Red Bank “A Cool Little Town” Brought To You By RiverCenter
With historic streets, welcoming parks and a thriving business community, Red Bank, NJ is a small town with a city beat. At the heart of this borough, nicknamed, “A Cool Little Town”, is the RiverCenter. The non-profit entity, funded by local businesses, has been a tireless advocate for the waterfront town’s renewal.
Since 1991 RiverCenter has used creative marketing and promotions to attract national brands, award-winning restaurants, theaters, galleries, along with quirky retail shops, clothing boutiques, design firms, entrepreneurs in tech and finance and more. Its work has made Red Bank a national model for downtown renewal and injected fresh energy into the longtime Red Bank businesses that have been the community’s backbone, even before the renewal began. RiverCenter and local business owners continue to work hand-in-hand to keep Red Bank the hip destination it is, garnering it national media recognition.
In 2012, Smithsonian Magazine listed Red Bank #3 on its “20 Best Small Towns in America” saying, “the town on the south bank of the Navesink River about 25 miles south of Manhattan went through some lean, mean times, but has since made an astonishing cultural and economic comeback.“ It’s cafes, two performing arts theaters, independent arts cinema, galleries, clubs, shops, farmers markets, waterfront music events and street fairs attract millions of people from across the NY/NJ region.
Red Bank is so cool that Kevin Smith and The Comic Book Men, The Cake Boss, and Jon Bon Jovi have set up shop to sell their wares or, in their case, comics, cakes and cuisine!
Red Bank has a charitable mission, too. Dozens of nonprofits call the town home. A few include the Visiting Nurse Association, Art Alliance of Monmouth County, Monmouth County Arts Council, Lunch Break, JBJ Soul Foundation, The Community YMCA, Count Basie Theater and Two River Theater.
RiverCenter is a people based organization built upon the individual passions and desires of its membership. This same group of stakeholders pays the assessment to fund the district’s revitalization. From this membership, leaders are elected to represent and oversee RiverCenter’s direction. People get involved and team together to set the course for the district. These leaders understand economic and political realities, and they consistently seek innovative ways of working more successfully with government and business. In addition to raising the roof on awareness with its marketing efforts, RiverCenter provides sidewalk maintenance, streetscape improvements, holiday decorations, fundraisers and other services.
To get involved or for more information on the RiverCenter, visit their website. To stay on top of their next big event, check out JSIM.
This weekend, you won’t want to miss the Red Bank Guinness Oyster Festival, which first debuted in 2011, and is a must-go annual event. Check out some more details here.
Location: 46 English Plaza, Suite 6, Red Bank, NJ
Red Bank is located in Monmouth County 10 minutes from the Jersey Shore and one-hour from New York City and Philadelphia.
Served by public transportation: NJ Transit bus and train lines. Plus easily accessible by ferry, car, bike and foot.
RiverCenter Office Hours:Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.