Top 10 Jersey Getaways: Red Bank

Red Bank, New Jersey is located on the Navesink River, about an hour south of Manhattan. It is one of our choices for the best getaways in NJ for 2008. Red Bank is a great place for young couples and girlfriend getaways.

Red Bank, New Jersey was chosen as one of our Best New Jersey Getaway Destinations for three reasons; shopping, dining and special events. Red Bank works very hard to produce and promote a never ending series of cultural events that includes: concerts, festivals, car shows, sidewalk sales and more.

One word before we start our feature. The name Red Bank gives one a mental picture of a charming little town hanging on the edge of some dramatic red rock cliffs. That’s not what Red Bank is like by any stretch of the imagination, and from the Main Streets downtown you can’t even see the river. You don’t really get a feeling that you are on the river unless you are sitting in the dining room of the Molly Pitcher Inn or the Oyster Point Hotel or crossing the bridge on your way to Middletown or Atlantic Highlands. But what Red Bank lacks in terms of scenic views of the river, it makes up for in terms of other things; the other things that this feature story is about.

Shopping in Red Bank

Shopping ============

Red Bank is a great place to go shopping. It has a wide range of types of shops boutiques and galleries, from antique malls filled with treasures for your home to trendy clothing boutiques with designer shoes, handbags and dresses. Some of the stores located there include:

Restoration Hardware: a home decor store that features textiles, furniture, lighting, bath fixtures, hardware and more. The store is located at 52 Broad Street. The phone # is 732-212-0991. Their hours are: Sunday 11am-5pm, Monday through Friday: 10am-7pm and Saturday 10am-7pm. (hours subject to change)

Coco Pari: a fashionable clothing boutique for dresses, shoes and handbags

Stokaboka Surf and Skate: a shop for skateboarders and surfers that sells boards, clothing, equipment and accessories

Backward Glances: a vintage clothing store for funky threads from the 40′s, 50′s, 60′s, 70′s and the 80′s

Garmany: a gigantic high end store for designer clothing, sportswear, footwear and accessories for men and women

Riverbank Antiques and Interiors: a 9,000 square foot antique shop/mall/co-op with multiple dealers

Laurel Tracey Gallery: a gallery of fine art by an eclectic group of contemporary painters and sculptors

Primas Home: a home decor boutique offering elegant and traditional furniture, accessories and interior design

Red Ginger: a home and lifestyle store that sells modern yet classic furniture, home decor, interior design and more

Dining in Red Bank

Dining ============

Red Bank can boast that is has some of the best restaurants not just in the state, but the nation; Red Bank’s Restaurant Nicholas was named one of the best in the nation in Zagat’s 2008 Restaurant Guide and that is just one of their fine restaurants. Some of our favorites include:

Red: a large modern restaurant and lounge that is located on one of Red Bank’s busiest corners that serves New American cuisine and sushi

Molly Pitcher Inn: fine dining, a traditional menu, great panoramic view of the Navesink River and an award winning Sunday brunch

The Melting Pot: a national chain restaurant that specializes in fondue cooking, in Red Bank you can order their 4 course dinner with an appetizer fondue, a salad, an entree fondue and a desert fondue

Danny’s Steak House and Seafood: an institution in Red Bank that serves dry aged steaks, seafood and sushi in an open casual atmosphere

Restaurant Nicholas: located across the river from Red Bank, the restaurant offers prix fixe and chef’s table dinners that are truly memorable experiences

Events in Red Bank

Special Events ============

Red Bank is a town that knows how to party and they do it a lot. At every time of the year, in every season, Red Bank has something going on; whether it’s an antique show, a car show, a jazz festival, a street fair or a sidewalk sale, they just keep you coming back. Some of the biggest and the best Red Bank events are:

Red Bank Jazz and Blues Festival: In its 22nd year, the festival takes place in Marine Park by the Navesink River, offering 3 days and nights of jazz and blues music. It also features food, crafts and family fun. 150,000 fans turn out to enjoy the festivities that take place every year on the first weekend in June.

Farmer’s Market: open every Sunday from May to October. It has a very enthusiastic group of fans on the foodies site Chowhound.com [see link above]. Some of the items that you might find there are: farm fresh eggs, and locally grown produce like okra, peas, tomatoes, corn and scallions. Some locally prepared canned and baked goods like preserves and cakes are also available.

Two Rivers Antique Show and Garden Tour: This event benefits the fight against breast cancer and The Jacqueline M. Wilentz Comprehensive Breast Center at Monmouth Medical Center. It features a show and sale of investment quality antiques and art from exhibitors that come from as far away as New Orleans and a garden tour of fine homes in Red Bank. The 3 day event is held on the second weekend in June.

Summer Sidewalk Sale: Red Bank’s Sidewalk Sale was held for the first time in 1954 and it has been going strong ever since. It takes place at the end of summer on the last weekend in July. With all of the quality shops and boutiques that are a part of this community, this has to be a rare treat. I wonder if Tiffany’s puts things out for sale on the sidewalk?

In terms of comparisons, Red Bank does not have tons of choices when it comes to accommodations. Downtown there are only 2 inns; The Oyster Point Hotel and the Molly Pitcher, which are both owned by the same company. For more choices you might have to make a short trip across the Navesink River to Middletown or out to the Garden State Parkway a few miles out of town. For a boutique hotel or a bed and breakfast in Red Bank, unfortunately there aren’t any, but you can take a 7 mile trip to Highlands or Atlantic Highlands and most likely find something suitable. Our choice is the chic boutique hotel called the Blue Bay Inn that’s about 15 minutes from downtown. In other ways however, Red Bank offers a level of sophistication in dining and in shopping that you’ll be hard pressed to find in other parts of the state. New Jersey doesn’t have many towns with a Tiffany’s, but Red Bank is one of them.

Our other choices for great New Jersey Getaways are:

Ocean Grove, New Jersey
Red Bank, New Jersey
Lambertville, New Jersey
Wildwood, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Cape May, New Jersey
Ocean City, New Jersey
Spring Lake, New Jersey
Long Beach Island, New Jersey
Vernon, New Jersey

Shown in the photo above is a view of Red Bank and the Navesink River. It is a photograph from Wikipedia from this page.