Hidden Pond Tree Farm is such a hidden gem!…read more The entire vibe is giving LL Bean catalog and it's in the best way. In addition to Christmas trees you'll find a variety of gorgeous wreaths / holiday arrangements, local honey for gifting, a train ride and the cutest little snack shack selling cider donuts, hot cocoa and marshmallows for roasting. Once you've got your marshmallow supplies you can head over to the campfire area where they have the firepit roaring and ready for roasting. But if you are visiting, you are likely here to get a Christmas tree! You can cut down your own or get a pre-cut tree. Cut your own is $125 and pre-cut is $125 for small, $155 for medium and $175 for large. We got a medium tree and we're super happy with it! When my kids are older I think they'll love coming back to cut their own. This is a great place to go for some holiday fun, and I loved that there were things for the kids besides the trees. Prices are definitely a bit steeper than other places around, but I think it's worth it for the cute holiday experience.

Used to be good to get a tree. It's $125 for any tree "regardless of the size." But they are all…read moretiny. The precut the larger trees and sell the for $245 up front. The have a fire pit area which is nice, and employees are nice, but I felt scammed this year

Small town with one round about…read more There's the Rutherford train station. The Amtrak train stops here even. Several sushi and and Italian restaurants, barber shops and coffee shops too. Very walkable downtown. The nicest and biggest Chase bank I have ever seen is in town. We saw lots of memorials and plaques honoring local residents lost during 911 and in the many wars from WW to the Vietnam and Korean wars.

probably better in the summer or spring there's no water in it and there's only two statuesread more

It's on my way to work and when I have the time I like to just chill and look at it. Gives off an…read moreuber tranquil vibe that takes the edge off. In nicer weather it's a great place to hang out and enjoy an outdoor coffee.

Keep watching for these all summer long! Best jam in NYC. On the Coney Island Boardwalk near the…read moreAquarium. If you know, you know.

Carroll Gardens is a beautiful neighborhood in Brooklyn filled with brownstones, most with iron…read morefencing surrounding a small green space in the front of the house. Thus the naming. The area, originally settled by Italians, is very popular due to its highly rated elementary school & beautiful brownstones on tree lined streets. Many have been totally renovated on the interior with some sadly renovated as pricey apartments. Some have remained in the family over the years. Restaurants choices are plentiful, both in the neighborhood & further down Court or Smith into adjacent neighborhoods. Before the pandemic there was a plethora of fun shops along Court Street in the heart of the neighborhood. Court & Smith are main arteries that features shopping & restaurants. I'm sad to report that my restaurant of choice for pizza was a casualty of the pandemic. Also a victim was a fun clothing store. There's easy walking access to the Subway Station. Serious grocery shopping requires a vehicle to get to the nearby Whole Foods in Gowanus, Union Market, Trader Joe's (with extremely challenging street parking), Wegmans, Costco, etc. Fairway in Red Hook was a huge store with a beautiful view from the parking lot. I haven't been to the store that took its place. Shopping via vehicle comes with the additional challenge of finding street parking to get purchases inside. It's easier for small quantities or taking someone along to stay with the vehicle (obviously parked in a no parking area) while the other takes the groceries inside. Gourmet Fresh on Court Street is a small store with a limited selection. But it's fine for quick pickups. Speaking of street parking, it's not easy to find a spot on the narrow one way streets. It's especially challenging on alternate side parking days. Most people double park then rush to get a good spot when the time period ends. When I was taking my Grandson to preschool in Williamsburg we would have to circle the blocks continuously waiting for a spot to become vacant. Young children don't have much patience for that. One becomes extremely experienced at judging the size of an opening between parked vehicles. Difficult parallel parking quickly becomes an expertise. Carroll Park has something for every age kid with basketball courts, playgrounds & spaces to bike, scoot, take batting practice and such. There's usually someone friendly to visit with on a bench. Carroll School is directly across the side street. All that said, if the prices of the brownstones hadn't gotten so steep I would buy one in a minute. It's a great neighborhood.

3.0 stars, Carroll Gardens and it's not because I don't love you but I have a few bones to pick as…read moreof late (okay, the last several years). I am old enough to witness the profound changes that continue to take place, yet young enough to predict what's to come (at times allowing me to gesture "gasp"). In the attempt to remain fair, here's my humble review/opinion: The Good: 1) CG has always been a visually gorgeous (charming brownstones) and safe neighborhood. 2) A selection of very good restaurants with just about every cuisine in close proximity 3) Very convenient, accessible and a short ride to Manhattan 4) Borders other great 'hoods such as Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO and Park Slope. 5) No need for a car 6) Diversity of many backgrounds, religions and cultures There's a little France feeling to it. 7) Some of the nicest, artistic and intelligent people within a community 8) Family friendly 9) Some of the best local flavor specialty food shops and bakeries The Bad: 1) Outrageous and insane increase in real estate. Come on, enough already as people are being priced out. Some old timers bought these brownstones for a mere $2000 way back when. 2) Over development. Do we really need more luxury high rises? Some are eyesores and doesn't fit in. 3) Very overcrowded. I realize CG is trendy but I sometimes have to allow a couple trains to go by because I can't squeeze on during morning rush hour. 4) Due to the unreasonable real estate conditions, smaller, independent merchants have been driven out and being replaced by huge franchise businesses. We don't need more CVS or banks. In fact, we lost two bookstores in 2016. 5) Citibike docking stations. I know biking is efficient, healthy and environmentally friendly but no more! People need space to park their cars--you know the machinery with 4 wheels 6) A parking nightmare 7) The loss of a tighter knit community feeling. 8) The residence of some rude and self entitled individuals The Ugly: 1) Way too overpriced with a continuation in that trend 2) The endless MTA track work and changes that disrupt an entire commute on weeekends and even weekdays. There's been too many occasions when my commute has taken 90 minutes! You'd think I was traveling from/to CT. 3) Oftentimes, neighborhood reeks of excessive pot. I'm sorry but I don't like drugs---enough already! Please shape up a bit more Carroll Gardens. With your extreme face lift, I sometimes don't recognize you anymore. I realize this requires a community effort. Yet, I still adore you.

Rockaway Borough was formed in 1894 from portions of the larger neighboring Township from which it…read moreshares it's name. The name "Rockaway" is derived from a Native American term having various meanings; "place of sands", "creek between two hills", and "difficult to cross". Morris County has 16 Boroughs located within it and you'll find none better and more interesting than the Borough of Rockaway which also just happens to be located 25 miles West of N.Y.C. The Rockaway River runs through the center of Town and has been a historical trout fishing destination for just about every angler with a rod & reel in Northern New Jersey. Department of Fish and Game regularly stock this River with trout as well as The local P.B.A. & businesses which sponsor an annual Fishing Tournament. Winners that catch large trout with removable tags on them receive cash, prizes and local notoriety. Several abandoned mines are located here from years back when iron ore was a major export and there are some folks that have gone spelunking in search of some adventurous opportunities. However, Do Not Call Me to come and retrieve you out of any of these as I've since retired from my spelunking expeditions a long time ago. As my Friend and Yelp Colleague "Jersey N" has already pointed out, the Borough is Full of Amazing local Mom and Pop businesses that help define this Town to be a quaint place that is second to none for dining, shopping, adventuring, and living in.

Even though I live on the East Side I occasionally wander over to the Upper West Side to hang with…read morefriends at a bar or restaurant. Love the main stretch of Broadway where you'll find all types of shopping, stores, bars, movie theaters, and places to eat. There are famous museums in the neighborhood such as the Museum of Natural History, also Lincoln Center for Arts, and Riverside Park where I've done some races at. Plus, at many of the cross streets on Broadway they have seating areas with benches which I think is pretty cool. We've sat and chatted on these as traffic drives by in each direction. I do like that this part of town has kept much of it's old school architecture especially with its brownstones which are such an iconic NYC thing. As such, apartment rentals usually average on the higher side here as compared to the East Side/Yorkville area. The main MTA subway 1,2,3 Red lines serve this neighborhood, along with the A, B, C, D Blue/Orange lines.

Upper West Side is still one of my favorites places to spend the day. I can spend many days in many…read moreUpper West Side neighborhoods. It's historic in my opinion. I don't see as many old buildings being torn down to make way for high rise buildings. I think the West Side residents are into historic preservation more than my modern community on the Upper East Side. I find I love being here UWS for the day but I have to admit I like shiny new buildings with lots of amenities!! Come visit Upper Manhattan!

Had a great time at this Yelp Elite All-Star Dinner! It was nice meeting new Yelp members and…read moregetting to know everyone over drinks and small bites. My favorite dish was the fried calamari. I'm not really an oyster person and hadn't had one in a while, but I figured I'd give it a try since Blue Anchor is known for its seafood, and I knew it would be fresh. I tried an oyster with a squeeze of lemon and some cocktail sauce, and it was actually really good! The texture didn't bother me at all, and it tasted fresh. I've heard oysters are good for men, so I'll definitely be ordering them the next time I'm down the Jersey Shore. The waves of food just kept coming, with one unique dish after another, and the waterfront views really set the mood. Thank you to Sara, Blue Anchor, and Yelp for an awesome experience!

First time visitor and what a spot! Fantastic, chill location right on the water, and the perfect…read moresetting for a group dinner. Service was on point all night, keeping the courses coming without a lull. Standouts were the east and west coast oysters to start, the calamari, and the tuna crispy rice. All hit the mark. I was hyped for the fish taco and lobster roll, but neither were standouts to me. However, might have been a product of rolling them out for a giant group. Drink menu is extensive. The Recovery Margarita (WEL hydration, tequila, lime, agave) and the Red Sea (tequila, strawberry, jalapeño) were both unique takes on traditional margaritas worth trying. Great night meeting new Elite folks and catching up with local all-stars. Thanks to Sara for organizing and Blue Anchor for hosting, already looking forward to coming back to sit outside on the patio.