New York is up to its eyeballs in superheroes. You can’t walk down the street without tripping over one of them. New Jersey has only one superhero, Toxie, and that’s enough for us. Toxie, or "The Toxic Avenger," is the titular character of the cult film featuring New Jersey’s first superhero, borne from the mutative effects of toxic waste, or more precisely the iconic, psychotic, (Tromatic?) Troma Entertainment. In the tradition of small-budget studios from the 1950s through the 1970s, Troma wasn’t out to make art-house fare, peppering its movies (often corralled under the “exploitation” or “…

New Jersey can often get a bad reputation, if not by the amount of suburban neighborhoods, then by the industrial compounds that line the Turnpike. And yet, there are still so many regions that have acres of natural beauty to be explored, provided you are respectful in your approach. Respectful was a key description of Jacques Cousteau, a French naval officer, explorer, ecologist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water. He co-developed the Aqualung, pioneered marine conservation, and became the face and name for …

There is something about a model train set that brings out the children in people of almost any age. For some, the creation and execution of these big—yet, little—worlds appeals to side that still has a fondness for Tonka trucks and digging mountains among the molehills. For others, it is the attention to detail and the sheer craft of it all, not just the machinery but the displays that surround them, that offers landscapes you want to just fall into and live in for a while. Model train sets remind people of simpler times, quite often of Christmas, and of feeling big in tiny worlds when, more…

This column tries not to repeat itself. Yet, there are times when a revisit is called for, and few things demand attention quite like artifacts that founded two of the dominant world religions. That’s exactly what you’ll find with the exhibition Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Biblical Times, which runs through April 15 at Manhattan's Discovery Times Square at 226 West 44th St. Visitors will also have the opportunity to see objects recently discovered in the Holy Land, such as what is currently seen as the oldest known copies of the Hebrew Bible, hundreds of biblical era artifacts, and …

Diego Rivera was a man of varied passions. He was a fervent Mexican Communist, a husband four-times over, one of which was with the equally controversial Frieda Kahlo. A self-avowed atheist, and also a revolutionary through his art, Rivera made a huge splash in the early 20th Century via an exhibition at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), 11 West 53rd St, New York. Almost a century later, Rivera returns in spirit to MoMA in a new exhibition celebrating work he made specifically for the museum, as well as the materials he compiled to compose the works–sketches, thumbnails and notes. It …

We know many Patch readers have been taking the column to heart and have been making visits to our suggested destinations. But some of you haven’t. Well, that cannot stand. So, for this week’s entry we’re sending the whole lot of you to jail ... to be more precise, you’re going to the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site in Philadelphia. It's our "Day Tripper" pick of the week. DAY TRIPPER DIGEST Estimated Travel Time: About two hours Why it’s Worth the Trip:  How many times can you say you went to prison and were released the same day? How about adding in a visit to a historical monument…

Have you ever actually seen the Liberty Bell? You’ve heard about it, maybe you read about it during history class, or seen iconic images of it, but have you actually seen it? Now is a great time to check it out and Jeffrey Lew of the architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the project architect for the Liberty Bell Center, which has housed the bell and exhibited it to the public, explained how the impressive home for the bell came about. “The 1997 master plan of Independence Mall envisioned the making of a great American place in the heart of Philadelphia’s historic district. In keeping …

On occasion, this Day Tripper column can be evil. How can that be? Well, consider that the No. 1 New Year’s resolution for a majority is to lose weight. But nstead of suggesting new gyms and other forms of physical activity, we’re taking a look at the massive Eataly complex in New York. Evil? Yeah, a little bit. But consider this—a veritable mall in the heart of the city devoted to all things food. Shepherded by luminaries like Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich, Eataly is as much an experience as it is a place to shop and eat. Around any corner one can find ingredients imported from all over …

There is so much to do in New Jersey during the winter holidays: visit farm markets, spend your Christmas money at various area malls, head to the shore and jump into the ocean. Wait. What? It’s true. The Mad Hatter Pub & Pizzeria, 10 E. Ocean Ave, Sea Bright would like you to come on down and take a dip for the third Polar Bear Plunge on the first day of 2012— that's tomorrow. “This event started two years ago, [and] this year is the third annual plunge,” said Deana Rosenthal, president and founder of the Next Generation Foundation, which is the beneficiary of the event. "NGF and Mad Hatter …

New York can be a  crowded place year-round, but maybe never moreso than during the holiday season. Still, Suzanne Morris, the senior manager of public programs for the Rose Center for Earth and Space and the Hayden Planetarium in New York City believes she has the place when you need some space. Be forewarned, though: “A comfortable pair of walking shoes is always suggested as the museum spans several city blocks,” Morris said.  The destination, part of the American Museum of Natural History on Central Park West at 79th Street, is as intriguing from the outside as it is inside. “One of the …

New Jersey is very fortunate in the sense that even though it is no longer dominated by farms life, there’s still plenty to remind us why it is called the “garden state.” Because of farmers markets, we're still quick to think of apple cider, baked goods and arts and crafts as the holidays roll in—but we don't necessarily think of wine. And that's a shame: it can be a great gift for the host or hostess of your favorite holiday party. Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road in Princeton, is a family-owned and operated destination with a long history. Gary and Pam Mount bought Terhune Orchards in …

Day Tripping is about more than just heading out to big, bustling areas to check out massive, high-profile events and exhibitions. Sometimes it is good to calm down and check out a location where everything is right within walking distance, where you can stroll around in late autumn (or, as the case may soon be, a surprisingly warm winter). If that sounds appealing, Amy Amico believes she has just the sort of place you’re looking for. This December, she said, the Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury Township will bring back its annual exhibit, "Cranbury Gardens." It will feature the 'plein air' (…

The Watchung Arts Center, located on 18 Stirling Road in the Watchung Hills area of Somerset County, operates in a 100-plus-year-old schoolhouse (built in 1898), which is very appropriate. There’s plenty for visitors to learn when they attend. "We are always updating our programs and events to include shows throughout the year," said Stacy Gannon, executive director of The Watchung Arts Center.  The Watchung Arts Council, formed in 1978, is the primary caretaker for the center— a volunteer-run, nonprofit organization supporting the full range of creative endeavors through performances and …

Comic art today is considered just that—art. It's known to the scholars as “sequential art.” And it's highly valued. The materials that were used to create cartoons, either in storyboard, production painting, or animation cel form fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars in a collectors’ market. But those materials haven't always been saved. They were often given away or discarded. The comic book was printed, the movie was shot—and the materials used to create them were no longer deemed useful. With so few examples left from certain time periods, what remains is prized. Maybe you're rich and …

We’ve been to museums, parks and art galleries, taken spooky walking tours and visited parks on elevated train tracks. We’ve explored Pompeii and Wildwood and played some classic video games, so this week, we’re headed to the bowling alley. Yes, the bowling alley. Only this isn’t the one you may recall from your youth where the alleys smelled of cigar smoke drifting from the lounge, the pool tables reeked of old spilled beer, and the food concessions provided pretzels that could also be classified as deadly weapons. Asbury Lanes, located on 209 4th St., does offer strikes and spares for your …

Founded in 2009, Keno Auctions on 127 East 69th St., Manhattan, brings in many different types of visitors. Some have come specifically for an auction event, some to get a better understanding of the items the firm specializes in: fine art, jewelry, Asian art and furniture items. Others come to see if they can catch a glimpse of the auction house’s founder and president, Leigh Keno. Keno, with brother Leslie, have been fixtures of the perennial PBS favorite “Antiques Roadshow” for 15 years as volunteer appraisers, offering valuation on furniture both rare and, sometimes, not so rare. Recently…

This week, we're going to turn two preconceptions around. The first deals with the area of the Bronx. You know, the Bronx. The Yankees, the Bronx Zoo ... and a lot of unflattering Hollywood portrayals. The second concerns the “travelogue” television show style, which can be pretty awful. Such programs often send dull hosts to faraway places where you'll never get to go, and serve them expensive foods you probably couldn’t afford to try. All the while, the hosts hyperventilate over the opulence and splendor. And all the while, the viewer feels inclined to doze off. That's not likely to happen …

If this weekend your thoughts are somewhere other than family fun, you're not alone. Each week, Day Tripper visits destinations that are out of town, but in reach, suggesting weekend activities and adventures. But with the 10-year-anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on Sunday, our minds, and likely yours, are more on reflection than recreation. This week, we're reviewing trips you can take to honor those lost on 9/11. Memories of 9/11 will be at their most raw in the Tri-State Area, a region where so many people who worked at the World Trade Center made their homes. So it …

Nestled in the shadow of the Tappan Zee Bridge, along the Hudson River in Tarrytown, N.Y., lies Sunnyside, the home of renowned author Washington Irving. The property, a registered national historic landmark, was purchased by Irving in 1835. Originally a two-room stone cottage, the writer, best known for "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle," served as his own architect in expanding and remodeling the house to include many of the styles he admired during the 17 years he spent in Europe. A Spanish tile roof and tower, Tudor-style clustered chimneys, Dutch stepped gables, and …

Let's get one thing straight: This is a bad weekend for travel. With Hurricane Irene threatening most of the Garden State, the best thing most people can do is stay off the road. But the hurricane will pass. So this week, Day Tripper invites you to do a little longer-term planning, looking ahead to trips you can take in the weeks and months ahead. For instance: There was a period of time when the drive-in theater was a mainstay of every state in America with warm summer weather. In the late 1950s and early 1960s it was also an intrinsic part of the car culture. People could see and be seen. …