From the beginning, Joe and Chris Asterino weren’t shy about change. The first thing they did when they purchased The Open Hearth Guest House in June 2003 was to change the name to the Majestic Star Inn. Not to say it’s unheard of, but certainly not the norm. It had been the Open Hearth for at least 30 years.
Tag: This is Cape May

4th Annual New Jersey State Film Festival
When you throw a pebble into the water, it starts a ripple. That ripple starts more ripples and, before you know it, you have a film festival getting ready for its 4th year, and then you have young filmmakers winning awards, and then you have a governor passing legislation to lure more movie makers into the state. And that’s what they call a ripple effect.

150 Years of Firefighting
If any one ever tells you that history doesn’t make a difference, tell them to come to Cape May. Yes, it would have been a seaside resort no matter what, given it’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, but who knew that a fire in 1878 would ensure National Historic Landmark status nearly 100 years later? And, who knew that the impact of that same fire that occurred on Nov. 9, 1878 leveling 39 acres of land right in the heart of the city could still be felt on a sunny Sunday afternoon in October, 2004?

Who’s really staying at the Columbia House?
I’ve been looking for ghosts for three years running and have yet to see one, hear one, or feel one – let alone talk to one. Everyone else seems to see them and sometimes even photograph them. What’s wrong with me? I’m a nice person. Why don’t they show themselves to me?

On Assignment: Touring Haunted Cape May
It is dusk and just beginning to cool. A quiet has settled along the beachfront on this Sunday evening in late September. The throngs of tourists have disappeared but there are still a nice number of people walking about. Halloween and November often suggest an image of a “ghost town” in Cape May. We don’t so much have tumbleweeds rolling down empty streets; it’s more like occasional sand traps brought about by heavy winds whistling long into the night.

Carriage Horses Up Close
Who are those horses riding through Cape May? We see them pulling wedding carriages, pulling tourists through the scenic areas of town, and waiting for passengers on Washington Street across from the Washington Commons shops. But who are they? Established in 1983 by Beverly Carr, Cape May Carriage Company has served the Cape May community… Read more »

C.M.B.P. The Anatomy of a Rescue
Imagine this. It is a quiet, peaceful afternoon at the beach. You are sitting in your beach chair, waiting for the tide to rush over your legs, thinking, maybe you should move your chair back a bit so your stuff doesn’t get wet when, suddenly, whistles are blowing, lifeguards are running and pulling everyone out… Read more »

On Assignment: Cape May Stage Mangling
My assignment for CapeMay.com is to go back-stage with Cape May Stage. I’m going to be the acting assistant stage manager for their new production– “Park Your Car…” somewhere…lets see… “Park Your Car in Your Backyard”? …no.

Women and Their Art
“There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into sun.”

Tips on How to Buy an Old Home
Have you always dreamed of owning an old house, one that dates back to, say, Queen Victoria? If the answer is yes – the next question is what would you be getting into? What better way to find out than to ask some of the people in Victorian Cape May who have already undergone the task.