Down the Shore

Vol. 17 - Week of January 4th

January 05, 2026

Welcome to 2026 DTS readers! We’re officially back from our holiday hiatus, which gave us ample time to scout out the latest Jersey Shore spots worth adding to your radar, all in the name of filling your inbox with fresh inspiration. We know the Monday after New Years can feel quite sluggish, so hopefully this sparks a few ideas to brighten up your routine in the winter days ahead.

As for us, a few highlights from our our in-between days included: a cozy pre-NYE date night at Pascal and Sabine in Asbury Park, a steamy hot yoga class to shake off the winter chill at Poe in Fair Haven, and a stop at an intriguing new market that recently opened in Little Silver (more on that below).

What did you get up to over the holidays? We’d love to hear from you - just hit reply and tell us.

💻Level Up Your WFH Game

For us, today is the first official work day of 2026. When we moved back to NJ from New York City, we immediately looked into coworking options, because let’s face it, it feels good to get out of the house sometimes. After many, many cups of coffee and hours exploring different coworking options, here are our recommendations:

We are members of Colab (and no, they are not sponsoring this post) and have loved the experience working at Colab. Located in the famous Bell Works facility, Colab offers a fantastic setup for work: friendly staff, modern space, dedicated call rooms, free espresso, and easy access to the rest of Bell Works (restaurants, Booskerdoo coffee, and more).

If you want to try Colab, you can snag a day pass for $25 (free tours are also available if you swing by).

Runner-up: Bell Works public space

This may be cheating a bit, but the public area of Bell Works is a great (and free) alternative to Colab if your budget is tight. There are plenty of tables and seating, as well as easy access to the aforementioned restaurants and coffee shops of Bell Works.

Our two caveats with the public space is that it can get crowded after mid-morning and it is not ideal if you have to do a lot of calls. And if the main space is crowded: Booskerdoo and the Holmdel Public Library outpost in Bell Works also offer seating and workspace.

Coffee shop recommendation: Odyssey Coffee

If you are looking for more of a coffee shop vibe, Odyssey Coffee in Ocean Grove is a great pick. Located in an old bank, the coffee shop is an absolutely stunning space, with plants and plenty of tables and seating (if you don’t believe us, check out their IG). Plus, there’s Homerian literature lining the walls if you are looking for inspiration.

We recommend snagging some space early if you are looking to get in a day of work. Just don’t forget to buy a coffee every few hours and tip your barista.

🔍 Local Business Spotlight: 1663 Market

We’ve heard some buzz about 1663 Market in Little Silver and decided to check it out over the holiday break. The market gets its name from the year Little Silver was established with a King’s Land Grant. But this newcomer to the borough opened its doors quite recently, and we wanted to be among the first to explore.

The concept is really interesting -- part grocery market (with ample prepared food), part coffee shop, and part garden center, the market is tucked away off Rumson Road on a quiet lane near Sickles Park.

Some of the highlights from our visit were a couple of delicious flat whites from the coffee shop and a chicken pot pie from their prepared food section (scrumptious and perfect when we needed a cozy meal with minimal cooking effort).

A few days later, we picked up a few grass-fed steaks from New Zealand to have for our New Year’s Eve celebration at home. The butchers were extremely knowledgeable and helped us pick out a real treat for our NYE meal. A few tips for visiting the market:

  1. Download the app to earn points and unlock rewards

  2. When you walk in, you can grab a complimentary bag of freshly popped popcorn to enjoy while shopping. 

If you have a New Years Resolution to shop local, this is the place to do it!

🌤️ Weekend Forecast

⛅ Thursday 1/8 - 47°/37° Mostly Cloudy

🌧️ Friday 1/9 - 51°/41° Light Rain

🌧️ Saturday 1/10 - 56°/46° Heavy Rain

⛅ Sunday 1/11 - 47°/35° Mostly Cloudy

🍅 Farmer’s Market Roundup

Here’s our weekly roundup of farmers markets to check out:

And if we are missing any other farmers markets, let us know!

📖 For the bookworms…

Thursday, 1/8 at 6 pm: An Evening with NYT Bestselling Author Pam Jenoff at Thunder Road Books in Spring Lake (this is a ticketed event and you can purchase tickets here).

Saturday, 1/10 at 2 pm: Fun City Heist Book Launch with author Michael Cardos at River Road Books in Fair Haven

🎷 Live Music Roundup

Friday 1/9

Asbury Park - The Cranston Dean Band at Low Dive (9 pm)

Asbury Park - An Evening with Purple Hazy Rain at Palmetto (9 pm)

Brielle - Dennis Zimmer at The Pig & Parrot (8 pm)

Belmar - Glimmer Grass Band at Marina Grill (7 pm)

Holmdel - Shayne DeSena at Fox Hollow Vineyard (6 pm)

Manasquan - The Vinyl Trio at Harpoon Willy’s (8:30 pm)

Red Bank - Pat Guadagno Trio at Jamian’s (9 pm)

Saturday 1/10

Asbury Park - Blush, New Antics, Hippie Crippler at Low Dive (9 pm)

Asbury Park - An Evening with Keith Kenny at Palmetto (9 pm)

Brielle - Serious FM at The Pig & Parrot (8 pm)

Holmdel - Josh Werner at Fox Hollow Vineyard (2 pm)

Manasquan - Big John & Lil Maria at Harpoon Willy’s (8:30 pm)

Red Bank - Random Test Reggae Band at Jamian’s (9 pm)

Red Bank - Chris Bergson Trio at Triumph Brewery (9 pm)

Sunday 1/11

Asbury Park - Reggae with P Dub at Palmetto (1 pm)

Holmdel - Matt Noffsinger at Fox Hollow Vineyard (2 pm)

Red Bank - Keith Chasin Trio at Triumph Brewery (1 pm)

Did we miss a show? Let us know.

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