Brielle is a small slice of boating paradise, set along the Manasquan River in southern Monmouth County, with a sailboat gracing the borough’s coat of arms. When Brielle began as a vacation community in the late 1800s, the area — which was then farmland dotted with windmills — reminded the developers of the seaport town of Brielle in the Netherlands. Inspired, they decided to name their new development after its Dutch counterpart. Today, there are a several marinas for boat docking, as well as quite a few popular restaurants along the borough’s four miles of waterfront. It’s also possible to drive to Atlantic Highlands — about a 45-minute drive — and take a 40-minute ferry to Wall Street, if you wish to commute to NYC by sea. Alternatively, it’s a quick drive to either Manasquan or Spring Lake to hop on a NJ Transit train, with stops in Hoboken and Penn Station.