Things To Do in New Jersey

Within the 5,000-square-foot Ballplayer’s Edge facility, baseball and softball players train to swing the bat faster, throw the ball harder, and play the game better. The facility’s crack team of coaches—led by Joel Burgos, hitting coach for Rutgers University-Newark—improve strength, agility, and instincts with training tools that include four adult-size batting cages and the ProBatter PX2 hitting simulator. The simulator immerses players in game-like situations, complete with virtual pitchers delivering strikes from either the windup or the stretch. Meanwhile, RightView Pro video analysis captures each home-run cut, shown bunt, and taunt lobbed at the computerized player, allowing for side-by-side comparison with major-league swings.

Home to the state's largest freestanding bouldering island, New Jersey Rock Gym houses 12,000 square feet of vertical terrain to climb as well as 41 top roping stations. Armed with either day passes or membership, guests scamper up the gym's synthetic summits, hoping to ask questions of the learned ceiling light sequestered at the top of the mountain. While gear is included with some membership options, guests can opt to bring their own materials or rent the individual shoes ($5), harnesses ($4), or chalk bags ($2) they need from the pro shop. New Jersey Rock Gym offers a collection of educational course work in the vertical arts, teaching belay technique to beginners or advanced skills to adults. Children can also take advantage of youth climbing programs, mini camps, and birthday parties before retiring to private refreshment chambers to absorb bottles of electrolyte-infused refreshment. The nearby pro shop outfits climbers with name-brand gear for purchase, while a WiFi lounge transmits terabytes of data into nearby electronic devices or unsecured cyborg brains.

Originally built to sail around the world, the New Horizons motorsailer now spends its days providing Maine hospitality to its guests while gliding along the scenic Northeastern coast of the United States. After boarding the sailboat, groups can take in the sweeping views of the New York Harbor, the Hudson River, and the Long Island Sound, while sipping drinks and savoring treats such as the classic Maine lobster roll. Seafarers may also embark on special voyages, such as Lobster Day Sail picnics. With its spacious design, semi-private upper deck, and modern sound system, the New Horizons can handle events that range from large family gatherings to old-fashioned ocean-drinking contests.

Even after 10 years in business, a spot on Golf Magazine’s “40 Under 40” list, and multiple features in Entrepreneur magazine, CEO Joshua Jacobs maintains a laserlike focus on what’s important to the health of America’s youngsters. His youth-enrichment program, taught at all TGA franchises, uses the games of golf and tennis as means for communicating positive life values and building confidence in pre-K through 8th-grade students, all while keeping kids active to combat obesity. Born from a team of golf, tennis, and education professionals, the five-level TGA curriculum teaches etiquette, sportsmanship, and the value of physical activity alongside lessons in math, science, history, and English. The trained staff outfits each student with modified equipment for their lesson, including shorter golf clubs, lighter tennis racquets, and reduced-flight golf balls that have had their wings clipped for indoor use. Students also receive a handbook filled with lessons, activities, and challenges to encourage further development.

Open for business from the first blossoms of spring until the last leaves of autumn, Decker Farm stocks its shelves with organic fruits and vegetables harvested each day from its 11-acre field. Crisp stalks of asparagus beckon shoppers away from ripe tomatoes and juicy lemons, and fresh foods—such as sourdough bread, cheeses, and raisin fennel semolina prepared onsite—add local touches to dinner parties or food-pyramid Halloween costumes.

The aestheticians at Bliss & Care erase signs of aging and protect skin from environmental damage with traditional spa services alongside laser-augmented treatments. Laser-assisted services include hair removal and acne-targeted therapies that use the heat of the elos IPL laser to blast acne-causing bacteria and reduce unsightly blemishes. Aestheticians customize facial treatments to address clients' individual skincare needs, from large pores to sagging skin, by mixing and matching skin-transforming agents such as seaweed, chemical peels, and lullabies sung in the complexion's mother tongue.

In 2004—on a mission to bolster its community’s wellspring of art, creativity, and education—the nonprofit Bergen Performing Arts Center took over the former John Harms Center, an art deco–style movie and vaudeville palace built in 1926. Today, in the same antique theater where Shakespeare screened his first car-chase movie, the Bergen Performing Arts Center hosts 150 yearly events that bring dance, music, and theatrical productions to an estimated 250,000 annual audience members. Networks like HBO, PBS, and MTV all have filmed international broadcasts on Bergen Performing Arts Center’s stage, which has seen the likes of Tony Bennett, Woody Allen, and the Dixie Chicks.