New Editor Reflects On Pathway To Patch

HOLMDEL, NJ – Growing up in a small town on Long Island, one of the critical factors in my decision to attend New York University was its expansive presence. I never wanted to be restricted by the confines of a gated campus, city limits or even state lines.

In fact, during my first weekend at NYU, I boarded the PATH train from Sixth Avenue to the Grove Street station, where I covered an all-day music concert at Jersey City’s White Eagle Hall for my student newspaper. I quickly fell in love with the vibrant culture and dazzling lights that illuminated the city, and I vowed to go back as soon as possible.

My exploration of the Garden State only expanded over the years, as I ventured with local friends to the beaches of Ocean City, the historic Asbury Park boardwalk and the street-lit sidewalks of Montclair.

I not only traversed the Tri-state area on the weekends, but through early reporting gigs as well, as I held several college internships at outlets covering Long Island, New York City and New Jersey. I soon became enthralled with the idiosyncrasies that define a particular community, as well as the process of finding certain individuals that make a township shine. At amNewYork, I covered commuter issues and profiled local musicians, eventually going on to cover criminal court hearings and conduct research for the investigative unit at NBC New York. I then joined the national team at NBC News NOW until internship operations were suspended due to COVID-19.

Luckily, I was able to join the Patch team in June 2020 and continue to pursue my love of local news. Similar to the dynamic of the Patch website itself, I aim for this experience to be an interactive, collaborative dialogue: if you have a story idea or have a question about your town, I want to know! I'm dedicated to finding the answer.

I hope that I get to learn more about you and hear your voices so that I can bring informed, accurate and meaningful stories to you every day.

Questions, comments and news tips are always welcome. Please reach out to me at nicole.rosenthal@patch.com, even if you just want to say hello! I look forward to this next big step in my career and to getting to know all of you.