Jersey Shore

[TIMe2Ride]

Hey Guys and Gals,

Been racking my brain the past week trying to find the best place to take the family this year. I've been to just about all of the Jersey beaches except Wildwood. Used to love Seaside growing up, but then it became a teen party town. In the past 4 or 5 years, we've been going to Pt. Pleasant and have enjoyed it. We went to OC, MD last year for a change of scenery - nice place!

This year, we're going with another couple that also have 2 small kids. They're from Nebraska and haven't been to the shore. To keep costs down and allow for a shorter ride to and from, the Jersey shore is a good fit. My Wife wanted to be closer to the beach this year, so I started doing some searching online for beachfront or close to the beach in Pt. Pleasant - then I expanded the search to include Wildwood Crest - then I ... well, drove myself searching!

Then it dawned on me - most of you guys are from NJ - why didn't I ask this last week?!

Any recommendations on where to stay would be great too (Windswept in Pt Pleasant, Adventurer Inn in Wildwood Crest, etc...)

HELP!!!

Thanks,
Tim

[BIGCATDAVE]

We haven't been down in a couple years, but Cape May is a nice place. Unless it's changed dramatically, it's a good family destination.

[mark40]

i've been going to BRIGANTINE BEACH the last few years . its a small island town next to ATLANTIC CITY but dont let that fool yo i didnt think it would be nice but because there are no night clubs and only a few bars this makes it a real family type place to go with out all the noise that is wildwood or seaside , actually my beachfront timeshare only cost me $5000.00 for the first week of july ( thats not per year thats total forever ) . not many hotels so mostly houses rented by real estate agents . good luck mark 40

[superchicken]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BIGCATDAVE @ Jun 25 2007, 05:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

We haven't been down in a couple years, but Cape May is a nice place. Unless it's changed dramatically, it's a good family destination.[/b]

I would have to agree..the shore town in summer are loaded with young partying shoobee's or benny's depending on the beaches you go to..Capemay is full of family things to do they have a whale watch boat trip and close enough to wildwood to visit for a day or two for the rides and whatnot..The ferry's there if you want to head over to deleware for a day trip also..

[LostCauseSVT]

Point Pleasant, Its not full of the young punks like many of the others, it is more oriented towards families ,it has a amusment park with mostly all kid rides, an aquarium, most of the time i go there i see that its mostly families with children.

[motorhead]

jersey shore??? wouldnt it just be cheaper and easier to pop the lid off the septic tank in your back yard and go for a dip? same conditions



havent been in some time but down by cape may seems to be the nicest with warmer waters

[donnodevildog]

I live 10 minutes from L.B. I. (long beach island) which is very family oriented. Although, I agree, Point Pleasant is also and they have the aquarium too. Another spot that is nice and is near Cape May, is a place called Avalon.

[MudMav75]

I grew up going to Wildwood every summer. It has lost its appeal a bit over the last couple of years with higher prices, larger crowds, loss of a lot of motels, etc. If you stay there, look to stay either in North Wildwood or deep in Wildwood Crest. This way, you're close to the action, but not in the middle of it - like the bars, lower income places, etc. that tends to be in the heart of Wildwood. Check to see what's going on down there too before you go. Sometimes the types of crowds depends on the big event for the week. Caution - stay away on Memorial Day weekend. It apparently is also gang reunion week. Also, don't be fooled by the price of your motel room reflecting on the quality of it. You may be paying $150+ a night, but the doo-wop theme is more of an excuse for having a mattress from the 50's then a trip down memory lane.

A really nice area that is family friendly is Ocean City, NJ. The house rentals can be a bit high & there aren't many motels and hotels, but their boardwalk is a great place to bring the kids. Not as many rides as the Wildwoods, but good enough for the younger kids. It's also close enough that you can venture out for a day in Wildwood, Atlantic City, etc.

I say pick one of the two, do an over-nighter, and venture out to all of the southern shore towns. Each has their own selling points. You'll be able to tell where you would want to spend a longer vacation at.

[TIMe2Ride]

Thanks for all the info Ladies and Gents. It's so hard to tell from year to year what's good and what's not. If you spend way too much time researching, you'll notice that a lot of the opinions regarding the non-chain hotels and motels tend to change from year to year. Some of the reviews are pretty funny. Some of the places I've stayed and really liked are getting hammered now. Alot seem to be when the properties change hands. Seems like it's all about making a buck nowadays instead of taking care of the places. That's a shame, IMHO.

Keep the feedback coming!

[rpyfz450]

Brigantine is awesome if you want peace and quiet. I used to visit there all the time. It's 10 minutes from Atlantic City. I hope to be visiting Brigantine this comming weekend. Definitely check out Rum Point on the southern shore of Brigantine, if you go there.

Long Beach Isalnd might be your best bet, in my opinion. It's a big enough island that you can pretty easily stay away from the party scene and it has lots of attractions suitable for kids. You can likely rent boats and or PWCs there too.

I haven't been to the southern beaches like Cape May or Wildwood in many years, but Ocean City, NJ might be a good place for you to investigate. I think Ocean City, NJ might be a vacation town off-the-beaten-path in that area.