When it came time to choose a restaurant for my graduation dinner the first place that came to mind was Sirena’s on the Pier Village boardwalk in Long Branch.  I pride myself in being an Italian food connoisseur (I would literally eat pasta for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if it was socially acceptable) as a result; I fell in love with Sirena Ristorante.  An upscale restaurant with a stunning beachfront view makes for an enjoyable dining experience.  Read the rest of this entry »

Monmouth University students have fallen in love with this tiny beachside sports bar, Jack's.

Every college has one and students are usually hanging out there until all hours of the night. If you thought the dreaded library, guess again. I’m talking about that one bar that everyone seems to have a soft spot for, no matter how dirty, old, and full of “locals” it may be.

Allow me to introduce, Monmouth University.  A school that may arguably have more notiriety because of its Daddy Warbucks roots and five minute proximity to the beaches of Long Branch than academics. Case in point, their students have found comfort in Jack’s. This tiny hole in the wall has become the place to be on Tuesdays for MU undergrads to imbibe the night away (and the place where I was fortunate enough to spend my 21st birthday). Read the rest of this entry »

Finding parking at the Jersey Shore is a war zone.

Summer 2010 is rapidly approaching and New Jersey natives are counting down the days until Memorial Day weekend. This highly anticipated unofficial start of summer means you can break out your summer white (a rule I never quite followed), head to the beach, and much to my dismay drive up and down tiny one way blocks for an exorbitant amount of time in search of the holy grail of parking spots.

As someone who has to endure a 20 minute speed race down Route 18 in order to reach my favorite coast, I am often greeted with a battle royale against soccer moms, teens, locals, and the dreaded guidos for my primo spot.  I kid you not, last summer as my friend and I took a break
from melting in the sun at Pier Village and walked to the long line of
shops for lunch, we stopped in our tracks as we heard a loud altercation
brewing. Read the rest of this entry »