Jenn Hall

NPR: On East Coast Oyster Farms, ‘Women Are Rising Up From The Bay In A Big Way’

May 16, 2018 by jennhallwrites

As sunrise paints the lower Delaware Bay’s intertidal zone, the mudflats take on a metallic shimmer near Cape May, N.J. As visual poetry, it’s arresting. But the tide is out — and the clock is ticking. The receding water has revealed Sweet Amalia Oysters, so oyster farmer Lisa Calvo and her team get to work. The team hoists plastic mesh bags from rebar racks. They sort the bivalves, shells clinking in rhythm. Only when you draw close to the wader-clad […]

Categories: food, sustainability

Time Out: 26 Best Things to Do in New Jersey

May 20, 2018 by jennhallwrites

Here’s the thing about New Jersey. Within an hour’s drive from your hotel, you can find yourself just about anywhere. The state’s huge—and dare we say, underrated—cities are home to fabulous restaurants and vibrant art scenes. Deep forests with twisting trails make the outside world disappear. There’s the beach, which ranges from deserted island to laid-back urbane by the mile. Then, the world-class museums and heritage sites that tell the state’s story while maintaining a modern heartbeat. When you tire of one […]

Categories: travel

Time Out: 15 Best Restaurants in New Jersey

May 20, 2018 by jennhallwrites

You can tell a lot about New Jersey by the polarity of its nicknames. The Garden State. Dirty Jerz. But want to know a little secret? Both are a badge of pride. Locals know that this densely packed state has a ton of great things to do, not least of which is gorging on amazing food. Sure, New York and Philly are in Jersey’s backyard, and locals are happy to take advantage of that. But there’s no need to cross […]

Categories: food, travel

Inside Jersey: The Inspiration / Made in Jersey – Arnge Designs

May 16, 2018 by jennhallwrites

When one’s mind is tuned to color and lines, all the world is a muse. Such is the case for art director-turned-pattern master Mike Dawson, who finds inspiration everywhere — from the industrial designs of Christopher Dresser to the vibrant hues of ’60s-era “Star Trek” episodes. “When I was a kid, it was ‘Lost in Space,’ ‘Space: 1999’ and all of those really bold, graphic TV shows,” Dawson says. “It was all mod and futurism on TV. That’s what I was […]

Categories: design

Edible Jersey: A Taste of Newark

May 5, 2018 by jennhallwrites

Newark’s Four Corners, where Market and Broad Streets meet, was dubbed the busiest intersection in the world in the late 1920s. It’s still a city nerve center, especially on weekdays when sirens and traffic and voices create a distinctly urban song. “It is like walking into a time-warp of what New York must have looked like in the ’70s, small businesses and street vendors selling anything you can think of,” says Newark transplant Julie Godfrey. Walk a mile in any […]

Categories: food, travel

Edible Jersey: Within the Ironbound

May 5, 2018 by jennhallwrites

It would take many hungry days to do justice to the Ironbound, home to Newark’s Iberian community and a ten-minute walk from the Prudential Center. Important to note is the wealth of worthy spots off of Ferry Street. Throughout the neighborhood, you’ll find Brazilian bars, Portuguese grocers and lively crowds who maintain connections to their roots. Read more… Published in the Early Summer 2018 issue

Categories: food, travel

Edible Jersey: April Harris-Holmes is Keeping You Sweet

May 5, 2018 by jennhallwrites

As part of the platinum-selling girl-group Seduction, April Harris-Holmes filled dance floors the world over. On R&B-inflected tracks such as “Heartbeat,” circa 1989, her voice was pure honey, belting lyrics like: “Our love is so sweet, sweet enough to eat.” Perhaps those lyrics were a form of foreshadowing. These days, Harris-Holmes is “Keeping You Sweet” in a different way. Her all-natural cheesecake company, launched in Newark, has expanded to more than a dozen Whole Foods stores in less than a […]

Categories: food

Edible Jersey: A Primer on the 2018 Farm Bill

May 5, 2018 by jennhallwrites

The Farm Bill has guided American agricultural policy since its creation in 1933. Part of the New Deal, it was designed to protect farmers and consumers when the twin forces of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl put the country’s food security at risk. Passed every five years, the bill includes 12 titles that cover everything from conservation to crop insurance. The 2014 Farm Bill, which encompassed roughly $457.5 billion in spending, expires on September 30, 2018. As the next […]

Categories: food, sustainability

Inside Jersey: A guide to exploring the Jersey Shore

May 2, 2018 by jennhallwrites

As a kid growing up in the 1980s, the seaside atmosphere seemed to be built on sound. Waves crashed and roared, in contest with the siren-scream of arcade games and boardwalk basslines. Kids shouted into salt air while descending waterslides, landing in pools with a splash. Metal spatulas clanged on grill plates, white hot. During day trips to Seaside Heights, the closest thing to silence was the Sky Ride, that ’60s riff on a ski lift strung above the boards. After […]

Categories: travel

Inside Jersey: It’s all Jersey, All the Time

April 17, 2018 by jennhallwrites

Say what you will about Jersey, but our pride runs deep. We know what makes us great, and if outsiders don’t like it, well, that’s more for us. Jersey is a way of living, a badge of honor, and this ethos extends to our makers. Check in and one detects a local vibe infusing our Pinterest pages, our homes and — increasingly — our storefronts. Case in point: Just Jersey in Morristown, which puts a spotlight on all things Jersey-made. […]

Categories: design

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