Building a Family Legacy After they married, they lived in Stuyvesant Town, eventually moving to Tinton Falls when Kathleen became pregnant. The idea of living in Spring Lake didn’t form right away. While Kathleen stayed home to raise their family, the idea of Michael commuting never seemed doable.” Spring Lake was always in the back of my mind. I traveled for a living, and you didn’t see better places than Spring Lake. Ultimately, it was like a gravitational pull,” Michael says. In 1991, with a stroke of luck and a leap of faith, Michael and Kathleen jumped at the opportunity to move to Spring Lake with their two young sons, Michael and Thomas. “We both made sacrifices with the commute,” Michael explains. “But living here is worth it. We wanted our kids to have a childhood filled with independence and community.” “There’s something magical about Spring Lake— the boardwalk, the small-town feel. I wanted my kids to walk downtown, visit the candy shop, and grow up surrounded by the same kind of warmth I had.” Kathleen adds. Friendship First Friendship runs deep in the Scotto family. Kathleen continues to maintain lifelong friendships from Spring Lake, and the family home is a magnet for friends both old and new. Kathleen and Michael’s children grew up surrounded by company, with their home becoming a natural gathering place. One beloved tradition, a Fourth of July party that began as a simple barbecue in 1992, blossomed into
and moved to Spring Lake year-round. “My grandparents were a huge help, and my mom continued that tradition with her own grandchildren.” This multigenerational bond shaped Kathleen’s view of family, a value she and Michael carry forward with their own children and grandchildren. Her strong foundation and values eventually led Kathleen to Michael, whom she met while working in public relations on Wall Street on the 106th floor of the World Trade Center. While in different departments, their desks were fatefully placed side by side. “I’d ask him to grab annual reports just to get his attention,” Kathleen laughs. Thirty- eight years of marriage later, they’re still a team. Spring Lake entered their story early. On their first Memorial Day together in 1985, Michael joined Kathleen in running the Spring Lake 5. Though it started as a playful bet, the race planted a seed. “I didn’t have a specific inclination that we would live here, but as a 20 year old running through this beautiful place, I thought, I want to live here. I want to achieve that,” Michael reflects.
22 January 2025
Stroll Spring Lake 23
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