For over 25 years, families and healthcare partners have trusted RJ Healthcare Services to provide compassionate, dependable care and staffing solutions. We are dedicated to enhancing quality of life through personalized home care services while connecting skilled caregivers with rewarding career opportunities. Whether you are seeking quality care for a loved one or looking to join a team that makes a difference every day, RJ Healthcare Services is here for you.
IN-HOME CARE SERVICES
CAREGIVER SERVICES
Home Health Aide Care
Companion & Respite Care
Live-In Care
LONG-TERM CARE
Long-Term Care
Assisted Living Support
Subacute & Hospice Care
NOW HIRING CHHAs
NURSING SERVICES
Post-Hospital
Post-Operative Care Wound Care
Actively Hiring Throughout Middlesex, Monmouth & Ocean Counties
Multilingual Caregivers Encouraged to Apply - All Languages Welcome!
WHY JOIN US?
Flexible Scheduling
Reliable Hours
Competitive Pay Rates
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
Supportive Team Easy Placement Process Long-standing partnerships Weekly Pay 401(k) Plan Health Insurance
Immediate Openings in:
South River • Sayreville • Perth Amboy • New Brunswick • Spotswood • Edison
We’re proud to put Asbury Park and neighbors first for 10 years, and we’re committed to helping you build on your success with a financial approach that’s designed for you.
What would you like the power to do?®
ZachariahIvins
Assistant Vice President Financial Advisor Senior Portfolio Advisor 732.528.2701 zachariah.ivins@ml.com
MerrillLynchWealthManagement
2504 HIGHWAY 35 Manasquan, NEW JERSEY 08736 732.232.5538 advisor.ml.com/sites/ivins
Summertime on AP Boardwalk is a Vacation in our backyard!
Summer is here, and the time is right for dancing on the beach! Or the Boardwalk if you prefer! Or anywhere! There’s music EVERYWHERE!
No better time for spending with your children or your pets on dog beach.
This year, our landscape may look a bit different, but the feeling hasn’t changed. The Asbury Vibe is still alive and well. Something you simply don’t find in any other beach town on the Jersey Shore. They’re all great Jersey Shore towns in their own way, but Asbury’s unique blend of history, music, and culture creates an energy that is truly one of a kind.
Our business district along Cookman Avenue, down Main Street and throughout downtown Asbury Park are buzzing with people strolling, dining, and exploring all the great shops and boutiques. With several exciting new restaurants joining a rich lineup of established favorites, there’s no limit to the variety of food, drink, and atmospheres to enjoy.
One of the most anticipated newcomers is LiLi’s Oceanfront Restaurant, now open in the former Stela Marina location on the south end of the Boardwalk. Some of our favorite spots to eat and unwind in Asbury Park include:
• Brando’s, for the best steak dinner in town,
• Palmetto, for great food and a welcoming atmosphere,
• The Iron Whale, has a great happy hour, a fun bar crowd and a wonderful menu,
• AP Rooftop, for fun, food, and folly,
• Robinson’s, for comfort food and a great bar crowd and live music,
• Porta, for delicious brick oven pizza and a nightlife after hours,
• The Elbow Room, for delicious food, great people and intimate music setting.
• Taka, for outstanding sushi and a fun atmosphere,
• Dolce Fantasia 4, for exceptional Italian and Mediterranean cuisine,
• Moonstruck, for its amazing happy hour and fantastic menu,
• The eagerly awaited Asbury Social, which is sure to be a hot ticket in Asbury,
• And of course, the legendary Jimmy’s Restaurant, on Asbury Avenue never disappoints!
These are just a few of the many wonderful places waiting for you, not only now, in the heat of summer, but all year long. Asbury Park Rocks your tastebuds!
I wish everyone a very happy, healthy, and safe summer. Get out there and enjoy everything Asbury Park has to offer. Don't forget your sunscreen!
Warm regards,
JIMI BONARO, PUBLISHER @ASBURYPARKCITYLIFESTYLE
August 2026
PUBLISHER
Jimi Bonaro | jimi.bonaro@citylifestyle.com
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
Ed Condran | ed.condran@citylifestyle.com
SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Dina M. Fazio | dinamfazio@gmail.com
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Ashley O'Neill | copybadass@gmail.com
PUBLICATION DIRECTOR
Jimi Bonaro | jimi.bonaro@citylifestyle.com
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Debra Pascali-Bonaro debrapascalibonaro@gmail.com
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
President Matthew Perry
COO David Stetler
CRO Jamie Pentz
CoS Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Rachel Otto
LAYOUT DESIGNER Meredith Wilson
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Anna Minnick
With City Lifestyle’s co-branded print + digital packages, your business captures attention wherever our community is looking. Build unmatched local credibility on the page, and drive immediate action online. Ready to double your local reach? Contact your local publisher by scanning below.
Doggie Adventure: Asbury Park has gone to the dogs (and the kids!).
Photography: Michelle Khordos
Chief Barketing Officers: Andouille & Olive
city scene
WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN
1: Danny Clinch doing what Danny does! Transparent Gallery 06/11/2026 2: Springsteen opens 2nd night at American Music celebration with Elvis Presley's, Jail House Rock! 3: Sheryl Crow doing a Bob Dylan tribute. 4: Jackson Brown Rockin the house! 5: David Sancious & Will Calhoun the original E. Street Band keyboardist and Living Color's Drummer 6: Will Calhoun, Living Color's Drummer accompanies Davis Sancious NY City Serenade.
JIMI BONARO
JIMI BONARO
JIMI BONARO
JIMI BONARO
JIMI BONARO
JIMI BONARO
7: Bruce and Sheryl Crow 8: The Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music At Monmouth University 9: Bruce and Patty at the opening ceremony
JOHN CAVANAUGH, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN CENTER FOR AMERICAN MUSIC
ALBERTO ENGELI
business monthly
Rebel Supply Co.
Step into Rebel Supply Co. in Asbury Park for iconic vintage, unbeatable consignment finds, cutting-edge fashion, and fun gifts-all wrapped in immaculate vibes. This beloved, female owned and operated community hub is known for its welcoming staff, inclusive spirit, and events that bring people together, making it far more than a shop. Scan to read more
New York Life, Tara Coffman
Protecting what matters most has always been at the heart of who I am. That commitment naturally led me to a career in financial services, where I have been helping individuals, families, and business owners build thoughtful strategies to safeguard their futures.
The William Hagan Group
William Hagan Group is a top producing real estate team located in Asbury Park. With the highest price sale in multiple developments and communities, we pride ourselves on results, professionalism, and service. For the past decade, we've helped over 1,000 buyer and sellers achieve their goal of buying and selling. We offer cash offers to home sellers looking for a hassle free experience. If you are looking for the best results, give us a call.
GOOD FOR Your Gut
KIMBERLY KUBICKE
Watermelon at the Beach
Digestion is weakest during summer. You can feel it if you pay attention. Appetite tends to decrease in hot weather. Heavy meals feel less appealing. Ayurveda explains this through agni, the digestive fire. During summer, the body works hard to regulate heat and keep us cool. In doing so, it pushes heat from our core to our extremities. This weakens digestive strength.
As summer peaks, we naturally crave cooling. We reach for smoothies, salads, ice cream, and frozen drinks. The problem is that many of the items we turn to for relief can weaken digestion even further.
Digestion relates to what your body can break down, absorb, and transform into energy and healthy tissue. When digestion weakens, even healthy foods can become difficult to process. This is why people may experience an uptick in gut issues, inflammation, skin irritation, or fatigue during the hottest months of the year.
Late summer is generally a time for lighter, hydrating foods that cool the body from the inside out without extinguishing digestion completely. Some of Ayurveda’s favorite cooling foods include cucumbers, berries, watermelon, peaches, coconut, avocado, bitter leafy greens and lighter grains like rice or quinoa.
Fresh herbs and spices can also help regulate heat while supporting digestion. Cilantro, mint, fennel, and cumin are
Kimberly Kubicke at the beach in Asbury Park Cucumber Cooler Option
especially helpful this time of year. A simple mint chutney or generous handful of chopped cilantro on meals can help clear heat without weakening digestion.
Hydration is equally important. Because we sweat more in summer, the body requires more fluids. But Ayurveda generally favors warm or room temperature over ice-cold beverages, which can shock digestion and weaken agni over time. Think of how jumping into freezing cold water affects your body. You tense up. Circulation slows. A similar constricting effect can happen in the gut. When we fill it with cold food or drinks, digestion can slow and stagnate.
Muddle fresh cucumber and mint in the bottom of a mason jar or French press. Add water and let steep overnight in the fridge. Strain and enjoy at room temperature.
For extra pizzazz, add lime or sparkling water. It makes a refreshing mocktail or cocktail mixer for summer gatherings.
A quick note about protein….Protein has become an obsession lately. Protein bars. Protein coffee. Protein pasta. Protein powders in everything. My goal is not to make you choose between Ayurveda and modern nutrition. Both have value.
“Late summer is generally a time for lighter, hydrating foods that cool the body from the inside out.”
Heavy, greasy, overly spicy, or processed foods are often harder to tolerate during summer. For some people, these foods can trigger headaches, reflux, skin flareups, or irritability. Excess alcohol, caffeine, fried foods, and acidic foods can also increase internal heat and contribute to irritability, dehydration, inflammation, or digestive discomfort. And dense foods like red meat can leave you feeling tired and weighed down.
But Ayurveda asks an important question that often gets lost in the conversation: Can your body digest and assimilate what you’re eating? Because what you eat is not automatically what your body absorbs. Your body can only build strength from food it can digest. Heavy proteins, especially in highly processed or isolated forms are often difficult to digest - particularly during the heat of summer when digestion is already weaker. Protein is easier to digest when it’s well cooked and spiced with digestive herbs. It should be consumed in appropriate amounts relative to the season and your level of hunger. Different forms of protein are recommended based on the season in Ayurveda. Summer is an ideal time for lighter proteins like fish, chicken, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Summer doesn’t only heat the body. It can heat the mind as well. Longer days that tempt us to stay up later and push harder. Ayurveda reminds us that summer is not the season to overextend ourselves.
If you’d like to learn more about supporting digestion, discover your Ayurvedic gut type at indraholistic.com/gut.
ARTICLE BY JIMI BONARO
save our city
SOS is trying to save our vital structures
Asbury Park City Lifestyle readers know how to fall in love with a place—the restaurants, the murals, the music, the way the light hits the ocean at golden hour. Save Our Structures – Asbury Park (SOS-AP) is about making sure the buildings that frame those moments are still here for future generations.
A CITY DEFINED BY ITS SKYLINE
Stand at the midpoint of the boardwalk on a windy afternoon and look south. You’ll see the weathered arches of the historic Casino Grand Concourse, a Beaux-Arts spine that once connected Asbury Park and Ocean Grove and welcomed generations of day-trippers, skaters, and concertgoers. Built in 1929–1930 and designed by Warren & Wetmore—the same firm behind New York’s Grand Central Terminal—the Casino complex helped put this little shore city on the national map. Today, the Casino’s Grand Concourse is fenced, fading, and sitting at what state preservationists now call “urgent risk of demolition.”
For many residents, the slow decline has started to feel like “demolition by neglect”—a quiet erasing of the city’s character, one cracked tile and rusted beam at a time. That’s the backdrop against which a small group of neighbors decided they’d had enough of watching from the sidelines.
WHAT IS SOS‑AP?
Save Our Structures – Asbury Park is a grassroots, volunteer-driven effort created by residents who see historic buildings as more than scenic backdrops. Co-founded by locals Dave Henry, Celia Morrissette, Kris Ohleth, and Kristin O’Meara, the group brings together small business owners, creatives, preservation professionals, and people who love walking these streets and want to keep their stories intact.
Their mission is straightforward but ambitious: “to safeguard the historic and culturally significant buildings, streetscapes, and gathering places that make Asbury Park unique.” They organize, educate, and mobilize the community so decisions about demolition, redevelopment, and reuse are made transparently and with real public input—not as a foregone conclusion in a back room.
Equally important, SOS-AP has planted its flag as a community-first, transparent organization. The group has publicly clarified that it is independent of other boardwalk and Casino-related fundraising efforts, and that it does not solicit donations tied to specific private redevelopment schemes. They recently agreed to serve as the preservation committee of the Asbury Park Historical Society. That
“We believe that res idents and people who consider Asbury Park a second home deserve a say in the future of the city,”
clarity has helped build trust in a town where development politics can get complicated fast.
WHAT THEY’RE DOING ON THE GROUND
If there’s a single image that is emblematic of SOS-AP’s work, it’s the Casino’s Grand Concourse, closed to the public, vulnerable to
the elements, and still hauntingly beautiful in its decay. “Job One” for the group is making sure that concourse isn’t quietly reduced to a few token arches or razed outright under the banner of progress. They are pressing both the City and the private waterfront developer, Madison Marquette, to treat the building as the historic resource it is and to commit to meaningful adaptive reuse that welcomes the public.
The City of Asbury Park and Madison Marquette remain at odds over the future of key waterfront properties, with city officials and residents questioning whether the developer has met its longstanding obligations to maintain and restore historic structures. The dispute has intensified around the deteriorated Casino and other boardwalk buildings, where proposed demolition, alleged contract noncompliance, and ongoing legal constraints have fueled concern about both historic preservation and the city’s leverage to enforce its redevelopment agreements.
SOS-AP is actively speaking out in favor of adaptive reuse of the Casino, and their advocacy shows up in very concrete ways: driving turnout for City Council and Planning Board meetings, offering detailed public comments on redevelopment plans, and staying in constant communication with local and statewide preservation organizations.
Despite what O’Meara called the city’s “curious interpretation” of a ruling by Retired New Jersey Supreme Court Justice
Lee A. Solomon, SOS-AP leaders believe the city still has recourse.
“We want the city to follow through on what Mayor John Moor himself has stated in writing when the opinion was made public on June 10,” O’Meara said. Quoting the city’s statement: ‘The Casino and boardwalk properties are central to Asbury Park’s identity, history, and future. The City Council and I will continue to pursue every available avenue to protect these assets.’”
“SOS-AP wants to see the city direct its attorneys to map out every enforcement option still available -- and to use them,” O’Meara said, adding “holding them accountable now is the only reasonable way forward.” The group is working with state and national preservation organizations to identify use cases in other cities that have turned around neglected and blighted historic buildings, and made them functional, beautiful, and profitable.
On the streets, residents may have seen SOS -AP marching in local parades with their bold new logo, which is plastered on the lampposts along the boardwalk
From left to right, SOS Co-Founders Kristin O’Meara, Celia Morrissette, Kris Oleth, and Dave Henry
in true AP style, or making the rounds informally at community events, using every chance to turn casual curiosity into informed engagement.
The work is starting to resonate beyond city limits.
Residents are rallying on the streets, preservation groups raising alarms about “demolition by neglect,” and elected officials beginning to engage on how the government can support a preservation-first plan for the Casino’s future. In addition to potential national recognition, the nomination gives Asbury Park a powerful new platform to push for a binding, public-facing roadmap to stabilize, restore, and reopen the breezeway as a true public asset.
Preservation New Jersey and other statewide advocates have elevated the Casino Grand Concourse as a high-priority site.
In May, O’Meara sent a quick, exclamation point-laden “We did it!!!” text along with a link to PNJ’s May listing of The Casino as one of 10 Most Endangered Historic Places, which brings with it the power of partnership, allowing SOS-AP to draw on PNJ’s
“The places SOS‑AP is fighting to save are where you meet friends before a show, take engagement photos, or walk your out‑of‑town guests after dinner.”
technical expertise, programming, and publicity to pursue sustainable adaptive reuse of the landmark.
“We are encouraged by the support already shown by PNJ,” O’Meara said. In addition to professional guidance, PNJ is assisting with the creation of feature stories, video public meetings, and other storytelling opportunities to keep these public spaces visible throughout the year.
The group has been covered frequently by The Asbury Park Press, The Coaster, and the Tri-City News, all of which spotlighted SOS-AP as a key player in a preservation movement that is suddenly gaining national attention. That outside spotlight, in turn, gives residents more leverage to demand better outcomes, O’Meara said.
THE COALITION THEY WANT TO BUILD
For all the focus on the boardwalk, SOS-AP’s vision stretches across the entire city map. Their long-term goal is a robust, empowered Historic Preservation Commission that can identify and protect Asbury Park’s significant buildings and
streetscapes, review demolition and construction proposals with real teeth, and serve as a year-round resource for homeowners, businesses, and developers who want to do right by the city’s heritage.
To get there, they’re intentionally building a broad coalition. SOS-AP is reaching out to:
• Residents from every neighborhood, from waterfront condos to west side blocks.
• Local businesses that rely on Asbury Park’s character to attract visitors and talent.
• Arts and culture organizations that program our stages, galleries, and festivals.
• Partner groups like the Asbury Park Historical Society and statewide preservation nonprofits.
The common thread is a shared belief that historic places are economic and cultural assets, not obstacles. In a market where rapid development and rising costs threaten to push out the very people who made Asbury Park cool in the first place, SOS-AP argues that preserving buildings
and public spaces is one way to keep the city grounded and inclusive.
They’re also working toward a different way of doing business. “This is a cultural change that we’re asking for,” O’Meara said. “We believe that residents and people who consider Asbury Park a second home -- as I did well before I moved to the area -- deserve a say in the future of the city, and by the numbers of folks who’ve contacted us, that’s not something that’s going away in another news cycle or two. People really treasure these places. That counts for something.”
That means pushing for transparency in meetings with City Hall officials and
developers, seeking clear timelines for stabilization and reuse, and formal mechanisms for community input on major decisions. Imagine redevelopment plans that are shaped in open, well-publicized workshops and hearings with real back-and-forth, rather than revealed as a final product. That’s the culture shift SOS-AP is trying to catalyze.
HOW CITY LIFESTYLE READERS CAN PLUG IN
For readers of Asbury Park City Lifestyle, this story is personal. The places SOS -AP is fighting to save are where you meet friends before a show,
take engagement photos, or walk your out- of-town guests after dinner. The group is looking for exactly the kind of talent this community has in abundance: design-minded volunteers to help with storytelling, social media-savvy residents to amplify updates, legal and planning experts willing to lend pro bono advice, and neighbors ready to show up, ask questions simply, and refuse to accept that “nothing can be done.” Those who wish to get involved can visit their website at www.sos-ap.org , or sign up for their growing email list at info@ sos-ap.org .
SOS-AP’s message is simple: Asbury Park’s history isn’t just in museum displays or old postcards—it’s written into the skyline, the sidewalks, the cornices and marquees we walk under every day. The question now is whether we’ll act in time to keep those stories standing, and whether the next generation will inherit a city that still looks, feels, and lives like Asbury Park. There's no guarantee that will happen since historic structures aren't guaranteed to last forever in America. Look at Yankee Stadium. The jewel of the Bronx was torn down in the name of luxury suites. You can build a new ballpark with all of the desired amenities but why wasn't The House That Ruth Built spared as an incredible historic attraction? There is a lack of respect for structures that have significance in this country. If something as awful as the razing of Yankee Stadium can happen in New York, it can happen in Asbury Park. We must be proactive to save the important structures in our beloved city. Hopefully what's most important in Asbury Park can be saved.
Elevate YOUR PB & J
ARTICLE BY KRISTY BELLEY PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
TRANSFORM YOUR HUMBLE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SANDWICH FROM LUNCH BOX BASIC TO GOURMET GREATNESS
Ready to give this childhood classic the upgrade it deserves? Whether you’re packing your kid’s lunch or treating yourself to something special, these elevated PB&J creations will make anyone excited for lunchtime.
THE ART OF THE UPSCALE
The secret to an elevated PB&J isn’t complicated—it’s all about premium ingredients and creative combinations. Swap that white bread for artisanal sourdough, brioche, or even croissants. Trade processed jelly for fresh fruit compotes, gourmet preserves, or actual fresh berries that burst with flavor.
Quality nut butters make all the difference. Think creamy almond butter, rich cashew spread, or that perfectly salted natural peanut butter from the farmer’s market. These simple swaps instantly elevate your sandwich from ordinary to extraordinary.
Bread Options
• Artisanal sourdough
• Brioche
• Croissants
• Multigrain bread
• Cinnamon raisin bread
• Hawaiian sweet bread
• Whole wheat bread
• Thick-cut bread (for open-face)
Nut & Seed Butters
• Natural peanut butter
• Almond butter
• Dark chocolate almond butter
• Cashew butter
• Coconut butter
• Nutella
Fresh Fruits
• Strawberries
• Fresh blueberries
• Fresh raspberries
• Fresh peaches
• Kiwi
• Mixed berries
• Bananas
• Pears
Preserves & Sweet Spreads
• Honey
• Fig jam
• Mango preserves
• Raspberry preserves
• Grape jelly
• Marshmallow cream
Toppings & Add-ins
• Fresh mint leaves
• Granola
• Toasted coconut flakes
• Cream cheese
• Everything bagel seasoning
• Dark Chocolate Syrup
COMBOS TO Try:
CREATIVE COMBINATIONS THAT HIT DIFFERENT
The Sophisticated Sweet: Nutella, sliced strawberries, and a drizzle of honey on brioche bread
The Panini Perfection: Peanut butter, fresh blueberries, and marshmallow cream pressed between sourdough slices
The Beautiful Mess: Your favorite nut butter topped with sliced fresh peaches, kiwi, or berries, then drizzled with golden honey or sprinkled with toasted coconut on thickcut bread
The Grown-Up Classic: Almond butter, fig jam, and thinly sliced pears on multigrain bread
The Breakfast Crossover: Cashew butter, sliced bananas, and a sprinkle of granola on cinnamon raisin bread
The Tropical Twist: Coconut butter, mango preserves, and toasted coconut flakes on Hawaiian sweet bread
The Chocolate Dream: Dark chocolate almond butter, raspberry preserves, and fresh mint leaves on whole wheat
The Savory Surprise: Natural peanut butter, grape jelly, and a thin layer of cream cheese with everything bagel seasoning
PRO TIPS FOR LUNCHBOX SUCCESS
Toast your bread lightly for extra texture, even if you’re making it ahead. Create a barrier with your spread to prevent soggy sandwiches—apply nut butter to both sides, then add your sweet elements in the middle. Pack fresh elements separately and assemble just before eating when possible. Cut into fun shapes with cookie cutters, wrap in parchment paper tied with twine, or pack in a bento box with complementary sides like apple slices, fancy crackers, or dark chocolate squares.
THE BOTTOM LINE
An elevated PB&J proves that sometimes the best meals come from taking something familiar and making it special. These upgraded versions will have everyone asking for the recipe—and maybe even offering to trade lunches.
TREY & KATIE KENNEDY
ON MARRIAGE, KIDS, AND THE COMEDY OF REAL LIFE
Trey Kennedy makes a living finding comedy in regular life. Marriage. Toddlers. Yoga pants. The Thursday-night scramble between school dropoffs, soccer practice, and whatever has to be done by morning. Twelve years in, it shows: millions of followers across every platform, three stand-up specials, a sold-out Relatable Tour, and a style of humor fans send each other captioned, “Are you watching me?” He delivers the kind of comedy that travels because everyone’s living some version of it.
Katie, his wife of six years, is a former biomedical engineer who also built a modeling career. She’s now raising their kids and co-hosting Correct Opinions alongside Trey — the show where the two of them swap takes on marriage, parenting, and whatever came up that week.
Trey has been at this longer than people realize. An Edmond, Oklahoma kid who grew up playing basketball described himself as a “shy kid who never thought he’d be an entertainer.” He started making videos while attending Oklahoma State University. After building millions of followers on Vine before the platform shut down, he gave himself six months on Instagram and Facebook to see whether he could rebuild from zero. He did. Stand-up soon followed. His first special, Are You For Real?, streams on YouTube; the second, Grow Up, on Amazon Prime; the third, built around the Relatable Tour, wrapped earlier this year. “I’ve been trying to be funny every week for like twelve years now,” he says. A slow climb, made one bit at a time.
ARTICLE BY KALI KASPRZYK
JANIE
“I’ve been trying to be funny every week for like twelve years now.”
Most of what Trey writes lately starts in his own kitchen. Thomas is three and a half, and he is, in his father’s words, “a movie.” He narrates his own life from the moment his eyes open and mispronounces words in ways his parents now repeat to each other because no one else would believe them. His younger sister, Eva, is what Katie calls “the calm one.” With a third now in the mix, the Kennedys are officially outnumbered.
After six years of marriage, Trey and Katie have learned that the partnership runs best when it gets its own time on the calendar. So once a week, they leave the kids with a sitter and go out for coffee. “You need a system,” Katie says. “It’s about taking time to look each other in the eye. Not the kids. Not the cameras. Just each other.”
The same instinct shapes the work. Most of Trey’s trial and error happens onstage or on Instagram, but the first read is always Katie’s. “There’s only been one time ever I’ve had to be like, ‘you’re not doing that,’” she says. The rest of the time, she just laughs first.
FEATURING TREY & KATIE KENNEDY
Trey and Katie talk about marriage, parenting, and the moments that don’t make the Instagram feed.
Watch or listen to the full conversation wherever you get your podcasts.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
JONES HAIR & MAKEUP BY MIKAYLA CRANE
events
AUGUST 6TH
Blues Traveler, The Gin Blossoms and the Spin Doctors
The Stone Pony, 913 Ocean Avenue | 5:00 PM
Is it the '90s once again? I caught this exact bill at a shed in 1993. Expect an avalanche of '90s hits from the three formidable bands.
AUGUST 6TH
Chelsea Handler
Count Basie Center for the Arts, 99 Monmouth St., Red Bank | 8:00 PM
The amusing Jersey Girl is on her "High and Mighty" tour. It'll be curious to see if Handler will reminisce about her Garden State upbringing.
AUGUST 13TH
The Lemon Twigs
Asbury Lanes, 209 Fourth Avenue | 8:00 PM
The Long Island rock band features brothers Brian and Michael D'Addario. The band crafts jangly pop-rock.
AUGUST 14TH
Matteo Mancuso
Count Basie Center for the Arts | 8:00 PM
Mancuso is an emerging guitar wizard from Italy. His father, Vincenzo Mancuso, who is a well-respected guitarist, producer and session player throughout Europe, noticed his son's skill at an early age. That skill was cultivated and Mancuso is a young, axe-wizard to experience.
AUGUST 17TH
The Wallflowers
Count Basie Center for the Arts | 7:30 PM
Jakob Dylan's band is is on a jaunt marking the 30th anniversary of its breakthrough album "Bringing Down the Horse," which will be played back to front. But there's much more. Dylan, who is a huge Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers fan, is playing Petty's overlooked 1982 album, "Long After Dark" in its entirety as well.
AUGUST 21ST
Howard Jones
PNC Bank Arts Center, Exit 117, Holmdel | 6:30 PM
Jones is on his aptly named "Things Can Only Get Better" tour. The British synth wizard will play the hits, such as "New Song," "Everlasting Love" and "No One is to Blame."
DOGGIE ADVENTURE
“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”- American naturalist Roger Caras.
Alexis Walling can relate. After Walling’s mother passed away in 2020, her brother encouraged her to adopt a dog. She and her brother lost their father in 2016 and the wave of grief that hit the Walling siblings was overwhelming.
Buckley was adopted shortly after her mother’s death and it transformed Walling’s life. “He’s an English bulldog,” Alexis Walling said while calling from her Hoboken home. “He’s six-years old, 63 pounds and he’s amazing.”
Walling, 50, had never owned a dog. “But I always wanted one,” Walling said. “But my brother said, ‘You’re single, go ahead and adopt a dog.”
The speech pathologist approached her new addition like she does the children she sees in her school. Walling is all about making their lives better.
Traveling is a great way to accomplish that goal with a pooch. Walling started “Doggie Road Trippin and like Buckley, DRT has taken off. “I started this posting on a Facebook page,” Walling said. “I made a small account and posted my adventures with my dog and people started following it.”
A favorite spot for Walling and Buckley is Asbury Park. “There are so many dog friendly places in Asbury Park,” Walling said. “We love coming down there.”
A number of local restaurants not only welcome canines but have dog menus. “Buckley loves the Iron Whale,” Walling said. “They have a burger with veggies on the side. Robinson’s does beef and rice and salmon and rice. Kim Marie’s has mash potatoes, veggies and beef or chicken.”
And then there is dessert. Betty’s Icebox on the boardwalk has a pup cup. the options are peanut butter or vanilla. “It’s great to have ice cream with your dog,” Walling said.
Walling has chronicled her adventures with Buckley outside of the Garden State. The tandem have visited Maryland, Delaware and the Catskills. Since Doggie Road Trippin has more than 56,000 followers on Instagram, Walling is recognized on occasion.
“It’s been amazing,” Walling said. “Who could have guessed this would all happen? I love going on the road for Buckley.”
Buckley was there for Walling when tragedy struck last November. Her aforementioned brother Brian, who urged Walling to adopt a dog to help her deal with anguish, passed away.
“He was only 49,” Walling said. “He left behind a wife and three children.”
ARTICLE BY ED CONDRAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEXIS WALLING
Walling spends considerable time with his brother’s family and Buckley. “It’s all working out the best that it can,” Walling said. “I’m so thankful for Buckley.”
Alexis Walling is hitting the road with her pooch on Doggie Road Trippin'
JOSEPH
Wonderfully maintained Colonial in the heart of Interlaken with 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, plus a rarely found legal Guest House with 2 bedrooms and 1 bath all situated on a nice sized lot.
