VÀ FA NAPOLI PIZZA BRINGS A SLICE OF NAPLES TO HUNTERDON COUNTY
THE MAKESHIFT PROJECT: FROM A JERSEY BASEMENT TO 6 MILLION FOLLOWERS
FROM PRANKS TO PURPOSE:
JAMES “MURR” MURRAY BUILDS WHAT LASTS
U n p a r a l l e l e d s e r v i c e .
G l o b a l n e t w o r k .
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Happy June, North Hunterdon! In honor of our Gentlemen’s Issue and Father’s Day this month, I thought I’d open with a classic dad joke about construction, but unfortunately, I’m still working on it. If that earned an eye roll, I’d say we’re off to the right comedic start. Last month, our pages were filled with incredible women. This month, we’re celebrating the men. For me, that starts with Jake—the ultimate girl dad to our three daughters and now coach of our youngest daughter’s soccer team. Watching him balance encouragement, very little listening from the players and a whole lot of sideline energy has been a pretty perfect picture of fatherhood in real time.
That same mix of passion and purpose comes through in this month’s cover story. Head to page 22 for Giancarlo Truppi of Và Fa Napoli Pizza, whose family-rooted business is bringing a true wood-fired Neapolitan experience to events across New Jersey. What began as backyard pizza nights in Annandale during the pandemic has grown into something much bigger, built on heritage, hospitality and the kind of food that brings people together.
Then turn to page 18 for Charles “Chuck” Aaron of Jersey Girl Brewing Co. His story is one of thoughtful reinvention, trading corporate life for entrepreneurship and building something lasting right here in New Jersey. It is a great reminder that success does not always come from following the expected path—sometimes it comes from knowing when to trust your instincts and build something of your own.
You’ll also find my story on page 14 featuring James “Murr” Murray, and writing that piece was such a fun experience. Sitting down with him was a great reminder that behind the humor and familiar TV presence is someone thoughtful, hardworking and deeply grounded. He was exactly as funny as you’d hope, but also sincere and reflective in a way that made the conversation especially memorable.
Here’s to the dads, father figures and everyday role models who lead with humor, patience and love—and to the men who show up, pitch in and make life a little better, dad bods and all. We hope this issue makes you smile and maybe even send a few Father’s Day compliments where they’re due.
June 2026
PUBLISHER
Jake Slowinski | jake.slowinski@citylifestyle.com
CO-PUBLISHER
Tiffany Slowinski | tiffany.slowinski@citylifestyle.com
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
Brooke Boyer | brooke.boyer@citylifestyle.com
ACCOUNT MANAGERS
Rose Balisi | rose.balisi@citylifestyle.com
Jessie Fernandez | jessie.fernandez@citylifestyle.com
INTERNS
Riley Burns | riley.burns@citylifestyle.com
Alaina Borgh, Sadie Brown
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Carly Mac Manus
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Brandon Herman, Joe Papeo, Jack Morgan, Olga Kolleeny, TBS, Michael Lago Creative Company, Hilary Murphy
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
President Matthew Perry
COO David Stetler
CRO Jamie Pentz
CoS Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Andrew Sapad
LAYOUT DESIGNER Jamie Housh
QUALITY
1—2: Old York Cellars celebrated its grand opening at Mr. Pop’s Chocolate Shop in Flemington. 3: MSI Plumbing and Remodeling supported the Hunterdon County Chamber Women’s Leadership Summit as an annual sponsor. 4: Hunterdon Health hosted North Hunterdon High School anatomy students for an all-day hospital tour and career exploration. 5: North Hunterdon senior Layla Francisco recorded her 300th career strikeout in a win over Westfield. 6: EPIC dancers delivered powerful performances with strong preparation, support, and an unforgettable presence on stage. 7: James “Murr” Murray of “Impractical Jokers” was spotted at Just Chill supporting the local business.
Want to be seen in the magazine?
Clinton Creamery opened in downtown Clinton at 1 Main St., bringing a new ice cream shop to the borough’s Main Street corridor. The business celebrated its grand opening with residents and visitors, adding another locally driven destination to the area’s growing small business scene. The shop features a variety of frozen treats and aims to become a community gathering spot in the heart of Clinton.
• 1 pound busiate, or similar pasta
• 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano
• Salt and black pepper to taste
ARTICLE BY BROOKE BOYER
Chef Bill’s love of cooking began early—in his father’s pizzeria in Garfield, where he started working at 11 and learned the values of hospitality, hard work and tradition. Long before he launched Piatto Di Pasta, the kitchen was already home.
Over the years, Chef Bill worked across the food industry, from line cook to restaurant management, while studying hotel and restaurant management at Bergen Community College. He later worked in high-volume kitchens serving corporate facilities, private schools and universities, building the kind of versatility and consistency that only comes from experience.
But some of Chef Bill’s most meaningful lessons came from home. He learned traditional Italian and Sicilian recipes from his mother and grandfather, where food was never just about the meal—it was about family, memory and bringing people together. That spirit still shapes the way he cooks today.
1. If desired, lightly toast the almonds in a dry pan until golden; let cool.
2. In a food processor, blend garlic with a pinch of salt into a paste. Add almonds and process until finely ground.
3. Add tomatoes and blend until smooth. Add basil and pulse briefly.
4. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until smooth and emulsified.
5. Transfer to a bowl and stir in grated pecorino. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Cook pasta in well-salted water until al dente, reserving a small amount of pasta water.
7. Add pasta to the sauce with a splash of reserved pasta water and toss until evenly coated.
8. Finish with olive oil and extra pecorino, if desired. Serve immediately.
A Sicilian Classic—Fresh, Emulsified and Rooted in Tradition
After surviving a heart attack and undergoing open-heart surgery, Chef Bill decided to fully pursue his passion. He founded Piatto Di Pasta to create hands-on cooking experiences centered on fresh pasta, shared stories and genuine connection.
For Chef Bill, dishes like Pesto alla Trapanese reflect the simple, rooted flavors that first inspired his love of cooking.
NOTES:
This Sicilian pesto from Trapani offers a fresh twist on the version many readers know. Made with almonds, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil and pecorino, it is bright, rich and deeply tied to the flavors of the region.
To learn more about Chef Bill’s private cooking classes, pasta parties and events, visit piattodipastanj.com
A LOOK AT JAMES “MURR” MURRAY’S QUIETER STRENGTHS— PATIENCE, FRIENDSHIP AND THE WORK OF BUILDING SOMETHING THAT LASTS.
When I sat down with James “Murr” Murray, one of the stars and creators of “Impractical Jokers,” I asked him whether he sleeps with one eye open. He laughed and told me that, after all these years, he was skeptical of almost everything. In fact, before agreeing to our interview, he said his team thoroughly vetted both me and City Lifestyle. In his world, a perfectly ordinary interview was exactly the kind of thing that could turn into a setup, and with a new season of “Impractical Jokers” in the works, he was not taking any chances. I told him that, should he ever need a willing participant for a future punchline, I would be more than happy to volunteer. Consider that my official hint—my offer stands.
It was a funny exchange, but it was also a revealing one.
The version of Murray most people know is the one on screen— quick-witted, charismatic, game for almost anything and always one beat from disaster. What people do not always see is the man underneath that amplified persona: a producer, writer and creative force who spent years working, pitching and waiting to bring his dream to life.
For all the chaos “Impractical Jokers” sells, Murray’s career tells a much steadier story. It is a story about patience, friendship and staying with the work long enough to create something that lasts.
That is what makes Murray a natural fit for our Men’s Issue. He is not just a familiar face from a hit show. He is someone who builds.
Long before “Impractical Jokers” became a success, Murray and his lifelong friends were doing improv together, sharpening the chemistry that eventually became the foundation of an entire franchise. The roots of that friendship go all the way back to high school. What audiences see on screen is funny because it is real. These are friends who grew up together and understand exactly
how to push, challenge and support one another. There is real trust there, and that trust is the backbone of everything they have built together.
Murray is also quick to point out that none of it happened by accident. “It was a very calculated business decision,” he says. Before “Impractical Jokers” ever landed on television, he spent a decade working in TV development, learning how shows were made and what networks wanted. He eventually went on to pitch his own show.
That kind of patience says a lot about a person.
It also says a lot about why the show has lasted. Nearly 16 years after its debut, with season 13 in the works, “Impractical Jokers” proves that meaningful success does not come from luck alone. It comes from consistency and caring long after it’s easy to coast. One of the most compelling things about Murray is that he does not sound like someone phoning it in. He still talks about the show with energy and sounds invested in what comes next.
When Murray talks about success, what comes through most is perspective. He tells me they were 34 years old when they finally got on TV, old enough to understand what it took to get there and wise enough not to take it for granted. By then, they were not just aspiring comics—they were adults with real jobs and responsibilities, which may be part of why the opportunity never seems lost on him. “It keeps us humble,” he says.
He also seems especially proud that “Impractical Jokers” is a show grandparents, parents and kids can all watch together. In a culture where shared entertainment is rare, that connection clearly matters to him.
That history gives weight to the advice he offers now. He knows what it’s like to work tough temp jobs in New York, paying bills by day and writing at night. So when he says, “Find what you love and do it and don’t give up on it,” you believe he means it.
That same groundedness feels especially clear when the conversation turns to New Jersey. Murray lives in Princeton now, and some of the work he cares about most is happening just minutes away in Rocky Hill.
In 2025, Murray purchased the iconic Rocky Hill home that houses Pacific Southern Railway, a nonprofit model railroad club he was determined to help save. The property is the longtime home of the club’s legendary HO-scale railroad, a 5,000-square-foot layout with more than 12,000 feet of hand-laid track that has been a cornerstone of model railroading since 1964. After the passing of longtime steward Carl Pate III in 2024, the future of the layout was uncertain. Murray, a lifelong train enthusiast, stepped in and bought the property to secure its future.
That detail matters because it says so much about who he is. He did more than appreciate the railroad. He invested to preserve it.
When Murray talks about the railroad, what comes through is a real sense of care. This is not simply an interesting side project. It is a way of preserving wonder, protecting local history and keeping something tactile and imaginative alive in a world that increasingly lives behind screens. As Murray puts it, “You have to protect that and save it and grow it.”
The house itself becomes part of that vision. Under Murray’s ownership, Pacific Southern is expanding its reach with virtual memberships, a refreshed online presence and more community-facing events, including open houses and fundraisers.
He is also not done taking big swings.
Beyond “Impractical Jokers,” Murray continues connecting with audiences through Murr Live, his solo comedy tour, where fans get to see more of his off-screen storytelling and personality. He is also the author of several novels, continuing to stretch into a very different creative lane. His thriller, Don’t Move, originally published as a novel, has now grown into a film project set to be released soon. Murray is not coasting on one successful idea. He is still creating, still evolving and still building what comes next.
That forward momentum is what ties everything together—friendship, patience, creativity, longevity and local impact. Murray comes across as someone who understands that meaningful success rarely happens quickly. Sometimes it takes years of rejection, years of work and years of belief. The real gift is staying with it long enough to see what it can become.
James “Murr” Murray may be best known for making people laugh, but that is only part of the story. The fuller picture is even more interesting. He is still creating, still taking risks and still building something lasting—just with one eye open at night.
MURR LIVE AND OFFICIAL UPDATES jamesmurrayofficial.com
PACIFIC SOUTHERN RAILWAY pacificsouthern.org
ARTICLE BY CARLY MAC MANUS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL LAGO CREATIVE COMPANY
For Charles “Chuck” Aaron, president and founder of Jersey Girl Brewing Co., the shift from corporate executive to craft brewer wasn’t impulsive—it was deliberate.
After earning degrees from Seton Hall University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Aaron built a career working with emerging companies in the U.S. and abroad. But despite the success, the work didn’t suit him. “I’m not a desk-jockey kind of person,” he says. “I wanted to be part of something that was building, evolving and doing something unique.”
That mindset led him toward entrepreneurship—while keeping his roots in New Jersey. When a job required relocating to Michigan, Aaron chose his family. His wife, “the Jersey girl behind Jersey Girl,” had ties to the area, and they wanted to raise their children here. “I always knew I wasn’t leaving New Jersey,” he says.
Around that time, a 2012 law allowing tasting rooms made small-scale brewing financially viable. For Aaron and his longtime friend and business partner, it was the opportunity they had been waiting for. “We had talked about opening a brewery for years, but the numbers just didn’t work,” he says. “Once the law changed, suddenly they did.”
Aaron left corporate life in 2014 and spent the next 18 months building the business from the ground up—assembling equipment, securing a location, navigating regulations and preparing for launch. Jersey Girl Brewing officially opened in April 2016 and recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary.
The early days required financial discipline. The brewery launched with four beers on tap, focusing on generating revenue quickly. “Cash flow is critical when you’re starting a business,” Aaron says.
What began as an idea quickly became a reality: a business, team and brand built from scratch. Today, Jersey Girl Brewing offers around 20 beers at a time, along with hard seltzers and nonalcoholic options. Over the past decade, the team has brewed about 250 to 300 varieties, constantly experimenting to define its identity.
“That first year alone, we brewed about 60 beers,” Aaron says. “The fun part is experimenting and tasting. The hard part is deciding what becomes core—what people will recognize as a Jersey Girl beer.”
That process worked. Several beers have earned regional and national recognition, particularly Belgian-style offerings. For Aaron, the accolades reflect the team’s work more than individual achievement. “It’s really a compliment to the team,” he says. “They’re the ones doing the work behind the scenes.”
As the brewery expanded, so did its reach. Jersey Girl Brewing distributes across New Jersey and Philadelphia, with plans to expand into New York and beyond. Aaron still sees more opportunity within the state. “Even within New Jersey, there’s still a lot of opportunity for us,” he says.
Growth has come with challenges as consumer preferences have shifted. Cocktails, hard seltzers and shifting attitudes have reshaped the market. “It’s a change in taste, culture and expectations,” Aaron explains.
For smaller breweries, keeping up with trends isn’t realistic. “The big players have deep pockets and nationwide distribution,” he says. “We have to be strategic about where we fit.”
Instead of constantly pivoting, Jersey Girl Brewing has focused on experience. Customers learn the product and brand, then carry it into the marketplace. “When someone sees our beer elsewhere, we want them to recognize it and remember the experience they had here,” he says.
That philosophy ties into Aaron’s approach to leadership. The brewery carries responsibility to his family, employees and partners. “It’s different when it’s your name and your livelihood on the line,” he says.
Despite industry uncertainty, Aaron remains grounded in his original motivation. “I love what I do,” he says. “We’ve built something people recognize. When someone says, ‘Oh, I’ve had your beer,’ that never gets old.”
As Jersey Girl Brewing enters its second decade, the focus is on growth—expanding distribution, strengthening the brand, and offering a space to gather over craft beer.
“Beer should be fun,” Aaron says. “It’s always been part of life’s moments—family, friends, celebrations. In moderation, it can still be part of a great experience.”
For Aaron, that balance is what will carry Jersey Girl Brewing into its next chapter. With Father’s Day coming up, it offers a local spot for craft beer and conversation.
ARTICLE BY CARLY MAC MANUS PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL LAGO CREATIVE COMPANY
By the time most people were figuring out sourdough starters, Giancarlo Truppi was chasing something hotter.
During the early months of the pandemic, Truppi, founder, CEO and pizzaiolo—the Italian term for a professional pizza maker—at Và Fa Napoli Pizza, and his family leaned into a ritual they’d practiced for years at home in Annandale: making pizza. An Ooni oven became the spark. Once or twice a week, they tested dough, learned heat, tweaked timing and invited friends and family, safely and outdoors, into what quickly became the most popular “social distancing” hangout on the calendar.
“It turned into this thing everyone wanted to come back for,” Truppi says. “We’d make pizza, and people kept saying, ‘You should sell this.’”
Four years later, that backyard obsession has grown into Và Fa Napoli Pizza, a catering-first business based out of a commercial kitchen in Frenchtown that brings a full “pizzeria on wheels” to weddings, birthdays, graduations and backyard parties across New Jersey and beyond. Their calling card is a wood-fired, dome-style Neapolitan oven mounted on a trailer—the kind of setup that turns dinner into a show.
You don’t just taste it. You feel it.
When Và Fa Napoli pulls up, the air changes: crackling wood, the quick blur of flour-dusted hands, the smell of blistered dough and bubbling mozzarella. Guests gather around the oven the way they would around a fire pit, watching pies launch and land in minutes.
“We want it to be an experience,” Truppi says. “The sight and smell of real woodfired pizza, that’s the ambiance.”
The name Và Fa Napoli Pizza is intentional, and layered with history.
Literally translated, the phrase means, “Go to Naples.” Over time, it became a dismissive slang expression, rooted in a period when Naples was unfairly portrayed as dirty or dangerous. Pop culture has repeated it for decades, from sitcom punchlines to mob dramas, often using it as a sharp brush-off.
Truppi wanted to reclaim it.
“Naples is beautiful,” he says. “It’s the land of love, music, culture, art, the bay of Napoli, Mount Vesuvius and it’s the birthplace of pizza. We want people to taste that in every bite.”
That philosophy—honoring heritage while rewriting the narrative—runs through every part of the business.
The leap from passion project to profession came naturally, fueled by steady demand. Friends came over, told other friends, and soon the requests weren’t casual, they were consistent.
At the time, Truppi was working alongside Chef Keith Taylor in Pennsylvania, a relationship he describes as mentorship. The experience deepened his love for cooking and sharpened his understanding of what it takes to run a food business.
In 2022, the family bought a used trailer online from a seller in Detroit. The timing is etched into their story: The trailer arrived on Mother’s Day weekend. By June, Và Fa Napoli Pizza was officially in business.
That family detail matters, because this business is truly multigenerational.
“PEOPLE
REMEMBER HOW IT made them feel.”
—GIANCARLO
The Truppi family’s connection to food traces back well before the pandemic, or even the U.S.
In 1969, Pasquale Truppi left his hometown of Airola, Italy, to create a better life for his growing family. Raised in a family tomato business, Pasquale understood the value of fresh ingredients. His wife, Civita, cooked everything from scratch. Leaving Italy, and his wife and four young children was not easy.
Pasquale arrived in New York, first working in a factory before taking a job at a pizzeria in Raritan, where the family eventually settled. In 1971, they were reunited, and New Jersey became home.
Their son, Carlo Mariano Truppi, was born in Naples and raised in a household where family and food were inseparable. Like many children of Italian immigrants, Carlo and his siblings learned to cook young, helping prepare meals while their parents worked long hours in pursuit of the American dream.
Civita made homemade pizza in the family’s kitchen oven—simple, soulful and reminiscent of Naples. Carlo absorbed those traditions, learning recipes and techniques from his parents and his grandfather, Natale Poccia, affectionately
Giancarlo Truppi
known as Nonno. Visits to Italy exposed the family to the iconic Neapolitan ovens that still define restaurants across Naples today.
Those memories now live on in Giancarlo’s work.
Và Fa Napoli specializes in traditional Neapolitan-style pizza—thin, airy crust, blistered char and simple toppings, with a subtle American adjustment to suit event crowds.
“We want to avoid the wateriness you sometimes get with very fresh mozzarella in Italy,” Truppi says. “It’s about balance.”
The foundation is precision. The dough is made with imported double zero flour, mixed slowly in a spiral mixer with water added gradually to build gluten strength. It’s fermented for a lighter, more digestible crust. The sauce is uncooked, made with imported San Marzano tomatoes from the Campania region near Naples, where volcanic soil lends a distinct sweetness and depth.
For cheese, Truppi turns local. Và Fa Napoli proudly uses mozzarella from Lebanon Cheese Factory, a longtime New Jersey business that supported the brand early on.
“They believed in us from the start,” he says. “And it’s incredible cheese.”
Behind the oven, Truppi leads. Behind the scenes, the family keeps everything moving.
His mother, Faith, manages bookings and scheduling, handling the steady stream of inquiries that often come months after guests experience the pizza at another party.
“She’s the reason we can do what we do,” Truppi says. “She keeps it all together.”
His father, Carlo, continues to support the business creatively and operationally—often serving as the sounding board for new ideas and seasonal pies.
Ask Truppi how Và Fa Napoli markets itself, and he won’t mention algorithms.
Most bookings come through word of mouth—guests who attend one event and later decide they want that same experience.
“It’s the long game,” he says. “People remember how it made them feel.”
Looking ahead, Và Fa Napoli plans to open its first physical storefront within the next year, with leasing conversations already underway. A permanent location would allow the public to enjoy the pizza more regularly and give the team space to experiment and grow. They’re also exploring the addition of a second, more traditional food trailer to expand into festivals and fairs.
For now, though, the heart of Và Fa Napoli remains exactly where it started: outside, surrounded by people, with wood smoke in the air and a pizza passed hand to hand.
Because for Truppi, pizza has never just been about food.
It’s always been about family and the fire that brings people together.
For more information, visit vafanapolipizza.com .
AN EXCERPT FROM EPISODE 6 OF SHARE THE LIFESTYLE, A CITY LIFESTYLE PODCAST
Photographer: Brittany Dawn Short
Creative Director: Jen Birn
Stylist: Stephanie Coultress O’Neill
Location: Hotel Saint Cecilia, Austin, TX
MIKE JOHNSON HAS BUILT HIS LIFE AROUND ONE QUIETLY RADICAL IDEA: THE STANDARD YOU SET PRIVATELY IS THE ONLY ONE THAT MATTERS.
After eight years in the Air Force, a celebrated run on national television, and a health crisis abroad that sent him deep into supply chains and ingredient certifications most founders never touch, the result is Oshun — a luxury ritual brand built on provenance you can trace and integrity you can verify. In an exclusive conversation for the Share the Lifestyle podcast, Mike shares what it actually takes to build something worth putting your name on. Read the highlights below, then scan the QR code for the full episode.
Q: YOU BECAME A FAN FAVORITE ON THE BACHELORETTE AND THEN LEFT THE SPOTLIGHT. YOU MOVED TO MEXICO, LEARNED SPANISH, THEN COSTA RICA, AND BUILT A COMPANY. WHAT DID THAT EXPERIENCE TEACH YOU ABOUT HUMAN BEHAVIOR?
A: “If you’re a good person going in, that shows. If you’re not, that shows too. I also learned that people form this parasocial relationship with you — they assume things about you. When all actuality, different circumstances bring out different parts of who you are. I was on TV trying to find love. The kindness people were showing after felt a bit fake, because they wanted to be a part of something that isn’t who I am individually, but a part of what they saw on TV. And so I had to get away from everybody and everything and the noise.”
“Too many people have prayed for me. So I’ve got to get up and do the walking.”
— Mike Johnson
Q: YOU JOINED THE AIR FORCE RIGHT OUT OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE. WHAT WERE YOU ACTUALLY RUNNING TOWARD?
A: “There was something in me that was saying: I’m not living up to my full potential. I was being a follower. My uncle said, ‘What’s going to make you become an adult the fastest?’ I said, obviously, the military. The Air Force broadened my thought process more than anything. We’re so caught up in our own perception — when you learn to understand different people’s perspectives, it adds to you in so many ways.”
Q: WITH OSHUN, YOU OWN YOUR MANUFACTURING, YOU EMPLOY A CHEMIST, EVERY PRODUCT HAS A BATCH NUMBER TRACEABLE TO ITS ORIGIN DATE. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GO THAT DEEP WITH THE BRAND?
A: “The EU bans 1,100 ingredients in personal care products. The U.S. bans nine. That’s my starting point. Oftentimes, it might be the same ingredient, but it comes from a place where it doesn’t have the highest purity. And 60% of what we put on our skin is absorbed. Every product Oshun makes carries a batch number that goes back to the exact day it was created — I can show you every single supplier, the date, the origin. I own more than one part of the supply chain because that’s the only way I can stand behind what’s in the bottle.”
This conversation is just the beginning. Mike goes deeper into why he’s buying land up north, the family in the Philippines who prayed over his factory floor, and what he’d tell every person ready to stop performing and start building. Scan the QR code for the full, exclusive City Lifestyle interview on the Share the Lifestyle podcast.
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ARTICLE BY BROOKE BOYER PHOTOGRAPHY BY HILARY MURPHY
In today’s fast-moving real estate market, buying or selling a home can quickly feel overwhelming. For many, it is not just about finding the right property. It is about finding the right person to guide them through it.
In Hunterdon County, Chris Wyglendowski has built his approach around a simple idea: putting people first. His process begins with listening, patience and trust, qualities he developed long before entering real estate.
His steady, no-pressure approach also makes him a natural fit for a men’s issue.
Before becoming an agent, Wyglendowski spent nearly two decades as a high school teacher. He began his career in Arizona through the University of Notre Dame’s ACE teaching service program, an experience rooted in service and community. He later returned to New Jersey, where he taught for 15 years at Voorhees High School.
“I got into teaching because I wanted to do something that mattered,” he says.
That sense of purpose never left. But he found himself ready for a new challenge, one that would allow him to work more hands-on while still helping people. The transition began with a simple idea shared with a colleague: buying, renovating and reselling homes.
Today, Wyglendowski works with buyers and sellers while continuing to invest in and renovate properties himself, giving him a perspective many agents do not have.
“I’m not just advising clients. I’m in it, too,” he says. “I think that creates a different level of understanding.”
What sets his approach apart is not just experience, but intention. In an industry where clients often feel pressured to move quickly, Wyglendowski takes a different stance. He prioritizes understanding over urgency, creating space for clients to feel comfortable throughout the process.
“I want people to feel like they’re getting the same guidance I’d give my own family,” he says. “Not pressured. Not rushed. Just supported.”
For Wyglendowski, real estate is not simply about transactions. It is about life transitions. Each client brings a unique story, whether they are buying their first home or starting a new chapter.
In one recent experience, he worked with a family whose move represented a major turning point. “To hear them say they felt like they were living a dream, it is something you don’t forget,” he says.
A lifelong resident of Hunterdon County, Wyglendowski offers clients more than market expertise. He offers lived experience.
“It is home,” he says. “It is where I grew up, where I have built my life and where my family is.”
From the county’s parks and trails to the character of its small towns, he understands what draws people to the area and what keeps them there. That insight helps him guide clients to not just the right home, but the right fit for their lifestyle.
As the spring market brings renewed energy, Wyglendowski remains focused on what matters most: helping people navigate change with confidence and trust.
“I want people to feel like they’re getting the same guidance I’d give my own family.” —Chris Wyglendowski
JUNE 1ST
Hunterdon Art Museum, 7 Lower Center St., Clinton, NJ 08809 | 2:00 PM
Experience a unique community art installation this summer with the Mill to Mill Peace Flag Project. Set between Clinton’s historic stone mills along the Raritan River, this free outdoor exhibition celebrates unity through vibrant, handmade flags. It is a visually stunning, reflective experience perfect for a scenic afternoon stroll. Find more information at hunterdonartmuseum.org.
JUNE 5TH
Haven by Beauty & Wellness, 1237 U.S. 22, Lebanon, NJ 08833 | 4:00 PM
Unwind with an elevated evening featuring wine tasting, mini charcuterie and two self-care services of your choice, including brow treatments, mini facials, blowouts and scalp massage. Designed as a restorative night out for individuals or friends in a calm, boutique wellness setting. Email info@havenstudiosnj.com or check havensipandselfcare.eventbrite.com to reserve your spot.
JUNE 5TH - 7TH
Flemington Opa! Greek Festival
St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church, 85 Voorhees Corner Road, Flemington | 9:00 AM
Enjoy authentic Greek food, pastries, folk dancing, shopping, games and family fun at this annual festival. For event schedule, visit opafestival.com
JUNE 6TH
Hunterdon County World Fair
Bridge Street, Milford
Celebrate cultures from around the world with live entertainment, international food, drinks, vendors and community activities. Rain date is June 7. Learn more at hunterdoncountyworldfair.org
JUNE 6TH - 7TH
Uncork Summer Wine Festival
Red Mill Museum Village, 56 Main St., Clinton, NJ 08809 | 12:00 PM
Sample premium vintages from New Jersey’s top wineries at this picturesque summer festival. Set against the iconic backdrop of the historic Red Mill, the weekend features live music, artisanal food vendors and local crafts along the Raritan River. It is a premier outdoor tasting experience. Find tickets at theredmill.org
JUNE 13TH
Ironbound Farm, 360 County Road 579, Asbury, NJ 08802 | 5:00 PM
Saddle up at your local honky-tonk for an eclectic evening of classic country, roots rock and rockabilly. Featuring Philadelphia music scene veterans, The Vostones perform favorites from early Elvis, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. Enjoy regenerative farm-to-table cuisine and local hard cider in a scenic outdoor setting. Make a reservation at ironboundhardcider.com
Providing Peace of Mind for Over 40 years, ser ving Somerset and Surrounding Counties
2nd Generation Family Owned and Operated HVAC and Refrigeration Company, ser vicing Residential and Commercial Proper ties
This data is a sampling of sold properties from April 2026. Source: GSMLS system.
