Jersey beaches

[purple_magada]

OK I need some opinions. This summer my friend and our kids (4 and 9) will be going to the beach. We're aiming for mid-July, early August. Normally we go to Rehoboth Beach, DE but the prices for hotels in that time frame are outrageous. We normally go in June and they are much more reasonable. So I suggested NJ. I went online and was surprised to see how economical most of the hotels/motels were. I would like to stay as close to the beach as possible since I will be 7 months pregnant by then and don't want to walk miles to get to the boardwalk (I'll spend enough time walking up and down that). So what do you suggest (Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wild Wood Crest, any other place)? Any hotels/motels you recommend? Any you don't? We can't do a B&B b/c most don't allow kids. We're just planning on going for 2 nights/3 days. Any information would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

 

[Lunacat]

I just went to NJ over New Year's Eve. We stayed further inland than you might want (Millville) but we spent time around Cape May and some small towns Between there and Atlantic City that were really nice. The drive from Millville to the coast was only 25-30 minutes and really scenic.

Enjoy your trip!

Edited to say: I'm not referring to myself as 'we', there was actually another person there.

 

[Timber99]

I haven't lived there for a while now but I remember that the nicer family comunities (places to take children) were Wildwood Crest (not Wildwood - alittle rowdy there for children) and Ocean City. Ocean City has a great boardwalk and there are many places to stay right on there that are right off the boardwalk and very nice (ie Wild Dunes Condos).

 

[Dorothy3]

My suggestion is Wildwood. I live in Jersey and went there for the first time with my kids this past summer and we loved it and we are going again this year. They have a lot of hotels/motels on the beach The place we stayed at was the Madrid Motel, www.madridmotel.com. Not sure how much you can afford per night, also check out www.the-wildwoods.com and www.wildwoodnj.org.

There is a huge boardwalk in Wildwood with amusement rides, there's miniature golf, a bowling alley, etc, very kid friendly.

HTH!!

;-)

 

[Maximus]

I've lived in NJ almost my entire life & have had the opportunity to spend time in almost every shore community. DO NOT go to Wildwood. Wildwood is like the ghetto of the Jersey shore (no offense Dorothy--I know you enjoyed it but there are much much nicer places to go).

If you have kids & are looking for a boardwalk, I would suggest either Point Pleasant or Asbury Park. They're a little further north but they're much cleaner & the crowd is more mature.

If amusements/boardwalk aren't that important to you, Cape May would be #1 on my list. The beach is clean & beautiful, the hotel/motel rates are probably the best in the state, & the architecture is very quaint & historic. It's definitely a family community & the Lewes Ferry is a great way to get there.

Also there's Long Beach Island, which is a little more expensive. The beach isn't nearly as nice, but there are more activities for kids.

Also there's Margate, which is much less touristy but centrally located. It also has a very nice beach & is very upscale but not as expensive as LBI. And it's right next to Atlantic City, where there's a boardwalk, plenty of amusements, and of course adult entertainment. (in the form of casinos! This is not a dirty post!)

Edited to add: Ocean City is also a good suggestion, however it's a dry town so if you want even a bottle of wine you have to drive a bit, or BYO.

Hope this is helpful.........

 

[Dorothy3]

None taken Maximus - we actually stayed in Wildwood Crest.

Point Pleasant is really very nice also and I absolutely love Long Beach Island (forgot about all those!). My parents used to vacation in LBI for a few years and it is very enjoyable.

 

[garance]

Rent a house in Avalon. We did this several times with our sons within walking distance to the beach. Wildwood is pretty raunchy for families--but loved to go there at nights.

 

[Jcrew3082]

I agree with Maximus. As a New Jerseyan, I'd defintiley say Wildwood is probably not your best bet. I most definitely recommend staying away from Seaside and Belmar as well. LBI is probably the most kid friendly, and I've heard good things about Ocean City, too.

Good luck!

 

[pace1987]

I also agree with Maximus. I live in NJ all my life and been to almost every shore in NJ and now the past few years we go to Cape May every year. What a wonderful old town that is. Maybe do a search on google on Cape May NJ to see whats around. HTH