My old college roommate recently moved from Brooklyn to Medford, NJ. We’ve talked on the phone plenty and even met up a few times to schlep into Philly and wander the Italian Market like we were still the 20-year-olds from NYU looking for “boys.”

Now she calls me on Saturday mornings from a local coffee shop, extolling the virtues of having a picturesque Main Street and berating me for not driving the extra 25 miles to meet her.

So on a sunny but cold Saturday, I finally did.

We met at Harvest Coffee Roastery on Main Street, and the first thing you notice is that she wasn’t exaggerating. Main Street really does look like a Rockwell version of what a downtown should be, not a Walmart, Starbucks, or Home Depot in sight.

The second thing you notice is the smell. The heavenly roast of fresh coffee hits as soon as you pull into the lot, shared with Peewee’s Ice Cream, another locally owned spot that makes the whole corner feel like a small-town handshake.

Inside, a chalkboard menu lists coffees, teas, chai, and a handful of toast options. I went with the pico de gallo toast, Kay chose avocado, and we each grabbed tall brews. When I asked for a refill before we headed out for our walk, I learned it was gratis,  a small detail that somehow felt very Medford.

Fueled and warm, we stepped onto Main.

Our first stop was The Way We Were Jewelry, an antique and estate shop that also does custom work. Kay had come to have her late husband Nick’s wedding band melted into a nugget and set with three tiny diamonds. It was beautiful. Simple, meaningful, and exactly the kind of piece you’d want done somewhere local, not in a mall store.

Back outside, we fell in behind a couple walking a giant Doberman with the kind of regal stride that makes you instinctively give them the sidewalk. A woman stepped out of the florist carrying a bright green plant, and we paused in front of Little Wonder World of Toys.

Because we’re grandmothers now, we popped in to grab Valentine’s gifts. Inside, kids were making handmade cards at a craft table, which felt very Capra-esque in the best possible way. I found a Lego set. His parents will discover the missing piece later.

We wandered further south on Main briefly to check out Medford Company Store Estate Sales, where I could have easily spent the entire afternoon digging through silverware, salt-and-pepper shakers, and forgotten pieces of other people’s lives. I left with a small stack of antique postcards from down the shore, proof that I can’t resist a little history.

By the time we circled back, it was afternoon, which naturally meant we stopped at Lower Forge Brewery. A couple of Bloody Marys and some “snacks” later, we struck up a conversation with the table next to us. They were more than happy to give Kay the full rundown on her new lake colony neighbors and even invited her to winter bingo.

I may have to invite myself.

Some towns feel like places you pass through.
Medford Village feels like a place that pulls you into the conversation.