Monday, April 29, 2013
The festival featured live music in addition to food
It wasn't all about food. No, Red Bank's second annual International Flavour Festival highlighted more than a goo taste of eateries' special cuisine. There was music — plenty of it. And there was dancing — lots of dancing. You could say people were dancing in the street — or just off the street — in the White Street municipal lot. Take a look at the above video clip for a glimpse into the dancin' divas of Flavour — never fools. They had the beat, and it was contagious!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
McKenna says nothing unusual about Nancy Adams' departure
Since Red Bank RiverCenter was established in 1991, the special improvement district overseer has watched downtown go from a "Dead Bank" to "A Cool Little Town" moniker with the different directors to promote these and other marketing magnets along the way. Nancy Adams was the latest of the organization's string of executive directors over the years. And now, after Adams' sudden departure a couple of weeks ago, the job she held for the past five-plus years is being advertised and RiverCenter Board of Trustees' point person on the Adams issue, former Mayor Ed McKenna, says there's nothing dicey about her departure. "There's nothing extraordinary about her leaving when she left," McKenna said. "Simply, it was an agreement between Nancy and …
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Red Bank's business district is doing well
It was just recently, at the last Red Bank Borough Council meeting, when the RiverCenter budget was approved and the organization was lauded for its efforts. Citing a report in Patch that indicated business vacancies of more than 10 percent along the Route 35 Shrewsbury to Ocean corridor, officials and RiverCenter Director Nancy Adams pointed out that Red Bank's vacancy level is now substantially lower, at about 4 percent. Officials credited that diminished rate to RiverCenter's leadership, vision and "attention to details." "I think I would be remiss if I didn't say that part of the statistical data that is so positive for Red Bank not just is RiverCenter, which is very instrumental, as is the Visitor Center, but I would also like to …
Thursday, March 21, 2013
The event is all day on Sunday
They're walking the walk on Sunday, but it's not down the aisle yet. Brides-to-be, their grooms and families will gather in Red Bank on Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a window-shopping and shop-talking walk through town to get a glimpse at and earful of good wedding ideas from all of Red Bank's stores that feature anything wedding-related, from riverfront venues to favors. Sponsored by Red Bank RiverCenter, the event, for the fifth year, will kick off with a check-in and continental breakfast at Oyster Point Hotel, 146 Bodman Place, one of the venues. Then the self-guided tour of the town’s participating businesses begins. The following are some Wedding Walk facts from RiverCenter: • Registrants will receive a Wedding Walk map/…
Friday, March 15, 2013
An opportunity to showcase talent
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Friday, March 15
Are you a musician, magician, drummer, entertainer, singer or dancer? Have an original performance talent? Think you have what it takes? Red Bank RiverCenter is looking for the best local talent to entertain in its downtown this summer. For the 13th consecutive year, Red Bank’s summer music and performing arts series, StreetLife, will return to the sidewalks of Red Bank giving many in the area an opportunity to show their talent! RiverCenter is inviting talented adults and teenagers (16 years and older) to audition for this summer’s program from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20 at the Count Basie Theatre Rehearsal Studio on the second floor of 99 Monmouth Street. “We are thrilled to be presenting this very successful program again this …
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Three area organizations got donations at Wednesday night's Red Bank Borough Council meeting
Three area Hurricane Sandy relief groups were awarded grants to help their causes at Wednesday night's Red Bank Borough Council meeting. Each was given a check for $3,863: Hope for Highlands, Sea Bright Rising and Red Bank-based Rebuild Recover. Sea Bright Rising, said founder Chris Wood, has raised more than $1.1 million and distributed roughly $600,000 to 200 families and eight businesses. "We're getting the money out to people as quickly as possible and in a judicious fashion," Wood said. Hope for Highlands has, to date, has given out $90,000 to residents, according to its representatives. Rebuild Recovery's Anthony Setaro shut down his Front Street business in Sandy's aftermath to open a warehouse and gave out "hundreds of thousands of…
RiverCenter's model for new signs has a retro feel.
It's retro, the lettering is large, it will glow in the dark and several will be posted throughout downtown Red Bank in time for the fairer weather traffic flow. It's RiverCenter's new, yet old, model for a visible, suitable parking wayfinding sign, as it is labeled, to direct traffic to parking areas. "Get them done, out there and posted in time" for heavier traffic months, Mayor Pat Menna said while happily approving of the design and joking. "I just want to make sure they're highly visible, since no one can see well anymore. Can we have them painted with glow in the dark paint? I don't care if they're fuschia, magenta ... whatever color, as long as they can be seen in the dark and the lettering for 'parking' is large." "They won't be …
Thursday, January 24, 2013
With Char Steakhouse soon to open, council OKs expansion of service at Broad and Mechanic
It will soon be a bit easier to park downtown. The Red Bank Borough Council unanimously approved a resolution at its regular meeting Wednesday evening that allows for the expansion of valet parking services on Broad Street. Mayor Pat Menna said the service is being expanded to accommodate "the opening of another extraordinary place" in Red Bank with the impending addition of Char Steakhouse at the corner of Mechanic and Broad streets. The service, requested by Red Bank RiverCenter, will be from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily, according to the resolution. Council's approval allows for valet services on the east side of Broad Street from its intersection with Mechanic Street, extending 147 feet north and 95 feet south. Vehicles would be parked in …
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Several downtown Red Bank merchants are participating in a holiday movie decoration contest.
If you've got a favorite holiday movie, chances are you'll find it downtown. Throughout downtown Red Bank, local businesses are participating in their annual holiday season storefront dress up, only this year there's a theme to go along with the tinsel and holly. Holiday movies are represented in windows through paint, elaborate props, and models as local businesses participate in Red Bank RiverCenter's Holiday Window Decorating Contest. At one stop you'll find a loving tribute to Will Ferrell's turn as The Elf, including plenty of candy and maple syrup. And then there's A Christmas Story, represented with pump action Red Ryder BB Gun and, of course, the "indescribably beautiful" leg lamp. And, there's more in it for you. Red Bank visitors…
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
The annual tradition of gratis parking comes back to the borough.
In just a couple of weeks, Red Bank visitors will get a brief reprieve from those pesky parking tickets that seem to pop up on windshields out of nowhere. Free Holiday parking is coming back to town lots. Beginning Dec. 10 and running through Christmas, visitors to Red Bank will be able to park in lots throughout the downtown for free. The annual parking charity measure is designed to attract more visitors to do their holiday shopping downtown and is promoted by Red Bank RiverCenter. However, borough Councilwoman Kathy Horgan had one recommendation for RiverCenter Executive Director Nancy Adams. "Nancy, please tell the retailers to stay open," she pleaded, recounting a story of trying to shop downtown a week before Christmas last year …
Cindy Burnham
1:48 pm on Friday, April 19, 2013
I heard Nancy was completely shocked, but so much for transparency! I have been around Red Bank for the last thirty years and I just have to say, that in my opinion, Red Bank was never Dead Bank. It just wasnt so "Hip" & "Cool" There were more mom & pop stores, more green space, smaller fireworks and parking meters. Life was simpler then. Now, the mom & pop stores can't make it in this "Cool", "… more ›