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Surfing the Seasons
Fickle Surf breaks create a more dedicated community of surfers in Cape May NJ
by Ryan Gallagher
Brit's Eye View
Cape May’s birding history
As I have got older in life, I have begun to realize just what an impact our history has on shaping how we act and think, even today in this era of information. Although America is a young country, it has quite a rich history in regard to birds. When […]
Beach Reads
Review: The Sound of Wings by Suzanne Simonetti
Just as the monarch butterflies float through the Cape May skies during migration season, monarchs are found in many chapters of The Sound of Wings. This story is told from the perspective of three Cape May women who are all at various stages in their lives. Although at first the […]
Architectural Observations
Wawa turned real estate office
Though the look and feel—and, perhaps the hoagies—of Wawas along the East Coast have changed over time, the one that once stood at the gravitational center of town represented the original archetype of this east coast convenience store. Nevertheless, the building at 502 Bank Street now boasts a drastically different […]
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Heads of the Glass: Colorful Artistry in Cape May
Life in the Glass Lane As far back as he can remember, Christopher Michalek has been an artist. But working with stained glass has changed his life. His father, the late Mike Michalek, was a local porcelain artist who displayed his work throughout New Jersey. “My Dad turned me on […]
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A Village within a City
Village Greene passes 50 years old…but who is counting or even thinking about this mid-century modern subdivision designed to bring people into Cape May following the 1962 Nor’easter? The front page of the April 29, 1965 Cape May Star and Wave features a photograph of the key players at the […]
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Let the Music Play: Exit Zero Jazz Festival in the time of COVID
Prologue Upon my arrival in Cape May in 2014 I learned of the Exit Zero Jazz Festival, produced by Michael Kline’s Spy Boy Productions. I immediately offered volunteer sweat equity in exchange for an opportunity to experience all the festival had to offer. I’ve worked it each year since the […]
Design in Bloom
Finding holiday greenery in your own backyard
Decorating with greenery is one of the oldest holiday traditions on Earth, but in the northern United States, it didn’t become commonplace until the 1800s. Not surprisingly, varieties of greenery used varied by region. Today, the materials available, either at your local garden center or on the internet are seemingly […]
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Cape May MAC at 50: What Comes Next?
Without any of the planned fanfare, without an in-person celebration, without the acknowledgement it surely deserved, Cape May MAC marked its 50-year anniversary.
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To B&B or not to B&B …that is the question
Definition: A bed and breakfast (B&B) inn is defined as a private residence that offers sleeping accommodations to lodgers in 14 or fewer rooms for rent, is the innkeeper’s principal residence while renting rooms, and serves breakfast at no extra cost. One of my favorite things about this job is […]
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Fifty Years of Family
The Montreal Beach Resort celebrates five decades and three generations of a family enterprise
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Beneath the Surface: The story of the SS Atlantus
How the tenuous notion of a concrete ship went on to become one of Cape May’s most iconic landmarks.
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Bound by Family and Faith: The Story of the Allen A.M.E. Church
When two or more African American women are gathered together in Cape May, they almost immediately start talking about their cousins. In fact, they probably are cousins. They might be second cousins twice removed, or first cousins on their grandmothers’ side, or they might actually be aunts and nieces. But […]
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In the service of The Queen
The Queen Victoria on Ocean Street may well be the most authentic of the bed and breakfast inns in Cape May. Built in 1881 by Douglas Gregory, a river pilot, today it stands as a shining example of Victorian architecture. Originally the Gregory home, the house was sold on May […]
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Harvest Season is Crush Time
It’s harvest time, the big sink-or-swim moment where winemakers learn if Mother Nature’s been good to them. Local wineries kick into high gear starting in late August, when the literal fruit of the year’s labor is picked, crushed, fermented, bottled, and finally enjoyed. Harvest time means all hands on deck […]
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Your friend, Charlie
When Kathy Brand wanted to teach her sixth grade class about World War II, she called out the army—literally. In the early 1990s, as the Canton, Ohio special-needs educator prepared her lesson plan, she learned that the U.S. Army’s 69th Infantry Division was planning a reunion in Cincinnati. Brand arranged […]