Can’t swing a trip to Europe this year and looking to make the most of a staycation or mini getaway close to home? A new survey shouted out several New Jersey towns for offering international charm close to home.
Turn the Paige Travel surveyed 3,023 travelers about “heritage havens,” which are towns that make you feel like you’re traveling internationally while staying locally. Four New Jersey towns made the list of 140 across the country.
Cape May is the first Garden State town on the list, placing 16th overall. The area is influenced by Eastern European, Scandinavian and Italian cultures thanks to the railroad industry and major Jersey Shore resorts. It was discovered in 1620 by Dutch Captain Cornelius Jacobsen Mey, and was originally spelled “Cape Mey.”
When you visit Emlen Physick Estate, a Victorian house and museum dating back to 1879, you can have lunch at The Carriage House Café & Tearoom. Time spent at Historic Cold Spring Village will take you back to life in the 1800s. Washington Street Mall is filled with quaint cafes, gelato shops, and boutiques that give it European pedestrian-friendly charm.
Lambertville, No. 59 on the list, has deep Celtic roots—Irish immigrants played a major role in constructing the Delaware and Raritan Canal, which helped fuel the town’s early growth.
Today, Lambertville is often called the antique capital of New Jersey, with charming shops and galleries lining its historic streets. Bridge Street Antiques, Antique Haven Lambertville, the Golden Nugget Antique & Flea Market and the Antiques Center at the People’s Store are filled with treasures. You can also shop for artwork from international artists at Artists’ Gallery.
Lambertville Station Restaurant and Inn offers idyllic waterfront dining; Mitchell’s Cafe is part restaurant, part Irish bar, and Chez Alice Patisserie makes amazing French pastries and has tea time.
Jersey City is known for its diverse, eclectic neighborhoods, and its India Square area ranked No. 121. Along Newark Avenue from Tonnelle Avenue to JFK Boulevard, has the most Asian Indians in the Western Hemisphere.
There are so many restaurants to choose from: Bikanervala for its chole bhature, Chennai Dosa Express for Indian pancakes made with lentils and rice, Egg Mania with its egg-based dishes, Hot Bread’s pani puri, and the signature Indian dumpling from Samosa Paradise.
You can pick up snacks and spices at Apna Bazaar, or find beautiful saris and jewelry at Sunanda Kumar (which is owned by three generations of women). You can check the local temples to see if they are open to the public.
Aside from English, you’ll see signs written in Hindi and Gujarati. You can join the public dance and music celebrations for Diwali and Navaratri.
Portugal is the main influence for the Ironbound District of Newark. No. 133 on the list, the area is known as Little Portugal or Little Brazil, with 4 square miles of Portuguese-style tile facades, European cafés, and restaurants serving traditional dishes from the sea.
Get a taste of Iberian life at the annual Portugal Day Festival, or Sol Mar Restaurant & Marisqueria’s yearly seafood festival. Street fairs celebrate with parades, music and dancing. The markets sell goods imported from Europe, including cigars.
There is no shortage of places to eat, with more than 170 restaurants, cafes and bakeries, mostly inspired by Portuguese, Brazilian and Spanish cultures. There are many tapas spots along Ferry Street for small bites, and no shortage of rodizio restaurants, where the waiter brings endless plates of meat directly to your table, until you tell them you’re full. Nastos Ice Cream also bakes old-world desserts.
There are other influences of “Down Neck” too. Its 50,000 residents come from Germany, Lithuania, Italy, Poland, Spain, Central and South America, as well as the Black South of the U.S.
These are the Top 4 sought-after New Jersey destinations with a foreign feel, according to Turn the Paige Travel:
16. Cape May
59. Lambertville
121. India Square section of Jersey City
133. Ironbound section of Newark
These are the Top 5 sought-after U.S. destinations with a foreign feel, according to Turn the Paige Travel:
1. New Orleans (French Quarter), Louisiana
2. Savannah, Georgia
3. San Antonio (Historic District), Texas
4. Sitka, Alaska
5. Sleepy Hollow, New York
Get the latest on the best things to do with your family in and around New Jersey by signing up for our newsletter and following us on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram!
Read More:
Things to Do in Asbury Park
Things to Do in Lambertville
Things to Do in Jersey City
Things to Do in Newark
This Jersey Shore Hotspot is The Coolest City to Visit in NJ, According to The Discoverer
These Are The Most Creative Towns + Neighborhoods in New Jersey
Priceline Says This NJ Town Should Be On Your Vacation Radar
