The Experience: This week I was headed to Haddonfield, NJ for their “First Friday.” Haddonfield is a pleasant town, with brick faced stores lining their main street and a collection of art studios. Their are floral stores, framing shops, antique shops, restaurants, cafes, etc.

The town offers several buildings, antiques in architecture, that add to the general tone of the town. A massive Municipal building that puts most towns to shame. Large trees border the sidewalks, and the streets are lit by black antique street lamps that cast a soothing trickle of yellow light. The town itself is very similar to Princeton, although not as much history, and a way better driving situation.

Walking through the town, their was an array of music on every corner. Nothing special, in the sense that I had heard it before, but it was simple and tasteful. I heard covers of piano man, blues traveler (the man looked like Jerry Garcia incarnate), and elsewhere you could find blues, Christmas music, garden variety pop, and even bagpipes.

There were tons of people out, mostly families and couples strolling around, and I heard several people surprised at how many people had come out. Most were headed to restaurants, and had things to do, and were just passing through.

Unfortunately I had to fly solo for the night as well, which did not help things. And once I got past the atmosphere and music, there simply was not much to do. The stores lacked real interest, and unless you were here on a night out with your family, or significant other, I would pass. On top of this, the area seemed a little yuppie for me. I’m not saying I am not your typical white suburbanite, but there is such a thing as having to many bistros and polo button ups.

So it was on my way out of the town when I caught something out of the corner of my eye in a court yard. I stopped in my tracks and took two steps backwards before turning to face it. A six foot statue of a dinosaur in a courtyard. I was baffled at first. Why would a town to do that? How is that even relevant? But then I became more curious and walked up to the plaque inscribed with an artists’ name, John Giannotti. The statue had been created in 2005, to honor William Parker Foulke’s discovery in 1858 of the first complete dinosaur skeleton. The discovery shocked the scientific world and changed the way we thought of natural history forever.

Cool. Now where is my car?

The Upsides: Quaint town, good atmosphere, not bad for a date or a night out with a family, music on every corner, free, and dinosaur statues (if that’s your thing).

The Down Sides: Not much to do, could have some better stores, not the friendliest to a college student (seemed more family orientated), only so much on main street, yuppies, and dinosaurs?!

The Verdict: Haddonfield is a great town, and probably even better to live in it (if you have the money), and has a lot to offer if you are going there for the right reasons. I, had to go at it alone for the night, and thus found it particularly unforgiving in having anything fun to do. So my advice is, if your planning to go bring someone. Take someone out on a date, and have something to do other than just walk around.