Jennifer Walsh, a former beauty executive and now a wellness expert who specializes in the healing aspects of nature, is one of the rare seasonal residents, also known as “tenters,” of a Methodist tent colony near the beach in Ocean Grove, N.J. The close-knit community, consisting of 114 canvas tents that attach to small cabins, all of which are side by side, was founded in 1869.
“You don’t have to be Methodist” to live there anymore, said Ms. Walsh, whose parents leased a tent from the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association in the 1980s. “We were the rogue Catholics that came in. Now there’s a 12-year waiting list. So many people want to live here, especially since the pandemic.”
The tents, which rest on platforms, go up May 15 and come down on Sept. 15. Ms. Walsh, 51, has the place to herself at the beginning and end of the season. In between, she shares the summer home with her parents, devotees who fly up from Florida.
As for the other three seasons, you’ll find her on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where she develops wellness programs for corporations and leads mindfulness walks in Central Park.
SUIT UP I wake up at 5:30 because the sun comes through the canvas, and it gets really bright in the tent. The first thing I do is put on a bathing suit. The beach is two blocks away. I go for a walk on the water’s edge or a swim as the sun rises. Then I come back to the tent and take my first shower of the day.
THE MAIN THING I like making my own coffee, but on Sundays I walk to Main. It’s the only place in town that has shops. I get a cappuccino at Odyssey Coffee and pick up the paper at Pathway Market. Back at the tent, I make avocado toast with an egg, sit on the porch and read. I don’t have a stove, just a hot plate and a toaster/air fryer. My sink is 100 years old.
TENT VOICE The tents are about 12 feet apart. If I’m in my kitchen I can hear my neighbor in her kitchen running water. You can hear people snore and sneeze. You have to use a tent voice, especially at night. Our tent and cabin together are maybe 600 square feet — basically the size of my apartment. You have to really like your family.
CHURCH TIMES TWO I go with my parents to a Catholic church in Asbury Park, which is next to Ocean Grove. Then we come back and catch the music at the end of the Methodist service in the Great Auditorium. It’s a profoundly beautiful old wooden building. They compare the acoustics of the building to Carnegie Hall.
DOG WATCH, DECOMPRESS I throw on running clothes and run to Asbury Park. The Wonder Bar there has a Yappy Hour where people bring their dogs. There are pools for them to play in. It’s my spot to take a breath, stretch and watch the dogs. From there I go to the farmers market, then head back. Second shower of the day.
POSTCARD-PRETTY All day tourists are walking by the tents. They always have the same questions: Do you have electricity, running water? People photograph here all the time. Our street is very Instagrammable, very Americana with flags hanging over the walkways. You kind of go back in time when you’re here.
NEIGHBORS We water each other’s plants when someone goes away for a couple of days. We all share our tomatoes; it’s like our own personal C.S.A. A neighbor passed away a few months ago who was an icon in the town. It was so sad. Now we have a new family coming in with three little kids. It’s the circle of life.
PLANNING IN THE SAND I burn easily, so I don’t spend a lot of time sitting in the sun. At around 3 I put on my bathing suit and a giant cover-up and a big hat and sit on the sand. I work for a couple of hours. I have a laptop and Wi-Fi at the tent, but I like to hand-write my plan for the week.
OFF-CAMPUS SUNDAY A friend of mine lives full time in one of the Victorian houses here. During the pandemic he started something he calls “off-campus Sunday.” We actually get in a car and go somewhere. There are so many great restaurants in towns along the Jersey Shore.
SEASIDE SLEEP By the time we come back I’m tired. My phone goes into sleep mode at 9:15, notifications off. I’m in bed at 9:30, out by 10. If it’s raining, there is nothing like the sound of raindrops on a canvas roof. I sleep better here than anywhere else.
Sunday Routine readers can follow Jennifer Walsh on Twitter @BehindTheBrand and on Instagram at @thejenniferwalsh.
