Summit is a quaint suburban town in northern New Jersey, 25 miles outside NYC. The downtown is very walkable with lots of shops and restaurants. Reeves-Reed Arboretum, a 13.5-acre garden and forest preserve within Summit, makes for a lovely hour or two spent in nature. Right downtown is our local brewery, Bull-n-Bear, which is perfect for a nice pint or two. For some nice hiking/walking, the Watchung Reservation and the Summit Parkline are both great places.

Within 30 minutes or less, there are several things to do and see. For history buffs and fans of Americana, Washington's Headquarters, part of the National Park Service, is 20 minutes away in Morristown. This is where Washington and Continental Army spent the winter of 1789--fun fact, Summit is called the Beacon Hill because it was a watch point in case the British left New York to attack the Americans. Liberty State Park in nearby Jersey City is THE best place for viewing the Statue of Liberty (while officially in NY it is actually much closer to NJ). If you want to visit Liberty Island and Ellis Island you can catch the ferry from Liberty State Park, this option is much faster and far easier than catching the ferry from NYC.

Summit is integrally connected the New York City, or colloquially just the City. You can see part of the Manhattan skyline from parts of town and local trains on the NJ Transit Morris & Essex lines make at least hourly trips into NYPenn Station and Hoboken carrying commuters and pleasure seekers alike. There are endless things to do in the city, here are a few of our favorites: exploring the MET, the MoMA, and the Museum of Natural History; sitting around Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, seeing a performance at the Lincoln Center, walking around Union Square and Washington Square; browsing "18 miles of books" at the Strand; seeing a Broadway show (use TKTS or TodayTix); walking the High Line.

In the summer in Jersey, everyone goes "down the shore." From Sandy Hook all the way down to Cape May, the Jersey Shore is a continuous stream of beach towns and vacationland; however, no two places at the shore are alike. Our favorite day trip options from Summit are Asbury Park/Ocean Grove and Point Pleasant Beach. Asbury Park and Ocean Grove are neighbors and you can walk from one to the other but they have very different vibes. Asbury Park is hip and a little edgy (also pretty LGBTQIA+ friendly) while Ocean Grove is a Victorian Methodist camp complete with houses covered in gingerbread, a huge revival hall, and a tent village straight out of the 1890s that has to be seen to be believed. Point Pleasant is the nearest "Jersey Shore Boardwalk" town with the full experience of amusement rides, shops, and food stands all on the wooden boardwalk overlooking the beach. If you want to travel further, or perhaps spend the night, Ocean City and Cape May are both particularly lovely. FYI: as a rule, beaches and parking are NOT free in NJ. Beach tags must be purchased to get onto the sand--they are unique to each municipality. You can normally buy them at the entrance to the beach.