🏖️ Get in, we’re going down the Shore | Morning Newsletter

The Fourth of July is getting closer and closer, and mentally, many of us are already down the Shore — or as our Deputy Managing Editor Kate Dailey affectionately calls it, Philly East. So today, we’re dedicating this edition to all things Shore to prep you for what we hope is a restful holiday weekend ahead.

Before all the fireworks on the Fourth, we’re talking about the best tipples at fun bars and cool breweries, the best ice cream cones this side of Jersey, and theater.

Reporter Amy S. Rosenberg’s buzzy newsletter, Down the Shore, is required reading and one of the most important Shore essentials. So if you want the expert to keep you plugged into what people are talking about, you should sign up for free here.

OK, let’s get down to today’s beachy business.

⛈️ If you’re still in Philadelphia today, another thunderstorm may roll through, so have an umbrella handy.

— Ashley Hoffman (@_AshleyHoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

As food writer Jenn Ladd put it, the “Shore’s bar scene — as storied, colorful, and fun as Philly’s own — is ready for you.”

Sometimes you just want to hit the kind of place where Jason Kelce’s jersey matches the green Jell-O shots.

There are gritty dives, and also flashy nightclubs to see and be seen at in our definitive Shore bar list.

If you’re with a crowd, you have mouths to please, and nothing gets people together like the promise of ice cream.

George’s Candies in Ocean City sells Seagull Droppings, an actually delicious mixture of vanilla ice cream, Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, with swirls of dark chocolate fudge. And Sundae Best in Avalon sells Cream Donut ice cream, made with chunks of the popular donuts from Kohler’s Bakery. Just dunk your spoon in the best ice cream down the Shore.

My favorite Shore drama is the drama Amy chronicles, like third-story deck gate drama and the battle over belonging. But there is also the performing arts, where you can pay to watch professionals get emotional.

Cape May is so much more than important history, ghost tours and Victorian bed-and-breakfasts. A whole lineup of theatrical productions is opening in Cape May this summer season, thanks to two local theater companies. A Dickensian retelling at the Cape May Presbyterian Church? A one-woman play about a prizewinning trip to Greece? Jane M. Von Bergen has the story on the best shows to wash the sand off for.

🎤 Now I’m passing the mic to Amy, who writes our Down the Shore newsletter that you can preview here.

”People care so much about the Shore: their memories of it, as well as their current experiences. The newsletter has been a great place to start conversations about things that really matter to people: the Shore’s rising costs, the increasing exclusivity, the changing cultures of so many of the towns along the coast, the possibility of wind turbines off the coast, all the topics that people are talking about big and small. These are things that really matter to people about a place that so many hold so dear. It’s been gratifying to see the newsletter’s voice and engagement be recognized both by readers and by the N.J. Press Association. Plus, it’s a good place to keep track of new places to eat, things to do, trivia and get your questions answered.”

Sign up for the free Down the Shore newsletter here.

I’ve spent many weekends infiltrating the Shore. It’s where I learned to kayak surf at my friends’ house. I lived there for a month in 2021, and now I’m down there most weekends. Here are some handy Shore guides worth revisiting to help you drain this summer to its dregs.

Let’s twist again, like we did last summer. Do you remember when things were really hummin’?

Where was Chubby Checker’s dance craze, The Twist, born?

Hint: 🌧️ + 🎀 + 🏌🏽‍♀️

A) Riptide Club

B) Headliner Oasis

C) The Bolero

D) Rainbow Club

Find out if you know the answer.

A beautiful movie about a British Pakistani teen’s life whose whole life is changed by the Boss.

BLYTHE BLIGHTED IND

We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Krista Pinola, who correctly guessed Sunday’s answer: Schuylkill River Trail. Email us if you know the answer.

“If I’m walking the Atlantic City boardwalk, I have to get a funnel cake. I grew up going to A.C. every summer with my grandmother, and it just wasn’t a complete trip without the funnel cake.” — Taylor Allen, your morning newsletter emcee.

“And I’ll surf anywhere with some swell, but when I surfed Manasquan Inlet, the childhood memories came flooding back. The waves are magic. And when in Wildwood, reporter Jason Nark taught me about the very excellent Tully Nut at the No. 1 Tavern, because I like my drinks like I like everything else in life: with five liquors in it. He also got me into Santorini for the most delicious Greek salad and spanakopita on a roof. Of course, for more Greek island vibes, you could always go to Santorini if you’re on a budget this summer instead of a day or two down the Shore.” — yours truly, Ashley Hoffman, Senior Newsletter Strategist.

🏄‍♀️ See you down the Shore.