People and Places
DeAndre and Randi Phillips love their
new Edgewater neighborhood
WRITTEN BY JACQUELINE GOLDSCHNEIDER PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG PALLANTE
F
ew people have earned
championship rings in
two professional sports,
but Edgewater’s DeAndre
Phillips has done just
that. As the current director of communications for the New York
Giants, and as a previous communications manager for the Miami Heat,
Phillips has both a 2011 Super Bowl ring
and a 2006 NBA championship ring.
And now he has added a wedding ring
to the mix, as he and wife, Randi, who
were married this May, settle in to their
new Gold Coast home.
“We were living in Secaucus and
whenever we came out here we noticed
how beautiful Edgewater is,” DeAndre,
34, says of his Edgewater neighborhood.
“It’s not too suburban and it’s not too
urban, it’s a great balance of both.”
Randi, 32, agrees with that sentiment. “You feel like you have a little of
the city life even though it’s not fullblown city life,” she says. “You can still
walk to stores and there are so many
restaurants and bars. It’s perfect for us.”
DeAndre, who was raised in Virginia,
and Randi, a Union County, N.J. native,
have no family in the area. But they
were sure that either Edgewater or
Jersey City would be their next home.
“Before I met DeAndre, I lived in
downtown Jersey City and I really loved
it there,” Randi says, “but it’s hard to
get as much space with a view like we
have here.”
Though they are relative newbies,
moving to Edgewater in February, they
66
FALL 2015 (201) GOLD COAST
can already rattle off their go-to spots.
“By now we’ve tested out most of the
restaurants on the river,” says Randi,
who names Pier 115 as her favorite
for cocktails.
For date night, the couple loves
Orama, but they are quick to offer some
low-key favorites as well. “There’s a
little place down the road called The
Great Burrito that we love for Mexican
food,” says Randi. And DeAndre can’t
get enough of the handmade dumplings
at Mama Best in nearby Fort Lee.
Even the shopping suits them
perfectly. “I’m a big bargain shopper,”
Randi says, “so I love Old Navy and
Joyce Leslie for clothes, and I head to
Target and Kohl’s all the time.” For his
part, DeAndre loves checking out
the cigars at Habana Cigar Club on
River Road.
Although they’re so close to New
York City, Randi sometimes feels like
she’s living in the country. “In this
section of Edgewater, there are so many
hills and trees that we’re kind of in the
woods,” she says. “I’ve seen so many
wild animals around here already. There
have been turkeys in front of the house
and there are these beautiful green parakeets from Argentina that have nests all
along River Road. You’re living with all
this wildlife but you’re looking out over
the city, so it’s the best of both worlds.”
And that proximity makes for some
beautiful sights from their back window.
“At night when the GW is lit up, we
have a gorgeous view of the bridge
and the cityscape,” says DeAndre.
>
favorite place for cocktails
PIER 115
“You can sit outside by the
pier in a little cabana and
have an amazing view while
you eat and drink.” – Randi
summer fun
THURSDAY NIGHTS AT
THE EDGEWATER
MARINA
“We would go with a blanket
and some snacks and just
enjoy the music.” – DeAndre
date night
ORAMA
“Being able to eat on the
water while taking in the
city view is very relaxing.”
– DeAndre
PIER 115: COURTESY OF PIER 115; EDGEWATER MARINA: ROBERT PAUL; ORAMA: TARIQ ZEHAWI/THE RECORD
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