10 predictions for the 2024 Jersey Shore summer

VENTNOR, N.J. — When you talk about predictions for the Shore, there’s one thing above all: weather. And so here we go.

The weather will be … fine! Don’t let an iffy forecast change your plans. You never know down here. It could be rainy in Philly, and a lovely little bubble of sun over the barrier islands. It could rain, and you could still have a nice time. It could, and often does, stop raining! You might see a rainbow. The wind might shift. The flies might go away. The ocean might be warmer than the day before.

Professional predictors are warning of a strong hurricane season. So take heed.

With that out of the way, here are some other predictions for the 2024 season at the Shore.

» READ MORE: Our full 2024 Jersey Shore Guide

Look for bargains as the summer goes on.

Prices in general are rising but not as much as they’ve been rising since 2020. You’ll see it in the cost of everything from food to mini golf and rides, according to research from Affinity Federal Credit Union. “This increase is higher than the 4% uptick seen in 2023,” Affinity wrote, but “notably lower than the substantial 16% surge between the 2021 and 2022 seasons.”

Plus, gas prices are down.

In Cape May County, where 11.58 million people visited in 2023 (compared to 11.38 million in 2022) and spent $7.7 billion, tourism officials are calling it the “new normal,” a throwback to pre-pandemic 2019 and a continued slowdown in growth from 2023. Shore vacations have become more of a last-minute thing and that has contributed to reports of reservations “behind previous years,” according to the Cape May County Tourism Report for 2024.

Despite lawsuits and the Halloween cancellation of two big New Jersey projects from the Danish company Ørsted, another company, Atlantic Shores, is forging ahead with its plans for a farm of wind turbines out in the Atlantic off the coast of New Jersey. Two other projects have preliminary approval and New Jersey is seeking a fourth contract.

Opponents are planning to usher in the summer season with a protest Saturday over the Ocean City Route 52 causeway bridge. A public hearing is scheduled for May 28 at 5 p.m. at Central Regional High School in Bayville.

One can only hope. Already, the complaining has begun on Facebook, a place that resembles actual Shore life less and less. My hope lies this summer in the Phillies. The lovable team is already uniting people, and the boardwalks are a sea of red … Phillies hats.

» READ MORE: Flag seen flying at Jan. 6 insurrection and Phillies 2022 flag reportedly spotted at Supreme Court justice’s LBI beach house last summer

It will surely be the summer of the Phillies down the Shore, and on into the lovely months of September and October. I look forward to many beach days with the Phillies games on phones or radios up and down the beach. Cue the cheers.

With a lot of free time on his hands, the newly retired former Eagle should be spending plenty of time down the Shore. Maybe he can help revive a Mummers group at the Shore. . He still has to get ready for his ESPN gig, but the already slimmed-down Kelce can hit the Ocean Drive and other Sea Isle joints with new abandon.

Look for the Kelce family in general to maximize their beach time. Kylie’s reign as Queen of Philly and Duchess of Delco will easily be extended this summer to include Delco South, Sea Isle City.

Could brother Travis and girlfriend Taylor Swift make an appearance? They’re more likely to pop up on Long Beach Island, where Swift attended pal Jack Antonoff’s wedding last summer, causing a sensation.

In April, Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. was charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, terroristic threats, aggravated assault, and simple assault in connection with the alleged abuse of his teenage daughter. His wife was also charged with simple assault.

Though he and lawyer Ed Jacobs stressed the charges, which they deny, had nothing to do with his duties as mayor, or with financial crimes, the actual allegations were arguably more distressing than some official corruption or finance charge might have been.

Small’s wife, La’Quetta, is the superintendent of schools, putting, as Small himself noted, half a billion of taxpayer money under their control. Their next court date is June 17.

It’s hard to generate excitement about tourism for the town when the mayor is under such a cloud.

But there’s a lot going on, despite the lack of beach concerts this year. There’s new investment along Tennessee and New York Avenues, new hotels, new restaurants in casinos, along Arctic Avenue, Borgata jetting in people on their MGMAir private planes, a bunch of new cannabis shops, elevated cocktail culture on the Boardwalk with the arrival of Cheval de Plongee (French for diving horse”), and the usual mix of weird and wonderful life in this city. Get to know it.

Unexpectedly, Gov. Phil Murphy made peace with North Wildwood Mayor Patrick Rosenello and the two jointly announced that the sand-starved Shore town would get an emergency infusion to its beaches beginning in June. There will be beach closures and other disruptions during the work, which officials hope will be completed by the Fourth of July. As for the long term, Rosenello said: “High-level talks continue.”

At least you can buy beach tags on your phone on the My Beach mobile app in Long Beach Township, Ventnor, Margate, Ship Bottom, Harvey Cedars, and Sea Isle, though the allure of the cute little tags remains strong.

Some towns raised their beach tag fees this year (Ocean City’s will be $35 after June 1), but not all. But even the ones that held the course, like Ventnor and Margate, at $20 for a seasonal tag ($10 until May 31), will likely raise their beach tag fees for 2025, to match nearby towns.

Already, mainland towns like Somers Point, Northfield, and Upper Township are feeling the effects of the Shore’s upscaling and catering more to a second-home crowd.

May already was the new June to be honest, with the boardwalks packed with people weeks before Memorial Day. Labor Day is Sept. 2, about as early as Labor Day can be, so expect the summer season to linger on for weeks. Swimming in the warming ocean in October will no longer be surprising.

Wealthy owners of second homes, who grabbed up every last parcel during COVID, continue to remake Shore towns. This might present a problem for all those travel trends that show travelers are seeking authentic, local culture.

Let’s face it, the old, scruffy, year-round local crowd and lovably ramshackle, or even upscale bungalow, not to mention matter-of-fact-rancher Jersey Shore vibe that many people grew up with is in decline. Ocean City’s newest hotel, Coastal Chateau, is branded as a “luxury castle” hotel bringing pet villas and “French elegance” to the family town, for goodness’ sake. But maybe it’s finally time to allow wine in the dry town.