The Local Lookout

Documenting place, people & culture.

The shore, elevated.

Explore the Series

Greetings from

the Gateway to the World.

This is a place defined by movement.

By water and weather.
By people arriving, leaving, and finding reasons to stay.
By working hands, passing stories, and a coastline that never sits still.

We call it the Gateway to the World — not as a slogan, but as a way of understanding where we are.

A threshold between land and sea. Between stillness and motion. Between what’s been carried here and what’s headed out.

Above the Hook exists to document this rhythm.
To tell the story of place through the people who shape it — and the culture, work, and art that grows from it.

This is where the magazine begins.

How This Story Takes Shape

Above the Hook unfolds in two ways.

Through editorial series — cinematic stories that document place, people, and culture as they move through seasons.

Watch

And through goods — thoughtfully made pieces that carry those stories beyond the shoreline.

Wear

The Quarterly Print

Subscribe

The Local Lookout Quarterly Print is a curated, high-quality publication capturing the rhythm of local life—through photography, essays, and design-forward storytelling. Four times a year, we create something worth slowing down for.

Carry the Hook
Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew Hook In A Box Crew
Hook In A Box Crew

Warmer Layers

Crisp mornings on the bay and fiery sunsets over the ocean call for layers that feel just right. The Above the Hook Fall Collection blends coastal comfort and everyday durability with pieces made to carry you through the season.

Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew
Gateway to the World Embroidered Crew
“Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew “Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew
“Cowboy & Dolphin” Signature Crew
View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew
View From Across The Bay Embroidered Crew
Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew Just Surf It. Crew
Just Surf It. Crew
The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew The Wave Crew
The Wave Crew
Shop Crews

The Local Legends Series:

Timeless Tacklebox

Long before this shoreline was photographed, it was worked.

Fishing here wasn’t recreation — it was routine. A way to read the water. A way to feed families. A way to understand seasons, tides, and timing without ever naming them.

Tackle Box has been part of that rhythm for generations.

Not as a backdrop, but as a reference point. A place where knowledge moves hand to hand — from commercial crews to weekend anglers, from old-timers to first-timers, from one season to the next.

Inside, nothing is rushed. Gear is chosen with intention. Advice is given freely. Stories linger longer than transactions. What’s passed down here isn’t just equipment — it’s experience.

This is what it looks like when a place keeps doing what it’s always done, even as everything around it changes.

Still working.
Still teaching.
Still part of how it works

Part of The Local Legends Series — an ongoing Above the Hook editorial project.

Become Part of the Story

Some stories are meant to be watched.
Others are meant to be carried.

Shop Tacklebox

Crews & Hoodies

Warm layers for cool nights.

All Season Hats

Style all year round.

Above the Hook Corduroy Dad Hat Above the Hook Corduroy Dad Hat Above the Hook Corduroy Dad Hat Above the Hook Corduroy Dad Hat Above the Hook Corduroy Dad Hat
Above the Hook Corduroy Dad Hat
$25.00

Bring coastal grit to your look with the Above the Hook Dune Cap. Crafted in soft corduroy, this relaxed dad hat features the signature circular logo embroidered in white. Its durable texture and vintage-inspired design make it perfect for everyday wear, from Highlands, NJ to anywhere you roam.

Buy Now
Just The Hook Rope Snapback Just The Hook Rope Snapback
Just The Hook Rope Snapback

Heads Up

Plum Island Kit Surfers Snapback Hat Plum Island Kit Surfers Snapback Hat
Plum Island Kit Surfers Snapback Hat
Surf Way Up North Jersey Shore Foamie Trucker Hat Surf Way Up North Jersey Shore Foamie Trucker Hat Surf Way Up North Jersey Shore Foamie Trucker Hat
Surf Way Up North Jersey Shore Foamie Trucker Hat
Just the Hook Dad Hat Just the Hook Dad Hat Just the Hook Dad Hat Just the Hook Dad Hat Just the Hook Dad Hat Just the Hook Dad Hat
Just the Hook Dad Hat
Just Surf It. Just Surf It.
Just Surf It.
Circle ATH Snapback Circle ATH Snapback
Circle ATH Snapback
Shop Hats
Above the Hook Gift Card Above the Hook Gift Card Above the Hook Gift Card Above the Hook Gift Card Above the Hook Gift Card Above the Hook Gift Card Above the Hook Gift Card Above the Hook Gift Card Above the Hook Gift Card

Above the Hook Gift Card

Give the gift of the shore.
Perfect for anyone who loves the spirit of Highlands, NJ and the beauty of Sandy Hook, our Above the Hook Gift Card lets them choose from premium apparel, accessories, and lifestyle goods inspired by life by the water.

Whether it’s a cozy crewneck for cool beach mornings, a hat for summer surf sessions, or art that captures our coastal roots — this gift card keeps it personal and local.

Details:

  • Available in multiple denominations

  • Delivered instantly by email with a unique redemption code

  • Redeemable online or at Above the Hook events/pop-ups

  • Never expires

Give the gift of local pride, ocean air, and timeless style — Above the Hook.

Give the Gift of the Hook

A Piece of Highlands History: Our Neptune Club Collaboration Tee

Nestled on the tranquil banks of the Shrewsbury River, the Neptune Club—founded in 1847—was the very first private club in Highlands, offering upscale yachting members an exclusive retreat with overnight lodging, a chef-prepared dining experience, and a cozy parlor for games. Its signature feature? A charming gazebo-style sheltered dock where guests were greeted the moment they stepped off their boats—rain or shine.

Illuminating the Shore: Twin Lights and Above the Hook’s Tribute

Perched high atop the Navesink Highlands in Highlands, New Jersey, the Navesink Twin Lights have guided mariners and inspired dreamers for nearly two centuries. Built in 1862, these twin beacons marked the first U.S. lighthouse to test the revolutionary Fresnel lens—a milestone in maritime safety—and later hosted electric lighting, wireless experiments by Marconi, and early radar tests.

History of the Half Moon Re-imagined

This design reimagines a historic image of the Half Moon sailing into New York Harbor, framed by the Highlands’ iconic Twin Lights and the emerging skyline of New York City in the distance. It’s a visual bridge across centuries—linking the earliest explorations of the Hudson River to the enduring presence of Sandy Hook and Highlands as a maritime gateway.

WE ARE ABOVE THE HOOK

With love, from Highlands.