NJ Boardwalks

[luvdiznee]

We may be looking to extend our trip this summer for a bit. So since we are going to be in Harrisburg/Hershey PA, we thought it might be interesting to visit the BW in NJ.

This is where I'm not sure because I believe there are a few. So wondering which would be closest to that PA area that we mentioned. As well as what good (3-4 star hotels) are also in that area.

Any info would be helpful. Not looking to drive too too much more. Since we have to make it back home here to Upstate NY.

[TysMomTink]

I am totally biased here but the best part of the Jersey Shore is the the Belmar-Manasquan-Spring Lake area where I'm from originally. The beaches are beautiful, close to lots of great dining, shopping, and fishing. When you say "boardwalk" are you specifically looking for a boardwalk nightlife? Because (someone with more recent experience might help me out here) I think the only real "nightlife" will be around 1- Atlantic City, obviously; 2-Seaside; 3- Point Pleasant. It's been almost a decade since I've live in NJ so maybe I'm forgetting something.

[DisneyMomx2]

Also look into Ocean City, NJ. I think you will find it to be a very family friendly Boardwalk also.

[EpcotChic23]

I would recommend Pt. Pleasent NJ

[Katarch]

I am totally biased here but the best part of the Jersey Shore is the the Belmar-Manasquan-Spring Lake area where I'm from originally. The beaches are beautiful, close to lots of great dining, shopping, and fishing. When you say "boardwalk" are you specifically looking for a boardwalk nightlife? Because (someone with more recent experience might help me out here) I think the only real "nightlife" will be around 1- Atlantic City, obviously; 2-Seaside; 3- Point Pleasant. It's been almost a decade since I've live in NJ so maybe I'm forgetting something.

Ditto!

[diz_girl]

What kind of boardwalk are you looking for? If you are looking for nightlife and glitzy hotels, then Atlantic City is the place to go. But stay very close to your hotel, as there are several undesirable areas in AC that are right next to those glitzy hotels. If you're looking for a boardwalk with lots of rides and a family atmosphere, then try Ocean City. If you're looking for a quiet boardwalk without the rides and glitz, then I'd also go for the Spring Lake/Manasquan area. The NJ Shore isn't really a four-star hotel kind of place. It's normally weekly rentals of condos and beach houses. However, the town next to mine is Long Branch, which has the Ocean Place Resort (which I think is four-star hotel). There is a mile of boardwalk running both north and south of the hotel, but no rides, and great restaurants in Pier Village.

Wherever you go just try not to go in June. Many beach towns in NJ are filled with drunk teenagers because it's 'Senior Week' and they've just graduated. Private/Catholic schools graduate during the first two weeks of June and public schools graduate the last two weeks.

Also be warned, weekends at the NJ shore from Memorial Day to Labor Day are very crowded, as are the roads to get to/from there. You might want make your travel days during the week, rather than the weekend. Driving to the shore is crowded on Friday afternoon and night (weekenders), Saturday (weekly renters arriving and day trippers) and Sunday (day-trippers). Driving away from the shore is crowded on Saturday (weekly renters leaving and day trippers) and Sunday (day trippers and weekenders leaving). There is construction on the Garden State Parkway, which is the main North-South artery along the shore, between exits 60 and 80. This is going to make traffic worse, which is an additional reason to stay mid-week.

[kathiep]

I have to agree with the previous poster. Avoid driving northbound on a Sunday at all costs. If you can't do that, I wouldn't consider coming to the Jersey Shore.

Most of the previous posters got the types of Jersey Shore boardwalks right as well. Ocean City is definately family friendly, it's a dry town. The beaches aren't the biggest - having suffered a lot of storm damage. The boardwalk doesn't have the rides or games if that's what you're looking for.

Wildwood is filled with rides, attractions and games. But it can get a bit rowdy with teens and young adults. Same thing for Seaside. The beaches at Wildwood and Seaside however, are larger than those of Ocean City.

Point Pleasant is ideal for families. Nice clean beaches. The boardwalk has all sorts of rides and attractions but since it's more family oriented that Wildwood - probably because it's smaller and Seaside is so close that the rowdier crowd heads there.

The boardwalks at Belmar, Spring Lake areas are really just boardwalks. No attractions or businesses but they are beautiful.

If you're coming from Hershey, I would probably avoid Ocean City or Wildwood since you already mentioned not wanting to do too much more driving. You'd have to head east first and then south which would be out of your way. Seaside, Point Pleasant, Belmar, Spring Lake & Long Branch would pretty much just be a straight shot eastbound.

It really all depends on what you are looking for.

[diz_girl]

I'd agree with the PP about Point Pleasant beaches. They are nice, there's a nice boardwalk, rides, games and an aquarium. There are no 3-4 star hotels though. It's mostly weekly rentals, with some motels.

I thought about Long Branch some more. The Pier Village area really is a great place. They have concerts at least once a week by the gazebo. Last year they had movies some weeknights, but I don't know about this year. The Ocean Place resort is a beautiful place with an excellent spa, a gym, two pools (indoor & outdoor), both indoor and outdoor (in summer) bars, and your own private beach access. There is also a boutique hotel, called the Bungalow nearby.

The restaurants in Pier Village are excellent. There is Avenue, which one of the best in the state. The have a prix fixe menu from 4:30 to 6 p.m. for only $30, which is a bargain for that restaurant. Great restaurants are also Sirena, McLoone's Pier House, and Rooney's. For breakfasts, the Turning Point is great. Other restaurants at Pier Village are a pizza place, a Japanese place, a Greek place, a Stewart's (I think that they might serve breakfast too), a nice cafe with sandwiches and gelato called Carmella's Cafe, and Shaka, which is a restaurant with a Hawaiian theme, but serves mostly mexican food and hawaiian shaved ice. I ate there last week and it's good and affordable.

Other food places nearby are Max's hot dogs, the Windmill (also hot dogs, plus burgers) and the Lighthouse, which has great Italian ice. There are really tons of excellent restaurants in the area, but Pier Village has enough that you don't need to go anywhere else for a few days. But if you're a real foodie, then try Nicholas in Red Bank/Middletown.

For the shopper, they have a few women's clothing stores, a running store, a children's shoe store, stores for household decor, pets, and olive oil. Not, not kidding, an olive oil store. Oh, almost forgot about the Rocky Mountain Chocolate store. They also have a jewlery store, but it doesn't sell fine jewelry, it sells silver and semi-precious stones.

As for nightlife. The outdoor bar at Ocean Place frequently has entertainment. But it's nice to just people watch too. There is also Avenue Nuit, which is an extremely popular nightclub above the Avenue restaurant. Unless you are already dining at Avenue, the entrance is roped off and you have to look a certain way for them to let you in.

Nearby attractions are a few lighthouses (Highlands, Sandy Hook and Sea Girt). Sandy Hook is part of the Gateway National Recreational area. Point Pleasant is only 1/2 hour away if you crave boardwalk rides and games. There is a large mall and an outlet mall about 10 minutes away.

Oh, and this is Jersey, so you have to pay to get on the beach.

[PETE FROM NYC]

I used to visit the NJ shore with family, but have not been since 5-6 yrs ago. We went to Point Pleasant and Seaside Heights.
What I do remember is that you must pay for parking 24/7. Parking is free with a handicapped placard.
The few rest rooms available will have you waiting on line.
The food prices are at least as high as WDW with none of the ambiance, and the food is of lesser quality.
Water fountains are almost non-existant.
Beaches are not free.
I remember one time when my parents went there, and had to come home because they could not find anyplace to park the car.

[VWL Mom]

Point Pleasant does have The White Sands Resort & Spa. I never stayed their but have friends that did and enjoyed it. You can check out their website. I believe they have private beach access included in their rates.

Also, check out Jenkinson's website for info on the beach prices and boardwalk. They have a beach cam on their site. They also have a penguin cam where you can check them out in the aquarium.

[NJGIRL]

If you are going for the boardwalk my only choice would be Wildwood. The boardwalk has 3 different piers of rides, tons of.... games, mini golf, food, shops, hotels, night clubs & 2 waterparks. Their beaches are huge and they are close to Atlantic City.

This is only a guess since I have never driven from Hershey to Wildwood but I think it may be a 3 hour drive.

[NJGIRL]

Ocean City is definately family friendly, it's a dry town. The beaches aren't the biggest - having suffered a lot of storm damage. The boardwalk doesn't have the rides or games if that's what you're looking for.

This is not totally correct. Ocean City does have rides. It has 2 different "piers" that have rides. There are enough rides to keep a family busy for at least two nights. It also has a few games at one of the piers. They have a water park and a few mini golf places. The beaches are also very nice. Ocean City is considered more family friendly because it is dry but you still get the groups of kids hanging out.

I do agree that Wildwood beaches are huge! I have never been to a bigger beach. Wildwood's boardwalk is also huge and loaded with rides. While Wildwood is not a dry town to my knowledge liquor is not served anywhere on the boardwalk.

[luvdiznee]

Thank you everyone for all the responses. It seems of all the information you have given me, my choices would be Ocean City, Point Pleasant or Wildwood.

We are looking for rides, games, decent food, not necessarily glitzy nightlife. As I would prefer we are safe. I realize things can happen anytime, anyplace. But we are just looking to spend a day at a nice family friendly BW.

I'll have to see what is best driving to get from Hershey of the ones I am thinking of choosing from.

[missymouseworld]

How about LBI...Long Beach Island?

There isn't a boardwalk, so it doesn't attract the "hang-out" problems. There is a nice park at one end with a lighthouse and a jetty to walk out and people fish, just look and enjoy the area.

Towards the other end of the island, there is a nice family amusement park (on the small side) with a nice arcade called Fantasy Island (see their website). Next to the amusement park there is a nice shopping village and a water park.

The beaches are not as wide as they use to be, due to storms and beach erosion, but they are clean. You do have to pay to get on and the parking is on the neighborhood streets. You tend to get more families, because you are not on a boardwalk. The surf city section of the island has nice beaches.

There are some motels/hotels on the island, but it is predominantly houses. On the highway (route 72) leading to the island, they just put up a really nice looking Holiday Inn (located in Manahawkin). It is about a 5-10 minute ride over the bridge to the island. If you look online, there should be a website listing accomodations on the island.

I was reading some other posts and I agree that Ocean City has a beautiful boardwalk and during the daytime (which is when we have been there) is really nice.

Have fun and enjoy.

[diz_girl]

Thank you everyone for all the responses. It seems of all the information you have given me, my choices would be Ocean City, Point Pleasant or Wildwood.

Regarding Wildwood - if you go there, I'd recommend not actually staying in Wildwood. The town is a bit grungy. You're better off staying in Wildwood Crest and visiting the boardwalk during the day. Cape May is to the south of you and there is a nice lighthouse to visit.

If you don't want to drive far, then Point Pleasant Beach (not Point Pleasant proper, which is inland) is your northernmost option. Ocean City is about an hour or so south of Point Pleasant. Wildwood is about 1/2 hour south of Ocean City. Also, remember that there is construction on the Garden State Parkway from exits 60 to 80. Point Pleasant is exit 98, well north of the construction, while Ocean City is well south of exit 60. That might not affect how you get to the beaches, depending on how you get there from Hershey, but it will affect how quickly you get home.

[luvdiznee]

Regarding Wildwood - if you go there, I'd recommend not actually staying in Wildwood. The town is a bit grungy. You're better off staying in Wildwood Crest and visiting the boardwalk during the day. Cape May is to the south of you and there is a nice lighthouse to visit.

If you don't want to drive far, then Point Pleasant Beach (not Point Pleasant proper, which is inland) is your northernmost option. Ocean City is about an hour or so south of Point Pleasant. Wildwood is about 1/2 hour south of Ocean City. Also, remember that there is construction on the Garden State Parkway from exits 60 to 80. Point Pleasant is exit 98, well north of the construction, while Ocean City is well south of exit 60. That might not affect how you get to the beaches, depending on how you get there from Hershey, but it will affect how quickly you get home.

I actually was prepared to go w/Wildwood. But not finding ANY good places to stay with decent reviews. I may just go w/Ocean City.

[NJGIRL]

I actually was prepared to go w/Wildwood. But not finding ANY good places to stay with decent reviews. I may just go w/Ocean City.

Wildwood Hotels are nothing to write home about, but you can find some that are clean and comfortable. IMO Ocean City and Wildwood are two completely different places so I guess it is what you are looking for.
Wildwood boardwalk is much bigger than Ocean City's and has much more to do. It could keep you busy for several nights. Ocean City's boardwalk is much more low keyed and two nights is more than enough to do everything and to do some things over again. To be honest we do both every year and for a night on the boardwalk I prefer Wildwood. It has much more excitement, but because it is so big (the boardwalk and the beach) it takes alot more energy to do. When we want a slower paced and more relaxing night we do Ocean City which is fun too.
I think you will enjoy either place. BTW if you stay in OC and have a night that you need to find something else to do AC has a Rainforest Cafe, Planet Hollywood, Ripley's, an IMAX , and a small amusement ride section.

I also read your first post again and I don't think you will find any four star hotels in Wildwood or Ocean City. Maybe someone can prove me wrong?? Will you be traveling with children? If so what are their ages because that might make a difference in which town you decide on.

[luvdiznee]

I'm finding that out as I read reviews on the hotels that they aren't so "hilton'ish". But I did find one called the Aztec Resort Motel. Reviews are good. Seems close enough to the BW area and looks decent. Ever heard of it?

I think Wildwood will suit us better. Looking to get the most bang for our time. And now my sister wants to go with her 20 something year olds. And plus mine. And maybe even our mother. The youngest would be my DD12. Yikes. I alreadly feel the stress levels.

[kathiep]

Where is the Aztec you are interested in located? Granted there could be more than one Aztec but if it's the Aztec that's located in Seaside Heights, I would have to recommend not staying there. At least not with young kids. It's very popular with the young, somewhat wild crowd.

[diz_girl]

If you're set on Wildwood, then you might want to try staying at The Starlux Boutique Hotel. In-season, it's not cheap, but not expensive either (about $150-230 mid-week) for a room. It looks like something out of the 50's (think Doo-Wop and neon) and you can actually stay in renovated Airstream trailers. You're not right on the beach, but about a block or so away. Just Google 'Starlux' and you should be able to get to the Website. It's a place that everyone, especially your mother, would probably get a kick out of.