Focusing on four of the smaller coastal communities in central Monmouth County—Allenhurst, Deal, Interlaken, and Loch Arbour—Around Deal Lake offers a unique look back at the emergence of these towns in the shadows of the large shore resorts of Long Branch and Asbury Park. Utilizing photographs and ephemera from the 1880s through the present, author Marie A. Sylvester captures the excitement of the young communities and the spirited residents who helped to build them. From the magnificent seaside mansions that lined the ocean in Deal, to the lakeside artist studios of Interlaken, there exists an interesting array of architecture and an equally broad spectrum of inhabitants around Deal Lake. Residents of these areas range from the industrial magnates of Deal to the actors, writers, and artists who chose Interlaken as a haven to indulge their muse.