š Shore town scorecard | Down the Shore
Plus: We made 10 predictions: See how we did.
![Avonte Maddox carries Jell-O shots through the crowd during the Jason Kelce Beach Bash in support of the Eagles Autism Foundation at Ocean Drive in Sea Isle City, NJ on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. Kelce and other NFL players bartend for charity at the annual event.](https://www.inquirer.com/resizer/la6SYBaZYY-dcpWo9Sgdg5EeHFM=/760x507/smart/filters:format(webp)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/7JXKPFPXYJBZPOKMG5O3P5B7TY.jpg)
Are you better off than you were Memorial Day weekend? How about your favorite Jersey Shore town?
As this summer rushes to its traditional Labor Day end, and itās an early one this year, Sept. 2, we took a look at how some of our favorite towns fared, north to south.
Long Beach Island: Are Philly people still even represented on Long Beach Island? This congested narrow strand of sand found itself at the center of a flag controversy, courtesy of the wife of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. Martha-Ann Alito flew the controversial Appeal to Heaven flag outside their home in High Bar Harbor, a section of LBI previously most famous for being in the path of a ferocious tornado. In better LBI news, Mustache Billās is still open in Barnegat Light, and the Holiday Snack Bar settled differences with Beach Haven. As of this writing, no Taylor Swift sightings. B+
Brigantine: As usual, Brigantine flies (and by flies, I also mean green heads) under the radar, getting just a little bit vibier every year. Like the rest of the Shore, prices were rising, and renters were rebelling. Its popular Cove beach had access restricted this summer due to erosion, and due to the discovery of a demolished structure that had been dumped in the water and is now sending concrete chunks onto the sand. B
Atlantic City: A.C.ās summer was marred by the canceled air show and lack of beach concerts. Next-gen places like Remedee Coffee and Good Dog Bar shut their doors. Revenue from A.C. casinos was down. Atlantic Avenue is still in need of paving. NJ Transit jacked up the cost of a bus ride to come in from New York. But yet, there is as ever sublime and ridiculous fun to be had on Atlantic Cityās wide and free beaches, its free Boardwalk concerts, Shirley MacLaine movie sets, and all the great restaurants and bars. This summer, some new places opened up like chef Wenford Simpsonās ambitious Simpsonās, a Jamaican restaurant in the old Pier across from Caesarās; the instant classic Angeloniās Club Madrid with its olive oil-laced vodka tomato martinis and housemade pastas; and the Brewberry coffee shop and creperie. B
Ventnor: More and more like Margate every day. But the town is finding a vibe. A-
Margate: Oh Margate, you really took a Kylie Kelce hit that was worse than anything Jason ever did in front of a quarterback. Who will ever forget the Longport woman who told Kylie sheād never be allowed in Margate again after the Kelces declined a photograph. Oof. Memories reopened, but neighbors complained of a rash of late-night public urination. At least Lucy the Elephant finished strong, with a $500,000 check from Cory Booker for interior refurbishing. C+
Longport: No notes. A
Ocean City: Where to begin, dear Ocean City. There were the crowds of rowdy, brawling teens over Memorial Day weekend, and the announced end of the beloved, city-defining Wonderland Pier in August. Even the seagulls made a comeback, apparently no longer afraid of the hawks. C-
Strathmere: Always a (no beach tag) gem. A
Sea Isle City: This crowded Shore town is blessed again and again by the presence of the Kelces. Does it get any better? A-
Avalon: Continuing a proud tradition, Avalon Beach Patrol chief Matt Wolf, a sunnier version of his legendary no-nonsense dad, retired chief Murray Wolf, steered his guards to wins in the Kerr, Womenās, and South Jersey championships. A
Stone Harbor: People are still complaining about having to use an app for parking, while prices have sent people to the mainland, where they insist āStone Harbor Lakesā is the Shore. But whale and shark sightings! B
North Wildwood: This town made peace with the state, at least for now, and got a much-needed infusion of sand. A
Wildwood: Prices are rising in this once-affordable Shore town, which had a chaotic clear-the-boardwalk declaration of civil unrest Memorial Day weekend, but soon settled in to more typical drama over whether the T-shirt shops are too vulgar. B+
Wildwood Crest: A late-summer drama with the Middle Thorofare Bridge becoming stuck was quickly fixed! A-
Cape May: The demure beach town that could be anywhere but still is in New Jersey. And will soon be in the movies. A
š® What would you like to see from the Down the Shore team in the offseason? More newsletters? What topics? Any story ideas or tips? Send any and all feedback to Down the Shore by replying to this email.
Bonus: See how I scored in my preseason predictions, plus five bonus offseason predictions.
š Fall is in the air, but the waterās warm. Best time of year.
Programming note: This is my last newsletter for the season. Jason Nark, as usual, will close out the Down the Shore 2024 season next week. Watch for pop-ups! And thanks for all the great emails!
ā Amy S. Rosenberg (Find me at @amysrosenberg. š· Follow on Insta at @amysrosenberg. š§ Email me here.)
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Shore talk
šŗšø The state of Mississippi placed a historic Freedom Trail Marker in Atlantic City outside Boardwalk Hall, the first out-of-state stop on the Mississippi Freedom Trail, to honor Fannie Lou Hamer, who spoke her famous āsick and tired of being sick and tiredā words at the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City. Read my 2016 interview with Mississippi Freedom delegate Emma Sanders.
š” Just over a week after the family announced the closing of Wonderland Pier, its founder, former Ocean City Mayor Roy Gillian, the father of the current mayor, died.
š¢ People are vowing to try to save the Wonderland Pier and its iconic Ferris wheel and carousel, built in 1926 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company.
šø All those half-priced Wonderland ride tickets that people stock up on and are supposed to never expire are being offered at deep discounts.
šØ Margate police say they ticketed two parents this summer over their childrenās curfew violations.
š¦ The Middle Thorofare Bridge that connects Wildwood Crest with Cape May reopened Wednesday after being stuck open for three days.
What to eat/What to do
š Eat the creamed chipped beef on toast at Mustache Billās for maybe (or maybe not) the last time.
š Itās tomato season! Stop at a farm stand.
ā New cafe alert: Lolaās Cafe & Kitchen in Absecon.
šøSteep yourself in Jersey Shore history with this Dan DeLuca interview with Little Steven Van Zandt.
šŖ Check out Craig LaBanās Shore recommendations before summerās over. Ventnor to Cape May is here. And Long Beach Island to Atlantic City is here.
Shore snapshot
š§ Trivia time
Little Steven Van Zandt was once with the Philly doo-wop band the Dovells, known for their 1961 hit āBristol Stomp,ā whose tour dates included a stop at which Jersey Shore nightclub?
1. Wonder Bar in Asbury Park
2. Reddickās Bar in Wildwood
3. Memories in Margate
4. The 500 Club in Atlantic City
Find out if youāre right by clicking on this story.
š® Predictions: A final update
Hereās the last of three updates. For the full accounting, and five bonus offseason predictions, click on this story.
I predicted that the Shoreās free beaches (A.C., Wildwood, Strathmere) will get busy as other towns raise their beach tag fees. All the beaches seemed to have been busy this summer, even as people complained they canāt come anymore because of high prices. Compared to rental prices, a beach tag is not really the issue. ā
I predicted that real estate prices will push people farther off shore. Yes, indeed, mainland towns like Somers Point and Cape May Court House are seeing lots of second-home owners purchasing condos and houses, and pushing prices higher in those places. ā
I predicted that with an early Labor Day, September will be the new July. Still to be determined, but it looks that way. The water is only now warming up after an unusually chilly spell. September has always been the nicest month at the Shore. Will the crowds stick around? ā
I predicted that the transformation of the Shore culture will continue. Yes, the entitled continue to walk, and ride their golf carts, among us. They were out in force this summer, impatient and demanding as ever. But the old Shore is still there to be experienced. Just go to a lifeguard race. ā
Your Shore memory
From Karen Weaver:
Our mornings would start with a newspaper cyclist riding through the alleys singing āInquirer.ā Weād ask him to stop as we paid 25 cents for a newspaper. We spent countless summers at 30th Street beach in Ocean City, NJ with a wonderful group of neighbors and regulars gathering daily on the beach. The adults circled the beach chairs and faced the ocean, while the kids romped in the waves. My dad was a huge quoits fan (an early version of cornhole) and he and his friends had epic matches near the waterās edge. When we got back to the bungalow we called home, we took showers and then waited for the evening to play Wiffle ball and look for the fireflies. As we went to sleep, if you listened closely, you could hear the waves crashing on the shore. It was magical.
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