Phil Courtney has been making art his whole life. These days, in his third-floor studio of his West Cape May house, he works on his own, having retired from painting and mounting billboards after more than 25 years. He has described his job as “Working on location at heights of […]
Photographer and award-winning journalist Jennifer Kopp has seen and covered Cape May from every angle. Her objective and curious approach to reporting has brought to light Cape May’s successes, its heroes, and its dark side. As one of the most recognizable and well-known residents of Cape May, her enthusiasm and […]
Roz Johnson welcomed me into her home with an excitement reserved for a best friend’s long-awaited return. This was not someone who had agreed to an interview to tell her story, but someone who had agreed to an interview to share her passion for life with others. Freshly baked orange […]
I had hoped to meet Cape May historian Harry Bellangy over coffee or to sit on a park bench. Instead, Harry insisted on meeting at the home of the Greater Cape May Historical Society. It’s the building commonly known as Colonial House and was built in 1730 to operate as […]
Steve Gatier wears many hats: husband, father, proprietor, barista, and retainer of information. As the owner of Magic Brain Café in the Carpenters Square Mall for well over a decade, you’ll often find him hustling behind the coffee bar, a benevolent overlord to his crew of busy baristas. He chats […]
In a political landscape where convictions vary drastically and the mere mention of an elected official’s name can spark discord, residents of West Cape May speak of their mayor, Carol Sabo, with fondness and respect. Her years of education and work in the fields of sociology and advocacy have made […]
Fred Ascoli lives the life that many people who fall in love with Cape May have only romanticized. Like most native residents, his relationship with the ocean and his understanding of its ever-changing personality began as a child. By the time he was a teenager, he was out to sea […]
Originally from Ohio, Pastor Nicole Wilkinson arrived in Cape May when she came to lead the Presbyterian Church on Hughes Street in 2017. The most recent in a 125-year-long line of church leaders here, she holds a PhD in New Testament, has authored several books, and has lived in Turkey, […]
Paige Cunningham and I decided to meet on the Washington Street Mall one late afternoon just after she left work. As she walked toward the bench where I was seated, I was preparing to compliment her on the brightly colored jean jacket she was wearing—a jacket that I pretty much […]
If it were not already taken, A Tale of Two Cities might be a perfect title for the life story of West Cape May resident Barbara Freels. Born in Harlem in 1923, Barbara spent her childhood between Manhattan and Cape May, often returning to the city during the summer months when […]
If you never thought that strolling Cape May’s gaslit streets or walking along our promenade would afford you the chance to view the rings of Saturn or study the details of a nebula thousands of light years from Earth, then you’ve never encountered our island’s street corner astronomer, Kevin Beare. […]
It’s not surprising that Cape May would be home to one of the most respected hospitality consultants on the east coast. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Patrick Logue, a young University of Delaware graduate who had worked for Hilton Hotels, was a key player in one of New Jersey’s […]
When you come from a well-known local family and then you marry into another well-known local family, what does that make you? In this case, it makes you Lindsay Givens Casale, co-owner with her husband Dan of GIVENS, a funky boutique on the Washington Street Mall with a carefully curated […]
Even now, in semi-retirement, radio and television personality Phil Pizzi continues to earn the same respect that he has given to so many during his 43-year career. Currently heard on FM stations 98.7 The Coast and 106.3 The Shore, Phil remains a dependable presence in the lives of many in […]
Like many who choose to settle in Cape May, Stephanie Garrett has a passion for the past.
Photo by MICHELLE GIORLA Like many artists who grew up in Cape May, filmmaker Sara Werner realized her creative calling at an early age. Her ambitions were nurtured by family, friends, and a true connection with the natural and architectural wonders our island offers. After graduating from Wildwood Catholic High […]
When he’s not leading birding and nature tours in Alaska, Uganda, or Costa Rica, naturalist Mark Garland calls our island his home. He and his wife, artist Paige Cunningham, have lived in West Cape May for 21 years. Although he keeps his career “under the radar,” shunning attention or recognition, […]
Eliza Lotozo lives in the house she grew up in. Nestled on West Cape May’s rural Stimpson Lane with its door’s-always-open feel and Bohemian eclecticism interior, the house reflects the free-spirited, art-based community here which has thrived for generations. As I entered her home, the topics I’d planned to discuss […]
