Atlantic Highlands - looking for natural family living! (Union, New Brunswick: renting, co-op)

[MishaMommy]

Hello all. I have lived in Atlantic Highlands my entire life (33 years), and have always been into being vegan, eating organics, homeopathy, attached parenting, etc. With the closing of Second Nature (health food store in R.B.), and Down to Earth (vegan restaurant in R.B.) we are at a loss as to where to go. The other area health food stores don't carry much of what I look for and Whole Foods is a corporate joke.
I'm wondering if there is some secret society of natural living people that I just can't find. It seems like not many people around here are into this stuff. Can anyone help me find likeminded people and good places to shop - I'm drowning in mainstream society!

[cyntmac]

Too bad about the closings. There is a restaurant called Kayas which is not too close to you but probably worth the trip(in the town of Belmar). I have never eaten there but heard it is excellent. You could ask the manager/owner about local shopping options. Ah, the curse of the burbs- too far from the city and far away from any true university towns.
Forgot to add- you can start a meetup group online for your area. I just checked and for the Mercer/Hunterdon area they have a vegan/raw group with over 100 members. Unfortunately it meets in Princeton mostly. Check out MeetUp. You could start one in your area if there is not one already. I noticed there is a group for people who like to play boardgames and it has over 200 members. I would think that you could find many others with the same focus. I would hope so. My mom was macrobiotic for the last 10 years of her life and she lived in Red Bank for five of those years. This was more than 15 years ago now and somehow she managed but she did find it much easier in the area of Florida that she later moved to.

[TomWaits]

It's not much of a schlep ...the closest Trader Joe's is in Westfield.... I've also been meaning to go here...http://www.georgestreetcoop.com/ in New Brunswick. The brands they carry are pretty mainstream (by that I mean they are carried by WholeFoods). Try doing a find for co-operative farming although there doesn't seem to be anything by RB.

[joer]

I live in Atlantic Highlands as well and I am also into the raw/vegan lifestyle. For me there is no option other than Whole Foods.

[MishaMommy]

I find that WF is too mainstream for my tastes. Too much stuff that I could get in a regular food store. They do definitely have some great stuff. But for the most part, I have to go to Deans. They have homeopathic stuff, they have more vegan friendly food, they have a live juice bar, and a great supplements employee.

[Summer16]

I agree with JoeR. Whole Foods in Middletown is great.

[joer]

Deans is excellent as well. Whole Foods is just more convenient for me.

[MishaMommy]

I have nothing against WF, it's just the one in Middletown isn't as good as the others I've been to - the Edgewater store is amazing; as is the one in Union Square. The others I've been to have vegan bakery goods as well. That's really what it comes down to for me. I shop at the WF every week for groceries, but I have to supplement that shopping trip with a trip to Dean's as well.
I read about this great website, organicexpress, and was very excited to order fresh produce from them, until I researched the page a bit more thoroughly and realized that it didn't serve NJ.

[MishaMommy]

Originally Posted by TomWaits

I've also been meaning to go here...http://www.georgestreetcoop.com/ in New Brunswick. The brands they carry are pretty mainstream (by that I mean they are carried by WholeFoods). Try doing a find for co-operative farming although there doesn't seem to be anything by RB.

I've been meaning to check out this co-op as well, along with the purple dragon. Does everyone check out the farmer's markets as well?
We go to the RB one every Sunday and buy our fill of Farmer Ed produce!

[joer]

Where's the farmers mkt in Red Bank on Sundays?