The Record

From innovative tasting menus to nostalgic red-sauce joints, New Jersey’s culinary landscape is thriving with creativity and ambition. NJ Digest recently spotlighted the top restaurants in the Garden State, each offering a unique dining experience that transcends expectations. Here's a closer look at the top 10 standouts: https://lnkd.in/eguBUUh2 #northjerseynews #newjersey #food

Here in New Jersey, people take parking seriously. It's easy to become territorial over a parking spot. Some residents may find a spot in front of their home taken up by a neighbor's vehicle, preventing them from parking there or simply enjoying the unencumbered view. Seeing an unfamiliar parked car while inside your own home is a mild annoyance, to be sure. But is it illegal? https://lnkd.in/e5xSG8Tq #northjerseynews #newjersey

The Ramsey School District is set to become the first in Bergen County to adopt a complete cellphone lockup system for all students, starting on Jan. 8. The graduated system requires all students to turn off and store their cellphones and personal electronic devices during the school day. Students from kindergarten through fifth grade must store devices in backpacks. Students from sixth to eighth grades must store them in lockers, and high school students will be assigned pouches that will lock in their mobile phones. They will carry the lock pouches with them throughout the school day. https://lnkd.in/e_4pCamv #northjerseynews #newjersey #ramsey

One Morris County town may be in line to vie for the title of "doughnut capital of America." Rockaway Holding Group LLC recently announced that it had signed a 15-year lease for a 125,000-square-foot property on Green Pond Road in Rockaway Township, where it intends to produce "over 1 million donuts a day," a news release said. The company will move from its current 40,000-square-foot bakery in Lodi to expand operations and become "one of the largest donut manufacturing facilities in North America," the statement said. https://lnkd.in/exDzvSnb #northjerseynews #newjersey #food

Featuring chicken nuggets and garlic knots, these Instagram viral sensations pulled 25 million views collectively. https://lnkd.in/eGcjnE3Z #northjerseynews #food #restaurants

As January 2025 begins, let’s look ahead to what we can expect the weather to be like for the month based on historical data and long-term forecasts. In 2024, January snowfall averaged 7 inches statewide, just 0.2 inches below normal, according to the Rutgers NJ Weather Network. This ranks as the 53rd-snowiest January in 130 years of records. https://lnkd.in/eGe7JD6Q #northjerseynews #newsjersey #weather

It's January 1, 2025. You've committed to Dry January, the annual mass abstention from booze, but you've got the day off work, you're making plans to go out and you start thinking, "Would it really be so bad if I started on January 2?" Or maybe you've given up alcohol for good or are just looking to cut down on your total alcohol consumption. Whatever your reasons for seeking out non-alcoholic mocktails, beer, wine and other beverages, there's food news: It's a great time to be sober. There are a handful of spots in North Jersey that go the extra mile to create unique craft mocktails and supplement their beer and wine lists for non-alcoholic options. Here are a few to check out this Dry January and beyond, with some recommendations on to-go non-alcoholic canned drinks at the end. https://lnkd.in/e3K2uC6z #northjerseynews #dryjanuary

Essex County's real estate market officially closed out 2024 with a bang after a lavish Short Hills home sold for a record-breaking price on Dec. 11. And it was sold by the same agents who had set the town's previous priciest home sale record. The luxury estate at 15 Hillside Ave. sold for a cool $8.25 million — up from its original listing price of $7.925 million — making it the overall most expensive single-family home to ever sell in Short Hills history. The property was also the priciest home to sell in Essex County in 2024. https://lnkd.in/eEcRCZTK #northjerseynews #money #realestate

Some were bittersweet, others shocking. Here are the 2024 restaurant closings that shook us the most. https://lnkd.in/eYVgsPFh #northjerseynews #restaurants

Despite having to cope with rising home prices and elevated mortgage rates, many homebuyers across North Jersey were still able to secure a home this past year. And with this, some towns in our region stood out to homebuyers more than others, making them some of the most popular towns to buy a home in 2024. Between their proximity to New York City, the availability of parks and green spaces, the abundance of history and their walkable downtowns, among other things, new residents were drawn to these towns for different reasons. Joel Bergen, Realtor.com's senior economist, compiled a list of the top homebuying ZIP codes for each of the five North Jersey counties in 2024. https://lnkd.in/ei8uarte #northjerseynews #money #realestate