Skip to content

A town square for an unsquare town

redbankgreen

Standing for the vitality of Red Bank, its community, and the fun we have together.

RED BANK: COOLING OFF AT THE LIGHTHOUSE

082217lighthouse4-500x309-9147351Twilight at Strollo’s Lighthouse finds pint-sized customers getting their chill on. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

082217lighthouse1-220x120-7590707Winding down the summer, PieHole seeks out a cooling oasis at the end of an oppressively hot and humid day and finds sweet reward at Strollo’s Lighthouse in Red Bank.

Wedged, literally, at the junction of Rector Place, Bridge Avenue and Riverside Avenue, the ice cream shop is a beacon to behold at the foot of Cooper’s Bridge.
 082217lighthouse5-500x290-4034849Locals Justyn Plaskon and Eve Ross ordering refreshments from Lauren Walker. Below, one of the most popular items is a cup of vanilla soft serve with rainbow sprinkles. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

082217lighthouse3-210x220-1978118Dressed in flip-flops and shorts like most everyone else on this sultry evening, we line up at the window to choose a frozen confection and mingle with like-minded locals. At the counter, we go for a pina colada: no booze, just peaks of pineapple and coconut Italian ice swirled together in a paper squeezy cup. Brain freeze ensues and the heat outside is forgotten.

“I’m always excited for summer,” Eve Ross says, as she dips her tongue into the chocolate sprinkles coating her peanut butter Italian ice. “This is a must stop for us.”

Up next, Justyn Plaskon orders a pistachio shake. He likes to keep it simple and stick to one flavor at a time.

Apparently, so does the next little customer, who can’t even see over the counter. He’ll have a “blue Italian ice, like my sister,” he shouts. The ice is actually a raspberry flavor, and within minutes his lips and tongue are the color of Cookie Monster.

“What is the most creative item ever ordered?” we ask servers Danielle Smith and Lauren Walker.

“I’ve been working here all summer, and mostly it’s normal stuff,”Walker says, “but once this guy ordered a dish of all the Italian ice flavors mixed together. And then he wanted hot fudge, candy and sprinkles on it.”

“Peanut butter and lemon ice,” Smith shudders, “and a coke. That was a weird combination.”

Metal picnic tables on either side of the building and benches offer customers a place to sit, watch the traffic go by and cool off, because Strollo’s is strictly outdoors.

Strollo’s Lighthouse is open from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week during the summer.

susan-ericson-9177851

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
Partyline
RED BANK’S FINEST – AND NEWEST
Red Bank Police Officer Eliot Ramos was sworn in as the force’s newest patrolman Thursday, and if you’re doing a double take thinkin ...
EASTER EGG MAYHEM AT THE PARK
An errant whistle spurred an unexpectedly early start to the Spring Egg Hunt on Sunday, which had been scheduled to begin at eggsactly 11am ...
PRESEASON DOCKWORK
RED BANK: With winter winding down, marina gets ready for boating season with some dockwork on our beautiful Navesink River.
CORNED BEEF AND DISCO FRIES?
It’s Friday, and smart Lent-observing Leprechauns know the pot of gold at the end of Red Bank’s rainbow is actually the deliciou ...
SURFBOARD DITCHED
It’s a violation of etiquette in surfing to ditch your board.  (it could hit another surfer and hurt them). But someone appears to ha ...
ELSIE, TAKE ME WITH YOU!
Soaked by pouring rain with the temperature hovering in the low 40’s, this sign in the window of Elsie’s Subs on Monmouth Street ...
WALK THIS WAY
PARTYLINE: Before-and-afters of a sidewalk cleanup on West Street.
SOGGY NOTION
RED BANK: Breezeway sculpture captured the mood downtown as heavy rains fell Saturday morning.
HOME DELIVERY
RED BANK: After a subdivision, an instant house rises on a new Catherine Street lot.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
For Black History Month, Red Bank's Community Engagement and Equity Advisory Committee has been running a series of local profiles on Facebo ...
HEARTY FAREWELL FOR HARDY
RED BANK: Council to honor DPU supervisor Rich Hardy, who retired recently after almost 39 years of keeping things running.
HOMEBOUND? READ ON…
RED BANK: Can't get to the public library? It's now offering free delivery and pickups for homebound borough residents.
TAMING A BEAST OF A WEEK
RED BANK: After the second snowfall of the week, a borough family finds the perfect use for it – a Godzilla snow sculpture.
RED BANK: LIBRARY CLOSED, BUT THE HILL’S OPEN
RED BANK: Though the library was closed by a snowstorm, kids got to enjoy the riverfront property's steep slope Tuesday.
LIGHT(HOUSE) MAKEOVER
This year, getting ready for spring means a midwinter makeover for Strollo's Lighthouse in Red Bank.
TODAY: LOCAL PUPPY COMPETES ON ANIMAL PLANET’S “PUPPY BOWL”
Red Bank’s very own rescue puppy, Biscuit, is set to compete in Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl this Sunday, February 11, at 2 PM. Th ...
WHAT? NO redbankgreen NEWSLETTER?
Apologies to redbankgreen newsletter subscribers: the daily email hasn’t gone out for two days because of technical issues.
RED BANK: TIRED OF SKEETERS?
RED BANK: Tired of mosquito bites every summer? Monmouth County has a free program to help eliminate skeeter breeding grounds.
SEA BRIGHT: POLAR PLUNGE FOR ST. JAMES, OTHERS
Hundreds braved the wind and sea on Sunday at 1PM in support of St. James Elementary School, and other Catholic schools in the area. The eve ...
RED BANK: RBR CLAIMS TITLE
RED BANK: Watch pure joy as the RBR boys basketball team celebrates its first B North championship in 17 years.