Living in Philly we always just head to South Jersey beaches. They're just right there, under an…read morehour away from the city. I've always wanted to head north to visit some of the beach towns I've heard so much about and revisit the ones that I haven't been to since I was a teen so we decided to give it a go before summer's end. I'm so glad we made the journey north! It's drastically different than the majority of South Jersey beaches, but it did remind me of our favorite this way, Strathmere. It's very quiet, peaceful and serene. It's a little farther away from center city, about 30 minutes longer, but well worth the drive! The beach itself was very clean and and has an extremely short walk to the water! The beach is free and parking is as well! It was also very easy to find street parking just a few feet from the entrance to the sand! There was no congestion or crowds, at all! You would never have thought it was just before a holiday weekend! The bay is stunning and provides for excellent sunset viewing! The town is sweet and doesn't have any typical shore stores which is sometimes nice! Many seafood restaurants as you imagine and those cute little icecream spots as well as bike rentals. We personally loved the vegan restaurant "Living On The Veg" and I did see a few yoga studios which looked awesome as well. Even some SUP yoga too! I can't wait to visit again next summer! Nice change of pace from the usual South Jersey spots most Philadelphians go to. We were big fans!

This place is beautiful! Even in the cold of fall it's pleasant, empty, and full of sun. I could…read morelive here year round. The atmosphere is just relaxed. If you live within 3 hours of here you should vacation every summer.

BEACH HAVEN/LBI: at the end of Taylor Avenue and very close to Bay Village and Thundering Surf…read moreWater Park is a cute little dog beach behind the pastel colored buildings. It is just enough to have fun and get your dog to romp around and enjoy the calm waters of the bay. Dogs can be off-leash and be sure to pickup after them. There is conflicting information about whether dogs are allowed here all-year-round or just between 9/16-5/14. We can only say that we saw a lot of happy dogs there at the end of July and there were no posted signs about the rules.

Cute little dog beach! Perfect for pups who love water! Everyone is also very nice and respectful!read more

Long Beach Island on the Jersey Shore is a wonderful spot for a weekend event if relatives of the…read morebirthday boy are in Virginia, New York, New Jersey & Pennsylvania. Twice we had a weekend at the same rental near the southern tip of the island. In the offseason beach rentals are much more reasonably priced & available for a weekend only if one chooses, The spot was great. The ocean was beautiful viewed through the sliding glass back doors. Walk straight out from the house to the sand dunes and the ocean. There were only houses in the area where we stayed. One had to drive up to Beach Haven for restaurants and shopping. The beach itself was the same gorgeous Atlantic Ocean that we are blessed to have in Virginia Beach, although the beach and dunes were wider. The houses were all new, possibly because of Superstorm Sandy that had once devastated the Jersey Shore. It really isn't a bad drive from Coastal Virginia, living as close as I do to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. My normal route up Highway 13 to Brooklyn only has one difference. Instead of taking the Jersey Turnpike, I exit on I-295 and continue to the Cherry Hill, NJ exit. Then I take the narrow backroads across New Jersey, which includes a huge, dark state park. This route leads to the southernmost bridge to Long Beach Island. I think the town you reach is called Surf City. It's an old style beach town with new construction interspersed because of Sandy. I'm always running late & wasn't enticed by their touristy attractions and businesses. To get to our rental head south on Long Beach Boulevard, past the commercialized portion of Beach Haven, until you're near where the road ends and the barrier island narrows. Always seeming to leave late I usually traveled the trip across New Jersey at night. Once it was snowing, making for a stressful drive alone with low visibility on the narrow, dark roads. Much to my surprise I was the first to reach the house. But even more of a surprise was that the door lock was frozen and I couldn't get it open. Passing through Beach Haven I remembered seeing a large restaurant & tavern. That seemed the perfect spot to eat & wait for my son & grandson to arrive. Spending the weekend on Long Beach Island with the beach covered in snow was a beautiful & exhilarating experience. For those of you who vacation south of our beautiful beach town, try a beach town to the north for a completely different experience. I love Long Beach Island on the Jersey Shore and look forward to another return visit.

A wonderful place to come and enjoy beautiful moments…read more I meditate lad today and sketched.... And shopped. Really special place . Love it.

Very chill spot. Everyone was very respectful of your space. This has become my new go to place.read more

I think this may be my favorite beach, not just on the NJ Shore, but anywhere. We take our dog…read morewith us so are restricted to the dog allowed areas where others drive on the sand to fish and there aren't any life guards so you can't swim, but even with all of those restrictions this is still my favorite beach. It is not crowded at all and easy to forget that you are not the only person on the beach. Most people in this section of the beach have dogs with them but everyone follows the leash rules and I've never seen anyone not pick-up after their dog. One or two of the parking lots have port-a-potty's and the main two beaches (where you can swim but dogs aren't allowed) have pavilions with restrooms, a cafe, and a beach store.

Besides the lack of bathrooms, this beach is pretty supreme…read more I ran around for hours playing frisbee, a luxury at the jersey shore (as many of y'all are probably well-aware). This beach is decidedly sleepier than Ocean City, Sea Isle, and many non-LBI beaches, and most of its charm is from its inherent "coziness." The lifeguards were very kind and vigilant, making sure that the no-swimming zones were properly demarcated and that we could enjoy the offings of the beach. Free street parking and some mini golf and ice cream nearby. What more can I say? :)

Gorgeous beach, beautiful at sunset. A residential paradise, peaceful and recommended by all the…read morelocals!

Beautiful Too pretty , really don't want to share -…read more Best place for sunsets and to sit and relax , place the road to get here is do pretty as well.

Untouchable beautiful point of island. Fishing, parking, meditation and limited parking. Must visit…read moreat least once.

Wow. I LOVE IT HERE. I'm a gal who prefers a more quiet, peaceful beach experience. I spent the…read moreday at Avon By the Sea on a weekday in September and it was perfect. All parking is FREE. Can't complain about that! There's plenty of street parking right in front of the boardwalk as well as residential parking nearby. Since I visited after the summer season ended, I had no problem finding a spot at 12pm. If you're going during the season, I would suggest coming much earlier if you want to get a good spot closer to the beach. During the summer season (Memorial Day through Labor Day), beach badges are required from 9am-5pm on weekdays and 9am-5:30pm on weekends/holidays. It's $13 per person. Children ages 11 and under + active military and their dependents are free of charge. They don't accept credit/debit cards, so remember to bring CASH. The beach is beautiful - clear, blue water and clean, soft sand. The crowd is more mature and family-oriented. They do have a lot of rules (no alcohol/smoking/cannabis/canopies/tents/sound systems), but I don't mind. It's not rowdy here, so you'll have a peaceful experience. There are bathrooms, a playground area for children, and a boardwalk. The boardwalk is small, but charming. There are benches for you to sit, relax, and enjoy the ocean view. There aren't many restaurants, bars, games, or entertainment around. They have a snack/food pavilion, but I'd suggest driving a few miles away to Asbury Park or Long Branch for a better dining and night life scene. Seeeeee yaaaaaaaa at the shore!

Avon-by-the-Sea is perfect if you're looking for a quiet, peaceful beach day. It's way more low-key…read morethan Belmar -- not much going on, mostly retirees and families, which honestly makes it super relaxing. Don't come here expecting to walk to a bunch of restaurants or bars -- it's more of a bring your own vibes kind of place. But they do have a snack shack, bathrooms, and the beach itself is really clean with clear water. Daily entry is $13, and there's lots of street parking, which is rare and amazing for beach towns. If you just want to chill, read, and enjoy the ocean without the crowds, this is the spot

BRIGANTINE: just north of Atlantic City is the town of Brigantine, a quiet beach resort and they…read morehave an all-year-round dog beach! Go all the way to the North end when you cannot go anymore and you are at the spot where leashed dogs are encouraged to play and enjoy the sand, ocean, and natural flora and fauna every day! In April, it was a very peaceful spot to dig some holes and admire the waves and stormy clouds. Dogs are also allowed on the other beach areas, but there are seasonal restrictions: "From October 1st to May 29th, dogs are allowed on the beach provided they are on a leash, not longer than 6 ft. Dog feces must be removed."

I had not been to Brigantine Beach since I was 15 years old (crabbing)…read more This trip was the first for me and Joey as a couple of 3 1/2 years. Just like the other Yelp reviewers stated, this beach is expansive and beautiful! They have bathrooms, versus nasty port-o-potties - yay! We used the ones off of Roosevelt. We love the white sand and long stretch of beach - wow - so glad I picked here!!! 8/12/22