Local Picks

Monmouth Establishments to Know: Rumson Country Day + Red Horse + Monmouth Pediatric Group + Monmouth Boat Club

Four institutions shaping family life on the Monmouth shore this season — a century-old independent school, a modern-American steakhouse, a comprehensive pediatric practice, and the Navesink's sailing community.

Published September 10, 2026 · Signed: Love of Humanity

About These Four

Each September, we spotlight four Monmouth institutions that families should know before the school year settles in. This season: a 100-year-old independent school in Rumson, a modern-American steakhouse on Ridge Road, a two-location pediatric practice serving the county's children, and the Navesink's sailing heart. All four are institutions where a family's time, attention, and generosity make a measurable difference — and where the right conversation at the right table can open a door that stays open for a generation.

Rumson Country Day School: A Century of Gators

Founded in November 1926 on 35 Bellevue Avenue in Rumson, The Rumson Country Day School (RCDS) is a coeducational, nonsectarian independent day school serving approximately 336 students in grades Nursery through 8, with a student-teacher ratio of 6:1. Headmaster Carson Smith leads a faculty of 63 classroom teachers. In grades Nursery through 5, students are divided into heterogeneous homerooms with a maximum size of 15; in grades 6 through 8, classes are departmentalized with honors sections in English, math, and foreign language. The school holds probationary accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. RCDS offers 12 interscholastic sports, including fencing, squash, and ice hockey — a lineup that distinguishes it from most independent schools in the region. The school’s annual Rummage Sale, billed as the largest tag sale in New Jersey, draws hundreds of families each April. rcds.org

What’s interesting for families

Red Horse by David Burke: The Steakhouse That Replaced a Landmark

At 26 Ridge Road in Rumson, the site that has served the Monmouth dining scene since 1972 now operates as Red Horse by David Burke — a Modern-American steakhouse and sushi bar that opened in March 2024 after the beloved David Burke Fromagerie closed in 2015. Chef David Burke, a Hazlet native who began as a line cook at the original Fromagerie and later ran the operation from 2006 to 2015, returns the building to its culinary roots with a menu anchored by Clothesline Bacon, DB "Salt Aged" Beef, Fromagerie Cheese Popovers, and Smoked Salmon Carpaccio. The dining room features artwork from Burke's personal collection. Red Horse is open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner and Sunday for lunch and dinner; the restaurant also operates a location in White Plains, New York. chefdavidburke.com

What’s interesting for families

Monmouth Pediatric Group: A Two-Location Pediatric Team

Monmouth Pediatric Group is a comprehensive pediatric practice devoted to providing personalized medical care to children from birth to age 21, with offices in Red Bank (272 Broad St, phone (732) 741-0456) and Wall (3350 Hwy 138, phone (732) 681-0300). The practice is affiliated with Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch and Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank. Four board-certified physicians — Jean Berghaus, M.D.; Michelle Litsky, D.O.; Jo-Ann Jordan, M.D.; and Theresa Paladino, D.O. — bring over 100 years of combined service to the community. Services include assessment of health and growth, treatment of acute and chronic illness, disease prevention, parenting advice, and management of behavioral, educational, and mental health issues. The Red Bank office is open Monday through Friday (9 a.m.-7 p.m., 4:30 p.m. Friday) and Saturday (10 a.m.-2 p.m.); the Wall office follows a similar schedule. All hours are by appointment only; urgent phone calls are handled immediately during regular office hours. monmouthpediatricgroup.com

What’s interesting for families

Monmouth Boat Club: The Navesink's Sailing Heart

The Monmouth Boat Club at 31 Union Street in Red Bank anchors the Navesink River's sailing community with junior and adult programs open to members and non-members alike. The club's facilities include shell and kayak racks, dedicated yard boat spaces, and a clubhouse social scene that draws families for regattas, race timing, and seasonal gatherings. The club is a key venue for the Junior Sweepstakes Regatta (the "August Sweeps"), a multi-day youth sailing event that moves between the Shrewsbury Sailing & Yacht Club and the Monmouth Boat Club each early August, drawing more than 50 young sailors from across the county. The Fair Haven River Rats, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, manage race timing, judging, and on-water safety for the event. Beyond youth instruction, the River Rats offer an adult training program that invites entire families to get on the water together, with boats provided at no extra cost and member families receiving a 35% discount on program fees. Fair Haven River Rats

What’s interesting for families

For Deeper Civic Involvement

How Love of Humanity Partners with Institutions Like These

Love of Humanity, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, builds co-branded family education with the institutions featured here and across Monmouth County. We help families understand how membership, planned giving, volunteer roles, and scholarship funds connect their household values to the organizations that steward the county's schools, dining scene, pediatric care, and waterfront. By linking family stewardship with institutional mission, we make it easier for Monmouth families to see their role in the story of these organizations — and to act on it. If you sit on a board, direct a foundation, or steward a family office in Monmouth, we are ready to collaborate on heritage and civic education that connects generations.

Support This Kind of Work

Support Love of Humanity: https://lovehumanity.charity/#donate · Stripe https://buy.stripe.com/bJe00javHcLX43OgnncAo00

Board leader, foundation director, head of school, or family-office trustee reading this? We build co-branded family education with Monmouth institutions. partnerships@donatetoloveofhumanity.com

This roundup is editorial. No fees were paid. Love of Humanity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Corrections: director@lovehumanity.charity · Partnership: partnerships@donatetoloveofhumanity.com

One small next step

Donate at lovehumanity.charity to fund family-focused community education in Monmouth. Prefer a single-click option? Use Choose Your Amount.