From shopping at cute boutiques to grabbing a bite at a mom-and-pop café or ice cream spot, we love our New Jersey downtowns. Three of our favorites just landed on a list of America’s Most Charming Main Streets, according to Mixbook, a site that creates custom photo books. Members of the site polled 3,000 experienced travelers to determine the 100 most picturesque main street areas in America.
Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair placed 21st on the list, the first town in New Jersey to be cited. Aside from all of the shops and restaurants – like Kreme & Krumbs for ice cream, New Creations Barbershop, Connie’s Vintage Trunk, GB Art Gallery and Crockett’s Fish Fry, this vibrant downtown is also home to the Montclair Art Museum, Wellmont Theater and Vanguard Theater Company. Montclair History Center offers historical walking tours, or eat your way through town on a Walk.Talk.Taste tour. The Montclair Jazz Festival is a huge draw every fall, too.
Bridge Street in Lambertville – No. 49 on the list – takes you to the beautiful waterfront along the Delaware River. Before walking across the bridge to New Hope, pop into Sandy’s Scoops for a cone or More Than Q for some ribs. Look out for the Lambertville Historical Railroad Marker, look at beautiful art at Ten One Gallery, and pick up a gift for yourself at Heart of the Home Gift Shop. Every year the town celebrates Shad Fest, when the fish comes back from the Atlantic Ocean to spawn in the river before returning home; that took place this past weekend.
No. 61 Washington Street in Cape May looks like it’s straight out of a Hallmark movie with its colorful Victorian homes. You could spend all day shopping in the mall area or hanging at the beach. The Cape May Lighthouse and Emlen Physick Estate (the current exhibition is on ice cream) are both a short drive away. The Exit Zero Music Festival happens annually and the Cape May Music Festival is coming up on May 26, plus there is a lineup of events at convention hall throughout the year.
The Top 10 Most Charming Main Streets in America:
1. King Street, Charleston, SC
2. Main Street, Lake Placid, NY
3. Main Street, Beacon, NY
4. Main Street, Montpelier, VT
5. E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL
6. Broughton Street, Savannah, GA
7. King Street, Alexandria, VA
8. Broadway Street/Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, NC
9. Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs, MO
10. Main Street, Eureka Springs, AR
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Read More:
These Are The Best Places to Visit in NJ, According to Travel & Leisure
These Two New Jersey Towns Were Named Top Enchanting Towns in the Northeast
