Bergen Buzz

OUR GUIDE TO NEW IDEAS, TIPS, TRENDS AND THINGS WE LOVE IN OUR COUNTY.

FRESH WAYS TO REFRESH

A massage is great for relaxing and unwinding, and so is a one-hour facial. But there are other options for pampering yourself; have you tried the four listed below?

Float parlor. After a quick rinse in a shower, hop into a spaceship-like floatation tank, where you’ll float away your worries, de-stress and decompress.

Try it at: Cloud Aquatic Float Parlor, 8 E. Prospect St., Waldwick, 201.389.6285; cloudaquatic.com IV drip. Improve your mood, sharpen your mind and get a boost of energy with an intravenous drip of nutrients and vitamins tailored to your body’s needs.

Try it at: Drip Medispa, 2011 Lemoine Ave., Suite 201, Fort Lee, 201.944.1343; dripmedispa.com Meditation. Using various techniques taught by qualified instructors (such as mindfulness), meditation will train your mind into a mentally and emotionally stable state.

Try it at: New Jersey Meditation, with two Bergen locations; 306 Ridge Rd., Lyndhurst, 201.933.0313; 475 Cedar Ln., Teaneck, 929.224.0316; newjerseymeditation.org Sound therapy. These yoga-like sessions use different sounds, instruments and vibrations to soothe the mind and body.

Try it at: The Enchanted Heart, 216 E. Ridgewood Ave. Suite #2, Ridgewood, 551.404.5362; theenchantedheart.com

DID YOU KNOW? More than 141 million cards are sent for Mother’s Day in the U.S., according to the folks at Hallmark. But the holiday only ranksDID YOU KNOW? The best type of health and wellness? Vacation! A poll conducted by Washington Post-Schar School this spring found third on the list of top greeting card holidays. Christmas tops the list with 1.6 billion cards, followed by Valentine’s Day (151 million).that 76 percent of Americans said relaxing was their favorite thing to do on vacation (eating out at restaurants was a close second).

THE TASTES OF JERSEY

They say National New Jersey Day, celebrating our state’s entrance into the Union, is July 27. So please, don’t mention that we actually entered it Dec. 18, 1787. Instead, let’s mark the summertime occasion by sampling the cuisine that puts the Garden State on the gastronomic map. (Sticklers can chow down again a week before Christmas.) That means we’ll be gobbling— • Cheesesteaks: Sorry, Philly, the late Anthony Bourdain identified New Jersey’s as the best cheesesteaks. Three of Bergen County’s leading makers are Bob-O’s Cheesesteaks (252 Main St., Ridgefield Park, 201.870.6065), Mel’s Butcher Box (10 W. Railroad Ave., Tenafly, 201.266.4633) and Philly Steak House (265 Valley Blvd., Wood-Ridge, 201.942.8811). • Disco fries: The simplest version of this dish involves french fries with gravy on top. In Bergen there are varied versions we love, including the Cholander fries at Kimchi Smoke (301 Center Ave.,

Westwood, 201.497.6333), the Southern stuffed fries at ReBar

Kitchen (132 Essex St., Lodi, 201.368.8181) and the pulled pork poutine at The Shannon Rose (1200 Rte. 17 N., Ramsey, 201.962.7602). • Italian hot dogs: This quintessential Jersey dish is a deep-fried hot dog served on an Italian roll and topped with fried bell peppers, onions and potatoes. Get your fill at Johnny & Hanges (23–20 Maple Ave., Fair Lawn, 201.791.9060), The Hot Dog House (510 Rte. 17 S., Carlstadt, 201.935.5803) and River View East (455 River Dr., Elmwood Park, 201.797.9258). • Taylor ham, egg and cheese: There’s no better way to start the day than with this breakfast staple on a bagel or a roll. You can find flawless versions at Goldberg’s Bagels (327 Franklin Ave., Wyckoff, 201.847.9199), Ronnie’s Hot

Bagels (118 Broadway, Hillsdale, 201.664.4543) and Boxcar Bagel (10 River Rd.,

Bogota, 201.343.4604).

SWEET SOUNDS OF SUMMER

Big names in the music biz are playing stadiums in the tri-state area this summer, but their performances aren’t FREE. That’s different from the summer concert series making a comeback in Bergen. Below, check out what five towns have planned. (Bring snacks and lawn chairs or blankets to sit on.) • Dumont Twilight at the Gazebo brings live music to the arboretum at West Shore Avenue every Wednesday in July around 7:30 p.m. For the lineup, visit dumontnj. gov.

• Englewood’s 10th annual “Jazz Under the Stars”

concert series features varied performances on Thursday nights until Aug. 25 at 7:30 p.m. on the Englewood Library’s lawn. Get more details and the lineup at englewoodlibrary.org. • Hackensack Summer Concerts return to the Green (Main Street and Washington Place), featuring a different live band every Tuesday in July at 7:30 p.m. Learn more at hackensack.org.

• Ridgewood’s Kasschau Memorial Shell

Concert Series brings live music to the village’s Veterans Field every Tuesday and Thursday this summer from 8:30 to 9:45 p.m. Check out the lineup and more at kasschaumemorialshell.com. • Westwood Concerts in the Park (Veterans’ Memorial Park, in particular) are held weekly on Thursdays from 8 to 9:30 p.m. through July, featuring a mix of oldies, R&B jams and cover bands. Get more info at westwoodnj.gov.

MAKE A SPLASH

A pool is cool—when you have access to one. But when the neighbors with a diving board are out of town and the municipal pool is too crowded, what can you do to help the kiddos beat the heat? Take them to one of Bergen’s splash parks—facilities with water misters, cannons and in-ground geysers:

• Carver Park, Hackensack.

Besides the in-ground sprinklers, this facility has water cannons, so kids can soak friends (and family members who think they’re staying dry).

• Polifly Park, Hackensack.

Little ones will enjoy getting their feet wet at this mini spray park.

• Van Saun Park, Paramus.

After the train and carousel, kids can cool down at the park’s Harmony Playground, which has gentle sprinklers.

• Veterans Field Park,

Edgewater. While the youngsters bask in the spray park’s misters, you can sit back and enjoy the view of Manhattan. • Votee Park, Teaneck. The main attraction in summer at the township’s largest park is the splash pad.

WORK-FROM-HOME OPTIONS

Still not going in to work, or only going some days? You’re lucky to be in Jersey. A study by the personal finance website WalletHub finds that our state is the best one for working from home. The study assessed “work environment” and “living environment,” considering things like internet access and home square footage.

And if you’re WFH but growing weary of actual home, there are alternatives. Set up shop (and enjoy a jolt of caffeine) at a Bergen coffee spot such as Coffee Break in Hackensack, which has cozy chairs and a chill vibe; Roast’d Coffee in Hasbrouck Heights, Franklin Lakes or Fort Lee, with outdoor seating for those nice days; or Cozie Café in Fair Lawn, which has comfy leather chairs up front and a sofa with some board games and books in the back for when you need a break from your laptop.

Crave more than just coffee? Check out Kudo Society in Teaneck, where you’ll munch on the signature waffle/croissant Kudossant while working in a large space infused with natural light; Bite Food & Coffee Co. in Hackensack and Fair Lawn, where you can get cozy with a sandwich or salad on a round table with pretty pink chairs or a padded booth; or Bogota Press Café, with bright windows, outdoor seating and life-changing paninis.

SHOP SMART IN JULY

How can you lie there in that beach chair or hammock while bargains go begging? Sure, fall is supposedly the big buying season, but mid-summer has its shopportunities too. For example: • To start making room for fall products, summer apparel such as shorts and sandals will be heavily discounted in early July. Expect good deals on leftover Father’s Day items, including tools and lawn care equipment. It’s also an ideal time to buy house paints: Prices should be lower, and it’s the time of year to keep windows open to allow wet paint to dry. • If you can wait beyond July 4, you may score a deep discount on the swimsuits stores have in stock. Furniture also goes on sale in midJuly, as many chain stores try to clear inventory in anticipation of new arrivals in August. And are you in the mood for a Christmas tree? Artificial trees are often available at a discount; you can pick one up and save it for December. • Back to school already? Late July is the time to start preparing for this annual spending spree, so expect deals on things like backpacks and notebooks. For kids heading off to college, stock up now on dorm room items such as bedding, appliances and laptops. Retailers will begin stocking shelves with fall clothing, but sales on these items traditionally continue (some get better) in August.

CULINARYCORNER

We all scream for ice cream—especially in July, when scorching temps just beg for a cooling scoop or two. Can it be coincidental that three ice-cream shops recently opened in our county?

An on-top pop-up

Cherry on Top Ice Cream Shop is a seasonal pop-up that opened on June 8 and will stick around into early fall near Raw Oyster Bar & Kitchen in Harrington Park. It serves 16 flavors of Nasto’s ice cream from a famous parlor in Newark that’s been around since 1939. Toppings and more details are TBD, but check their Instagram for updates.

• Cherry on Top Ice Cream Shop, 112 La Roche Ave., Harrington Park, @thecherryontopicecreamshop

Something to explore

Both traditional ice-cream flavors (chocolate, vanilla, etc.) and more unconventional Hong Kong-inspired concoctions such as Tokyo banana and matcha are available at New Territories Ice Cream, which has branched out from its Manhattan base. Devour your flavor of choice in a Hong Kong bubble waffle, a wrap/cone hybrid that makes for awesome Instagram snaps.

• 13–24 River Rd., Fair Lawn, 201.574.9263; newterritoriesnyc.com

Temptations from Trina

A chocolate and sweets shop in Lyndhurst has morphed into an ice-cream parlor called Trina’s Treats. Flavors vary weekly (the cotton candy is a fave), but on every visit you can order an ice-cream sandwich, ice cream pie, waffles topped with ice cream, root beer or creamsicle floats or a scoop in a cup or cone. The specialty here: gourmet milkshakes in fun flavors such as s’mores and Lucky Charms.

• Trina’s Treats, 296 Stuyvesant Ave., Lyndhurst, 201.804.7659; trinastreatsxo.com

HOW TO KEEP COOL

Hot enough out there for you? It’s easy to cool off in a swimming pool or an airconditioned home, but we have to face the heat at some point. So when you do step out into the scorching sun, here are a few tips for staying cool: • In a car: Move the car’s hot air from the cabin as you wait for the AC to cool. Simply open one of the front windows and then open and close the door on the opposite side about five times. This will remove the hot air that’s been trapped in the car. • At a barbecue: Those burgers and steaks look great on the grill, but consuming high-protein red meat can raise body temperatures because it requires more energy to digest. The same is true of full-fat ice cream. As alternatives, consider grilled chicken and fish as well as ices or sherbet for dessert. Avoid pasta salads and snack on water-rich foods such as watermelon and cucumbers. • At a park: Your feet and ankles are sensitive to heat. If you have cold water to spare, dampen a towel and place it on your feet to create a whole-body cooling sensation. Better yet, if there’s a clean body of water nearby, dip your feet into it for a couple of minutes.

HELP WANTED—REALLY!

It’s been a slow road back to normal, but we’re getting there. New Jersey has continued to show job growth, with nearly 700,000 jobs recovered since the height of the pandemic two years ago, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Industries seeing an uptick this past spring included health services, transportation and leisure and hospitality. Here are some of the county’s top employers and the number of positions they listed at presstime as available:

• Hackensack University Medical

Center: More than 400 positions available at its Hackensack campus. • Bio-Reference Laboratories: More than 200 positions at its Elmwood Park facility. • Express Scripts: More than a dozen positions at its Franklin Lakes office. • KPMG: More than 160 jobs available at its Woodcliff Lake office. • Unilever: More than 130 positions available at its Englewood Cliffs branch.

PUPPY LOVE

Dogs: Baxter (right) and Barney, 3-yearold greyhounds Owners: The Solows of Demarest The Solow household had been home to rescued greyhounds for more than 20 years. After nearly a year had gone by since their last senior dog passed away in 2020, they decided to adopt again. They applied to rescue another greyhound and visited the dogs at a kennel in Tabernacle. “We immediately fell in love with and adopted Baxter,” recalls “mama” Annette.

But destiny was still writing the story. After about a month with the new pooch, Annette met another greyhound owner who was fostering a male that “looked like Baxter.” She did her research and learned that the two dogs were halfbrothers. “My husband and I went to the home with Baxter, and when the door opened, Baxter and Barney (named after his favorite purple dinosaur toy) started kissing each other,” she says. “We immediately knew they were a good match to live together.”

Like any pair of brothers, Baxter and Barney do everything together, running in the backyard, napping in their beds (or on Annette’s feet) or visiting Van Saun Park in Paramus. And “Mama,” a dental hygienist, makes sure they’re living their best—and cleanest—life: “I brush their teeth twice a day and give them a mini-treat afterward,” she says. “Our vet loves showing their teeth to his staff to show them how clean they are.”

Want to see your puppy or kitten in an upcoming issue of BERGEN? Email your pet’s photo and a few details to editor Rita Guarna at rita. guarna@wainscotmedia.com.