The Jersey Shore, commonly called the Shore by locals, is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The term encompasses about of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Point in the south. The region includes Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, and Cape May counties, which are in the central and southern parts of the state.Galant, Debra. "JERSEY; South Jersey Is Friendlier? Oh, Shut Up And Drive", The New York Times, April 9, 2000, accessed April 11, 2008. "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." Located in the center of the Northeast Megalopolis, the northern half of the shore region is part of the New York metropolitan area, while the southern half of the shore region is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The Jersey Shore hosts the highest concentration of oceanside boardwalks in the United States.
Famous for its wide beaches, and many boardwalks featuring arcades, amusement parks, and water parks, the Jersey Shore is a popular vacation spot for residents of North Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Certain shore communities are also popular with visitors from the Canadian province of Quebec. Due to New Jersey's peninsular geography, both sunrise and sunset are visible over water from different points on the Jersey Shore. The coastal waters of the Jersey Shore constitute one of the fastest-warming urban ocean shorelines in the world.
In 2012, Hurricane Sandy devastated much of the northern part of the Jersey Shore, spawning the demolition and rebuilding of entire neighborhoods, with reinvention on a physically and financially elevated, and economically upscale level; this process of gentrification escalated property values and transformed communities on the Jersey Shore into a second home for the New York financial community, akin to the more established Gold Coast and Hamptons on Long Island.
Notable shore towns
The Jersey Shore is lined with over 40 different towns and communities, each with a different character and flavor. Many towns cater extensively to summer tourists, while others are increasingly or completely full-year residential communities. The towns listed below are ordered geographically from north to south.
Middlesex County The Amboys
Perth Amboy, along with neighboring South Amboy across the Raritan River, make up The Amboys. Perth Amboy was a resort town in the 19th century and early 20th century, located on the northern edge of the Raritan Bayshore. Since the early 1990s Perth Amboy has seen redevelopment. Small businesses have started to open up, helped by the city's designation as an urban enterprise zone. The waterfront has also seen a rebirth, with new parks, a new promenade and an expansion of the marina complementing the old Victorian homes along the bay. Local attractions include the Perth Amboy Ferry Slip and Kearny Cottage. The Raritan Yacht Club, it is one of the oldest yacht clubs in the United States. As of 2023, hundreds of millions of dollars were being invested in the redevelopment of Perth Amboy's waterfront area, in part related to its strategically located industrial area. On October 30, 2023, NY Waterway launched a new ferry service in South Amboy, which connects to Lower and Midtown Manhattan. Both towns are served by the North Jersey Coast Line.
Laurence Harbor (Old Bridge)
Laurence Harbor is an unincorporated community located in Old Bridge Township. The waterfront neighborhood looks directly upon many points in New York City, including Staten Island's South Shore; the Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge; Lower Manhattan (and the Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan on a clear night); and Brooklyn. The NJ Transit Railroad no longer has a station in Laurence Harbor. It had a Morgan station during most of the first half of the 20th century, located right across Cheesequake Creek, sometimes referred to locally as "The Front", from Laurence Harbor, dividing the community into eastern and western sections. Cliffwood Beach also borders Laurence Harbor when traveling south. Morgan is named after the 1703 family that had here and were cousins of the infamous pirate captain Henry Morgan. Morgan is located one mile to the northwest, across the Cheesequake Creek and the Morgan Bridge on Route 35. The Morgan Draw carries the North Jersey Coast Line.
Laurence Harbor is home to Old Bridge Waterfront Park, which consists of a new boardwalk (the old boardwalk was destroyed in the 1940–1950s) that was completed in 2002. The beachfront was redone through a joint venture by Old Bridge, New Jersey, and Middlesex County Parks Department. It extends approximately from the Old Bridge Police substation south, to the neighborhood of Cliffwood Beach, running parallel with Route 35. This area is very popular for fishing as three jetties extend into Raritan Bay and are in excellent condition, have been consistent well-maintained. The park's boardwalk is also popular for jogging and dog walking. At the northern parking lot of the park, there is bay beach swimming access along with a bathroom and showers.
Monmouth County
Union Beach
Union Beach is a borough situated on the North Shore of Monmouth County, on Raritan Bay. Union Beach is part of the Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan, an effort by nine municipalities in northern Monmouth County to reinvigorate the area's economy by emphasizing the traditional downtowns, dense residential neighborhoods, maritime history, and the natural beauty of the Raritan Bayshore coastline.
Keansburg
Keansburg was a popular early 20th century summertime destination for tourists from New York City, who would cross the Raritan Bay on steamboats to escape the city heat. Hurricane Donna wiped out much of the waterfront area in 1960, and a number of fires in the 1980s destroyed many of the town's main attractions, including the Dance Hall Auditorium, the Keansburg Bowling Alley, and the Casino Theater.
The Keansburg Amusement Park, founded in 1904, started a massive expansion project in 1995. Upgrades were made to the park and an adjacent water park, Runaway Rapids, was constructed.
Atlantic Highlands
Atlantic Highlands, which overlooks where the Atlantic Ocean and Raritan Bay meet at Sandy Hook, contains Mount Mitchill, the highest point on the eastern seaboard south of Maine, rising above sea level.Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook, Monmouth County Park System. Accessed July 17, 2011. "At 266 feet, this overlook in Atlantic Highlands sits on the highest natural elevation on the Atlantic seaboard (excluding islands) from Maine to the Yucatán providing beautiful views of Sandy Hook, Sandy Hook Bay, Raritan Bay, and the New York City skyline."
The Manhattan skyline can be seen from the borough's ridges and its shoreline. Pleasure, fishing, and commuter boats sail from its municipal harbor, which was built from 1938 through 1940.
Seastreak ferry
Atlantic Highlands is home to the high-speed Seastreak ferry service to New York City, which was introduced in 1986.Sauchelli, Dana; Fermino, Jennifer; and Sanderson, Bill. "Seastreak captains worried over crash ferry's new propulsion system", New York Post, January 10, 2013. Accessed August 23, 2013. "Seastreak began ferry service between Atlantic Highlands, NJ, and Manhattan in 1986." SeaStreak ferry provides high-speed commuter service for residents on the Raritan Bayshore in northern Monmouth County to Manhattan. The ferry also offers seasonal sightseeing excursions. Many Jersey Shore residents board the ferry to travel to different points across the Tri-State area and New England coastline. Many New York residents board the ferry to travel to Atlantic Highlands and Sandy Hook Beach, along with the rest of the Jersey Shore region at large.
Sandy Hook (Middletown) Sandy Hook is a long, narrow largely undeveloped barrier spit, most of which is owned and managed by the National Park Service as a unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area. The eastern, ocean-facing shoreline consists of various public and fishing beaches and serves as a Shore gateway and popular destination for recreation in summer when seasonal SeaStreak ferries bring beachgoers. Sandy Hook's Gunnison Beach is one of the largest clothing-optional beaches on the East Coast.Flam, Faye. "Clothing optional may not be a way of historical human", The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 17, 2006. Accessed June 17, 2007. "Sandy Hook boasts the biggest nude beach along the Atlantic. The clothing-optional part is called Gunnison Beach and there's even a picture showing people of varying shapes and sizes frolicking in their birthday suits." The northern end of the peninsula is home to the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, the Marine Academy of Science and Technology, and the restored buildings of Fort Hancock, a former United States Army base. Spread across Sandy Hook are former military installations, including four ammunition bunkers, two gun stations, and a Nike Missile Base.
Red Bank
Red Bank, overlooking the Navesink River, is a noted social and commercial destination, filled with boutiques, designer clothing stores, parks, and restaurants. The town is also considered a center of artistic activity and is home to the Monmouth County Arts Council, as well as the Count Basie Theatre, Two River Theater, and several art galleries. Various festivals held by the town, including the Red Bank Jazz & Blues Festival, draw tourists throughout the year.
Boating, sculling, sailing, and fishing are popular outdoor activities in Red Bank; in the winter, ice boats sail on the Navesink when it freezes over.Berry, Coleen Dee. "Out of Mothballs, Awaiting Ice". The New York Times. January 8, 2009. Accessed July 10, 2012. "Iceboating is so firmly entrenched in Red Bank that the borough's official seal contains an image of an iceboat." The Monmouth Boat Club, Marine Park, and the slips of the Molly Pitcher Inn provide access to the river and, from there, the Atlantic Ocean.O'Sullivan, Eleanor. , Asbury Park Press, July 23, 2005. Accessed July 10, 2012.
Oceanport
Oceanport is an upper-middle-class bedroom community located on the Shrewsbury River, between Red Bank and Long Branch. It is the home of Monmouth Park Racetrack, one of the oldest thoroughbred racing tracks in the country.
The original racing track was opened by the Monmouth Park Association on July 30, 1870, in nearby Eatontown to increase summer tourism for communities along the Shore. Monmouth Park early on earned the nickname as the "Newmarket of America" due to the excellence of its racing. However, after three years of being open financial issues caused the track to close. In 1878, the track was bought by David D. Withers, George L. Lorillard, James Gordon Bennett, Jr., and George P. Wetmore. The men spent four years renovating the grounds and grandstand and reopened Monmouth Park in 1882. From 1882 to 1890, the track increased in popularity and as a result, a new racetrack was constructed next to the original. The new racetrack opened in 1890 becoming the second Monmouth Park. However, legislation proposed in 1891 and enacted in 1894 barred parimutuel betting in New Jersey, and the track closed its doors. It was not until 1946 when the New Jersey Legislature passed a bill providing for state regulation of horse racing that the current Monmouth Park opened.
Its location on the shore and as a stop on the North Jersey Coast Line makes it a popular shore destination for residents from New York and North Jersey to see thoroughbred racing.About Monmouth Park, Monmouth Park Racetrack. Accessed December 6, 2012. "On June 19, 1946, for the third time and after a 53-year hiatus, Monmouth Park reopened its doors." The Haskell Invitational Stakes take place annually in August.