Where do you go to the beach in NJ?

I'd like to take a couple trips to the beach before summer is over, but I've not gone is so many years I'm not sure where to start.   I hear Asbury Park is nice.   What about Sandy Hook?   Just looking to laze and paddle around for a few hours.  Easy parking would be nice.  All suggestions welcome.  Thanks!

Island Beach State Park. Hands down.

Ocean Grove

Long Branch/Pier Village area

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

Island Beach State Park. Hands down.

ETA: I'm from Long Island and IBSP is the most similar to the LI beaches I grew up with , on Fire Island, Robert Moses State Park, even Jones Beach. Just dunes. No boardwalk, no ice cream stores , no taco or beachwear shops, no cars, no badges, no hustlers, buskers, bikers, games, rides, golf, food trucks, etc. 

Just the beach. 

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

Island Beach State Park. Hands down.

ETA: I'm from Long Island and IBSP is the most similar to the LI beaches I grew up with , on Fire Island, Robert Moses State Park, even Jones Beach. Just dunes. No boardwalk, no ice cream stores , no taco or beachwear shops, no cars, no badges, no hustlers, buskers, bikers, games, rides, golf, food trucks, etc. 

Just the beach. 

Interesting. I'm from LI too. Never been to IBSP. I'll have to try it. We've been threatening to take our teens to Jones beach. Just for the experience. If I could get onto Tobay beach, I'd love to take them there too.

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

Island Beach State Park. Hands down.

ETA: I'm from Long Island and IBSP is the most similar to the LI beaches I grew up with , on Fire Island, Robert Moses State Park, even Jones Beach. Just dunes. No boardwalk, no ice cream stores , no taco or beachwear shops, no cars, no badges, no hustlers, buskers, bikers, games, rides, golf, food trucks, etc. 

Just the beach. 

What he said including the fact that I'm from Long Island too. The other perk about Island Beach State Park is that you get the whole just dunes stuff and then after a full day of that we used to then go to Seaside Heights and do (with the kid) the boardwalk, miniature golf stuff and then eat at a decent Italian restaurant probably further up the shore. So it was the best of both worlds if you wanted to extend your day like that, which we did.

We're also exclusively IBSP however in recent years I feel it's gone downhill because due to the number of people driving on the beach.

wendy said:

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

Island Beach State Park. Hands down.

ETA: I'm from Long Island and IBSP is the most similar to the LI beaches I grew up with , on Fire Island, Robert Moses State Park, even Jones Beach. Just dunes. No boardwalk, no ice cream stores , no taco or beachwear shops, no cars, no badges, no hustlers, buskers, bikers, games, rides, golf, food trucks, etc. 

Just the beach. 

What he said including the fact that I'm from Long Island too. The other perk about Island Beach State Park is that you get the whole just dunes stuff and then after a full day of that we used to then go to Seaside Heights and do (with the kid) the boardwalk, miniature golf stuff and then eat at a decent Italian restaurant probably further up the shore. So it was the best of both worlds if you wanted to extend your day like that, which we did.

Plus (and this is a big plus for me) IBSP has showers, so if you want to go out with Wendy afterwards, to Ebby's or Klee's, you can shower and clean yourself up. 

Asbury Park is the beach we like best. It's not only not far (1 hour away if you leave at a sensible time), it also has a good boardwalk. To me a beach should have a boardwalk with food and shops, and AP fits the bill nicely. It can get a little crowded on a hot weekend day, but since you have to leave early to get there at a sensible time anyway you can get a good spot if you do it right.

We actually spent a few nights at The Asbury (hotel) in late and it was a great little vacation. Our kid loves it there, so I suspect we'll try and spend a few days there a year.

(Obviously, people have different wants when going to a beach. I've never really liked Jones Beach because it's 'just a beach' - well, a parking lot and a beach. Granted I grew up in Arizona, so we were used to LA and San Diego area beaches - Laguna Beach, Santa Monica, Mission Beach would usually be where we'd end up. Those sorts of beaches are a whole totally different thing as well.)

I like Avon, exit 100B. You do need to arrive pretty early for street parking. I've never had a problem if I arrive by 10-10:30. No showers. Boardwalk with some shops, ice-cream, restaurant and an easy boardwalk stroll to Belmar where there are plenty of restaurants and a beach playground.

IBSP

7 Presidents.

qrysdonnell said:

Asbury Park is the beach we like best. It's not only not far (1 hour away if you leave at a sensible time), it also has a good boardwalk. To me a beach should have a boardwalk with food and shops, and AP fits the bill nicely. It can get a little crowded on a hot weekend day, but since you have to leave early to get there at a sensible time anyway you can get a good spot if you do it right.

We actually spent a few nights at The Asbury (hotel) in late and it was a great little vacation. Our kid loves it there, so I suspect we'll try and spend a few days there a year.

(Obviously, people have different wants when going to a beach. I've never really liked Jones Beach because it's 'just a beach' - well, a parking lot and a beach. Granted I grew up in Arizona, so we were used to LA and San Diego area beaches - Laguna Beach, Santa Monica, Mission Beach would usually be where we'd end up. Those sorts of beaches are a whole totally different thing as well.)

De gustibus non disputandum est. 

Because of where I grew up, in Bay Shore, I was at the beach constantly starting in middle school. Robert Moses State Park, then the various towns on Fire Island. The boardwalk concept seems crazy to me. 

Sandy Hook.   A season pass is $75 and you can take a carload.  There are many different beaches, both bayside and oceanside, plus miles and miles of bike trails, some food trucks, history and just allover a really beautiful place.  Added bonus, its so large you can always find a strip of beach for yourself, even on the perfect summer day. Double added bonus:  dog beach.   They close the lot at noon usually, when parking capacity is reached but there is plenty of room.

Island Beach State Park is good for kayaking.  I've been hitting Asbury Park lately - not too crowded on the boardwalk - and love the taco stand.  Overall, all beaches are pretty good in Jersey - just depends if you want a boardwalk or not - and what level of food/entertainment you need.

In NJ, you don't go to the beach, you go to the 'shore'

We go down the shore.

We used to go to Ocean Grove - easy driving distance, no boardwalk attractions to distract the kids from sand & surf, ice cream nearby, easy walk to playground and mini golf in Bradley Beach (iirc), or to whatever is in Asbury Park now, showers (but no soap allowed).  Happy times.

Reasonably easy parking "back when," except on weekends.

galileo said:

We go down the shore.

Not downa Shore?

Shoobie!

Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach, Avon, and Belmar are all nice--and all somewhat different in atmosphere. Those five are all connected, and you can walk the boardwalk from one to the next. All the beaches themselves are similar, but each town has something going for it. For example, Asbury has the busiest boardwalk, with the most shops and boardwalk restaurants. Ocean Grove has the most gingerbread architecture of any town in NJ other than Cape May. Bradley Beach has a very nice miniature golf course on the boardwalk (nicer than the Asbury one). All the towns have good restaurants, and a few have great ice cream places and bakeries.

As for travel and parking--best to come and go during the week rather than on weekends. Other than that, the earlier, the better. And if the weather forecast is good for a weekend, whatever you do, don't drive down late morning Saturday or drive home late afternoon Sunday. Traffic at those times is awful.

Wow. Thank you so much everyone.  I'm going to try to check all these out before summer's over. It will be a fun project.  I had no idea you could get a $75 season pass at Sandy Hook!

Regarding "down the shore" -- I'm from the Middletown/Red Bank area originally but we were never beach people.   But people from that area don't call it 'down the shore".

it's "go to the beach" for me. From LI also. I found Sandy Hook to be dirty and a pain to get to (long drive off of GSP). We like Point Pleasant. We go very early, park at the end where there are showers and leave before it gets too packed. Lavalette has a more quiet beach without the typical games/boardwalk. The beach is really pretty there. Based on this, we're going to try Island Beach next time. 

angelak said:

Regarding "down the shore" -- I'm from the Middletown/Red Bank area originally but we were never beach people.   But people from that area don't call it 'down the shore".

That's 'cause you were already there. You don't say, I'm going down to Maplewood because you are IN Maplewood already. 

From Essex, Union and northern counties, the shore was south of.. so down is appropriate.

i grew up in Maplewood and forever it's been "down the shore".

Yes I totally get it.  It makes perfect sense. I found it weird when I relocated here that people called it that. As Jack noted, when you're from there, you don't grow up calling it that.  

galileo said:

i grew up in Maplewood and forever it's been "down the shore".

angelak said:

Regarding "down the shore" -- I'm from the Middletown/Red Bank area originally but we were never beach people.   But people from that area don't call it 'down the shore".

I lived in Oceanport for 10 years.  You lived at "the shore", but went to "the beach".  The beach is a thing.  The shore is a region.  There are beaches at the shore. 

shoshannah said:

Ocean Grove

Long Branch/Pier Village area

Would the fact that Kushner owns Pier Village change your mind about Pier Village?   

If you like regional theater, check out New Jersey Repertory (http://www.njrep.org/) in Long Branch. Wonderful small theater that does excellent productions. 

unicorn33 said:

If you like regional theater, check out New Jersey Repertory (http://www.njrep.org/) in Long Branch. Wonderful small theater that does excellent productions. 

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