Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States to refer to the Atlantic Ocean- facing coast of New Jersey, together with the adjacent resort and residential communities. Its popularity as a tourist destination is due in large part to the nearly continuous stretch of beaches along its length, classic themes (antique, quaint, and classic), and boardwalks filled with hundreds of rides. The shore represents one of the most booming real estate markets on the East coast as its prominence as a tourist destination and vacation spot has risen greatly in the past decade.
Location and Region
Geographically, the term encompasses the New Jersey coast from Sandy Hook in the north to Cape May in the south and excludes the estuaries of New York Bay and Delaware Bay. The Jersey Shore area includes Cape May, Atlantic, Burlington, Ocean, and Monmouth counties.
Citizens of the Shore often note the divide that appears to exist between the New Jersey Shore's New York City and Philadelphia spheres of influence. While there is no defined border between North and South, the Manasquan River or Interstate 195 are often mentioned.[1] Most transportation links in Monmouth County and Ocean County filter north (to New York City and North Jersey), while those in Atlantic County and Cape May County filter west (to Philadelphia and South Jersey).
Each region of New Jersey associates itself with a specific beach. North Jersey is often associated with Seaside Heights, Central Jersey with Belmar and South Jersey with Wildwood or Ocean City. People from the main line area of Philadelphia and also suburbs in that area are often associated with Margate.
Tourists to the Jersey Shore from outside these areas are referred to derogatorily as "bennies" (or "shoobies" in Atlantic and Cape May counties).
Pollution controversies
During the 1980s, the beaches of the Jersey Shore gained a somewhat unsavory reputation for being polluted, popularized in part by incidents of medical waste from Fresh Kills Landfill in New York City washing up on the shore (an example of this is the "Syringe Tide" in 1987). New York was forced to pay for the cleanup after New Jersey took it to court.
Jersey Shore sound and culture
For some time, the Jersey Shore has also been known as a live music mecca, due to the numerous rock and roll bars, most famously in Asbury Park, where Bruce Springsteen honed his skills at The Stone Pony and other local clubs and still makes periodic live appearances either as a solo act, with the E Street Band, or with other artists.
The Springsteen song "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" is one of several Springsteen songs that contains many references to the Jersey shore scene of the early 1970s. A style of music known as the Jersey Shore sound evolved from this scene.
In recent years, the fortunes of the shore have improved and it has once again become a heavily-used destination for beachgoers and resort vacationers during the summer months (with the exception of Atlantic City, which is popular year-round). The area is also undergoing a population and real estate boom, particularly in Monmouth and Ocean counties, where the population is steadily rising.
The Monmouth and Ocean County areas have frequently been named by Money magazine as one of the 10 best places to live in the United States [citation needed].
Popular Jersey Shore destinations include:
- Asbury Park
- Atlantic City
- Avalon
- Barnegat
- Bay Head
- Belmar
- Cape May
- Island Beach State Park
- Lacey
- Lavallette
- Long Beach Island
- Long Branch
- Manasquan
- Margate
- Ocean City
- Ocean Grove
- Point Pleasant Beach
- Red Bank
- Sandy Hook
- Sea Girt
- Sea Isle City
- Seaside Heights
- Seaside Park
- Spring Lake
- Stone Harbor
- Toms River
- "The Wildwoods":
See also
- Atlantic County, New Jersey
- Barnegat Peninsula (also known as the Island Beach Peninsula)
- Cape May County, New Jersey
- Long Beach Island
- Monmouth County, New Jersey
- Ocean County, New Jersey
- Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916
References
- ^ Galant, Debra. "JERSEY; South Jersey Is Friendlier? Oh, Shut Up And Drive", The New York Times, April 9, 2000, accessed April 22, 2007. "For the purposes of dividing North Jersey from South Jersey, Gannett drew a line between Monmouth County and Ocean County. I decided that it would be amusing to drive down to this dividing line -- which turned out to be the Manasquan River -- and test the hypothesis."
External links
- Jersey Shore Boardwalks, a multimedia site with information and history on the Jersey Shore.
- Shore Region Tourism Council (covering Ocean and Monmouth Counties).
- 17 New Jersey Shore Newspapers serving Atlantic and Cape May Counties.
- The Cape May Gazette Newspaper :: Southern Jersey Shore.
- Atlantic City Area Events Blog.
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