The coffee’s terrific, (as is the hot water, my personal favorites) and nobody can beat Charley’s talents at the grill and stove. But it’s really the cheerfulness of The Girls Café that makes the day start out right. Sisters Cathy and Vera, together with Charley and all the other Hartsgrove relatives that work here seem to have a knack for making everyone smile or downright laugh out loud just because of how they look at life. And that’s pretty heady stuff for early in the morning.
The Girls Café is closing an hour early Saturday, because they have their priorities right and are taking time to celebrate a family event with four generations of the family. So be sure to order your takeout lunches or enjoy your lunch before 1 on Saturday so The Girls can enjoy some time of their own.
Happiness and good natured employees must be catching in that section of Waterwitch, because Sue at the Laundromat on the corner of Huddy Avenue also spreads a lot of good cheer though she never stops working to do it. Whether she’s showing a new customer how to work the washing machines, advising on the best size machine to use (and saving customers money, by the way) or simply talking about the events going on in town with a sense of pride and belonging, she makes doing a household chore a distinct pleasure. Since the laundromat offers the personalized service, folks coming in to drop off laundry loads for pickup later in the day get treated to some of Sue’s good-natured kidding and leave smiling.
Maybe some of those property owners with the vacant buildings along Bay Avenue would like to think about renting a small theater to Monmouth Players? They’re going to be out of their Freehold home in 2024 and are looking for a new stage to present their fantastic plays. Bernice the Artistic Director has done wonders with some mighty terrific talent in presenting live theater in a small space but with great costuming, set design, and talented actors and actresses. Atlantic Highlands has the very wonderful First Avenue theater, and Highlands could do more of the same!
Our Grandfather’s Tavern, Emiels on Bay Avenue was always a meeting place, My grandparents and Mother lived above the store until they built a home on Cornwall St. (number 43)
As children, we would walk to Stamins etc and Bay Avenue was like our second home.
Does anyone remember Stamens, best root beer floats-also the barber shop and tailor-Fellharber-spelling not sure of and thee was also a womans clothing store that did the fashion shows at Sandlass-I remember being a model and almost ripping a dress as I walked into the Bamboo room-owner not to happy.