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!
The Jersey Shore is a popular destination for weekend getaways and week long summer vacations for many reasons, especially the area near our office, which includes Barnegat, Manahawkin, Long Beach Island, Forked River, and other great shore towns. There is plenty to do, the beaches are close to almost any rental you can find, and the entire region is easily accessible from the entire tri-State area. If there is a single headache it’s this: you never seem to have enough room to bring all the stuff you want to bring!
With that in mind, here are some tips on how to pack light. Believe us, it can make the difference between a good summer vacation and a great one!
Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/green-car-near-seashore-with-blue-ocean-1118448/
You Don’t Need All Those Shoes – It’s easy to get caught in the trap of bringing shoes for every occasion. You need your flip-flops or sandals, your sneakers, your nice shoes for going out to dinner, maybe those boots in case you go for a trek on Long Beach Island. Bad idea! Bring only one or two pairs (including what you are wearing). You’ll be glad you did.
Pack Your Lightest Items Last – Packing your luggage is not a science, it’s an art form, but there are a few tips that can make your packing more efficient and help you get the most into a small space. Packing your lightest items last is one of them. They will be easier to fit into whatever nooks and crannies are left in your bags, are more easily switched around with other items, and in the worst case scenario where something won’t fit, they can easily be thrown into a small extra bag.
Layers, Layers, Layers – If you’re bringing a few bulky clothing items to ward off cooler evenings or rainy days, consider wearing them during your trip to the Long Beach Island summer house you booked. That will save a lot of room in your bags and make travel less of a hassle. Just be sure to crank up the A/C in your car!
Make Yourself A Checklist – It may seem obvious but a lot of people don’t do this – and skipping this step is a bad idea, because planning ahead can save many headaches later! Write down what you absolutely, positively need, and also write down what you need but will be able to purchase once you arrive at your destination. It’s far easier to make a quick stop at a local store for sun block, towels, snacks and other disposable items. Don’t waste space in your luggage on that!
Don’t Fold, Roll – Most of us grew up folding our clothes, but guess what? Rolling your clothes up takes up less room and allows you to pack in more creative, space efficient ways. It also allows you to distribute the weight in your bags more evenly, which will make carry them around far easier.
These few small tips don’t seem like much, but add them together and they will make your next trip to the Southern Ocean County shore area much easier and far less stressful!
We’re all hoping to escape from confinement this summer and enjoy summer at the Shore. There are some big question marks, of course, but hopefully better days are ahead!
After all, the Jersey Shore is a great place to spend a week or a long weekend, especially the area around Barnegat (where our offices are located) and Manahawkin. The beaches are gorgeous, the shopping is great, the sun and surf are always welcome. It’s amazing how such great attractions can be so close to home!
With that in mind, here are a few things to take in this summer – with proper social distancing, of course!
Sunbathing
This is what most people want to do when they visit the shore! And it’s easy. When you’re staying in towns like Manahawkin and Long Beach Island, the beach is just minutes away. Spread out a blanket onto the beach, relax, soak up the sun, jump in the ocean if you need to cool off. There is a reason why we love having our dentist office near Manahawkin.
Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/macro-photography-of-black-sunglasses-on-sand-1209610/
Fishing
The Southern Ocean County region has a great fishing community that goes back centuries. Because of that, our fishing tradition is strong and proud, and the doctors here at our Barnegat dentists office take full advantage of that. There is plenty of fishing to go around, too. The area has many public fishing spots and great piers and docks for fishing, plus charter boats are plentiful. It’s as easy to spend a day out on the ocean as it is fishing in the surf or casting into the bay, so if you’re in the area and you love to fish, you’re in luck.
Paddleboarding
One of the fastest growing water sports is paddleboarding. It’s a fun, relaxing, easy way to get in the water and enjoy the shore. Unlike surfing, paddleboarding doesn’t require years of practice. As long as you can stand, you can do it!
Local History
The Manahawkin region is rich with history, from the beloved Barnegat Lighthouse to fantastic local museums that show off the region’s ties to the sea. There are historic buildings to see, parks to visit, and great local historical societies that regularly hold special events. With our dental office near Manahawkin, we enjoy visiting these places. We urge you to pay them a visit, too!
Restaurants
You don’t have to travel far to find some fantastic places to eat in Southern Ocean County. It should go without saying that seafood is popular around here, with fresh catches daily. We also have a wealth of Italian places, great delis, classic diners, a large array of ethnic food, steakhouses, and more. If you can’t find something to eat in our area, you’re not trying!
Cocktails
There is nothing quite like a cocktail near the beach, and region offers you plenty of opportunities to enjoy exactly that. Have a few cold ones, sip on a margarita, and just enjoy a little bit of the beach life before you return to the daily grind. You’ve earned it! Just be sure to visit your dentist near Manahawkin afterward, because some cocktails are not great for your teeth.
As you can see, there is plenty to do in the Southern Ocean County area, and we’ve only just scratched the surface. From watersports to hiking to nature to shopping and much more, you will love your time away at the Jersey Shore!
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.
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:
- Beach Haven West was first developed in the 1950s. Herbert and Jerome Shapiro created the 130 lagoons that make up this part of town.
- Beach Haven West began with a series of Cape Cod style homes being built.
- The earliest waterfront homes there cost about $7,000 circa the 1950s.
- The first phase of Beach Haven West opened in 1957 and makes up the area between Morris Boulevard and Jennifer Lane.
- The community’s phase two was finished in the early 1960s and spans the area between Jonathan Drive and Walter Boulevard.
- 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.
- Beach Haven West was still being built-out as late as 1986, when Colony Lakes was completed.
- 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.
- Today, Beach Haven West’s population is about 4,000 residents.
- 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.
Don’t the show of the same name fool you. The Jersey Shore is a terrific place to live. This is especially true in Southern Ocean County around Barnegat, Manahawkin, and Forked River, where there are a wealth of benefits that will quickly have you living the good life.
Don’t believe us? Just take a look at these five great reasons to live at the shore:
1) Watersports
For those who like their life to be on the exciting side, the Jersey coast offers some of the best areas for jet skiing, water skiing, surfing, and much more.
Whether you already own equipment or just want to rent it, shops and rentals places are so numerous you’ll be tripping over them.
Even better, the waters here are made for activities like this. Our bays, waterways and oceans are perfect for waverunners, paddle boarding, and much more.
2) Boating and Fishing
New Jersey has some of the best boating and fishing on the East Coast (and anyone who follows our Facebook knows our doctors take full advantage of it!).
Whether you like relaxing on a bay and enjoying the sun with friends, or like to take a boat out on the Atlantic and engage in some serious fishing, the opportunities to both are endless here. The Garden State has a thriving fishing and boating community that dates back hundreds of years, with a wealth of fishing clubs, charter boats, yacht clubs, and much more available. If you live someplace like Renaissance on The Ocean, it’s easy to access this great aspect of the shore.
3) Beautiful Beaches
There is a reason why so many people come to the Jersey Shore each summer: because it’s beautiful! No matter the type of experience you want, New Jersey offers it. We have quaint, quiet communities with relaxing beaches, party towns with thriving nightclub scenes, towns that specialize in historic inns and bed and breakfasts, fishing towns, communities geared towards families, towns that focus on boardwalks and amusements, and much more. New Jersey beaches in Ship Bottom, Long Beach Island, and elsewhere are the place to be!
4) The Outdoors
In addition to watersports, beaches and more, the Jersey coast has something a lot of people don’t realize: some gorgeous state and federal parks featuring pristine coastland. These preserves boast great hiking trails, lush dunes, and abundant wildlife. You can see a side of New Jersey you never imagined!
5) Easy Access To NYC and Philly
Being at the Jersey Shore doesn’t mean you always have to STAY at the Jersey Shore. Thanks to 195 and the Parkway, access to New York City and Philadelphia is incredibly easy, making day trips into the city a breeze. Even Baltimore is an easy three-hour drive away, a perfect way to catch Phillies, Yankees and Mets games without having to deal with the home town crowds. It’s just one more thing that makes living at the shore so desirable!
With these things in mind, it’s hard to ignore how great the Jersey Shore can be!
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!
Don’t the show of the same name fool you. The Jersey Shore is a terrific place to live. This is especially true in Southern Ocean County around Barnegat, Manahawkin, and Forked River, where there are a wealth of benefits that will quickly have you living the good life.
Don’t believe us? Just take a look at these five great reasons to live at the shore:
1) Watersports
For those who like their life to be on the exciting side, the Jersey coast offers some of the best areas for jet skiing, water skiing, surfing, and much more.
Whether you already own equipment or just want to rent it, shops and rentals places are so numerous you’ll be tripping over them.
Even better, the waters here are made for activities like this. Our bays, waterways and oceans are perfect for waverunners, paddle boarding, and much more.
2) Boating and Fishing
New Jersey has some of the best boating and fishing on the East Coast (and anyone who follows our Facebook knows our doctors take full advantage of it!).
Whether you like relaxing on a bay and enjoying the sun with friends, or like to take a boat out on the Atlantic and engage in some serious fishing, the opportunities to both are endless here. The Garden State has a thriving fishing and boating community that dates back hundreds of years, with a wealth of fishing clubs, charter boats, yacht clubs, and much more available. If you live someplace like Renaissance on The Ocean, it’s easy to access this great aspect of the shore.
3) Beautiful Beaches
There is a reason why so many people come to the Jersey Shore each summer: because it’s beautiful! No matter the type of experience you want, New Jersey offers it. We have quaint, quiet communities with relaxing beaches, party towns with thriving nightclub scenes, towns that specialize in historic inns and bed and breakfasts, fishing towns, communities geared towards families, towns that focus on boardwalks and amusements, and much more. New Jersey beaches in Ship Bottom, Long Beach Island, and elsewhere are the place to be!
4) The Outdoors
In addition to watersports, beaches and more, the Jersey coast has something a lot of people don’t realize: some gorgeous state and federal parks featuring pristine coastland. These preserves boast great hiking trails, lush dunes, and abundant wildlife. You can see a side of New Jersey you never imagined!
5) Easy Access To NYC and Philly
Being at the Jersey Shore doesn’t mean you always have to STAY at the Jersey Shore. Thanks to 195 and the Parkway, access to New York City and Philadelphia is incredibly easy, making day trips into the city a breeze. Even Baltimore is an easy three-hour drive away, a perfect way to catch Phillies, Yankees and Mets games without having to deal with the home town crowds. It’s just one more thing that makes living at the shore so desirable!
With these things in mind, it’s hard to ignore how great the Jersey Shore can be!
The Jersey Shore is a popular destination for weekend getaways and week long summer vacations for many reasons, especially the area near our office, which includes Barnegat, Manahawkin, Long Beach Island, Forked River, and other great shore towns. There is plenty to do, the beaches are close to almost any rental you can find, and the entire region is easily accessible from the entire tri-State area. If there is a single headache it’s this: you never seem to have enough room to bring all the stuff you want to bring!
With that in mind, here are some tips on how to pack light. Believe us, it can make the difference between a good summer vacation and a great one!
Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/green-car-near-seashore-with-blue-ocean-1118448/
You Don’t Need All Those Shoes – It’s easy to get caught in the trap of bringing shoes for every occasion. You need your flip-flops or sandals, your sneakers, your nice shoes for going out to dinner, maybe those boots in case you go for a trek on Long Beach Island. Bad idea! Bring only one or two pairs (including what you are wearing). You’ll be glad you did.
Pack Your Lightest Items Last – Packing your luggage is not a science, it’s an art form, but there are a few tips that can make your packing more efficient and help you get the most into a small space. Packing your lightest items last is one of them. They will be easier to fit into whatever nooks and crannies are left in your bags, are more easily switched around with other items, and in the worst case scenario where something won’t fit, they can easily be thrown into a small extra bag.
Layers, Layers, Layers – If you’re bringing a few bulky clothing items to ward off cooler evenings or rainy days, consider wearing them during your trip to the Long Beach Island summer house you booked. That will save a lot of room in your bags and make travel less of a hassle. Just be sure to crank up the A/C in your car!
Make Yourself A Checklist – It may seem obvious but a lot of people don’t do this – and skipping this step is a bad idea, because planning ahead can save many headaches later! Write down what you absolutely, positively need, and also write down what you need but will be able to purchase once you arrive at your destination. It’s far easier to make a quick stop at a local store for sun block, towels, snacks and other disposable items. Don’t waste space in your luggage on that!
Don’t Fold, Roll – Most of us grew up folding our clothes, but guess what? Rolling your clothes up takes up less room and allows you to pack in more creative, space efficient ways. It also allows you to distribute the weight in your bags more evenly, which will make carry them around far easier.
These few small tips don’t seem like much, but add them together and they will make your next trip to the Southern Ocean County shore area much easier and far less stressful!
On Fridays during the summer when the Garden State Parkway is backed up with traffic, all those people are coming to the beautiful New Jersey Coast.
And no wonder. In Long Beach Island, Barnegat, Manahawkin, and other towns in our area, there are some fantastic communities in which to unwind during the summer months.
The Jersey shore is not all created equal, though. Picking one community over the other can be the difference between finding yourself in the middle of a bad MTV show and relaxing in an historic community with great beach access, so choose carefully!
If you plan to rent a summer home or to enjoy a vacation on the coast, these are a few of the town you should consider when deciding to take a weekend, week, or even the rest of your life away with the family.
Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-beach-chairs-on-seashore-564900/
Point Pleasant Beach – This is a town that straddles the line between a vibrant, active vacation town and a quiet, peaceful ocean community. Point offers the architectural charm of yesteryear as well as the appeal of excellent dining and great shopping. The residential neighborhoods are quiet, but the downtown is often full of shoppers. The boardwalk and aquarium are also busy. There you will find rides, games, places to see bands playing music, and more.
Long Beach Island – Real estate in Long Beach Island is in high demand for a good reason. This swath of coastal barrier island is one of the New Jersey’s most desirable places to both live and to vacation. Boasting plenty of gorgeous bay and ocean facing property, it also has shopping, historic sites, and much more. Even better, while there are a lot of things to do within a short walk or drive, LBI itself is calm enough so that you really feel like you’re getting away from the world.
Barnegat – This small oceanfront and bay community – and the place where our office is located – is a popular place for families thanks to its clean beaches, and docks for fishing and crabbing, and more. Not to mention the historic lighthouse! There are many small shops, great places to eat, as well as waterfront property along both the ocean and the bay. It’s a great town, which is why we love working here!
Belmar – Just like Point Pleasant Beach, Belmar offers quiet shore living as well as attractions that will appeal to visitors looking for more action. Quiet neighborhoods with cute coastal homes are just a short walk away from some of the New Jersey coast’s most active and popular nightclubs. Add in some of the best fishing on the East Coast, a historic boating community, and a downtown that is a throwback to communities of old and it’s easy to see why people flock to Belmar each year.