Virtual Tour of Frenchtown

Porch on Victorian House in Frenchtown NJ Welcome to Frenchtown!

This is my hometown and I am very proud of it. I want to show you some of my favorite things about this wonderful place on the Delaware River, halfway between Philly and New York. Frenchtown is living proof that first impressions can be very wrong. New Jersey gets a bad rap because people think the whole state looks like the ugly industrial landscape you see when you fly into Newark. New Jersey is much more complex, richer and beautiful than most people think. Frenchtown is the anti-Jersey stereotype.

This charming Victorian home is a great example of what makes Frenchtown special. Along the streets north of Second Street, the trees grow strong and tall around the homes that line both sides of the street. They make for wonderful light and cool summer days. I took this shot one day when I was walking back home from the I.G.A. on Sixth Street.

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Delaware River in Frenchtown NJ

Frenchtown NJ, a smart, laid back little village on the Delaware River:

Water is a calming agent. To escape, we often gravitate to the shore of some large body of water. The gentle or torrid movements of water against a body of land mesmerizes us. In New Jersey, we have two shores, The Jersey Shore, that everyone goes to, and the Other Jersey shore, the Delaware River, that Frenchtown rests upon. No, this shore does not have carnival rides, or gambling casinos, and if it did, those of us who live here would escape for our lives and our sanity. No, this shore is about true relaxation and contemplation, and appreciating the finer things in life, from art and antiques, to books and fine food and wine. Frenchtown and The Other Jersey Shore are something totally different.

Frenchtown NJ Doorways

The Color of a Town:

Shown in the photo is a storefront on Race Street that is part of a line of buildings locally referred to as Cartoon Corner. The owners of the properties in this section have been going at it for years having a “My Building Is Brighter Than Your Building Contest”. With each new paint job, the colors have gotten more and more outrageous. These structures are also some of the oldest in the borough, and show it. In few places on the face of the earth, have buildings settled so strangely and comically. Each one seems to be leaning at an opposite angle from it’s neighbor.

Cartoon Corner is the spiritual center of our “French Town”. Bucks Ice Cream and Coffee Shop is located here and always attracts a large and diverse group of locals and visitors. Next door is located Cycle Corner, formerly Freeman’s Bikes, which adds even more buzz to the spot, as on any warm day, there are cyclists gathered here for a pit stop for a treat or a flat tire. Packed in this same corner are some of the oldest ongoing businesses in town, with a cafe, an art studio and gallery, an antique store, and a clothing boutique.

Shown below is another wider angel view of our town’s unofficial, but crazed Town Square.

Frenchtown NJ Colors

On the Move:

This corner which is so important to town is scheduled for some big changes this year. Pardon My French, and Garbo and Sasha are now moving to a larger space in the Gem Building on the other end of town, and the buildings which are so funky and funny are part of a recent real estate purchase. This corner may not look like this by January of 2006, but we all hope that the character of this spot can be preserved in some manner.

Also pictured in this photo is Stone and Company Antiques, Chisel and Quill, The Race Street Cafe, and Sargent Russell in his bright yellow-orange truck, and appropriately, one of Sarge’s famous Frenchtown towers in the back of the photo.

Frenchtown NJ Mansion

Frenchtown NJ Style and Sophistication:

Our little quirky town on the river is not hectic like New York City, Philadelphia and other metropolitan areas within a short drive, but is characterized by a big city style all of it’s own. Throughout our town you will find country, contemporary, moderne and funky home decor stores scattered throughout our little town.

Walking down our streets, window shopping you’ll also find an art gallery selling original artwork from local and regional artists, and then another gallery selling decorator prints and wildlife art. In our antiques shops and home and garden stores, you’ll find antique and contemporary fine furniture from primitive to Formal and French inspired treasures. In our fine contemporary crafts galleries you’ll find a wide selection of unusual hand crafted items from all over the USA.

Take a day trip to our little town on the river and you’ll be back for a weekend getaway or extended vacation.

You might want to see our other Frenchtown photo-documentary pages:

See our Other Frenchtown Pages: