, tulips, daffodils, wisteria, ferns, trees, fauna and other greenery. And it's FREE! There is a babbling brook and a special garden behind the main house. There is a parking lot and restrooms available. Don't miss this special place!

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.

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.

Lenox Avenue's restaurant businesses unite to share their small bites and beverages with the people…read moreof Harlem. 2014 marks the second annual Summer Sizzles on Lenox, but this was actually my first year in attendance. I love this idea of bringing the community together to celebrate new businesses in the neighborhood. Gentrification is in full effect, but at least this annual event helps the newest Lenox restaurants establish a relationship with Harlem natives. A select number of restaurants on Lenox (Red Rooster, Chez Lucienne, Harlem Shake, Sylvia's Restaurant being some of the few) offered guests drinks and small bites for $5 each. To separate regular customers from us event go-ers, we had to purchase tickets (2 tickets $10 online, one ticket $10 in person), to then reedem them for orange wristbands prior to attending the restaurants. We started our evening with drinks at Sylvia's (I had a very tasty Mango Margarita), then headed down to Chez Lucienne for a crispy calamari plate. We wanted to check out Cove Lounge and Harlem Shake, but both places were way too packed. We ended our evening with an oh so delish mac and cheese plate, an extra spicy curry chicken bowl and a cup of Hendrix punch at La Bodega 47. Six hours later, and I'm still pretty stuffed. Why three stars? This could have been more organized than it was. La Bodega 47 served completely different food than what was printed on the main event program. There was no note on the program stating Chez Lucienne required cash only. The location marked on the program for one of the restaurants was inncorrect.

I had such a great time at this community event - thanks to Katey for inviting me. The staff were…read moreso professional and friendly - shout out to the bartenders!! The ice cream was delicious - especially the double raspberry truffle (highly recommend). I loved how they gave everyone a tote bag and a color changing spoon. The museum itself was absolutely amazing - learning about the history of life cream made me appreciate it so much more. The slide was so much fun I had to go on it twice haha. All in all, a great experience and looking forward to more community events.

The variety of activities that were provided were very fun! The amount of free ice cream that was…read moreavailable was also plentiful and I got to try some new flavors I wouldn't have thought to try. Very enjoyable experience overall and great to enjoy with a group!

Somehow, it was much smaller than I expected, but it's fun that it exists. I would not go out of my…read moreway to see it, but it is a pleasant sight inside a shopping center.

When I found out there was a one-ton statue of Captain America in Brooklyn (in front of a…read moreBedBath&Beyond, no less) I was so intrigued that I went out of my way to see it. The statue is simply fabulous. And well worth the trip out. Brooklyn-based sculptor Dave Cortes was approached by Marvel to make the statue in honor of Captain America's 75th anniversary in 2016. For such a heavy object, it's been around quite a bit: San Diego Comic-Con, then to various locations in Brooklyn, like Barclays Center and Prospect Park. Cortes did a phenomenal job!

Great to find some positive Black American History/Art around 'The way'. It sits unassuming and…read moresadly somewhat neglected, in the middle of Kingsborough Houses. Located between Bergen and Pacific Streets , and Kingsborough 1st Walk and 2nd Walk (between Rochester and Ralph Avenues). Up until a little while ago, you might have missed it if you didn't know what you were looking for. But now there's a banner attached to a fence across from it with information. Sadly, this is not on many people's list of things to see and do. But it should be. I am very glad that I came across it this year when I made a goal of reacquainting myself with NYC, starting in my own backyard in Central Brooklyn.