Jersey Shore Guide 2024

JERSEY SHORE Mystique

EVERY YEAR BUCKS COUNTIANS COME TO THE JERSEY SHORE TO SWIM, TAN, RELAX, VISIT MUSEUMS AND HISTORIC SITES, BE ENTERTAINED, WALK BOARDWALKS AND STAY IN BEAUTIFUL SUMMER HOMES AND HOTELS.

By Bob Waite

The mystique of the Jersey Shore and the Atlantic Ocean bring a variety of people from all over the world to vacation there. There they get to relax, enjoy sandy beaches and get lots of sunshine. Those who retire become the favored locals who stay all-year long and become part of the slower paced but adventurous life that others who moved there have. Home buyers also include the many whose offices are virtual and want to operate from a home with a scenic view. The New Jersey Shore also many art associations, entertainment and besides bathing, sunning, surfing and fishing, the Jersey Shore has beautiful lighthouses, bird and wildlife sanctuaries, museums, theatres, night clubs and even gaming. The 130 miles of beaches are spread over four counties and they all have in common beautiful beaches and the Atlantic Ocean. They also have aspects about them that are unique and different than each other.

MONMOUTH COUNTY

Monmouth County has historical sites like Fort Hancock at Sandy Hook, The Great Auditorium in Ocean Grove, the Stephan Crane House (home of the Monmouth County Historical Society), Asbury Park Convention Hall and the Presidents Church in Long Branch.

Although not an historical site, the city Asbury Park has an interesting history. Beginning with the inception of the town in 1871, the boardwalk began to attract entrepreneurs and entertainers. By the 1920 people were coming from areas outside the region and building was on the upswing. Eventually it became known for its amusements and entertainment. The boardwalk became famous for the large Convention Hall building, Carousel Building and all the eating venues and boardwalk games. Then came a steady decline. But that changed in 2007 when a massive renewal and renovation began. Now Asbury is one of the queens among shore towns.

Spring Lake, although small and serene is a great place to shop. In this gorgeous Victorian town are a bookstore, candy shop, children’s clothing store, coffee houses, florist, a home & garden store, jewelry store, ice cream parlor and other interesting venues.

Long Branch is a town that specializes in the upscale. Long Branch also boasts home-away-from-home beachside condos,

premier shops and restaurants at Pier Village. However, during the summer, there are free festivals, farmer’s markets and concerts, plus year-round historic sites, parks, shops and restaurants that offer something for every interest.

Monmouth County shore towns are known for quality entertainment. In Long Branch, for example, there is the New Jersey Repertory Theatre, founded in 1997 by SuzAnne and Gabor Barabas. Over two decades NJRep has produced 140 plays of which 125 have been world premieres. At the Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal you can see concerts, ballet and other musical productions.

To find out more about events and places to go and see in Monmouth County visit Monmouth County NJ Tourism at www.tourism.visitmonmouth.com, and Visit NJ at www.vis itnj.org/Monmouth.

OCEAN COUNTY

Ocean County has boardwalks rides, theme parks and water adventures. At Seaside Heights there is the Casino Pier. There are rides for all ages, as their website says, “from 0 to 103.” It also features Midway Games stands, Go-Karts, Miniature Golf, Food stands and an arcade. Breakwater Beach Waterpark is a fun and family-friendly waterpark located right across from Casino Pier. They have waterslides, a wave pool,

cabanas and private parties.

On Long Beach Island in Beach Haven is Thundering Surf Waterpark, a place to sit in a Cabana and take your family to full day of fun and relaxation.

Jenkinson’s Boardwalk in Point Pleasant also has an Adventure Lookout, an amusement park, an aquarium, a fun

For art lovers Long Beach Island has several galleries and art associations. These include LBI Artists, LBI Original Art of the Jersey Shore and the Long Beach Island Foundation for the Arts and Sciences.

house, batting cages, miniature golf, boardwalk arcades and boardwalk games.

For art lovers Long Beach Island has several galleries and art associations. These include LBI Artists, LBI Original Art of the Jersey Shore and the Long Beach Island Foundation

for the Arts and Sciences. Small galleries abound throughout Ocean County, some dedicated to a particular artist or to a school of painting and sculpture.

New Jersey’s most extensive collection of maritime history artifacts in can be found at the Museum of New Jersey Maritime History. In the museum you can see old nautical instruments, fossils, maps, uniforms, diving bells and deep diving equipment. For a more in-depth locations of all historical sites and museums in Ocean County, visit www.oceancountytour ism.com/history-museums.

Ocean County Parks and Recreation offers a wide variety of outdoor activities in 27 parks and conservation areas. With over 4000 acres of preserved and well maintained land you can enjoy hiking, biking, swimming, canoeing, fishing, ball fields, tennis courts and playgrounds.

ATLANTIC COUNTY

Atlantic County has several towns along the shore. These are most notably Brigantine, Atlantic City, Ventnor City and Margate. The main attraction at the Atlantic County shore is Atlantic City, which is billed as the gambling capital of the East Coast. There are nine casinos in Atlantic City. Entertainment

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by recognized bands, singers and comics can be found in all the casinos and other entertainment venues, such as the Atlantic City Comedy Club at the Claridge and Bungalow Beach Bar.

Besides casinos and nightlife, Atlantic City offers celebrity-chef restaurants, sumptuous spas, family-friendly activities, cultural attractions, championship golf and shopping at the 70 + stores at Tanger Outlets.

To find out more about events and things to do in Atlantic City, visit www.atlanticcitynj.com and www.vis itnj.org/city/atlantic-city.

CAPE MAY COUNTY

When people talk about the South Jersey Shore, they are most likely talking about Cape May County. Going south along the coast, it begins with Ocean City and ends with Cape May Point. In between are the beautiful South Jersey towns of Sea Isle City, Avalon, Stone Harbor which have

NEW JERSEY SHORE

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pristine beaches, beautiful homes and interesting shops, boutiques, galleries and a relaxing atmosphere.

Contrasted with the serenity of small South Jersey beach towns are the Wildwoods where Art Deco dominates and a statue of Bobby Rydell lets you know the vibe. The 2-mile boardwalk at Wildwood is referred to as “two miles of smiles” On VisitNj.org it describes the boardwalk as, “Spectacular amusement piers, world-class roller coasters, interactive water parks, family atmosphere, carnival-style games of chance, shops and irresistible food make the Wildwoods Boardwalk a summer “must” for nearly 9 million visitors every year.”

Although Cape May County is known as a place to go during the summer, the visit Cape May New Jersey website states, “Cape May County is quickly becoming more and more of a year-round resort. Special events bring visitors back all year long, add world class birding and nature based activities, shopping, antiquing, golf, biking and hiking, wineries and great dining to the mix and you have a great spring, fall and winter getaway. Cape May County offers world class birding and nature based activities. It also brings visitors for shopping, antiquing, golf, biking and hiking, wineries and great dining. Cape May itself, with it’s its compelling history and Victorian buildings offers many fall and winter getaways and many tours and events.

For a closer look at Cape May, go to “Our Cape May Glimpse” in the Getaway department on page 118. Websites where you can find events in Cape May County are www.CapeMay.com, www.capemaycountynj.gov. For tours, history and art www.capemaymac.org, A website that keeps you up-to date on events in Cape May is also www.thema soncottage.com (in the Concierge section).

Bob Waite is the editor of Bucks County Magazine.

WHERE TO STAY & WHERE TO PLAY

There is no other place like the Jersey Shore. That’s why Bucks Countians travel, stay and play there. In fact, people from Bucks County are among the many travelers from all over the world that visit the Jersey Shore every year. Many own summer homes and cabins while others stay for short getaways in hotels, resort hotels and rented cabins. Some vacation there every year and others simply go for daytrips. But more and more Bucks County residents are buying properties for investment as well as permanent residents at the shore, and many want beach front properties too.

So, we decided to find of some of the top realtors on the Jesrsey Coast to help you with renting this summer or buying your own getaway or your retirement home.

The market is changing everyday, so plan your trip with one of the agents listed in this issue. It’s very important that both sellers and buyers use a professional real estate agent.

We found agents that are listing properties from Spring Lake to Cape May and everywhere between. They are experienced and have helped many find their dream home, retirement home or dream vacation rental.

If you are unfamilar with the shore areas, try staying there for a few weeks and enjoy a vacation while visiting the towns and beaches theres. Rent a beach house and drive to all the neighboring towns. This way you can get a real feel for the area and where you would like to buy a home.

So venture out the Jersey Shore this summer and if you are ready to see a few properties be sure to contact one of these experts to help you.