Victorian Vignette
The evolution of the bathroom during Victorian times
American Victorian bathroom facilities were modernizing as the 19th century turned into the first decades of the 20th, and they also reflected a clear divide in comfort and convenience between the rich and the less well off. Most Americans of the 19th century did not have a dedicated bathroom and […]
Featured Shop
Thread and Root
While shopping seems to be a love language between many mothers and daughters, Barbara and daughter Leah Kelleher have taken things to a new level. The duo launched Thread and Root, a clothing boutique with locations in Cape May Court House and Cape May, in November 2019. “I graduated college […]
Wish You Were Here
Leaping into the Past
As we enter another leap year in 2024, according to Irish folklore, we ladies are encouraged to pursue a man with urgency and integrity! This anachronic tradition on Leap Day known as “Bachelor’s Day” originally allowed for women to propose to men during a time with much stricter patriarchal social […]
Brit's Eye View
Ducks and Geese
Over the years I always lived in West Cape May, or south of the canal. And I believed people should need a passport to come over either of the two bridges that cross the canal—and that is from an Englishman. Now I live in “north” Jersey, north of the canal […]
Interior Motives
Design to Make You Happy
Here’s some regrettable news: according to fashion sources like Vogue and InStyle, skinny jeans are making a comeback. If that news has you bracing yourself for the inevitable and recurring shimmy that’s required when wearing skin-skimming jeans, we have better news for you: you don’t have to follow this or […]
Design in Bloom
A Matter of Principles
The best gardens don’t just happen by accident. They are carefully and systematically designed and thought out. When you visit one, you immediately recognize the difference. Many gardeners never have a plan. They buy what appeals to them but what they end up with is simply a collection of plants. […]
Artisans Corner
Kathy Mahon: Hook and Needle Knits
At this time of year, at least here in the coastal mid-Atlantic region, the weather vacillates from not quite dead-of-winter to damp-but-not-quite-warm. The quickest way to warm up—and to look stylish doing it—is to toss on a scarf or shawl. Just ask Kathy Mahon, proprietor and head crocheter of Hook […]
The Islander
Carol Sabo
In a political landscape where convictions vary drastically and the mere mention of an elected official’s name can spark discord, residents of West Cape May speak of their mayor, Carol Sabo, with fondness and respect. Her years of education and work in the fields of sociology and advocacy have made […]
Dining Out
Taco Caballito Tequileria
On a chilly windy evening in December, my pal Agnes and I wandered into Taco Caballito Tequileria (meaning “establishment that serves tequila”) looking for warmth and sustenance. We opted to dine upstairs on the porch, which was enclosed and heated. There are other seating options upstairs and down, either at […]
Preserved Property
809 Kearney Street
One of Cape May’s enduring attractions is its sense of mystery. Tales of pirates along the coast, ghosts in the eaves, and foreign spies having dinner in town give the city an enigmatic vibe that locals and visitors love to embrace. That mystery also extends to many local historic properties. […]
Feature
Reading Terminal Market
No trip to Philadelphia is complete without a stop at the Reading Terminal Market. This grand dame of public bazaars—a Philly stalwart for well over a century—has 76 merchant stands, including butchers, bakers, fishmongers, poulterers, plus a handful of boutiques and specialty shops. Mostly, though, it’s about the food. The […]
Feature
From the Ground Up: The Journey to Cape May’s New Firehouse
How a community initiative came to life, start to finish.
Prime Selections
Take Comfort
Comfort food: two words that immediately conjure up something specific in everyone’s mind—but not likely the same something. It turns out comfort food is a very personal thing. It’s food that makes you feel better (at least temporarily) and is associated with fond memories. Some people think of hamburgers and […]
Recipes
Pappardelle with Mushroom Ragout
This recipe appears in Legalize Marinara in our Early Spring 2024 issue.
Try This at Home
Legalize Marinara: Pairing Pasta Shapes and Sauces
“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” Federico Fellini The journey of grains of wheat to a bowl of pasta is one of the great mysteries of this world. In the modern culinary universe, an abundance of unique and exotic ingredients is easily accessible and promotes creativity for the […]
Sound Waves
Kenneth Richardson’s Ease with Keys
Cape May is filled with hidden gems. Its relaxed, beachy outward appearance is humble–but don’t be fooled. We have many talented and impressive players along our coast. One player, pianist Kenneth Richardson, has made some significant sonic waves throughout his career. The tides of his musical journey eventually docked him […]
Nature
Birds Do It, Bees Do It
As we exit the winter’s cold grip and get ready to move into spring’s warm embrace, love is all around us. In some cases, it has been all along, with birds such as Great-horned Owls already rearing young preparing to fledge the nest. But in most cases, now is the […]
Architectural Observations
The Holiday House: 644 Hughes Street
Deep in the heart of Cape May, on one of the city’s oldest roads, a house stands apart from the rest of the neighborhood. While a few buildings on this street may offer guest lodging today, all but one have apparent histories as single-family residences. Only the Holiday House on […]
Be Our Guest
The Virginia
It was a hat-and-gloves kind of day, bright but cold, when I visited The Virginia Hotel on Jackson Street. But just like that, as I walked through the cherry-red front doors, it was all about the warmth. It started at the reception desk, with a warm hello from the staffers […]
Grape & Grain
Gusto Brewing Company
Recently, on one of those cool and squally days that our beloved Jersey Cape is known for in winter, I sought warmth and comfort in a local craft beer experience. As this is not an uncommon refuge for me regardless of season, I knew my choice of local microbreweries summed […]