Anyone Suggest Interesting Areas in Northern New Jersey?

I'll be attending Tillman Crane's large format workshop at the Peters

Valley Craft Center in Layton, New Jersey next month. I believe

Layton is close to the Pennsylvania border in Northeastern New Jersey

(I actually haven't been able to find it on a map yet). I plan to

stick around for a couple extra days after the workshop is over. If

anyone knows of any interesting areas for landscape, old

architecture, that kind of thing, in that general area or on the way

back from that area to Washington, D.C. I'd like to hear from you.

Thanks.

North Eastern NJ is seashore. North western NJ is bordered by the Delaware river. Lots of interesting Revolutionary War sites and structures all along the river. The Delaware WaterGap is intersting as well. Going south along the river are the towns of New Hope and Lambertsville. They are a bit touristy but have some very old structures (barns and mills)

Good Luck

Layton is indeed close to the Pennsylvania border. It's in Northwest NJ, which IMO is the most beautiful part of the state (besides the shore...I'm an ocean nut).

 

While you're there, be sure to check out:

1. Bushkill Falls over in Bushkill, PA off of Route 209 (Take the Dingman's Ferry Bridge over to PA, then hop on Rt. 209 South)

2. Buttermilk Falls in the Delaware Water Gap area in Jersey (not sure of what town it's on, but it's in the pamphlets available in the Water Gap's visitor area.

3. The entire Delaware Water Gap area. It's gorgeous. Hard to believe you're actually in Jersey.

4. NYC is a bit out of the way but it's obviously worth it.

 

On the way back:

1. Take Rt. 611 in PA for a nice scenic drive alongside the Delaware River. There's a few turnoffs that offer some good views.

2. Pass through Bucks County, PA (on Rt. 611). Plenty of farms and a few covered bridges scattered around.

3. Hop on Rt. 202 North and stop at Peddler's Village in Lahaska. There's a bunch of little shops. Make sure you stop at the Chaddsford Winery store for a great little wine-tasting that only costs a few bucks ($6 I think, and you get to keep the glass).

4. Continue on Rt. 202 North to New Hope. *Plenty* to photograph, between the people, the shops, and the surrounding landscapes.

5. If you're into abandoned buildings, cross the Rt. 202 bridge into Lambertville, NJ. Go through the town and make a left at the light at the end. Make a right onto Washington St. (or Washington Ave....can't remember) and head up the hill. There's an abandoned high school on that hill that's pretty interesting.

6. Take Rt. 32 South in Pennsylvania to I-95 south. Stop in Philadelphia for another chance at city photography. Fairmount Park is a great area for some scenics.

 

After that, you're on your own.

 

:)

I forgot to mention. A great restaurant in Lambertville is the Lambertville Station, right across the bridge from New Hope. It's an old converted train station. A bit pricey ($16-30 an entree), but they offer some interesting dishes you won't find anywhere else. Check it out...they have a menu posted outside.

 

Also, a great (and cheap!) bar in New Hope is called Havana. The best part about it is the fact that the bar is outdoors. That alone is why I like it so much.

New Jersey, What's left? Not much. Where there was once open farm land is now condos, strip malls and strip bars. The Garden State is a misnomer. It is really the City State, Gridlock State, Mafia State.

 

Peters Valley is very nice and you are right in the middle of the nicest spots left. Except for the shrinking Pine Barrens. Lebanon State Forest is very nice and so is Batsto Village, both in Burlington County. The shore is one big condo complex. You might visit Asbury Park, of Springstein fame off the Garden State Parkway.

 

Buttermilk Falls is only a few miles from the Craft Center. There is also Stokes State Forest, Tillmans Ravine, Van Campen Glen. These are places with waterfalls, mature trees, mossey rocks. All within a few miles of where you are. However, with the drought, Buttermilk may not be as impressive as it should, a 100ft falls, best shot early am or pm, no sun.

No one mentioned scenic High Point State Park in the northeastern most point of the state. Lots of interesting things to photograph.

What about Ramapo area in the north? The area from Morristown down through Basking Ridge and below has a lot of nice parks and quaint towns. The green ways and bicycle paths along the waterways are good as well. There's a large swamp near Madison/Morristown as well, though I forget how to get to it now (though I have pictures from college), and if you take the path through the forest just off Green Village road behind Madison, that's scenic and pretty in a quiet way.

 

And yes, the Northwest corner, especially up along Rt 15 off I-80, heading towards the Picatinny Arsenal, is especially scenic and pleasant. Beware of the traffic on the narrow roads, and check your map before taking short-cuts. I did once and ended up facing a sign on the back side of Picatinny that said "trespassers will be shot without warning".

 

If you're more adventuresome, take the Parkway south to Cape May, and revel in the Victorian architecture, mostly unimproved beaches, and birds.

 

NJ is a lovely state; you just have to be there a while to appreciate it. (or live in the Midwest for a while)

I flew into the Newark airport several times for business in Scranton, PA. (we drove a rental car there from Newark). We did stop for lunch at the Delaware water gap mentioned above- it is quite scenic. However, the most visually exciting thing I saw was the old, worn down cityscape of Newark, with the Manhattan skyline in the background. It seems that Newark is a depository for all kinds of raw material and scrap that there isn't room for in Manhattan. Perhaps it was the light that day, or my affinity for urban environments, but I really was wishing that I had time and my view camera on those trips. If you want to shoot the same old senic landscapes, try the popular areas mentioned by others. If you are looking for something different, I'd give Newark a shot!

The Delaware Water Gap is definitely beautiful. NJ does get a bad rap, but try living in St. Louis for awhile and you'll see how lush and green it is. There are some Civil War or Revolutionary era stuff (I'm not up on my NJ history)around Morristown & Bernardsville somewhere called Jockey Hollow. My husband, Anthony, is from there and may be able to add some places to look too.

My wife requested I put in my 2 cents here, Brian.

 

If you get off route 80 just inside the PA border, get off at a town named Columbia, and you can hang out there and get to the Water Gap easily. I'm from Bernardsville, so I'd drive up there in the evening, stay at the truck stop overnight, and get to the Water Gap before dawn. This time of year there is almost always mist rising off the water as the sun rises! Do this and I know you'll make good pictures.

 

South of Morristown and North of Bernardsville is The Great Swamp - a huge wildlife refuge with trails and woods you can walk through. It's marked on the map. 80 to 287 at Morristown, then get a streetmap to guide you or ask a cop. Better take a normal lens or a wide angle lens in there, but it's pretty open. Go when it's very early or late -- or when the light is soft. Just lovely.

 

There is also Hacklebarney state park just south of Chester NJ, which is southwest of Bernardsville -- look on the map. That's nice too. You might have to pay to get in... I forget, but there are some very fine places to photograph by Trout Brook.

 

Down by where my sister used to live, north of Princeton, there is a river - the Raritan? - that winds and twists in and out of woods. There is often mist rising off of it too at sunrise, but it might all be private property around there now...

 

Anyway, have fun and make some nice photographs. Ahhh -- the Water Gap! I remember the soft early sunlight, the gurgle of the river by the bank, the PA side - huge and wooded - rising opposite... I remember once - with the 8x10 set up, waiting for the sun to rise I darn near froze my butt off. I made a little fire to warm up... In the distance you faintly hear the cars and trucks rushing by on Rt 80.

Then around 10:00 when the light was gone, I'd put the white focusing cloth over the camera and drink a cup of coffee from the thermos... it was nice knowing you'd had good luck at times like that.

 

Anthony Guidice

I'm not sure I have much to add to the previous comments, all of which are very accurate. If you're going to be in North West New Jersey, there's no law against crossing state borders and exploring Pennsylvania and New York. Layton is very close to the Delaware River and High Point, which is quite special. I can suggest two excursions.

 

Go to Port Jervis, which is at the point where New Jersey, New York and Penna all meet. Although you might find Pt. Jervis itself interesting to photograph (sort of a dissonant combination of quaint and rural poor), go up the Delaware Valley. The 30 or 40 miles past Port Jervis on the Delaware is very scenic.

 

Or....

 

Go South to Route 80 and drive into Penna. Exit around White Haven and get directions for Jim Thorpe. Yep, used to be named Chauk something but changed its name in honor of its most famous native son. Called the Switzerland of Pennsylvania, used to be a resort for the rich. Beautiful scenery and old victorian mansions.

 

Truth is, as some of the comments have suggested, there's just so much in this neck of the woods that you won't lack for things to shoot. I'm sorry I'm going to be gone for all of August, or it would be fun to accompany you on a shoot.

 

Enjoy

 

Mike<div></div>

Look at the work of George Tice. Most of his work is of northern NJ. A real master - especially at finding beauty in unexpected places.

If you like industrial settings, just over the Pennsylvania border (west of Easton, PA off Rt 78) is Bethlehem. The old Bethlehem steel mill is in the process of being partially dismantled (some is being saved as part of the Smithsonian's Industry Museum). There's a park path just across the Lehigh River from it that allows some great panaromas of the furnaces, etc. It's a LOT safer than Newark where I never feel comfortable even in groups. A sad social statement for what was a wealthy city, with some great mansions and an amazing cathredal, but it's now so deep in poverty that the '90's economy barely made a dent. Some great photo ops for sure, but I've been hassled every time I go there. It's industrial areas are a little better, but very isolated. Not somewhere to go alone with cameras.

 

I agree the state parks in the NW area are great. Also lots of great old churches and cemetaries. The county seats also tend to have grand court houses, etc.