OT: Need advice on NJ beaches

[jenb1023]

Hi all!

We are thinking about a long weekend at the beach in late June. We live in PA and went to Ocean City MD last year. Some people love Ocean City MD - I did not care for it. I thought it was dirty (the beach) and not very family oriented (JMO).

So we are looking at NJ for this year - I am considering Avalon, Stone Harbor, Sea Isle City, Cape May or Ocean City NJ. I would love any feedback on which one you like and if you have any recommendations on accommodations or things to do. I am looking for clean beaches and a family atmosphere and things to do (DD is 5 1/2).

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[Darcy03231]

We really like Long Beach Island and in particular, Harvey Cedars. Its a wonderful area and the beach is beautiful. There's quite a bit to do on the southern part of the island. We like staying in the quieter area and driving down when we want to do something.

 

[KEichman]

Ocean City is nice for families, and with some good family activities and a small boardwalk (not as long or glitzy as Atlantic City or Wildwood). Stone Harbor and Avalon, too, are very nice, but has less activity.

I'd steer clear of Seaside Heights. Lots of activities, boardwalk, etc., but it is a huge teen town, and has gotten pretty seedy, IMHO. We went last year, after having been away from it for many years, but this year we're heading to Ocean City, NJ.

 

[KEichman]

One more thing...a great place for reviews and recommendations for accommodations is www.tripadvisor.com.

 

[jenb1023]

Thanks so much for the advice!

 

[ktlm]

The only one of those I have been to was Cape May and we really liked it. It is a beautiful little historical town. If your DD wants to go to a boardwalk, Wildwood is only 10 miles away.

I've been to Seaside Heights several times as my inlaws used to live close to it and their best friends have a house there. I would definitely choose Cape May with a side trip to Wildwood for a boardwalk for my DD over Seaside. I agree Seaside can be heavy with the teen crowd.

 

[fauna74]

I have to add another vote for Ocean City, NJ. It has a VERY family friendly boardwalk with lots of miniature golf, places to eat (Mack & Mancos!), and fun activities (surrey bikes are a blast!). If you like it a little quieter, stay on the southern end of the island (34th st. + higher). The boardwalk is just a short car ride away.

 

[The Disney Bunch]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Stone Harbor & Avalon area - very clean, family oriented, private beaches. Not very crowded - lovely shopping areas & close enough to Wildwood & Cape May for day trips.

 

[mrstomrice]

Another vote for OC! A quieter place to stay is the area known as the Gardens, which are named streets before the Boardwalk. It is a family friendly dry town, so no alcohol is served on the island. Be sure to eat at Mack and Mancos for pizza! There is also a great restaurant called Browns at around 2nd and the Boardwalk that has a great breakfast with yummy old fashioned fresh donuts. OC is a little pricey for houses to rent...we're going to Disney for less than we could rent a nice house for in OC

 

[fortcampers]

Ocean City NJ---family town with lots to do. My grandparents had a house there ( a long time ago) and my dad worked at Gillian's Pier during the summers. I grew up spending my summers there and now when we visit family in the summertime, the beach/boardwalk are our family's first places to visit. I 2nd the Mack and Manco pizza---yum!

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

Hi all!

We are thinking about a long weekend at the beach in late June. We live in PA and went to Ocean City MD last year. Some people love Ocean City MD - I did not care for it. I thought it was dirty (the beach) and not very family oriented (JMO).

So we are looking at NJ for this year - I am considering Avalon, Stone Harbor, Sea Isle City, Cape May or Ocean City NJ. I would love any feedback on which one you like and if you have any recommendations on accommodations or things to do. I am looking for clean beaches and a family atmosphere and things to do (DD is 5 1/2).

Thanks in advance!!!

OMG we love Ocean City, MD and go there just for the fact that it is cleaner and more family oriented than the Jersey shore. It's so funny cuz I've never heard a negative comment about Ocean City, MD - but different strokes for different folks I guess

In any case, we usually do day trips to the Jersey shore but we go to North Jersey - Belmar, Bradley Beach, Avon by the Sea is nice...these beaches are only 1 hour from our house so it's easy to go for the day or weekend.

 

[billwendy]

Our family LOVEs Ocean City, NJ!! Very family friendly - nice boardwalk with 2 piers with rides, many mini golf courses, lots of yummy boardwalk snacks, riding bikes in the morning is so much fun, there are movie theaters if it rains, they have the kiddie pirate ship ride on the bay, fishing - its just a nice town all in all. We like to stay in the gardens end of the island - nice and quiet!

 

[Dancing Queen]

We went there with DD and LOVED it! Very family oriented. There is a nice restaurant right on boardwalk that looks out to ocean. Some kiddie rides and arcades and yummy ice cream too. Very relaxing and clean. Just did day trip so don't know about accomodations.

Have done the other beach towns - live not that far from them and would choose OC over the rest for my family.

Have a good time!

 

[pixiepower1971]

Ocnj!

 

[XYSRUS]

I vote for Long Beach Island! We go every year! We stay in Barnegat Light. It's perfect there b/c half of the island is has tons of family things to do and is lively and the other half is quiet and calm. Love love love LBI!

 

[My2DisneyBoyz]

This is not NJ but my family - our family, my parents, my brother and his wife, and my sister all went to Bethany Beach, DE last year. My parents/sister live in Pittsburgh and my brother lives near Baltimore, MD. I was a little dubious at first, but we had a great time. It is a really nice beach and it is a very quiet, family oriented area. We did drive down to Ocean City once to go on the boardwalk and such - just enough time there. I know not exactly where you wanted suggestions, but maybe work a look.

 

[jenb1023]

Thank you so much for all of the suggestions! I am so glad to hear so many positive things about the NJ beaches! DE isn't out of the question but the Delaware beaches are close to OCMD so I was leaning toward something a little further away.

OMG we love Ocean City, MD and go there just for the fact that it is cleaner and more family oriented than the Jersey shore. It's so funny cuz I've never heard a negative comment about Ocean City, MD - but different strokes for different folks I guess

I always went to OCMD as a kid and loved it. When we were there last year and went out onto the beach in the morning after it had been cleaned, there were still cigarette butts and trash on the beach and I found a big piece of glass that my DD could have stepped on. It also seemed like more of a party crowd when we were there than a family crowd but maybe we were just there the wrong weekend. I just wasn't impressed (but I am spoiled from going to WDW).

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

Thank you so much for all of the suggestions! I am so glad to hear so many positive things about the NJ beaches! DE isn't out of the question but the Delaware beaches are close to OCMD so I was leaning toward something a little further away.



I always went to OCMD as a kid and loved it. When we were there last year and went out onto the beach in the morning after it had been cleaned, there were still cigarette butts and trash on the beach and I found a big piece of glass that my DD could have stepped on. It also seemed like more of a party crowd when we were there than a family crowd but maybe we were just there the wrong weekend. I just wasn't impressed (but I am spoiled from going to WDW).

LOL I know what you mean. Out of curiosity - where did you stay in MD? We usually stay at the Golden Sands on 109th Street. They're oceanfront condos so it's 99% families. It's a bit far from the boardwalk where I think more of the younger crowds go.

 

[anotherdisneygal]

Ocean City is VERY family friendly. I live right near it and we go all the time. The boardwalk has lots of fun things for the kids to do and the whole town is dry so you don't have (too many) openly drunk people wandering about. I usually don't go to the beach there, so I'm not sure how clean it is, but I know lots of people who do use the beach there and LOVE it. If you have specific questions, you can PM me and I can look into it for you (I'm there every week at least 1x).

 

[Malibelle]

I am partial to Cape May, NJ. I live in PA now but I am from Cape May, lived there for 30 years. We have both our parents houses down there to stay. We practically go every weekend in the summer months. Thanks god for family living there!
Really all the beach towns are close enough that if you stayed in Cape may and wanted to go to the OC boardwalk for the night its only a 25 minute drive. Wildwood is 10 minutes, Stone Harbor is 15 minutes and Atlantic city is 45 minutes. Cape May is very family oriented. You can rent bikes for the week, its small enough that you can just about walk everywhere. There is a victorian walking mall with tons of cute shops and restaurants( My MIL is a manager at one of the clothing shops), climb lighhouse and hiking trails at the state park, you can take the Ferry for a day over to Rehobeth and the outlets, wildwood Boardwalk, tours of the victorian homes, take a horse and buggy rides, and visit Cape May County Zoo.. If you woul like to stay in hotel I would suggest the Grand hotel, Atlas, La Mer or Montreal. There are lots of house and condo rentals as well.

You can find lots of info at http://capemay.com/

Let me know if you need any more info.