Guests staying at the Whistling Swan Inn, my New Jersey bed and breakfast, love browsing through the many antique shops located within the proverbial stone’s throw from Stanhope. I love it too, because you never know what hidden treasures you’ll find.
The creme de la creme of local antique shops is Grey Barn Antiques, located on the main street of Andover, NJ, a mere 6 miles away from the Inn. The Grey Barn is a multi-dealer shop filled with unique collectibles, gifts and curiosities. Right after Christmas Tom and I spent a pleasant hour browsing through stall after stall of great stuff. I bought an interesting antique nutcracker to add to my collection, and I was delighted to see some items for sale that my mother had in her own kitchen.
Owner, Erin Hanna, took some time away from her paperwork to tell me that dealers frequently stop by to replenish the stock in their booths with new items, so even a once-a-week trip holds the promise of discovering one-of-a-kind pieces. What I like most about the physical structure of Grey Barn, is that unlike some other antique shops I’ve visited, it is brightly lit (a boon for these over 50 eyes), and WARM, WARM, WARM!
Even though it’s on Main Street, we did not have struggle to find a parking space. There’s plenty of parking either out front on the street or around the back of the store with a convenient paved path to the front. And there’s no need to look any farther than across the street for a great lunch at the Main Street Grill.
So if you’re just too exhausted after your shopping excursion to Grey Barn Antiques, head on over to the Whistling Swan Inn for rest, relaxation and the best breakfast in Stanhope, NJ.
Grey Barn Antiques
131 Main St.
Andover, NJ 07821
973-786-5555
www.greybarnantiques.com
Ros
Ros Bruno
Innkeeper
The Whistling Swan Inn
110 Main St.
Stanhope, NJ 07874
973-347-6369
www.whistlingswaninn.com
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