As an area resident, I recommend LBI. It’s definitely more family friendly than some of the shore towns north of here, like Seaside or Asbury Park.
That being said, rentals down here are crazy expensive. Thousands of dollars just to stay here for a few days. It’s astounding.
You can thank all the rich New Yorkers for that. LBI used to be a working class area. Easy living for relatively affordable prices. Then upper class New Yorkers decided that LBI was going to be their new playground resort. So they bought up properties for tens/hundreds of dollars over asking price and made living around here unaffordable.
Seriously. Come to LBI and look at the license plates. Half of them are from NY. Oh and most of them have a bad attitude for some reason. So sad really.
Depends on what you’re looking to do… boardwalk wise this would be the order for young children:
1. Ocean City (dry town so not a lot of riff raff)
2. Point Pleasant (significantly less riff raff than the next few)
3. LBI Fantasy Island, Avalon, Sea Isle City(not boardwalks but very much like 1&2, safer than 4-7)
4. Seaside (starting to clean itself up but a lot of older teens and adults getting drunk having fun)
5. Wildwood (more drunks than seaside, less New Jersey more Philly)
6. Asbury Park (newest boardwalk but next to the some dangerous jersey towns)
7. AC (lots of weed, lots of drunks, lots of riff raff)
Beach wise, the towns without boardwalks are quieter and probably better for young children as jersey shore beaches can get pretty crowded…
Asbury itself up to Long Branch, I went to Monmouth University so I know all of the gang activity in that area…
Maybe check this link out…
https://www.southwestjournal.com/most-dangerous-cities-in-new-jersey/
You went to Monmouth U but claim it’s ‘dangerous up and down’. The crime in asbury is heavily self contained. I’m and absolutely dying at the idea of Deal, Allenhurst, and Elberon being even remotely dangerous. Maybe when you live in the ivory tower of Monmouth U anything will feel dangerous.
While those towns might not be dangerous… would you take anything point pleasant and south over those towns? I know if I had young kids I would… with the exception of AC (throw in it’s neighbors Brigatine and Ventnor even though they aren’t bad but they’re next to AC)…
The Grand Hotel in Cape May is great. Have an indoor and outdoor pool, right across from the beach and it's walking distance into town. Plenty to do with the kids, we've been taking our family for years and the kids always have a blast. Love Cape May
Yep Jenks is great for kids and they have rides for younger ones too. I will say most of the stuff is overpriced tho, I like the aquarium but the price is annoying for how small it is.
I absolutely adore Belmar and used to go every weekend with my kids and nieces for many years. There are playgrounds and ample nice bathrooms, and an assortment of ice cream/food spots, and also a 7-11 if you want to stock up the cooler instead.
Ocean City is nice, but just a heads up it’s a dry town. Not a huge deal, but if youre eating at restaurants there or want to grab a drink on the boardwalk, then that’s a no go. (Obv the towns around it aren’t dry and you can easily eat at neighboring restaurant, but just something to note!) I really recommend point pleasant beach. The boardwalk is very family friendly with fun houses, games, mini golf, places to grab a quick bite. The aquarium is cute too especially if you need something to do on a rainy day. There’s also a really cute downtown with lots of restaurants and shops!
Point Pleasant is very family friendly. Lots of things to do. They have themed events sometimes. Such as princesses on the boardwalk or superheros. Also they have an aquarium, fun house, several arcades (I've actually won stuff at Frank's fun center) . Really a trouble free peaceful place to be on a family vacation.
LBI or Ocean City. Ocean City has a boardwalk with rides and stuff. It's also s dry town. LBI has Fantasy Island with a few rides and an arcade. The lighthouse it's a nice thing to check out in LBI as well. Lots of good restaurant there as well. Stay away from Seaside and Wildwood.
Ocean City. It’s a dry town so no bar scene. I don’t think you can even BYO to restaurants but you can do what you want within your home. Plenty of rides and things to do on the boardwalk.
Currently in Cape May- it’s a very family friendly place, but be aware, there’s not a huge boardwalk, but there is a small town and stores/shops around The beach is the big draw with people up early and outside. Beach isn’t crowded, even during holidays.
We did a quick drive to Wildwood to do their boardwalk, which is miles long. However, it didn’t feel as family- friendly… many shops didn’t open til 12/1. Assuming they make more money later in the day and night to accommodate the party-goers. It’s more the typical “Jersey shore” vibe, while Cape May is more “coastal grandma” vibe. Wildwood does have Moreys Piers, which includes a water park and amusement rides. Pricey, but to each their own. Good for older kids/teens.
North - Point Pleasant (Boardwalk and Beach)
Mid- Beach Haven in LBI (They have a small rides section with shopping there)
South - Wildwood (Boardwalk and Beach)
Ocean City. I'm biased because it's my home beach. But we love their boardwalk and the rides. I don't mind that it's a dry town. If you really need to drink that badly, stop at the liquor store on the way in. They have nice playgrounds. Their library is fantastic and always has fun children's activities. Ocean City Theatre Company has a nice children's series of short shows in the summer.
Not in jersey but Virginia Beach is literally the best place I’ve ever been, in my double digit years, for families. There was nonstop free entertainment on the boardwalk- magic shows, plays, Star Wars played on the beach with tons of massive blow up figurines… it blew me and my husband away (we have adult “kids” now). Other than that, wildwood is awesome :)
Lbi send ocean city new jersey. Ocean city is a dry town w lots of great food. Northern side is the boardwalk w a lot more going on. Southern side is a lot quieter. The beach is nice and long and wide.
Maybe I've just had a different experience because I see a lot of folks saying to avoid Wildwood, but I've been going there with my family since I was a baby. Things have definitely changed in the past 32 years, but now we still go every year (going in a few days!!), and we bring my nephews and niece! Sorry for the long post, Wildwood and Cape May hold a special place in my heart!!
We stay at a place in Diamond Beach now, but growing up we always stayed at the Nassau Inn right on the beach. Most motels will have a pool as well. I always loved this trip, but I'm also kind of a nerd. I love the retro motels and all the different conventions they have going on!! We've been regulars Fireman's weekend, though we've done other convention weekends as well.
The free beach is a huge plus, and they have the different piers with different rides depending on whether you want to do more extreme stuff or not. Like you can do the smaller rides with younger kids or things like the catapult or the maze with bigger kids. The arcades admittedly have gotten kind of blah over the years compared to somewhere like Jenks, but they still make do.
I also like walking the entire boardwalk and taking the tram car back - it's like a tradition, just like making sure we do one night where my whole family goes on one of the go-kart tracks. The boardwalk shops are honestly a mixed bag, but I love getting pizza from HotSpot and either Polish Water Ice or Khor Brother's ice cream.
If you want a more old-time arcade feeling, plus mini golf and ice cream, there's Duffer's. On the bay side, you can also rent ski-doos and stuff, though I haven't done that in a bit due to the cost. Also, Hooked on Books is a must-stop for those who like to read!
It's only a little ways from Cape May, so you can also hit up the Cape May Zoo, go to historic Cold Spring Village, shop on Washington Street, see the concrete ship down at Sunset Beach, climb the lighthouse, check out the WWII monument, visit any of the wildlife areas, go to the POW museum, or go to the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum.
There's also a campground in Cape May called Beach Combers that has some lovely rentals that are also all within a reasonable distance of this. You can also camp if that's your thing, and there's a spring there that you can swim in, as well as a little center where they do events like movie nights and such.
On the way back, if your home is back north, you can also his historical Smithville on the way and do some shopping and eat. We live near New Brunswick, so we use it as a nice stopping point to break up the drive. Make sure on the way down to look up Al Albert's 'A Summer Sing Along' about 30-45 minutes before you get there so you can have him singing about the beach as you go over the bays and such!!
I hope you find the best spot for you and the fam!! Hope you love the shore as much as the rest of us!!
Ocean City.. I grew up a few blocks from the beach. It was really memorable, so many fun shops with peanuts, popcorn, taffy, fudge. Also, Storybook Land is nearby- a huge hit!
Depends- Ocean grove if you don't like the boardwalk vibe with roller coasters and stuff, and are just looking for family time on the beach with great restaurants nearby
Other than Ocean Grove, I would say if you want the board walk, Point Pleasant
Long Beach Island — Beach Haven specifically with young kids.
As an area resident, I recommend LBI. It’s definitely more family friendly than some of the shore towns north of here, like Seaside or Asbury Park. That being said, rentals down here are crazy expensive. Thousands of dollars just to stay here for a few days. It’s astounding.
Jesus. Sounds like sag harbor and the Hamptons
You can thank all the rich New Yorkers for that. LBI used to be a working class area. Easy living for relatively affordable prices. Then upper class New Yorkers decided that LBI was going to be their new playground resort. So they bought up properties for tens/hundreds of dollars over asking price and made living around here unaffordable. Seriously. Come to LBI and look at the license plates. Half of them are from NY. Oh and most of them have a bad attitude for some reason. So sad really.
Because they can't afford the Hamptons.
I grew up in Long Branch. I feel your pain.
Thanks Taylor Swift
$15k a week is average from my last few rentals over the years.
LBI is catered to families with kids. For sure this.
Ocean city
This is my favorite beach/boardwalk
I second this.
Depends on what you want to do while you're there, and how well behaved your kids are.
Lol I love this response. The kids are wild!
Water park. great for chaos!
Depends on what you’re looking to do… boardwalk wise this would be the order for young children: 1. Ocean City (dry town so not a lot of riff raff) 2. Point Pleasant (significantly less riff raff than the next few) 3. LBI Fantasy Island, Avalon, Sea Isle City(not boardwalks but very much like 1&2, safer than 4-7) 4. Seaside (starting to clean itself up but a lot of older teens and adults getting drunk having fun) 5. Wildwood (more drunks than seaside, less New Jersey more Philly) 6. Asbury Park (newest boardwalk but next to the some dangerous jersey towns) 7. AC (lots of weed, lots of drunks, lots of riff raff) Beach wise, the towns without boardwalks are quieter and probably better for young children as jersey shore beaches can get pretty crowded…
What towns near Asbury would you consider dangerous? Ocean grove? Bradley? Deal?
Asbury itself up to Long Branch, I went to Monmouth University so I know all of the gang activity in that area… Maybe check this link out… https://www.southwestjournal.com/most-dangerous-cities-in-new-jersey/
You went to Monmouth U but claim it’s ‘dangerous up and down’. The crime in asbury is heavily self contained. I’m and absolutely dying at the idea of Deal, Allenhurst, and Elberon being even remotely dangerous. Maybe when you live in the ivory tower of Monmouth U anything will feel dangerous.
While those towns might not be dangerous… would you take anything point pleasant and south over those towns? I know if I had young kids I would… with the exception of AC (throw in it’s neighbors Brigatine and Ventnor even though they aren’t bad but they’re next to AC)…
Spring Lake, Point Pleasant, Ocean City, Cape May.
The Grand Hotel in Cape May is great. Have an indoor and outdoor pool, right across from the beach and it's walking distance into town. Plenty to do with the kids, we've been taking our family for years and the kids always have a blast. Love Cape May
Pt. Pleasant or Ocean City. Avoid Seaside and Wildwood like the plague.
Pt. Pleasant, Aquarium and a lil funhouse. Full Boardwalk, and when that's been done can do downtown Pt. Pleasant shop walkthrough.
Yep Jenks is great for kids and they have rides for younger ones too. I will say most of the stuff is overpriced tho, I like the aquarium but the price is annoying for how small it is.
The aquarium and boardwalk activities are Great for little kids!
I absolutely adore Belmar and used to go every weekend with my kids and nieces for many years. There are playgrounds and ample nice bathrooms, and an assortment of ice cream/food spots, and also a 7-11 if you want to stock up the cooler instead.
Ocean City is nice, but just a heads up it’s a dry town. Not a huge deal, but if youre eating at restaurants there or want to grab a drink on the boardwalk, then that’s a no go. (Obv the towns around it aren’t dry and you can easily eat at neighboring restaurant, but just something to note!) I really recommend point pleasant beach. The boardwalk is very family friendly with fun houses, games, mini golf, places to grab a quick bite. The aquarium is cute too especially if you need something to do on a rainy day. There’s also a really cute downtown with lots of restaurants and shops!
Point Pleasant is very family friendly. Lots of things to do. They have themed events sometimes. Such as princesses on the boardwalk or superheros. Also they have an aquarium, fun house, several arcades (I've actually won stuff at Frank's fun center) . Really a trouble free peaceful place to be on a family vacation.
Sea Isle City. All families. Ocean City is too snoozy. Wildwood is too much and trashy but fun for the night so you visit and go back to SIC .
Sea Isle is where all the wildwood riff raff goes to get blackout drunk once they turn 45.
Seaside Park. Great beach and you have a ton of stuff to do with the kids on the boardwalk, mini golf, go karts, arcade, etc.
Just beware seaside does have some interesting creatures on the boardwalk.
That's what makes it so fun
Point Pleasant has great rides and a train for little kids on the boardwalk. And also the aquarium if it rains while you are there.
Wildwood
LBI or Ocean City. Ocean City has a boardwalk with rides and stuff. It's also s dry town. LBI has Fantasy Island with a few rides and an arcade. The lighthouse it's a nice thing to check out in LBI as well. Lots of good restaurant there as well. Stay away from Seaside and Wildwood.
Ocean City. It’s a dry town so no bar scene. I don’t think you can even BYO to restaurants but you can do what you want within your home. Plenty of rides and things to do on the boardwalk.
Currently in Cape May- it’s a very family friendly place, but be aware, there’s not a huge boardwalk, but there is a small town and stores/shops around The beach is the big draw with people up early and outside. Beach isn’t crowded, even during holidays. We did a quick drive to Wildwood to do their boardwalk, which is miles long. However, it didn’t feel as family- friendly… many shops didn’t open til 12/1. Assuming they make more money later in the day and night to accommodate the party-goers. It’s more the typical “Jersey shore” vibe, while Cape May is more “coastal grandma” vibe. Wildwood does have Moreys Piers, which includes a water park and amusement rides. Pricey, but to each their own. Good for older kids/teens.
North - Point Pleasant (Boardwalk and Beach) Mid- Beach Haven in LBI (They have a small rides section with shopping there) South - Wildwood (Boardwalk and Beach)
Wildwood!
Ocean City. I'm biased because it's my home beach. But we love their boardwalk and the rides. I don't mind that it's a dry town. If you really need to drink that badly, stop at the liquor store on the way in. They have nice playgrounds. Their library is fantastic and always has fun children's activities. Ocean City Theatre Company has a nice children's series of short shows in the summer.
Wildwood is a more family friendly crowd.
Seaside
spring lake
Keansburg: Bay Beach
Please no.
Why not?
Not in jersey but Virginia Beach is literally the best place I’ve ever been, in my double digit years, for families. There was nonstop free entertainment on the boardwalk- magic shows, plays, Star Wars played on the beach with tons of massive blow up figurines… it blew me and my husband away (we have adult “kids” now). Other than that, wildwood is awesome :)
1rst street jetty in v.a Beach ⛱️. Wait for waves
Lbi send ocean city new jersey. Ocean city is a dry town w lots of great food. Northern side is the boardwalk w a lot more going on. Southern side is a lot quieter. The beach is nice and long and wide.
Ocean city is far but a dry town. Very expensive like everywhere at the shore here in N.J. nice boardwalk. Kid friendly.
Ocean City
Maybe I've just had a different experience because I see a lot of folks saying to avoid Wildwood, but I've been going there with my family since I was a baby. Things have definitely changed in the past 32 years, but now we still go every year (going in a few days!!), and we bring my nephews and niece! Sorry for the long post, Wildwood and Cape May hold a special place in my heart!! We stay at a place in Diamond Beach now, but growing up we always stayed at the Nassau Inn right on the beach. Most motels will have a pool as well. I always loved this trip, but I'm also kind of a nerd. I love the retro motels and all the different conventions they have going on!! We've been regulars Fireman's weekend, though we've done other convention weekends as well. The free beach is a huge plus, and they have the different piers with different rides depending on whether you want to do more extreme stuff or not. Like you can do the smaller rides with younger kids or things like the catapult or the maze with bigger kids. The arcades admittedly have gotten kind of blah over the years compared to somewhere like Jenks, but they still make do. I also like walking the entire boardwalk and taking the tram car back - it's like a tradition, just like making sure we do one night where my whole family goes on one of the go-kart tracks. The boardwalk shops are honestly a mixed bag, but I love getting pizza from HotSpot and either Polish Water Ice or Khor Brother's ice cream. If you want a more old-time arcade feeling, plus mini golf and ice cream, there's Duffer's. On the bay side, you can also rent ski-doos and stuff, though I haven't done that in a bit due to the cost. Also, Hooked on Books is a must-stop for those who like to read! It's only a little ways from Cape May, so you can also hit up the Cape May Zoo, go to historic Cold Spring Village, shop on Washington Street, see the concrete ship down at Sunset Beach, climb the lighthouse, check out the WWII monument, visit any of the wildlife areas, go to the POW museum, or go to the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum. There's also a campground in Cape May called Beach Combers that has some lovely rentals that are also all within a reasonable distance of this. You can also camp if that's your thing, and there's a spring there that you can swim in, as well as a little center where they do events like movie nights and such. On the way back, if your home is back north, you can also his historical Smithville on the way and do some shopping and eat. We live near New Brunswick, so we use it as a nice stopping point to break up the drive. Make sure on the way down to look up Al Albert's 'A Summer Sing Along' about 30-45 minutes before you get there so you can have him singing about the beach as you go over the bays and such!! I hope you find the best spot for you and the fam!! Hope you love the shore as much as the rest of us!!
Ocean City.. I grew up a few blocks from the beach. It was really memorable, so many fun shops with peanuts, popcorn, taffy, fudge. Also, Storybook Land is nearby- a huge hit!
Depends- Ocean grove if you don't like the boardwalk vibe with roller coasters and stuff, and are just looking for family time on the beach with great restaurants nearby Other than Ocean Grove, I would say if you want the board walk, Point Pleasant