New Jersey Shopping Tips by b1bob Top 5 Page for this destination

Modell's Sporting Goods: Gotta go to Mo's

This is one of those Northeastern tips as Modell's has stores from New York on down to Northern Virginia (which is culturally part of the Northeast). It is a big chain, but has been owned and operated by the same family since 1889.

What to buy: All manner of sportwear, fan gear for whatever team is local to the area (mainly northeastern teams- I doubt you will find Carolina Panthers gear there- I looked), plus things like baseballs, catcher's mitts, footballs, basketballs, etc.

Theme: Sporting Goods

Menlo Park Mall: Menlo Park Mall

The mall leans a bit to the snooty side with the anchor stores being Macy's and Nordstrom. However, with more than 175 stores including Musicland, K.B. Toys, Sharper Image, an Odeon Cineplex, etc., there is something for everybody.

UPDATE: I will no longer buy anything at this mall or any other by the same management (Simon Group) because they evicted a tenant based on the content of his store and applied this standard only to this vendor. If you're interested, write me an e-mail for more details.

Address: 100 Menlo Park, Edison, NJ 08837

Directions: Detailed directions

Theme: Other

Website: http://www.shopmenloparkmall.com

Deli Delight: A deli or a grocery?

Deli Delight is both a deli and a grocery. I decided to put it under shopping because J.D. and I were in here to buy light groceries.

Address: 10 New Street, Metuchen, NJ 08840

Phone: (732) 906-0416

Theme: Food and Drink

Boyt Drugs: Old Fashioned Drug Store

A Metuchen institution since 1951, Boyt Drugs has held its location on Main Street all along to tend to Metuchen's prescription and over-the-counter needs as well as selling greeting cards, toiletries, candies, and other things. While this store lacks a lunch counter or soda fountain, it has not lost its old-fashioned charm. They even do delivery (as of 2003). You don't get that kind of service anymore in many places these days.

Address: 411 Main Street, Metuchen, NJ 08840

Phone: (732) 548-2125

Theme: Other

A & P Liquor Warehouse: liquor, anyone?

In Virginia and many other states, the sale of hard liquor (anything besides beer and wine) is so tightly regulated that it must only be sold in state-run stores. In the northeast, they are generally more liberation-minded about liquor sales.

Address: 45 Pearl Street, Metuchen, NJ 08840

Phone: (732) 494-6880

Theme: Food and Drink

Mets Clubhouse: Mets Clubhouse

New Jersey may have its own NFL football, basketball, and hockey teams, but it doesn't, as yet, have a major league baseball franchise. Therefore, folks from northern New Jersey root for the New York teams (the Mets and Yankees). Folks in south Jersey root for the Philadelphia Phillies. This shop sells all manner of New York Mets memorabilia.

Address: Menlo Park Mall, 2d floor, Edison, NJ 08837

Theme: Sporting Goods

Larchmont Commons Shopping Center: Larchmont Commons Shopping Center

Much like Charlotte's Cotswold Mall, Larchmont Commons is a strip mall with many different stores. Among which are Radio Shack, U.P.S. Store, Montesini's Italian Ristorante, and Jenny Craig. Jenny Craig is a diet centre. After a good meal at Montesini's, you might need to go straightaway to Jenny Craig. The only thing missing seems to be a big and tall clothing store. The grocery store my company was liquidating at my most recent visit to New Jersey was located at the end of this shopping centre.

What to buy: With the diversity of stores, anything and everything can be bought here.

Address: 3111 Route 38, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054

Theme: Other