REALMORRIS.com - A Wealth of Activity in Picturesque Spring Lake
STORY BY BY LIZA JAIPAUL • July 25, 2008
A picturesque gazebo, arched wooden bridges overlooking a glistening clear lake, rich, thick green grass, and two miles of beach -- complete with a pizza-free boardwalk. This is Spring Lake, and it isn’t your typical Jersey Shore town.
Instead, it’s a place where you can sip tea, lemonade or wine as you wile away an afternoon on a beautiful Victorian porch in a turn-of-the-century mansion with the ocean waves crashing in the background.
Spring Lake has a lot to offer, including charming bed and breakfasts, inns and plush hotels. Named one of the “Top 10 Getaways in New Jersey” by Travel & Leisure magazine, it’s the perfect place to go for a quick vacation; in fact, it’s been a vacation retreat for the wealthy since the turn of the century.
“People come here for special occasions or just to relax,” said Andy Seaman, who owns the Spring Lake Inn with his wife, Barbara. The Inn, built in 1888, is a block from the ocean and offers plenty of charm and European-inspired décor. Each room and suite has a unique theme, all designed to transport you to another era. And the homemade lemonade and chocolate chip cookies in the lobby are addictive.
The Breakers is a well-known oceanfront resort hotel, and then there’s Villa Park House, a family-friendly Victorian-style bed & breakfast -- to name just a few. Villa Park House is owned by Matthew and Dara Schmid. Matthew is a great chef and a graduate of Culinary Institute of America, and the breakfasts are made to order and to die for. I remember the omelet he made the last time I stayed there. It had goat cheese and white asparagus and the most delicious potatoes with sweet onions -- which were worth the trip all by itself.
Restaurants in Spring Lake offer innovative dining choices. There’s the Island Palm Grill for food with lots of flavor in a more casual atmosphere, or Whispers, for special occasions, and Copeland, an upscale restaurant with a martini bar -- and lots more.
Shopping is fun here, too, with 65-plus shops, ranging from homemade chocolate offerings to upscale clothing boutiques.
“It was our dream to open a bed and breakfast here,” Schmid said. “It’s just a wonderful place to vacation or live.”
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