By Taylor Smith
Located in Northern New Jersey’s Union County, Westfield has earned increasing attention in recent years, not only for its convenient public transportation to Manhattan, but also as a place that many New York City transplants call home. more
By Taylor Smith
The quality and design principles that have made Stance socks a favorite of NBA players are now backed by some of the leading names in sports and entertainment. With the philosophy of embracing “the uncommon thread,” this five-year-old company has sold more than 50 million pairs of socks. Using technology that is akin to rocket science (literally), Stance Socks is hoping to define the future of knitwear. more
By Taylor Smith
Available at running stores and REI locations across the country, Bend, Oregon-based Picky Bars is the latest nutritional bar to make a splash on the outdoors scene. more
By Taylor Smith
On view through February 10, “Mickey: The True Original Exhibition” is at 60 10th Avenue in New York City. The 16,000-square-foot space in Chelsea, very close to The High Line, features both nostalgic and modern works from international artists, all of whom are inspired by classic images of the graphic, black-and-white mouse. more
By Taylor Smith
Sleep is vital for overall health, but elusive for many. Whether you’re a parent under stress or you’ve become reliant on prescription sleep aids like Lunesta or Ambien, here are some non-habit forming methods for improving overall sleep quality and duration. more
By Taylor Smith
It’s the start of 2019 which means one thing — you’re probably assessing your New Year’s resolutions. While a gym membership and a trip to Whole Foods may help you to exercise and eat better, real change begins with a fresh perspective and more all-encompassing lifestyle habits. Here are a just a few books that might help guide the way to a new and improved you. more
By Taylor Smith
According to the World Health Organization, “an estimated 47 million people currently suffer from dementia and that number is expected to increase to 75 million by 2030. It is projected that the number will triple by 2050.” To put these numbers into perspective, the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that “the cost to care for an Alzheimer’s patient in a private room in a nursing home is around $97,455 per year.” This is where U.K.-based health care start-up Virtue steps in (https://www.virtue.io). With the goal to “empower the silver generation,” Virtue aims to “develop transformative solutions for aging well.” more
By Taylor Smith
Nearly two decades after Magnolia Bakery became a New York sensation, the company recently announced that it has plans to open 200 additional franchises across the United States over the next five years. The bakery, which opened its doors in Greenwich Village in 1996, has since grown to six stores in New York alone, plus locations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston. The purveyor of all things pastry currently has an international franchising program with 17 international stores in seven countries.
Thanks to its role in the hit HBO series Sex and the City, the company has expanded beyond cupcakes to offer cakes and the popular banana pudding (an Instagram favorite).
By Taylor Smith
Sweating as medical treatment and ritual can be traced back to the Romans, Ancient Greeks, and Russians, along with Native American sweat lodges. It seems that for all of human history, the benefits of sweating have been known to mankind. For example, a fever is our body’s natural way of encouraging the immune system to perform better, since sweat is one of the major elimination channels for toxins. Even more significant, there are multiple clinics in Germany that create hyperthermia conditions during chemotherapy to reduce the dose of medications needed to target, and hopefully eliminate, cancer cells. The same process happens on a less extreme level when people experience a sauna. Different than your typical sauna, infrared heat has been shown to boost mood, increase endorphins, reduce symptoms of seasonal affective disorder, increase blood flow, burn significant calories, encourage metal detoxification, and promote the immune system’s cell activity.
By Taylor Smith
Want to heal your gut, boost immunity, and improve the quality and texture of your hair, nails, and skin? Then bone broth might be the answer to your winter weather woes. Thanks to the Paleo diet and other gluten-free, low-carb trends, bone broth has earned a spot on many functional nutritionists’ lists. So, what exactly is bone broth and why is it so healing? The answer lies in the wealth of gelatin, which breaks down into collagen in the body. Collagen has many nourishing properties, not least of which is more youthful looking skin. This is particularly helpful during the cold and drying winter months when skin, hair, and nails are most in need of moisture.
By Taylor Smith |Photos courtesy of @warbyparker
Trend setting eyeglass company Warby Parker is making its debut in the Garden State. Customers can now have fun trying on the company’s affordable and stylish frames at 126 Central Avenue in downtown Westfield. The bright, airy, and spacious store is adorned with book-centric murals designed by Keith Negly.
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By Taylor Smith
Companies like One Peloton (www.onepeloton.com) have engineered some of the most attractive and effective workout machines in recent years. Equipment like the Peloton Cycle and Peloton Tread enable users all over the world to get a boutique indoor cycling and running studio experience from the convenience of their own homes, day or night. For a lot of working people and parents, the opportunity to get a solid sweat session at any time of day (and no car travel required) is a huge relief. more
By Taylor Smith
Husband and wife duo Mark Sopchak and Jenna Park began their baking company Whimsy & Spice at the launch of the Brooklyn Flea in the spring of 2008. In the years since, Whimsy & Spice has grown, thrived, and expanded. A trained pastry chef influenced by the flavors of international travel, Sopchak handles the baking-side of the company’s operation, while Park manages the graphic design and marketing end, shooting much of the photography for the brand. Viewers will be struck by the New York design sensibility combined with unusual flavors. more
By Taylor Smith
Looking for a holiday getaway? Makeup mogul Bobbi Brown and her husband, entrepreneur Steven Plofker, have opened a stately and fashionable 32-room inn in the New York City suburb of Montclair. A 35-minute train ride from Midtown Manhattan, The George is the perfect weekend destination for tri-state area residents. more
Photography by Jeffrey Tryon
by Laurie Pellichero | Photos courtest of La Jolie Salon & Spa
After many years in downtown Princeton, La Jolie has moved. Tell us about your new location.
In October 2017, we officially opened our doors at 163 Bayard Lane Princeton. If you are a longtime resident of the area, you will probably remember it as the former location of Elements restaurant. The thoughtful design reimagined as a salon and spa is truly a modern retreat. Raw materials of wood, stone, and metal throughout give a rustic edge. We have created three defined spaces for hair, nails, and skincare. Comfort is a priority when you come to La Jolie. We wanted to make sure that from the moment you pull into one of our many parking spaces, you can escape the everyday hustle and enjoy any one of our services in a secluded atmosphere away from the busy downtown center. more
By Laurie Pellichero | Photography courtesy of One Simple Wish
Every voice heard. Every child loved.” That is the goal of One Simple Wish, now celebrating 10 years of making wishes come true for children in foster care.
Founded by Ewing resident Danielle Gletow, the nonprofit organization has helped more than 55,000 children through 700 community partners in 48 states across the country through its online wish-granting platform at www.onesimplewish.org.
By Stuart Mitchner
Amsterdam was the first stop on my first trip to Europe and the first time in my life that I’d walked into a museum on a whim, on my own, casually, without thinking of it as a prescribed learning experience. Every painting was by the same artist. At 19, I knew about Van Gogh of course. I’d seen Kirk Douglas in Lust for Life. But here was the reality, vividly, wildly, uncontainedly there in the gobs, clusters, and swirls of paint everywhere I looked, and no one else was around, no crowds to contend with; somehow some way I’d lucked out and had the place to myself, just me and Van Gogh. I could almost hear him breathing, smell the smoke from his pipe, as if he were working as I watched, no brush, I imagined him squeezing the paint between his fingers and then slapping it on. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, I’d landed all by myself on the shore of a new world of art.
By Taylor Smith
The mecca for all objects by designer John Derian is located across three distinct shopfront spaces at 6 East Second Street between 2nd Avenue and the Bowery in New York City. Derian’s signature découpage glassware is accompanied by hand-selected French and American antiques, home decor, linens, fine art, and accent pieces from around the world. A must-register destination for those who crave charming whimsy combined with craftsmen-like artisanship, customers can direct all inquiries to 212.677.1003. more
