Tag Archives: Professor Warren Watrel

Ocean City Historical Museum 1735 Simpson Avenue Ocean City, NJ 08226

Don’t miss this interesting museum tucked in the back of the Ocean City Library. The Grace Kelly exhibition is really interesting.

The front of the museum

The Grace Kelly exhibition

Grace Kelly exhibit

The main gallery of the museum

jwatrel's avatarVisiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical

Ocean City Historical Museum

1735 Simpson Avenue

Ocean City, MD 08226

(609) 339-1801

https://www.ocnjmuseum.org/

https://www.facebook.com/ocnjmuseum/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46696-d15122158-Reviews-Ocean_City_Historical_Museum-Ocean_City_Cape_May_County_New_Jersey.html

The entrance to the museum is inside the Municipal Building and Library 1735 Simpson Avenue

I made a trip to many of the beach towns at the Jersey Shore recently visiting the small historical societies that explain the history and development of these small towns. It is amazing to see how they have developed in just 150 years from Native American fishing villages to thriving vacation spots and permanent residential districts. Ocean City, NJ itself has an interesting history.

As you enter the museum from the back of the library, you are warmly greeted by a docent who will explain the museum to you. Then you will follow a semicircle through the exhibitions in a genealogical order from when the town was founded to modern times and events.

The first…

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Sea Isle City Museum 4800 Central Avenue Sea Isle, NJ 08243

Don’t miss this interesting little museum in Sea Isle City, NJ

Don’t miss the Sea Isle City Historical Society Museum

jwatrel's avatarVisiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical

Sea Isle Museum

4800 Central Avenue

Sea Isle, NJ 08243

(609) 263-2992

https://www.facebook.com/Sea-Isle-City-Historical-Museum-326332320746077/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46807-d10452863-Reviews-Sea_Isle_City_Historical_Museum-Sea_Isle_City_Cape_May_County_New_Jersey.html

The Sea Isle City Museum is located inside the Sea Isle Library at 4800 Central Avenue just off Downtown Sea Isle City, NJ

On a recent trip of touring the small towns of the Jersey shore, I set out to visiting many of the historical societies that tell the histories of these towns and how they have progressed from small Native American fishing villages to the resort and residential towns of today. Each of these museum has their own unique focus to how they tell their story.

The Sea Isle City Museum at 4800 Central Avenue is located in the back of the Municipal Building right next to the Sea Isle City Library. This small museum that is manned by volunteers is packed with local historical artifacts, pictures and exhibitions…

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Johnson’s Popcorn 1360 Broadway Ocean City, NJ 08226

Don’t miss Johnson’s Popcorn at either their Ocean City, NJ or Wildwood, NJ locations for the best popcorn.

Both their Caramel corn and their Cheddar Cheese corn are wonderful!

A combination of the Cheddar and Caramel popcorns are the best

The Johnson’s Popcorn Gift store next to the main store

jwatrel's avatarLittle Shop on Main Street

Johnson’s Popcorn

1360 Broadway

Ocean City, NJ 08226

(609) 368-5404

https://johnsonspopcorn.com/

https://www.facebook.com/johnsonspopcorn/

Open: Sunday-Thursday 9:30am-5:00pm/Friday-Saturday 9:30am-9:00pm

Check website for Seasonality

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46696-d4762196-Reviews-Johnson_s_Popcorn-Ocean_City_Cape_May_County_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Johnson’s Popcorn at 1360 Boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ

Taking a trip down the Jersey Shore is always fun especially on a late summer afternoon during the week when there are not too many people around and you have the whole Boardwalk to yourself. When I arrived at the Ocean City, NJ Boardwalk, it was mostly locals walking around, enjoying the sunny afternoon jogging, power walking and conversing with neighbors. You could see it was a tightknit group on the Boardwalk that day.

I have been coming to Ocean City, NJ only recently staying the night six years ago when I thought I might have a job close by. I started to explore the shore towns and made Ocean City my headquarters for that trip…

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Franconi’s Pizzeria & Ristorante On the Corner of Oak Avenue & The Boardwalk Wildwood, NJ 08260

Don’t the wonderful meals at Franconi’s on the Wildwood, NJ boardwalk.

Who welcomes you better at the Jersey shore but Franconi’s!

Franconi’s spot on the Wildwood Boardwalk.

Their excellent Breakfast specials during the Firemen’s Convention.

jwatrel's avatarLittle Shop on Main Street

Franconi’s Pizzeria & Ristorante

On the Corner of Oak Avenue & The Boardwalk

Wildwood, NJ 08260

(609) 522-2800

https://wildwood.orderfranconispizzeria.com/

Open: Please check website for Seaonality

Sunday & Monday 10:00am-10:00pm/Tuesday-Thursday 5:00pm-10:00pm/Saturday 10:00am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46931-d4441386-Reviews-Franconi_s_Pizzeria_Ristorante-Wildwood_Cape_May_County_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

Sometimes there are just establishments that don’t fit into the traditional mold of this blog but when I find one that stands out it really makes it special. There is something about the boardwalk businesses at the Jersey shore that just different. Maybe it is just the sites and smells or just the combination with the sea air and the beautiful weather with the aroma of good food. This is how Franconi’s Pizzeria & Ristorante on the corner of Oak Avenue & the Boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ makes your mouth water.

Franconi’s Pizzeria & Ristorante at Oak Avenue and the Boardwalk

The one thing I have to say about the staff at Franconi’s is…

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Stone Harbor Museum 9410 Second Avenue Stone Harbor, NJ 08247

Don’t miss the Stone Harbor Museum with its interesting exhibitions.

Don’t miss this interesting museum at the Jersey shore.

jwatrel's avatarVisiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical

Stone Harbor Museum

9410 Second Avenue

Stone Harbor, NJ 08247

(609) 368-7500

Home

https://www.facebook.com/stoneharbormuseum/

My review on TripAdvisor”

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46850-d12832764-Reviews-Stone_Harbor_Museum-Stone_Harbor_Cape_May_County_New_Jersey.html

The entrance to the Stone Harbor Museum at 9410 Second Avenue

On a recent trip to the Jersey Shore, I took an long drive down the coastline visiting small historical museums of the shore towns and they gave me an interesting perspective of how these towns were developed from the time of Native American fishing and hunting villages to the advent of railroads and Victorian hotels to the modern development of the town today. Stone Harbor, NJ has had an interesting path since its development in the late 1800’s.

The Stone Harbor Museum was founded in 1996 by a group of involved residents who wanted to showcase their town’s history. The current museum was opened in 2016 and has many different exhibitions going on, some permanent and others are seasonal and…

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Lucky’s Famous Burgers 370 West 52nd Street New York, NY 10019

Don’t miss this great place for burgers, fries and chicken sandwiches in Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan.

The Lucky Cheeseburger Combo (Number One Special Meal)

The Chicken Fingers Meal (Number Six Special Meal)

The food and service are excellent!

The fries are really good too!

jwatrel's avatarDining on a Shoestring in the New York City area and beyond.

Lucky’s Famous Burgers

370 West 52nd Street

New York, NY 10019

(212) 247-6717

https://www.luckysfamousburgers.com/

https://www.facebook.com/luckysfamousburgers/

Open: Sunday-Wednesday 11:00am-1:00am/Thursday 11:00am-3:00am/Friday-Saturday 11:00am-4:30am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d946855-Reviews-Lucky_s_Famous_Burgers-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Lucky’s Famous Burgers at 370 West 52nd Street

I came across Lucky’s Famous Burgers while walking the Hell’s Kitchen/Clinton neighborhood for my blog, “MywalkinManhattan.com” and thought it looked like a nice little neighborhood restaurant. It is an excellent combination of food, atmosphere and good customer service. For a burger place, I thought the food was excellent and the portion sizes were really fair.

They have a nice selection of combination meals on the menu to choose from and after walking all day long I was starved. I settled for the Lucky’s Original Special with French Fries and a Boylan’s Black Cherry Soda from the fountain. That was a real treat because I love their sodas and you don’t see them on the fountain too much…

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Foliage Paradise 113-115 West 28th Street New York, NY 10001

Don’t miss this trip to the tropics in Manhattan.

 

Don’t miss the beautiful orchid display at Foliage Paradise at 113-115 West 28th Street.

jwatrel's avatarLittle Shop on Main Street

Foliage Paradise

113-115 West 28th Street

New York, NY 10001

(212) 675-9696/(212) 206-8461

Open: Sunday-Saturday 6:30am-5:30pm

Home

https://www.facebook.com/FoliageParadise/

The Flower District is alive and well in the Chelsea neighborhood although it has gotten a lot smaller in the last twenty years. Rezoned for residential and commercial in a new way, most of the lower part of Sixth Avenue from West 34th to West 23rd Streets has changed dramatically with new residential high rises being built along the avenue. Still on the side streets, small ‘Mom & Pop” businesses still thrive making this area a haven for fresh cut flowers, potted plants, garden equipment & accessories and many floral gifts and arrangements.

Foliage Paradise at 113-115 West 28th Street in the heart of the “Flower District”

https://www.instagram.com/foliageparadise/?hl=en

What I liked about Foliage Paradise is the welcoming you get by just looking in the front window and seeing all the colorful orchids…

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EA Dumplings (formerly called DiDi Dumplings) 34 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10010

Don’t miss this wonderful little dumpling shop in the Kips Bay neighborhood in Manhattan.

It’s now called EA Dumplings.

https://eadumpling.com

The inside of the restaurant after the renovations

The Dumplings are excellent!

jwatrel's avatarDining on a Shoestring in the New York City area and beyond.

DiDi Dumpling

38 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10010

(212) 466-6618

https://www.dididumplingny.com/menu

Open: Sunday Closed/ Monday-Saturday 11:00am-8:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d4460001-Reviews-Di_Di_Dumpling-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

DiDi Dumpling at 38 Lexington Avenue

I came across this wonderful little dumpling and lo mein shop when I was walking around Kips Bay for my blog, “MywalkinManhattan.com”. I had not had the chance to try the restaurant on those trips to the neighborhood but tried it recently and was thrilled by the food and service of this family owned shop. The food and the service were both excellent.

The Combination Platters are a great deal for lunch

The pot stickers and lo mien combination is so reasonable and the portion sizes are very generous. The pot stickers were pan-fried and crisp on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside.

The dumplings and pot stickers that I tried on my first two trips were filled with…

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Milanes Restaurant 168 West 25th Street New York, NY 10001 (Closed June 2022)

*Milanes Restaurant closed for business in June 2022. I stopped by to see if the hours had changed and there is a “For Rent” sign on the business. It is too bad because the food was excellent and very reasonably priced. The owners were also super nice.

jwatrel's avatarDining on a Shoestring in the New York City area and beyond.

Milanes Restaurant

168 West 25th Street

New York, NY 10001

(212) 243-9797

http://milanesnyc.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Spanish-Restaurant/Milanes-Spanish-Restaurant-549954651704145/

Open: Sunday Closed/Monday-Saturday 6:30am-6:30pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d1902938-Reviews-Milanes_Spanish_Restaurant-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Sometimes you just stumble across a restaurant when you are walking down a street that catches your attention. That is how I felt when I was staying in Manhattan for Spring Break from school and was staying at the Sheraton Four Points a few doors down from Milanes Restaurant.

I saw how reasonable the restaurant was and the nice selection of dishes for breakfast and lunch. This Spanish restaurant has a Dominican influence in its cooking from it owners and chefs.

I stopped in for breakfast after seeing the menu and had never had a Dominican Breakfast before. My selection though ended up being very American with me ordering two breakfasts. I had an order of French Toast which was two very thick slices of bread dipped…

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Little Pie Company 424 West 43rd Street New York, NY 10036

Every neighborhood in Manhattan should have such a wonderful little bake shop like Little Pie Company.

Don’t miss this excellent bakery located in the Hell’s Kitchen/Clinton neighborhood of Manhattan.

The front of the Little Pie Company at 424 West 43rd Street.

Don’t miss the Triple Berry Lattice pie. It is excellent!

The Peach Lattice Pie is delicious too when it is in season

jwatrel's avatarLittle Shop on Main Street

Little Pie Company

424 West 43rd Street

New York, NY 10036

(212) 736-4780

https://www.facebook.com/LittlePieCompany/

Open: Sunday 10:00am-6:00pm/Monday-Tuesday 9:00am-6:00pm/Wednesday-Friday 9:00am-8:00pm/Saturday 10:00am-8:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d1008105-Reviews-Little_Pie_Company-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

There are some stores in New York City that just stand out for their uniqueness because of the product they sell or their history with the City or both. Little Pie Company is one of those stores.

I had heard of the store since its opening years ago and had never visited it. When I was walking the Hell’s Kitchen/Clinton neighborhood for my blog, “MywalkinManhattan.com”, I finally came across this friendly little pie shop just off the Theater District. Since I remembered that the founder was a actor who was trying to earn money while he was in between jobs I thought it was fitting for its location.

Since COVID, the pies are now individually wrapped for purchase and did not come just out…

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