Hello 08840! Who is ready for the holi- day season? I sure am! I love this time of year as family and friends get to gather, there is a chance for the first snow and the joy on faces as presents are opened! I am excited for you to check out our Holiday edition magazine dedicated to the lifestyle and community of Metuchen.
In our holiday edition we begin with two questions: Is weaving a craft or an art? And what happens when two small business owners – Beryl Koblin and Edna Epelu – collaborate and come together? The first question is kind of open-ended and be- lieve it or not tension still exists today on whether to consider weaving as a craft or as an art. The answer to the second ques- tion is big. The two business owners are in the midst of hosting a nationwide Small Expressions 2024 traveling exhibit. Koblin is a weaver, local artist, and owner of Beja Knits and Weaving; and Epelu is owner of Papillon & Company, a curated gift shop selling artisanal items, craftsman furniture and original fine art at 418 Main St. Learn about their collaboration starting on page 5.
Next, we venture to France, aka Metuchen. Just ask the family that owns Café Paris. “Metuchen Borough is a nice community [where] everyone knows everyone. We have small shops, a train and bus station, and a little church; it all reminds us of France,” Laetitia Ngo explains. With more than 20 years of family restaurant ex- perience behind it, Café Paris in Metuchen has become a favorite destination for regu- lars, tourists, and newcomers alike for fresh, homemade, authentic French cuisine. Come experience the feel of “dining in France,” starting on page 8.
We round our holiday edition with a la- bor of historic love. Four years ago, Pete and Nancy Zerbe made the decision to purchase 443 Middlesex Ave. on essentially a whim. The existing home, built in 1896 by Nathan Robins, is within the Middlesex Avenue-Woodwild Historic District, which was added to the National and New Jer- sey Register of Historic Places on July 31, 2017. It sits essentially as a gateway of a stretch of five lots facing Middlesex Avenue with larger homes. Hear the divine historic intervention story on page 18.
Also included in our Holiday edition magazine: A holiday shopping guide to help jumpstart the shopping season on page 11; Metuchen on the Move on page 22, hear what our neighbors have to say when asked “What is your favorite holiday movie?” on page 2, as well as a recipe for AwesomeYo’s Kitchen Italian Rainbow Cookies on page 16!
All of this and more awaits on the pages ahead!
Enjoy!
Kathy Chang
Editor
