219 South Main St. Barnegat, NJ
Phone: 609-698-1155
Click to Call

10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Beach Haven West

Posts Tagged ‘ local history ’



10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Beach Haven West

Posted on: February 13th, 2019 by admin No Comments

Beach Haven West is one of Southern Ocean County’s most desirable waterfront communities. A sleepy unincorporated community that is part of Stafford Township, it is home to both summer residents and all year residents.

It’s no surprise why. This waterfront community offers easy access to fishing and boating, with the entire Barnegat Bay just seconds away by boat.

beach haven west

For many, Beach Haven West itself is a dream come true. Constructed on over 100 lagoons and located right off Route 72 and just across the bay from Long Beach Island, it’s one of the Jersey Shore’s true hidden gems.

Here are 10 facts you might not know about this hidden gem of a community:

  1. Beach Haven West was first developed in the 1950s. Herbert and Jerome Shapiro created the 130 lagoons that make up this part of town.
  1. Beach Haven West began with a series of Cape Cod style homes being built.
  1. The earliest waterfront homes there cost about $7,000 circa the 1950s.
  1. The first phase of Beach Haven West opened in 1957 and makes up the area between Morris Boulevard and Jennifer Lane.
  1. The community’s phase two was finished in the early 1960s and spans the area between Jonathan Drive and Walter Boulevard.
  1. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Beach Haven West Civic Association was a focal point of the community. They ran a community center and pool off Jonathan Drive. The clubhouse was demolished in the 1980s.
  1. Beach Haven West was still being built-out as late as 1986, when Colony Lakes was completed.
  1. The construction of Beach Haven West, as well as Ocean Acres, coincided with the construction of the Garden State Parkway, which finally gave people in North Jersey easier access to the Jersey Shore.
  1. Today, Beach Haven West’s population is about 4,000 residents.
  1. One of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, Teresa Giudice, once had a summer home in Beach Haven West.

These days, you can ask anyone looking to stay in the Southern Ocean County area and they will all agree: there are few communities that have become as desirable to live in as this one.

Even more important? They get access to a priceless lifestyle of relaxation, boating, fishing, great dentists in Southern Ocean County, and more. And that’s not something you can find just anywhere.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Local Interest / Jersey Shore | No Comments »

10 Amazing Things About Long Beach Island History You Didn’t Know

Posted on: January 17th, 2018 by admin No Comments

Let’s face it, Long Beach Island is one of the coolest communities in New Jersey. From the historic sites to the amazing beaches to your favorite restaurant – take your pick, there are a lot of them – and the amazing boating and fishing, this area has a lot to offer. Everyone who lives in Barnegat, Manahawkin, Forked River and the surrounding area knows that.

But how much do you know about LBI history? Do you know about its old railroad lines? The history of the Causeway? How long your favorite restaurant has been there?

That’s what this article is for! To fill you in on some of the cool stuff you didn’t know about LBI’s past. Enjoy!

  1. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Long Beach Island was served by the Tuckerton Railroad. Created thanks to growing tourism, the line ran from Whiting to Tuckerton and was completed in 1886.
  2. A portion of the Tuckerton Railroad was reorganized as the Barnegat Railroad in 1894. This line was leased by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR).
  3. Passenger services to Beach Haven from Camden was established in 1900.
  4. By 1913, three round trips per day between Whiting and Beach Haven were being operated. That’s a lot of people!
  5. The final shipment by rail off Long Beach Island took place in 1941, consisting of nothing more than three cars of scrap.
  6. Beach Haven, a community on Long Beach Island, was home to the shark attacks that inspired the novel and film Jaws. The famed Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916 included a fatal attack in Beach Haven. All told, four people were killed and one injured between July 1 and July 12
  7. Docked in the nearby Viking Village part of Barnegat Light, the scallop boat Lindsay L was used in the movie The Perfect Storm.
  8. Beach Haven boasts the famed Fantasy Island Amusement Park, which is home to a carousel featuring classic horse sculpts dating to the early 1900s. The carousel itself was commissioned in 1974 with the intention of recreating the look of classic Victorian era carousels. In fact, Fantasy Island Amusement Park is the only location on Long Beach Island with standard carnival rides and games. There are no other similar amusements there.
  9. The Causeway leading onto the island isn’t actually a causeway at all, it’s a bridge – a causeway is a raised embankment that crosses wetlands or water – and it’s official name is the Dorland J. Henderson Memorial Bridge.
  10. The Dorland J. Henderson Memorial Bridge is named after an African-American engineer and designer known for creating uniquely lit bridges.

What tidbits do you know about the history of Long Beach Island, as well as Manahawkin, Forked River, and other towns near Barnegat? Let us know in the comments!

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Local Interest / Jersey Shore | No Comments »