CAPE MAY LIGHTHOUSE

We asked readers for their favorite fun spots, food and drink, places to shop, stroll and more. Read on for the results of our survey of the best of the Garden State!

Best Vacation Spot
WINNER
Cape May

FINALIST
Long Beach Island

Best Al Fresco Dining Spot
WINNER
Rat’s Restaurant, Hamilton Twp.

FINALIST
Haven Riverfront Restaurant & Bar, Edgewater

Favorite Salon

DEPASQUALE THE SPA

WINNER
Depasquale The Spa, Morris Plains

FINALIST
Hair Salon Body & Soul, New Providence

Favorite Hotel

HOTEL LBI

WINNER
Hotel LBI, Ship Bottom

FINALIST
Wave Resort, Long Branch

Fun in New Jersey

Favorite Tri-State Snowtubing/Skiing Spot

MOUNTAIN CREEK

WINNER
Mountain Creek, Vernon Twp.

FINALIST
Shawnee Mountain, East Stroudsburg, PA

Favorite Kids Party Venue

URBAN AIR

WINNER
Urban Air, multiple locations

FINALIST
Medieval Times, Lyndhurst

Favorite Lake

LAKE HOPATCONG

WINNER
Lake Hopatcong

FINALIST
Lake Lenape

Best Nature Center
WINNER
Tenafly Nature Center, Tenafly

FINALIST
New Jersey Botanical Garden, Ringwood

Favorite Boardwalk
WINNER
Jenkinson’s Boardwalk, Point Pleasant Beach

FINALIST
Asbury Park Boardwalk, Asbury Park

Prettiest Garden

GREENWOOD GARDENS

WINNER
Greenwood Gardens, Millburn

FINALIST
Duke Farms, Hillsborough Twp.

Best National Park
WINNER
Paterson Great Falls National Historic Park, Paterson

FINALIST
Gateway National Recreation Area, Sandy Hook

Favorite NJ Landmark

WINNER
Cape May Lighthouse, Cape May

FINALIST
The Hermitage, Ho-Ho-Kus

Best Rock Gym/Ninja Warrior Gym
WINNER
Gravity Vault, multiple locations

FINALIST
High Exposure Rock Climbing, Ninja Warrior & Parkour, Northvale

Favorite Hiking Spot
WINNER
Stokes State Forest, Sandyston Twp.

FINALIST
Stairway to Heaven Trail, Vernon

Most Fun Night Out
WINNER
Bury The Hatchet, multiple locations

FINALIST
Top Golf, Edison + Mt. Laurel

Favorite Beach
WINNER
Ocean City

FINALIST
Wildwood

Best Zoo
WINNER
Turtle Back Zoo, West Orange

FINALIST
Cape May County Park & Zoo, Cape May Court House

Best Amusement Park
WINNER
Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson Twp.

FINALIST
Nickelodeon Universe, East Rutherford

Best Indoor Play Place
WINNER
iPlay America, Freehold

FINALIST
Sky Zone, Multiple locations

Best Kept Secret for a Family Afternoon Out
WINNER
The Gardens of Wyckoff, Wyckoff

FINALIST
New York Society of Model Engineers Model Train Museum, Carlstadt

Favorite Aquarium

ADVENTURE AQUARIUM

WINNER
Adventure Aquarium, Camden

FINALIST
Jenkinson’s Aquarium, Point Pleasant Beach

Favorite Museum

LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER

WINNER
Liberty Science Center, Jersey City

FINALIST
The Newark Museum of Art, Newark

Best Kid-Free Getaway

CRYSTAL SPRINGS RESORT

WINNER
Crystal Springs, Hamburg

FINALIST
Atlantic City

Best Party Planner

CREATIVE TWIST

WINNER
Creative Twist, Metuchen

FINALIST
An Affair to Remember Weddings & Events

Shopping + Services

Best Children’s Book Shop
WINNER
The Little Boho Bookshop, Bayonne

FINALIST
The Curious Reader, Glen Rock

Best Indie Book Shop
WINNER
Bookends, Ridgewood

FINALIST
Town Book Store, Westfield

Best Children’s Clothing Store

RED BALLOON

WINNER
The Red Balloon, Summit

FINALIST
Small Wonders, Wyckoff

Best Women’s Boutique
WINNER
Envy by Melissa Gorga, Ridgewood

FINALIST
South Moon Under, Woodcliff Lake

Best Men’s Clothing Store
WINNER
Tessuto, Somerville

FINALIST
Sal Lauretta for Men, Midland Park

Best Paint/Craft Place
WINNER
Board & Brush, multiple locations

FINALIST
Tipsy Tie Dye, Hoboken

Home Decor Store
WINNER
The Farmhouse Store, Westfield

FINALIST
Homestead Princeton, Princeton

Best Florist
WINNER
Family Florist & Gifts, Budd Lake

FINALIST
Sunnywoods Florist, Chatham

Best Home Remodeler
WINNER
Made Anew Home Remodeling, Hamilton

FINALIST
Torbilt Construction, New Providence

Best Senior Living Community
WINNER
Sunrise Senior Living, multiple locations

FINALIST
Christian Health, Wyckoff

Best Wedding Venue

THE MANOR

WINNER
The Manor, West Orange

FINALIST
The Park Savoy Estate, Florham Park

Best Farm
WINNER
Ort Farms, Long Valley

FINALIST
Terhune Orchards, Princeton

Best Downtown
WINNER
Red Bank

FINALISTS
Ridgewood
(tie)
Somerville

Best Equestrian Center
WINNER
Saddle Ridge Riding Center, Franklin Lakes

FINALIST
Essex Equestrian Center, West Orange

Best Vet Hospital
WINNER
Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, Red Bank

FINALIST
Black River Veterinary Hospital, Chester

Best Pet Store
WINNER
Faux Paws Wholesome Pet Shop, Summit

FINALIST
Concord Pet Foods, multiple locations

NJ Charity We Need to Know About
WINNER
Parents of Autistic Children POAC, Brick

FINALIST
Moms Helping Moms Foundation, Warren

Favorite Gym
WINNER
Life Time, Multiple locations

FINALIST
The Bar Method, Multiple locations

Best Outlet Mall
WINNER
Bergen Town Center, Paramus

FINALIST
Jersey Shore Premium Outlets, Tinton Falls

Best Mall
WINNER
Westfield Garden State Plaza, Paramus

FINALIST
Bridgewater Commons, Bridgewater Twp.

Best Plastic Surgeon
WINNER
The Peer Group for Plastic Surgery, Florham Park

FINALIST
Beverly Friedlander, MD, Short Hills

Best Blowout
WINNER
DryBar, multiple locations

FINALIST
Blo Blow Dry Bar, Franklin Lakes

Best Lash Studio
WINNER
Lure Lash, multiple locations

FINALIST
Deka Lash, Franklin Lakes

Best Spa

SOJO SPA

WINNER
SoJo Spa Club, Edgewater

FINALIST
Fountain Spa, Hackensack + Ramsey

Food + Drink

Best Burger
WINNER
Maggie’s Town Tavern, Wayne + Little Falls

FINALIST
The Committed Pig, multiple locations

Most Delish Deli
WINNER
Vito’s Deli, Hoboken

FINALIST
Lakeside Deli, Verona

Best Hot Dog
WINNER
Rutt’s Hut, Clifton

FINALIST
WindMill, multiple locations

Best Sub Sandwich
WINNER
Tastee Sub Shop
Edison

FINALIST
Cosmo’s Italian Salumeria, Hackensack

Best Pizza
WINNER
Santillo’s Brick Oven Pizza, Elizabeth

FINALIST
Kinchley’s Tavern, Ramsey

Best Bakery

SOOK PASTRY

WINNER
Sook Pastry, Ridgewood

FINALIST
Bovella’s, Springfield + Mountainside

Favorite Diner
WINNER
Tops Diner, East Newark

FINALIST
Westfield Diner, Westfield

Best Brewery
WINNER
Iron Hill, Maple Shade

FINALIST
Triumph Brewing Company, multiple locations

Best Winery

BENEDUCE VINEYARDS

WINNER
Beneduce Vineyards, Pittstown

FINALIST
Laurita Winery, New Egypt

Best Farm to Table
WINNER
Ninety Acres at Natirar, Peapack-Gladstone

FINALIST
D’floret, Lambertville

Best Doughnuts
WINNER
Broad Street Dough Co., Oakhurst + Freehold

FINALISTS
Duck Donuts, multiple locations
(tie)
Top That! Donuts, Point Pleasant Beach + Rutherford

Best Place to Get a Pork Roll/Taylor Ham
WINNER
Johnny’s Pork Roll and Coffee Too, Red Bank

FINALIST
Big Al’s Hometown Deli, Linden

Tastiest Cookies
WINNER
The Cookie Connect, multiple locations

FINALIST
Crumbl Cookies, multiple locations

Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant
WINNER
Chimney Rock Inn, multiple locations

FINALISTS
The Pop Shop, Collingswood + Medford
(tie)
Rainforest Cafe, Edison

Best Ice Cream
WINNER
Van Dyk’s Homemade Ice Cream, Ridgewood

FINALISTS
Holsten’s Brookdale Confectionary, Bloomfield
(tie)
Hoffman’s Ice Cream, Spring Lake + Point Pleasant

Best Date Night

ANTHONY CARRINO/BATTELLO

WINNER
Battello, Jersey City

FINALISTS
Elysian Cafe, Hoboken

Best Place to Have a Cocktail
WINNER
Watermark, Asbury Park

FINALIST
Charlie’s of Bay Head, Bay Head

Best Bagels
WINNER
Bagel Chateau, Westfield

FINALISTS
Bagel Nosh, Franklin Lakes
(tie)
The Bagel Nook, Freehold + Princeton

Best Brunch

WILLOW & WHISK

WINNER
Willow & Whisk, Wyckoff

FINALISTS
Le Peep, Edison
(tie)
Raymond’s, Montclair + Ridgewood

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