Things to Do in Bradley Gardens

As one of the charter members of the Atlantic League in 1998, the Somerset Patriots are the most successful franchise in the league’s history, but such good fortune didn't come immediately. In fact, it had to play its entire first season on the road while construction crews finished constructing TD Bank Ballpark from billions of sunflower-seed shells. In 2001, however, the Patriots' began a decade-long run that included five championships—including back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009—plus several awards for the 6,100-seat ballpark (completed in 1999), which was named "Ballpark of the Year" by Baseball America in 2007

Inflated structures, slides, and games fill the climate-controlled environs of the numerous BounceU locations that speckle the nation. At each site, staff members closely monitor all activities as little ones traverse obstacle courses or pull on oversized inflatable boxing gloves. The crew also invites parents to join in on the fun, letting them bounce alongside their kids or make sweeping edicts from atop a bouncy-castle throne.

In addition to open sessions, the indoor-play haven sets the stage for the Preschool Playdate program, where instructors lead games and activities. Special events include family-bounce night, which lets parents join in the bouncing or relax in the party room and do grownup things, such as eat marshmallows with a knife and fork.

After high school, Michael Richardson spent the next 15 years training show horses and winning a bushel of regional trophies at Richardson Stables. He eventually moved to Frenchtown, New Jersey, where he worked for Revelation Farm as a trainer and met his future wife, Jessie Kieren, who pioneered Revelation’s riding program. Fusing components of their respective last names, they founded Kierson Farm, whose verdant greens and indoor heated facilities house a fleet of trained American saddlebred show horses that ferry riders of all ability levels. The farm’s boarding services demonstrate their dedication to caring for hooved friends by delegating one staff member for every five horses, ensuring that each steed receives tender attention when not studying pig Latin.

At The Mad Potter, both kids and adults find an outlet to flex their creative muscles. The studio—a welcoming space full of natural light and wooden tables and chairs—showcases a variety of unfinished pottery pieces, ranging from magnets and candlesticks to picture frames and food-safe dinnerware. During Paint by Story sessions, a staff member reads a book aloud while budding child artists use nontoxic paints to bring one of the characters to life. The studio also hosts birthday parties for youngsters and get-togethers for adults, including bridal showers, corporate outings, and team-building events.

A two-tiered driving range and two 18-hole miniature-golf courses welcome visitors to Branchburg Family Golf Center’s 27-acre golf complex for game improvement and friendly competition. Each tier at the range comprises more than 30 hitting stalls and features a natural-grass tee area that remains open from April through September. In colder months, 12 recently installed heaters keep golfers cozy or help them sweat off pounds to drop a weight class in golf-cart jousting. Professional instructors roll in when players reach an improvement plateau, offering their keen expertise to develop consistent swings that lead to lower scores.

The center’s two miniature-golf courses summon putts past crashing waterfalls and through lush landscapes, fostering a sense of friendly competition in a pint-sized oasis. When swatting stationary spheres becomes too easy, visitors can head over to the batting facility to work on baseball swings and tackle techniques when charging the mound at a cyborg pitcher.:m]]

Soon after Mimi Omiecinski moved to Princeton in 2006, a chance sighting of a Nobel laureate sparked her interest in the town's distinguished residents. When a local business owner informed her that Princeton has more Nobel laureates, Pulitzer winners, and Parakeet Best in Show recipients than any two-square-mile radius on Earth, she commenced an intense study about the town, its tenants, and its history.

The result of this fascination is Princeton Tour Company, an eclectic blend of tours that covers the breadth and depth of Princeton's history, including its culture, university, and local businesses. Ghost tours take guests on a cemetery walk past the gravesites of a United States president and a signer of the declaration of independence, whereas walking tours cover the stories of former Princeton residents including T.S. Eliot and Brooke Shields.