There are few vacation spots that manage to combine convenience, price and atmosphere as well as New Jersey’s shore communities. They are more easily accessible to the entire northeast than any other coastal region. Jersey Shore towns tend to be far more affordable than other popular coastal retreats. And when it comes to capturing the kind of coastal lifestyle that so many find alluring, few regions have been doing it longer (and better) as the NJ shore communities have.
But how do you find the best ones? How do you settle on a place to stay? How do you make the most out of your hunt for a perfect family vacation, romantic getaway, or weekend away with friends?
It’s easy. And we’re going to show you how.
1) Scope Out Your Destination Towns
There are a lot of great communities along the NJ coast. Selecting which is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Want a quiet getaway in an historic town? Trying staying in Cape May or Spring Lake, or booking a hotel in Long Beach Island. If you are looking for a family getaway, Wildwood, Ocean City and Point Pleasant are good options. If you want a great nightlife, Seaside Heights, Belmar and Asbury Park are the places to be. Just interested in sunning yourself? Try Lavallette or Long Beach Island.
2) Check For Attractions And Amenities
Before booking your LBI hotel, Seaside Heights condo, or other accommodations, check the maps and tourism guides to see what else is nearby. This will give you a sense for what you might end up doing all week (aside from catching some sun). Some towns boast aquariums. Others rides and attractions. Some are fairly reasonable drives away from theme parks. Others are near historic wine vineyards. Still others have easy access to fantastic nature trails, hiking, and biking. Throw in music venues, clubs, and more, and you can fill your itinerary pretty quickly.
3) Explore Options For Accommodations
If you’re staying at the Jersey shore, good news: you will have a lot of options available to you. There are homes for rent, condos, hotels and motels, roadside inns, bed and breakfasts, and more. You name it, you’ll find it. If booking a hotel in LBI, for example, you’ll find many options available to you. All you need to do is decide what sort of experience you want. Renting a house or bungalow is ideal for families, as you will have a lot of room and will have plenty of distance from your neighbors. A beachfront condo or hotel will give you easy access to the sun and sand. Motels make traveling to area attractions easier. Inns and bed and breakfasts give you a stronger sense of having gotten away and make you feel closer to the place you’re staying. Think about your wants and choose wisely!
4) Take Your Trip!
All that’s left is to hop in the car and go enjoy the sun! So go ahead, book your trip, and enjoy all that vacationing at the shore has to offer.
While you’re here, visit us here in Barnegat, NJ, just minutes away from Manahawkin, Forked River, and other surrounding communities. We have served the region for four decades and are ready to give you a dazzling smile!
If there is one thing that is true about the New Jersey coast, it’s that it is a fantastic place to vacation. There is a reason why millions of people make their way to the shore each summer: there is a lot to do in a beautiful location.
While towns like Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant attract a lot of day trips, Long Beach Island rentals are popular because this extended community offers the kind of amenities suited for long term relaxation, families, and other attractions that go beyond drinking at loud night clubs.
The trick, of course, is finding a rental in the first place. They can be popular and they can go fast, so if you want to get the very best Jersey Shore summer rental possible, follow these tips:
Use The Internet
It should go without saying that the Internet is your friend. Use the Web to finding listings, compare prices, scope out locations and nearby attractions, and more. Follow up with a call to local agents for detailed information.
Start Looking Early
If you’re not ready to act fast, you’re going to miss out on the very best Long Beach Island rentals, because savvy vacationers know that being first in line means you get first dibs on the best locations. Listings tend to start going online in January, so right now is a great time to start looking.
Book In June Or September
You may prefer to hit the sand during the peak of summer, but you’ll get the best rates by booking on early June or early September. These off-season periods mean you’ll spend far less on your rental, and the weather is still excellent this time of year, so you can enjoy plenty of time in the sun.
Look At Photos And Maps
When you’re examining Long Beach Island rentals, be sure to take a close look at as many photos as possible – and not just of your potential rental. Look at the surrounding area, too, to see what kind of community you’ll be in, and check out maps to see how easy the location is to access and what kind of attractions are nearby. Can you walk to a restaurant or watering hole? Are you a short stroll from the beach or 20 blocks away? Know before you book!
Be Ready For A Security Deposit
Most summer rentals at the Jersey Shore will require half the rent up front as a security deposit, so budget accordingly. And pay quickly, as many owners reserve the right to rent to someone else if your deposit is not received in a reasonable amount of time.
Book For The Next Year Right Away
If you enjoyed your stay, go ahead and arrange to book the same time next year with the owner at the end of your stay. Assuming you were a good tenant, the owner will be happy knowing they already have a week booked, and you’ll be happy knowing that next year’s vacation is ready to be marked on the calendar!
Ever thought about living near coast of New Jersey, especially in towns like Manahawkin, Forked River and Barnegat? If you haven’t before, you sure will after reading these seven reasons why it’s AWESOME:
1) Easy Access To Recreation
If you want recreation, there are few better places to be than the beach, especially in Southern Ocean County and Long Beach Island. Surfing, boating, fishing, swimming, sun bathing, games, music, paddle boarding, night clubs, nature preserves, food festivals, and so much more we can barely list it all. If you can’t find something to do at the shore it’s because you refuse to leave the house!
2) It’s Relaxing
Think about the sound of the surf, the smell of the water, the laid back way people go about their lives, and then think about yourself in the middle of it all right here in Ocean County. Yes, that is what living at the shore can be like – and it can be like that every single day of the year! Doesn’t matter if you live in a small bungalow or have a huge beachfront house, being near the the ocean can lift your spirits and help you do something few people can manage: relax!
3) You’ll Enjoy A Longer Life
It might sound like nonsense, but it’s true. Studies show that people who do not take annual vacations are 32 percent more likely to die of a heart attack. So what better way to extend your life then by building a perpetual vacation into your life? That’s exactly what living at the beach is like. At any moment you choose, you can flip the switch from normal life to relaxing. Take a walk to the sand, go look out over the way, enjoy some water sports, go fishing, walk your dog, go people watching – the whole area here near Long Beach Island a tremendous place to unwind!
4) Visits From Friends And Family Will Be Great
If you enjoy making people feel welcome, you’ll have an easy time if you live near the shore. People love to visit the region for a reason, and they love it even more when they are visiting good friends and family. Give them something to see and something to do, often without much effort on your part. That’s exactly what living near the shore can do!
5) Get In Touch With Nature
It may appear that the shore region is built up to a major degree – and in some ways, it is – but there are not only plenty of parks and open areas, even the built-up communities allow access to mother nature you can’t get in the suburbs. When was the last time you watched dolphins and whales play in your McMansion community, or walked two blocks to do some ocean fishing, or fed ducks and gulls on the bay right in your backyard?
6) Salt Water Is Good For Your Health
Yet another mark in favor of shore living, salt water is not just calming to the soul, it can actually help heal little nicks and cuts. Add in the fact that beach sand can help exfoliate your skin, helping you to feel cleaner and fresher, and you have the makings for a healthier life.
7) It’s A Great Investment
When it comes down to it, this may be the biggest reason to own property at the shore. Waterfront property is always in demand. It never goes out of style. Your investment is all but guaranteed to increase for you. Add that to all the lifestyle bonuses mentioned above, and the reasons for living at the shore should be obvious.
And naturally, once you’re here and smiling about your choice, choose us as your Ocean County dentist and we’ll keep your smile bright!
Summer will be here before you know it, so if you want a Jersey Shore vacation, the time to start planning is NOW!
On Fridays during the summer, the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike are often backed up with traffic. These aren’t people going home from work or on their way to the world’s largest pizza party. They are coming to the beautiful New Jersey Coast – and since our dentist office in Ocean County is right near the coast, we have a great fondness for the area!
No wonder Long Beach Island rentals, bungalows in Barnegat, apartments in Belmar, weekend homes in Point Pleasant and more are so popular each summer.
The New Jersey coast is not all created equal, however. Choosing one town over the other can be the difference between finding yourself in the middle of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” and relaxing in a quaint, historic community, so choose carefully!
If you plan to invest in a summer home at the Jersey Shore or to enjoy a vacation along the coast, these are a few of the communities you should be sure to consider when deciding to take a weekend, week, or even the rest of your life away with the family.
Point Pleasant Beach
This is a community that endeavors to straddle the line between a vibrant, active resort community and a quiet, peaceful ocean town. Indeed, this is a town that offers the architectural charm of yesteryear as well as the appeal of great dining and excellent shopping. The residential neighborhoods of Point Pleasant Beach are quiet, but the downtown is often bus with shoppers. Also busy is the boardwalk, which has the area’s only aquarium. There you will find rides, games, places to see bands playing music, and more.
Long Beach Island
The fact is, Long Beach Island (along with nearby communities like Manahawkin) is in high demand for a reason. This stretch of coastal barrier island remains one of the New Jersey coast’s most desirable places to both live and to vacation. Boasting plenty of bay and ocean facing property, it also has shopping, historic sites, and more. Even better, while there are plenty of things to do within a short walk or drive, the town itself is calm enough so that even retirees find this to be a small slice of heaven.
Barnegat
The small oceanfront and bay community of Barnegat, where our dentist office in Ocean County are located, is a popular place for families thanks to its lovely beaches, paths, and docks for fishing and crabbing – not to mention its historic lighthouse. There are more than a few small shops run by residents of the town, as well as waterfront property along both the ocean and the bay. Barnegat is on Long Beach Island, so when we say that Long Beach Island has been increasingly popular in recent years thanks to its quaint, small town feel we include this town in the observation.
Belmar
Not unlike Point Pleasant Beach, the Borough of Belmar offers quiet shore living as well as attractions that will appeal to more energetic visitors. Quaint neighborhoods with snug coastal homes are just a short walk away from some of the New Jersey coast’s most active and popular nightclubs. Set that alongside some of the best fishing on the East Coast, a historic boating community, and a downtown that is a throwback to communities of eras long gone and it’s easy to see why people flock to Belmar each year.
Any one of these communities could serve at the perfect place for your New Jersey vacation or retirement!