Not many people know of Buena Vista Township, save for those raised there or those passing through on the way to a shore town from Philly or North Jersey.
But in just one year since starting this paper the town has shown up on our radar a few times for various reasons that make it the perfect “hidden gem” type of community that we love to showcase.
Personally, the town has been a fixture in my life since birth. Growing up in a Philadelphia riverward neighborhood, taking the “back roads” on our commute down the shore led us right through Buena Vista and thus began our years long tradition of frequenting DeThomasi’s 5 Points, or as we affectionately nicknamed it, “the halfway house,” signaling we were halfway to our shore house.
Picking Buena Vista was exciting not only because of that but when we started looking into the town further we found out some pretty cool things.
Buena Vista Township is located in Atlantic County. Incorporated in 1867, today it’s home to about 7000 people. The name comes from the 1847 Battle of Buena Vista of the Mexican-American War.
The township is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that make up the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve.
Richland, a section of the township, is home to Dalponte Farms, a major producer of mint on the east coast. In 2004, Bacardi rum gave the township $5000 in order to temporarily change the name of the town to Mojito, New Jersey. Bacardi also sculpted a crop circle in the shape of their logo in a section on the Dalponte Farm.
Richland is also home to a stop along the Cape May Seashore Lines Railroad, where visitors can enjoy scenic rides through the region.
As I mentioned, the township has some great food offerings at DeThomasi’s 5 Points. It has been described as an old school Itali eatery with the original sports bar type of feel. Some favorites are the pizza selections and of course Italian staples like hand rolled gnocchi as well as daily chef specials like Chicken Cordon Bleu. The township is also home to many other restaurants, new and old like the Pickwickian Tavern & Smokery.
So the next time you find yourself passing through Buena Vista, don’t think of yourself as being halfway on the way to somewhere else, but rather, think of it as a destination worthy of exploration in its own right.
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