34 Gurney St Cape May’s trove of architectural gems is represented by widespread photographs of some of the most recognizable buildings along the beachfront—the Sea Mist and its neighbors, Congress Hall, etcetera—along with a handful situated along the city’s original thoroughfare, Washington Street, including the Physick Estate and Southern Mansion. […]
Because it was originally known as a painted leaf flower, you might think the word poinsettia is the botanical name of this impressive species. However, its scientific name is Euphorbia pulcherrima- and you thought poinsettia was hard to say! Its common name comes from the man who is credited with […]
41 Jackson Street Strolling is one of my favorite Cape May activities. Stroll to the beach, stroll to dinner, or stroll without a destination, it’s all about the journey in the Queen of Seaside Resorts. And given the opportunity, I choose a stroll that leads me to Jackson Street. It […]
102 Lake Drive Tucked away deep in Cape May Point, situated on a triangular lot pointing toward the sunset, is a small house of worship with a big heart. St. Peter’s By-the-Sea is a tiny church, no greater than 2,000 square feet—including the porches—and has been serving the Episcopal congregation […]
Step outside The Bayberry House on Perry Street and sip your coffee. Look up or down the block and admire the character of the historic homes lining this picturesque road. Pause on this porch and inhale deeply the ocean breeze that drifts up the street. A more picturesque place for […]
634 Washington St In the High Summer issue of this magazine published last month, this column examined the composition of Block 1059, between Ocean and Franklin Streets, focusing on the architectural relic that is the Memucan Hughes House (otherwise known as the Colonial House Museum). Another historic structure that has […]
The New Wave Comes Ashore Over the past 50 years, ornamental grasses have slowly been gaining favor among gardeners. I was first smitten with this group of plants as a child, long before I began to seriously study landscape design in the early 1980’s. As a beginning gardener, I was […]
Art, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. One man’s collected masterpiece may evoke nothing but ennui in another. Art is notoriously subjective, and people are often quite opinionated about it, offering plenty of criticism as well as praise where their neighbors and friends may feel completely […]
653 1/2 Washington St It could be argued that one of the most contested areas of land on Cape Island, perhaps second only to the Sewell Tract, might be Block 1059, located in the heart of Cape May. Rife with debate regarding historic preservation and land use planning, the area […]
The Nature Center of Cape May 1600 Delaware Avenue At the northeastern-most reach of Cape May City is a barrier spit, approximately two miles long. The peninsula is flanked by the Atlantic Ocean and Cape May Harbor, which are connected by Cold Spring Inlet to the north. Historically, the area […]
What’s New in ’22 Top left – Amazing Daisies® ‘Marshmallow’ Shasta DaisyBottom left – Blue My Mind® XL Dwarf Morning GloryBottom middle -Little Lime Punch® Panicle HydrangeaBottom right – Be My® Main Squeeze™ Calla Lily Photos courtesy of Proven Winners When I embarked upon writing this article, I did some […]
Color It Pretty Color is all around us. From the moody blue greens of the Atlantic Ocean and the green-to-gold dune grasses on our beaches to bright red stop signs and bold striped awnings, color brightens our surroundings and catches our eye, transforming bleak landscapes to ones that excite and […]
What has long been characterized as the “post card image” could now be rebranded as the “Instagrammable image.” In the year 2022 of the internet age, information is sent and received much differently than it was a century ago. Nevertheless, and regardless of whether you learned of Cape May by […]
WINTERWOOD | 525 Washington Street As one heads south down Washington Street and approaches the open-air pedestrian mall, two buildings can be identified as those shaping what may be considered the gateway to Cape May’s shopping district. At the intersection of Washington and Ocean, on the southwest corner, sits the […]
Once upon a time, in the not-so-distant past, people thought the color gray was pretty depressing. We wanted nothing to do with it, as a paint color or a hair color. Gray, in fact, literally seemed to represent the exact opposite of what we wanted in our lives: where we […]
The story of East Cape May began around 1900 with an idea to fill in the swamplands east of town and build a modern seaside resort complete with an enormous hotel and a deep-water harbor. The Hotel Cape May, the centerpiece of this project at the corner of Pittsburgh Avenue […]
Though the look and feel—and, perhaps the hoagies—of Wawas along the East Coast have changed over time, the one that once stood at the gravitational center of town represented the original archetype of this east coast convenience store. Nevertheless, the building at 502 Bank Street now boasts a drastically different […]
Decorating with greenery is one of the oldest holiday traditions on Earth, but in the northern United States, it didn’t become commonplace until the 1800s. Not surprisingly, varieties of greenery used varied by region. Today, the materials available, either at your local garden center or on the internet are seemingly […]