Two weekends ago, before social distancing started across the country, I headed to Asbury Park with friends for some antiquing. Asbury Park Vintage has some seriously stunning Mid-Century furniture, vintage clothing, accessories and oddities everyone should check out — they deliver!

We got brunch and headed into town for some early spring weather on the boardwalk. We were not the only ones with the same head-to-the-beach mentality, as there happened to be some St. Patrick’s Day bar crawls going on — probably the last of the season, given the circumstances — so we proceeded to bar hop a bit with the green-clad crowds and soak up as much sun as we could before heading back to the city.

Now, with cities locking down and all nonessential businesses closing their doors, I’m glad I went out and about, supporting businesses now closed for a few weeks, while I could.

There’s still a lot of ways to support small businesses in need, like shopping online when you can, buying gift cards at shops and restaurants you frequent for when you’re able to revisit (think about your local nail and hair salons), ordering take-out from mom-and-pop restaurants before curfew and more, listed here.

Don’t forget to like, share and repost your favorite small businesses on social media, too, to help spread the word.

— Angelique Platas, associate editor