Most people that travel far from home would not think about visiting New Jersey for a beach based vacation. Yet there are a lot of people that live in New Jersey, New York City and Philadelphia that love what locals call “the Jersey shore.” Convenience plays a part in why these visitors flock there – all of the locations I mentioned are within a few hours’ drive of the coast – but the beaches themselves are also pretty nice. Nice white sand, wide beaches and seaside communities that cater to the summer tourist crowd.
Each of the seaside communities in New Jersey has its own unique feel, largely as a result of how that particular place had developed and grew. Atlantic City was from the start a flamboyant showy place that always tried to draw visitors with glitz, parades and fun. Then there are places like Ocean Grove, which began as a Methodist community. The people that originally came there were bound by strict rules about what they were permitted and not permitted to do. This has of course changed yet Ocean Grove still remains a quiet reserved place that is nothing like what you find, or once found, in Atlantic City.
A blending of these two kinds of beach communities is found in Point Pleasant NJ. It has a commercial boardwalk that features games, amusement rides, arcades, food stands and a few bars that host live music shows. In Seaside Heights, just 18 miles away, their commercial boardwalk attracts a lot of young folks and people that are looking to party. Seaside too has a decided rougher edge with the type of crowd it attracts. Point Pleasant though is a bit more sedate and most of the visitors to Point Pleasant are families. They come to enjoy the beach, relax and also enjoy the boardwalk. There is also a large residential section of town with many homes available as weekly rentals.
Most people who visit Point Pleasant either rent a home for a week or stay in any one of a number of hotels found there. One of the nicer family attractions is the local aquarium. It is relatively small but has both local sea creatures and a few exotic species that you will not find of the area’s coast. For shopping, the quaint downtown has many interesting old buildings that house a lot of different shops. There are also numerous seafood restaurants, which typically feature fresh local items on their menu, but you can also find places that serve other types of food too.
If you are ever visiting the area, you may want to consider a trip to the Jersey shore. It may be that you will find it a wonderfully unexpected change of pace