Atlantic Highlands, NJ – Nestled along the Raritan Bay is the upscale, historic borough of Atlantic Highlands. Visitors will find unique shops and boutiques, relaxing spas, award winning dining and luxury lodging accommodations. It even boasts its own 5-plex cinema and streets that offer plenty of free parking. Home to the largest municipal harbor on the East Coast, Atlantic Highlands offers sportsmen full and half day fishing fleets or private charters. The harbor also features restaurants, gazebos, tennis courts, playgrounds and a new fishing pier.
If you’re planning an overnight stay, the Blue Bay Inn should be at the top of your accommodations list. Located downtown on First Avenue, the Blue Bay Inn is a European style boutique hotel, featuring luxurious rooms and executive apartments and is available for private parties, corporate meetings, weddings and special events. Within walking distance of the Inn there are 12 restaurants, including the invitingly elegant Julia’s, Bella’s French seafood bistro and the award winning Copper Canyon. You’ll also find the First Avenue Playhouse featuring dinner and desert theater options plus a weekly children’s puppet theater,spas, upscale boutiques and the SeaStreak ferry, which offers a 35 minute ride to Manhattan.
One of the highlights of summer in Atlantic Highlands is the annual Fireman’s Fair held July 1-5, complete with carnival games, rides and food and, new this year, nightly live musical entertainment sponsored by the Atlantic Highlands Fireworks Committee (AHFC). Enjoy the spectacular 4th of July fireworks display over the harbor and the 3rd annual boat-decorating contest as part of the festivities. This year’s theme for the contest is “Boats Gone Wild”.
Immediately following the Fair, Atlantic Highlands is excited to offer residents, visitors and commuters a new weekly Farmers’ Market with fresh-from-the-field produce, including seasonal vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers. There will also be a wide variety of delicious homemade products and baked goods, including breads, pastries; Italian specialties such as pasta, fresh mozzarella and focaccias; pickle products including olives, peppers and mushrooms; and honey products. The Farmers’ Market is scheduled to start Friday, July 11 from 2 pm to 8 pm and will be held rain or shine every Friday through October 17 in the parking lot at the end of First Street, at the harbor.
If arts and crafts are your thing, then mark your calendar for August 16th, when the Atlantic Highlands Historical Society will hosts its 36th annual outdoor arts and craft show, featuring approximately 75 fine local crafters and vendors. The event will take place along First Avenue and offers food, children’s activities and musical entertainment.
For visitors looking for other outdoor activities, Atlantic Highlands offers the Lenape Woods Nature Preserve, with approximately 51 acres of beautiful and natural woodlands and freshwater wetlands that are the headwaters to Many Mind Creek. This peaceful natural resource is available from dawn to dusk for hiking, walking, cross-country skiing, bird watching, and nature observation. Located nearby is the historic Twin Lights lighthouses, which are open to the public daily and offers fabulous views of the surrounding shore line and New York City. The Bayshore part of the Henry Hudson Trail, featuring nine miles of paved trail along a former railroad right of way runs from Aberdeen to Atlantic Highlands. The trail is open to walkers, runners, bikers, in-line skaters and equestrians and is maintained by the Monmouth County Parks system. And beach-goers will want to head for Sandy Hook National Park, just a few minutes away by car.
For further information about Atlantic Highlands and summer events around town, visit the Chamber of Commerce site at www.atlantichighlands.org or the town’s site at www.ahnj.com.
