The Ultimate Guide to the Jersey Shore: Where to Eat, What to Do, and so Much More

By Peter Genovese

The Jersey Shore, our most treasured asset, the envy of forty-nine other states, comes alive in this new book by the reporter and writer who knows New Jersey—and the Jersey Shore—best. Every conceivable topic—where to eat, where to stay, landmarks and attractions, what to do with the kids—is covered with the kind of inside information you just won’t find on tourism web sites or Facebook. All one hundred-plus Shore towns are included, from Sandy Hook to Cape May. There are hundreds of restaurant listings and recommendations. The book also contains engaging profiles and vignettes of the people and places that give the Shore its special character and charm. A throwback five-and-dime store on Long Beach Island. Banner pilots. Birders. Baby parades. And more. You want lists and rankings? The book is full of them—twenty best Shore towns, twenty-one secret spots down the Shore, twenty essential Jersey Shore experiences, fifty things we bet you didn’t know about the Shore, and so on. The book is the next best thing to being at the Shore; actually, it may be better than being there (think of those epic traffic jams on the Parkway, and all the money you’ll save on tolls, beach fees, and bad boardwalk pizza).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press
• Release date: May 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9781978831971

Book preview

Cover Page for The Ultimate Guide to the Jersey Shore

The Ultimate Guide to the Jersey Shore

The Ultimate Guide to the Jersey Shore

Where to Eat, What to Do, and so Much More

Peter Genovese

Rutgers University Press

New Brunswick, Camden, and Newark, New Jersey London and Oxford, UK

Rutgers University Press is a department of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, one of the leading public research universities in the nation. By publishing worldwide, it furthers the University’s mission of dedication to excellence in teaching, scholarship, research, and clinical care.

LCCN: 2023930344

A British Cataloging-in-Publication record for this book is available from the British Library.

All photographs by the author

Copyright © 2023 by Peter Genovese

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Please contact Rutgers University Press, 106 Somerset Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. The only exception to this prohibition is fair use as defined by U.S. copyright law.

References to internet websites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing. Neither the author nor Rutgers University Press is responsible for URLs that may have expired or changed since the manuscript was prepared.

rutgersuniversitypress.org

Contents

Introduction

Town Slogans

Raritan Bayshore

Get Naked or Get Lost

I Walked the Entire Jersey Shore. Sort Of.

The 20 Best Jersey Shore Towns

Sea Bright to Brick

50 Shore Facts We Bet You Didn’t Know

Keep Your Friends Close and Your Cookies Closer

The 21 Best Shore (Non-Boardwalk) Pizzerias

The Shore’s Best Strip Mall for Food

Jersey Shore Lighthouse Guide

21 Secret Spots Down the Shore

Bay Head to Island Beach State Park

Unlocking the Ocean

The Big Six Boardwalks

The 20 Best Boardwalk Foods

Long Beach Island to Atlantic City

My 25 Favorite Jersey Shore Bars

Ghostwriters in the Sky

Farmers Markets

20 Essential Jersey Shore Experiences

Craft Breweries

Wineries/Meaderies

Distilleries

Ocean City to Cape May

When Seagulls Attack

Why Is the Wildwood Beach So Damn Wide?

Watch the Tram Car, Please

Best Ice Cream Stands/Stores

Upper Middle Lower!

Delaware Bayshore

Top 20 Boardwalk Pizzerias

Parting Words

Acknowledgments

Index

About the Author

The Ultimate Guide to the Jersey Shore

Introduction

The Jersey Shore, 131 miles from Sandy Hook to Cape May, manages to be our greatest treasure and biggest headache.

It’s a source of jealousy for at least 40 other states, and yet it drives us crazy every summer. It’s the stuff of romance and legend and fond memories, even if everything conspires against having a good time there. The apocalyptic traffic jams on the Garden State Parkway. Those annoying parking meters. The overpriced, underwhelming food (don’t get me started on boardwalk pizza). Foamy, greenish water, stinging jellyfish, and watch out for those riptides.

When you return to your car, you find a ticket on the windshield because the meter expired minutes before, and the Parkway is jammed all the way home, and you wonder somewhere around Red Bank or Sayreville whether it was all worth it.

Of course it was; you’ll be back, because a true Jerseyan always returns to the Shore. It’s in our collective DNA.

There is something about all that water, sand, and sky that beckons.

Dozens of books have been published on the Jersey Shore—on its history, culture, landmarks, shipwrecks, hiking trails, lighthouses, and more—but no one has written the ultimate guide to the Jersey Shore, taking in all its attractions and allures.

What to see, what to do. Where to eat and where to stay. Beaches and boardwalks. Festivals and special events. What to do with the kids. Scenic drives. The best Shore towns to shop in, and the best ones to get away from it all (despite their seeming homogeneity, the Shore towns, from Sea Bright to Cape May, each have a distinct look and feel and atmosphere).

This book, as the title suggests, will cover every conceivable part of the Shore, written by someone who knows the Shore better than anyone. I’ve written hundreds of stories about it for the Star-Ledger and nj.com over the years, plus one book for Rutgers University Press (The Jersey Shore Uncovered: A Revealing Season on the Beach).

What makes this book different from other guides and information you can easily glean from the internet? Its scope and considerable insider knowledge, written with verve and pizzazz (I’ve always wanted to use that word somewhere). Many guidebooks read like dry Wikipedia entries. The Ultimate Guide to the Jersey Shore is packed with detailed, you-won’t-find-this-stuff-on-the-web info.

There will be something about every Shore town, from Sea Bright to Cape May. Even the Raritan Bayshore towns get their due. In all, 101 Shore towns are listed in this book. For every town, I’ll give you tips on what to see, do, and eat (except the two towns that do not have a single restaurant), tell you where to go—and what to avoid. This is not the chamber of commerce version of the Jersey Shore.

You want lists? I’ve got lists galore: 20 Essential Jersey Shore Experiences, 21 Secret Spots Down the Shore, the 20 Best Shore Towns ranked, 20 Best Boardwalk Foods, Best Ice Cream Stands/Stores, and much more.

Each section—the Bayshore, Sandy Hook to Brick, Bay Head to Island Beach State Park, Long Beach Island to Atlantic City, and Ocean City to Cape May—will be packed with useful and unique info. If I tell you to visit such-and-such landmark or attraction, the entry will contain details you won’t find elsewhere. Because I’ve been there.

The Jersey Shore is much more than the beach towns from Sea Bright to Cape May; this book will also cover the necklace of towns along Routes 71, 35, 9, and other highways: the Walls and Waretowns, the Ocean Gates and Ocean Views.

I’ve lived more than a third of my life Down the Shore. It began with seven years in Manasquan; one of those years was the best year of my life. I lived on the ground floor of a house with a wraparound porch. I’d run down to the beach and then up and down the asphalt boardwalk—warm, blissful mornings when I thought I could run forever.

Then I moved to Hunterdon County and quickly realized I missed the Shore. It was in my blood. Millions of Jerseyans know the feeling. Nearly 20 years ago, I moved to the town where I now live. There’s no boardwalk, barely a beach, but it’s as much a part of the Shore as Belmar, Asbury, or LBI. My house, fronting a bay, is not much to look at—call it a cigar box on pilings—but the view is spectacular: marsh, water, sky. In the summer, there’s an endless, noisy cavalcade of boats and personal watercraft whose pilots ignore the No Wake signs. I try to ignore them. It’s not easy.

Over the years, I jumped at any newspaper assignment involving the Shore; it was my turf, the place I felt most at home. Once, I spent a day at the state’s only nude beach—Gunnison in Sandy Hook—wearing nothing but a notebook and a smile. I didn’t say all the assignments were challenging ones.

I’m not obsessed with the Shore; it just seems that way. I walked most of the 131-mile-long coastline in the summer of 2020 to measure the pandemic’s effect on Shore life and economies. What a trip that was. Walking into a tornado, besieged by bugs, falling off a boat, enduring the worst barbecue of my life. I packed more drama into two weeks than the previous 20 years. You’ll read about it here.

I can’t imagine Jersey without the Shore or life without the beach. Millions of Jerseyans feel the same way. The beach is one thing for which we have an undeniable superiority over New York; it’s no wonder our Shore towns are overrun by New York license plates every summer.

Do you hate the Shore? Maybe this will change your mind. Love the Shore? I’m pretty sure you’ll love this book.

Note: Many of the quick facts at the top of each town entry are derived from the indispensable Encyclopedia of New Jersey (Rutgers University Press). Others are from official town websites, tourism brochures, and my own observations.

Also, I included excerpts from The WPA Guide to 1930s New Jersey (Rutgers University Press) in the intro to each town when possible. They provide added historical background and show how much has changed—and not changed—at the Shore in nearly 100 years. And the observations teeter between wise and witty. The first gigolos in America were introduced at Long Branch—who knew?

Town Slogans

I love town slogans and how municipalities across the state try to fashion their images and identities. In my Greatest Thing about Every NJ Town series in 2021, I singled out several slogans as the greatest or most interesting thing about that town. My favorite was Randolph, whose slogan is Where Life Is Worth Living. Surely they could have done better than that.

Fortunately, Jersey Shore town slogans are more colorful and insightful. Mostly, anyway. Here they are, from north to south:

Keyport: The Pearl of the Bayshore

Union Beach: Best Little Town in NJ

Middletown: Proud of Our Rich Heritage

Highlands: Where the Jersey Shore Begins

Monmouth Beach: Seaside Living since 1906

Allenhurst: Where Sea and Country Meet

Neptune Township: Where Community, Business, and Tourism Prosper

Ocean Grove: The Jewel of the Jersey Shore / God’s Square Mile at the Jersey Shore

Ocean Township: The Community of Gracious Living

Belmar: Beautiful Sea

Avon-by-the-Sea: The Shore’s Best-Kept Secret

Sea Girt: Where the Cedars Meet the Sea

Brielle: A Community by the River

Point Pleasant Beach: A Historic Past, A Vibrant Future

Lavallette: The Ideal Family Resort

Seaside Park: The Family Resort

Ship Bottom: Gateway to Long Beach Island

Island Heights: Unity Fraternity Prosperity (on seal)

Berkeley: From the Shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the Serenity of the Pine Barrens

Ocean Township (Ocean Co.): Smooth Sailing since 1876

Bass River Township: A Clean Community

Brigantine: An Island You’ll Love for Life

Atlantic City: America’s Favorite Playground / Entertainment Capital of the Jersey Shore / Always Turned On

Egg Harbor City: The Place to Be . . . We Got It All!

Egg Harbor Township: The Heart of Atlantic County

Northfield: Gateway to the Shore

Somers Point: The Shore Starts Here!

Ocean City: America’s Greatest Family Resort

Lower: A Place to Remember

Sea Isle City: A City for All Seasons

Avalon: Cooler by a Mile

Stone Harbor: The Seashore at Its Best

North Wildwood: Sun and Sand (on seal)

Wildwood Crest: It’s Better in the Crest

West Wildwood: Small Town Charm on the Back Bay

Cape May: The Nation’s Oldest Seashore Resort

Raritan Bayshore

Most Jerseyans consider the Jersey Shore to run from Sandy Hook to Cape May. I’m not one of those Jerseyans. Raritan Bay may not be the most scenic waterway, but the towns scattered along it offer much in the way of dining and other diversions. The Raritan Bayshore is always ignored in other Jersey Shore books. Not here.

Union Beach

Quick fact: In 1676, Richard Hartshorn purchased land here from the Native Americans. Farming and brickmaking were the major industries until the mid-19th century.

Official town website: ubnj.net.

Where to Eat

Ader’s Tavern, 1321 Florence Ave.; [phone]; aderstavern.com. Burgers, burgers, burgers. There are other items on the menu at Ader’s Tavern, but you go there for the burgers and the friendly atmosphere in this locals’ hangout. The burger, like the town, is blue collar, no nonsense: tasty meat on a nice sturdy roll. Homemade chili, wings, beer-battered onion rings, cheesesteaks, pizza, homemade soups, steak and eggs, and omelets are also on the menu. One novelty item: the Gunnison burger—a nod to the nude beach, a burger without the bun.

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JakeaBob’s Bay, 525 Front St.; [phone]. Hurricane Sandy obliterated Union Beach. But the town, and this restaurant/bar, persevered. JakeaBob’s owner Angelita Liaguno-Dorr—everyone calls her GiGi—turned doors from demolished Union Beach homes into tables for her bar as a way to keep the spirit of the town alive. The doors were both winsome folk art and poignant reminders of Sandy’s destruction. The restaurant is perched on Raritan Bay; tables on the outdoor deck are prime warm-weather spots. Oaxaca shrimp and GiGi’s homemade guacamole are among the apps, the Sunday brunches are legendary, and they sure love mixing drinks here. Try the Turtle Shell Bucket, with pineapple, coconut, lemon, and mango rums; blue curaçao; and Sprite.

Keyport

Quick fact: Keyport was formed as a town within Raritan (now Hazlet) in 1870 and reorganized as a borough in 1908.

Official town website: keyportonline.com.

WPA Guide: Deeds made by the Indians in 1665 show Keyport to have been one of the state’s earliest white settlements. Chingarora was the Indian name for the place and Chingarora oysters became famous.

Keyport—the Pearl of the Bayshore—is one of the state’s most underrated dining destinations. Look at the list; you’ll see why.

Where to Eat

Broad Street Diner, 83 Broad St.; [phone]; 83broadstreetdiner.com. Best diner in the diner capital of the world? The Broad Street Diner, a small-town retro classic and winner of our NJ’s Best Diner Showdown in 2015. There were bigger, flashier diners in the competition, but none combined great food, friendly service, and atmosphere like the Broad Street Diner. The small-town gem started as Palace Lunch in the 1920s and was later called the Seaport Diner and Stanley’s Seaport Diner. My favorite dish here: the chocolate babka French toast.

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Drew’s Bayshore Bistro, 25 Church St.; [phone]; drewsbayshorebistro.com. Drew Araneo, a Brookdale Community College grad who grew up in Keyport and Union Beach, opened Drew’s Bayshore Bistro in 2005. The menu at his restaurant features his interpretations of Gulf and Low Country cuisines with the addition of such blue-chip American standards as grilled New York strip and New Jersey seared scallops. Araneo loves all things pig. He features a daily pork dish—pork du jour, he calls it. One night, it could be blackened pork chops with gorgonzola mac ’n’ cheese; another, pork bellies or pulled pork. The shrimp and grits and the city jambalaya are must-orders, and save room for dessert; strawberry shortcake profiteroles, blueberry white chocolate bread pudding, and flourless chocolate torte are among the offerings.

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Keyport Fishery, 150 W. Front St.; [phone]; keyportfishery.com. This town landmark has weathered many of life’s challenges, according to the website. Yeah, no kidding. Fire, flood, Hurricane Sandy: Keyport Fishery has outlasted them all. It started in the 1920s as the Elizabeth Oyster Co., becoming the Keyport Fishery in 1936. It’s takeout-only, and the lines can be long, but the wait will be worth it. Platters include three-quarters of a pound of seafood (flounder, shrimp, haddock, soft-shell crabs, etc.), plus fries and coleslaw. Sandwiches include one-third of a pound of seafood. You can also buy fried seafood by the pound, Manhattan and New England clam chowders, and Louisiana crab soup. The fishery is a must-stop in this foodie haven. Note: This is the only time foodie will appear in this book. I hate the word!

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McDonagh’s Pub, 2 W. Front St.; [phone]; mcdonaghs.com. Soul of Ireland, heart of Keyport is McDonagh’s slogan. All bartenders here are perfect pour certified from Guinness Brewery, according to the bar. This is not some sleepy Irish pub: there are two stages; indoor, patio, and outdoor dining rooms; and an event hall. The corned beef sandwich, on marble rye toast, is the signature dish; other options include a black pepper short rib burger, the St. Paddy melt, and the astounding Mile-High Reuben.

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Mike’s Giant Size Submarine Sandwiches, 103 W. Front St.; [phone]; mikessubshop.com. Remember when restaurants and delis handed out free calendars? Well, Mike’s still does! This bayshore legend, open since 1961, was closed for five months due to Hurricane Sandy, but it’s back and five feet higher off the ground after being raised. The subs are large and loaded.

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Mr. Green Tea, 42 E. Front St.; [phone]; mrgreentea.com. There’s no sign or company name on the block-long, 10,000-square-foot brick building that houses Mr. Green Tea, but this is a major—albeit low-profile—player in the ice cream world. The company was started by Santo Emanuele, who flew B-17 bombing missions for the Eighth Air Force in World War II. In 1968, he started a Brooklyn-based ice cream business—Mr. Green Tea—to appeal to the emerging Japanese restaurant industry. The first three flavors were traditional Asian favorites: red bean, green tea, and ginger. Today, Mr. Green Tea offers 50-some flavors of ice cream plus six flavors of mochi—the sweet, rice dough–wrapped ice cream. MGT Foods, the parent company, sells more traditional Asian ice cream than any other company in the world, according to Michael Emanuele, MGT’s vice president. You can’t buy Mr. Green Tea ice cream at the Keyport headquarters, located in the former town post office, but it is widely available at Whole Foods and other stores.

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Old Glory Kitchen + Spirits, 84 Broad St.; [phone]; oldglorynj.com. Across the street from the Broad Street Diner is Old Glory, a former church converted into a restaurant/bar (it formerly housed a restaurant called Trinity). Specials include oyster sliders and a pomegranate poinsettia pizza, and entrées run from bacon-wrapped meatloaf and classic penne to jumbo shrimp kebabs and Cajun catfish. Good wings, too. Try the fire-roasted with onion, peppers, and grilled lemon or the sweet Thai chili.

Attractions

Keyport has several beautiful bayfront parks: Cedar Street Park, Benjamin Terry Park, Veteran’s Park, and Waterfront Park.

Hazlet

Quick fact: Aberdeen, Hazlet, Holmdel, Keyport, Union Beach, Matawan, and part of Keansburg were once part of Raritan Township. Hazlet is named for Dr. John Hazlett.

Official town website: hazlettwp.org.

Where to Eat

Bagel Boyz, 694 Holmdel Rd.; [phone]; bagelboyznj.com. Lox spread and sliced lox on a bagel are clearly worlds apart, and their prices reflect it. Sliced lox on a plain bagel at Bagel Boyz turned out to be a winning combination in our exhaustive search for NJ’s best bagels. The everything bagel here is top-notch. Bagel Boyz finished #30 in our ranking of the state’s best bagel shops.

Keansburg

Quick fact: The town was once known as Waycake; it was named after Congressman John Kean in the late 19th century.

Official town website: keansburgnj.gov.

The Gelhaus family, who own Keansburg Amusement Park, formed the Steamboat Company in 1910. The steamboat City of Keansburg made three round trips daily from New York City to Keansburg until a 1962 hurricane destroyed the pier and ended the steamship era.

WPA Guide: During prohibition, bootleggers’ speedboats landed large shipments at a decaying steamboat pier.

Where to Eat

Olde Heidelberg, boardwalk; [phone]. I love Olde Heidelberg’s end-of-season Facebook message: This is it. Our last weekend of the season. This means cheap beer and lots of it. Today all domestics are $2 and all craft and imports are $3! Tomorrow beer will be even further discounted! Do your civic duty and help us empty our kegs and walk in boxes! I remember when this boardwalk legend was charmingly divey; it’s been spruced up and brightened. Grilled hot dogs have been the longtime calling card at Olde Heidelberg, which opened in 1934.

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Pizza V, boardwalk; [phone]. The pizzas aren’t fancy, but there’s something about enjoying a good, classic slice by the sea. One quirk: they make plain pies only. If someone brings pepperoni (or other toppings), we will put it on the pizza, the owner said.

Fun for the Kids

Keansburg Amusement Park / Runaway Rapids, 275 Beachway Ave.; [phone]; keansburgamusementpark.com. The state’s oldest amusement park was devastated by Hurricane Sandy, but it’s back and bustling with nearly 50 rides—Frog Hopper, Pharaoh’s Fury, roller coaster, merry-go-round, tilt-a-whirl, even bumper cars. There are 20 or so food stands offering everything from fries, zeppoles, kebabs, and pizza to ice cream, Hawaiian shaved ice, and cotton candy. One must-try: The Olde Heidelberg. Runaway Rapids Waterpark is also here.

Middletown (Includes Belford, Leonardo, Navesink)

Quick fact: In 1663, Englishmen from Long Island bought from the Native Americans land that later became Middletown. It is one of three original Monmouth County townships.

Official town website: middletownnj.org.

WPA Guide: The narrow sandy waste (at Sandy Hook) is overrun with poison ivy, huge holly trees and many of the beach plum bushes so cherished by the Indians that the first white owner was obliged to buy the bushes after paying for the land.

There are five designated historic districts in Middletown: Chapel Hill, Locust, Monmouth Hills, Navesink, and Middletown Village.

Note: Middletown may not seem a logical choice for a Jersey Shore town, but it includes the bayfront towns of Belford and Leonardo, and Sandy Hook technically is in Middletown.

Where to Eat

Barrel & Roost (former Restaurant Nicholas), 160 Route 35, Middletown; [phone]; barrelandroost.com. Barrel & Roost is the former Restaurant Nicholas, which was Zagat’s top-rated New Jersey restaurant for 15 years. We’re stripping off the white tablecloths and (serving) up a bold new menu, made-from-scratch food that’s crazy-delicious, yet entirely accessible any night of the week, owner Nicholas Harary says. The menu advertises Some Straight Up Meat (New York strip, filet mignon) and Not So Straight Up Meat (braised beef short rib, bourbon-braised suckling pig), plus seafood, sandwiches, pasta, and pizza. The restaurant’s wine list is one of the state’s best. The restaurant is located not in Red Bank, as the website states, but in Middletown.

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Belford Seafood Co-op, 901 Port Monmouth Rd., Belford; [phone]. You can’t eat here, but you can pick up the freshest fish around. Belford Seafood Co-op, two miles from Route 36 and a world away from the Jersey most of us know, is one of the state’s six commercial fishing ports. Founded in 1953, it is the smallest and maybe hardiest of all. The manager, Dave, is a trip: chatty, opinionated, unfiltered. Check their Facebook page for what’s available in the market.

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Big Mike’s Little Red Store, 101 Navesink Ave., Navesink; [phone]; bigmikeslittleredstore.com. Mike Metzner, the former executive chef at Restaurant Nicholas, opened Big Mike’s Little Red Store in 2018. Everyone’s a little worried, like we’ll try to serve foie gras, he told New Jersey Monthly. We’re really just going to try to make a really good, everyday eatery for everyone. Adventurous? Try the Poppa, with charred bologna, two eggs, cheddar, potato pancake, and Red Store ketchup on a hard roll. Other sandwiches include Nashville hot chicken, the Red Hook Bomber (hot roast beef, fresh mozzarella, fried eggplant, and gravy on a semolina sub), and Creole grilled chicken. And they carry Natalie’s Orchid Island orange juice, my absolute favorite OJ.

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Fratelli’s Pizzeria, 480 Route 35, Middletown; [phone]; fratellis-pizzeria.com. Excellent pizza at this strip mall pizzeria, but there’s one quirk: it’s available dine-in only; no takeout. Their Sicilian, cooked in an imported Italian brick oven, is one of the state’s best.

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Gem’s House of Bagels, 490 Route 35, Middletown; [phone]; gemsbagels.com. Rolls are not the only vehicle for Taylor ham / pork roll, egg, and cheese; many New Jerseyans prefer bagels. I’m not one of them; don’t hold it against me. Gem’s offers a standout pork roll sandwich. My last time there, I had a pork roll, egg, and cheese on an everything bagel with two layers of thick meat and a bright-yellow egg that looked and tasted just-hatched.

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Slater’s Deli, 866 Route 36, Leonardo; [phone]; slatersdeli.com. Slater’s boasts the biggest Taylor ham / pork roll sandwich in the state, and it ranked #6 on my list of the state’s 20 best Taylor ham / pork roll sandwiches. It’s a monster, oozing egg and cheese, with six seriously thick slices of pork roll, gobs of cheese, and the egg in there somewhere. The subs are, not surprisingly, hefty, and someone had fun naming the triple-deckers—Big Butte, Nitro Nightmare, and Mr. Roberts, among others. And what other deli offers breakfast (eggs, pancakes, omelets, etc.) all day?

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TSTBBQ, 910 Route 36, Leonardo; [phone]; tstbbq.com. Texas style BBQ with a New Jersey attitude is the slogan at TSTBBQ, with a rather unlikely location at Hole in One Miniature Golf on Route 36 eastbound. The menu includes burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, ribs, bacon-wrapped onion wrings, and more. Good ribs with tender, juicy meat, but the highlight here are the burnt ends, available weekends. TSTBBQ also has opened TSTBBQ Country Bar & Grill inside the Holiday Inn in Hazlet.

Get Naked or Get Lost

I’ve gone naked on assignment exactly twice in my career.

This is not something you’d normally want to confess, but in both cases, I was doing something completely legal.

Newspapers always do a story on the beach at least once a year, one Gunnison Beach regular told me on my last visit.

Not like this, I tell him.

I was on the state’s only legal nude beach wearing nothing but a smile. I’ve seen other reporters do this story, but always at least partially clothed—swimsuit, shorts, whatever. I figured to do it right, you had to blend in, go for the Full Monty.

Back at the office, an editor asked me if I wore my glasses on the nude beach. Yes, I said. Then you weren’t completely naked, she replied.

Editors . . .

Reporters gone naked sounds like the title of a reality show no one wants to see, but if you’re going to spend the afternoon at Gunnison, you need to act like the locals and go native.

I’ve visited Gunnison twice over the years—that’s all, I swear!—first for the Home News, then for the Star-Ledger, writing about both experiences.

The best line, and the title of this entry, came on my first visit. I was standing at a food truck when a woman sized me up from head to toe and asked, Your first time here? Yes, I replied.

When I identified myself, she asked me not to write about Gunnison. Then she added, Our motto here is to get naked or get lost.

The nude beach is tucked at the north end of Sandy Hook; parking lot G is 4.5 miles from the park entrance. The beach is both a hike and difficult to miss. The water is about a quarter mile from the parking lot. At first glance, Gunnison looks like any Jersey beach—blankets, chairs, umbrellas, coolers.

Except for the naked people.

Sandy Hook is part of the federal Gateway National Recreation Area, so local ordinances don’t apply. Liquor is allowed, but no glass containers. State-owned Higbee Beach, in Lower Township, was a nude beach for many years, but complaints from locals forced then governor Christine Todd Whitman to ban nude sunbathing in 2000, although it still occurs.

Gunnison, meanwhile, packs them in; on my last visit, a thousand or so nude sunbathers had spread out blankets and beach chairs on a picture-perfect summer afternoon.

It may be the quietest beach in the state: no music blaring, no kids screaming, and little garbage. There is no concession stand; make sure you bring a cooler.

If you’re expecting Brazilian supermodels and rock-hard abs, you’re in the wrong place. Sure, there are some beautiful bodies, but mostly it’s the average American body on full display, with lots of flab and sag.

A fair amount of Jerseyans apparently want to get naked, because on my last visit, the place was packed.

You draw more attention here with your clothes on than with your clothes off, says Al from Brick.

He’s here four or five times a week, part of a group of nudist friends that includes Khadafy, a musician from Bergenfield, and Tom, a retired New York City cop everyone calls Turtle.

The first time Turtle visited Gunnison 29 years ago with his then new wife, a Bo Derek look-alike strode out of the water and asked Tom if he could help drag her catamaran to the beach.

His response: Definitely!

Khadafy is here every weekday. He’s from Trinidad; the Trinidad and Tobago flag flies from his sand chair; a Jets cooler is nearby.

It’s a great community, great friends, says Khadafy, who doesn’t even own a bathing suit.

One big no-no here: cameras. It is considered extremely rude to photograph others enjoying themselves at the beach, reads a guide to nude beach etiquette on the website of Friends of Gunnison, an American Association for Nude Recreation–affiliated club.

Dave and Lin drive up from Ocean City once a year to spend the day at the nude beach. They bought T-shirts down here once that read Happiness is no tan lines.

A lot of people from Jersey don’t know this is here, Dave says.

Signs at the end of the walkway to the beach read, Attention: Beyond This Point You May Encounter Nude Sunbathers.

There’s no may about it; the overwhelming amount of beachgoers beyond that sign are naked; a handful of women keep on their bikini bottoms.

The beach, and a nearby battery mounted with six-inch disappearing guns completed in 1904, are named after Captain John Gunnison.

I’ve been coming here 14 years, Al from Brick says. The first 2 years I didn’t tell my children.

He calls nude sunbathing addictive.

The only time I put on a bathing suit is when I go to Vegas, he adds.

The nudists, according to Khadafy, are all average people. There are artists, funeral directors, teachers, nurses, doctors.

For the musician, Gunnison provides mental and physical therapy. . . . There’s an openness about it, a freedom.

The lifeguards, in case you’re wondering, are clothed. There are several volleyball nets; games usually occur in the late afternoon. The day I was there, a dozen guys and girls tossed around a Frisbee.

On a clear day, you can see the New York City skyline. It’s a nude beach with a great view.

Attractions

Gateway National Recreation Area, nps.gov/gate/index.htm. Sandy Hook is the best-known part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, but the 27,000-acre park also includes the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Jacob Riis Park, Fort Wadsworth, and Great Kills Park, among other sites. There are no entrance fees for any of the sites, but there is a $20 parking fee from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day at Sandy Hook and Jacob Riis Park. Parking at Fort Hancock, though, is free. As of this writing, Sandy Hook Lighthouse is closed, but the Sandy Hook Visitor Center is open 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Besides the beaches at Sandy Hook (with their great views of the Manhattan skyline), there are biking and walking paths. Don’t forget to check out the former Nike missile site.

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Hartshorne Woods Park, entrances at 1402 Portland Rd., 307 Navesink Ave., and 239 Locust Ave., Middletown; [phone]. This may be the Jersey Shore’s least-publicized outdoor space, a hilly 791-acre site overlooking the Navesink River, which means great views of Sandy Hook Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Manhattan skyline. There are 14 miles of trails, from easy to not-so easy, plus camping, fishing in the Navesink River, and trails for walking, hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Work up a good appetite, then reward yourself at one of the many cafés, bakeries, bars, and restaurants in Highlands or Atlantic Highlands. The park is named after Richard Hartshorne, an English Quaker who settled here in 1669. Batteries for heavy artillery were built on the site during World War II.

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Henry Hudson Trail. One of the most intriguing trails or paths along the Jersey Shore, the Henry Hudson Trail is a 10-foot-wide, 24-mile-long trail along a former railroad right-of-way. There are two trail sections, one from the Aberdeen/Keyport border to Leonardo (the path then shares the road with Route 36) and another from the Atlantic Highlands Marina to Popamora Point on the Highlands / Atlantic Highlands border.

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Sandy Hook Lighthouse, 85 Mercer Rd. The oldest working lighthouse in the country, the Sandy Hook Lighthouse was first lit in 1764. For many years, early American lighthouses burned whale oil as an illuminant in metal lamps and later, lamps with mirror-like reflectors, according to the National Park Service website. In 1822, Augustin Fresnel of France introduced a glass lens that revolutionized the lighting of lighthouses. The Fresnel lens resembled a giant old-fashioned beehive, inside of which was a single lamp. One quirky fact: the lighthouse was once 500 feet from the tip of Sandy Hook; ocean currents continued to move sand up the coast, and the lighthouse with it; by 1864, the lighthouse stood 4,000 feet from the tip of Sandy Hook. Nearby is Twin Lights (see separate entry under Highlands).

Atlantic Highlands

Quick fact: Midshipman Isaac Mayo made the first recorded mention of Uncle Sam after anchoring in Sandy Hook Bay in 1810. Mayo would later command the African Squadron in the Mexican-American War.

Official town website: ahnj.com.

WPA Guide: Bay View Avenue, often called Scenic Drive, climbing sharply and passing old Victorian houses with the towers, turrets, bay windows, hidden porches, irregular contours and baroque decoration popular in the late 19th century.

Where to Eat

Kunya Siam, 99 First Ave.; [phone]; kunyasiam.com. Geez, I wish there were a Thai restaurant within 50 miles of my house (I live in the middle of nowhere). Kunya Siam offers all the traditional Thai favorites—tom-yum soup, pad thai, fried rice, panang curry chicken—plus more adventurous dishes such as Shrimp Jungle Curry (extra-large shrimp, eggplant, carrot, bamboo shoots, string beans, bell pepper, turmeric, and kaffir lime leaf). Recommended: the tom-yum soup and jumbo shrimp garlic. Atlantic Highlands is one of the state’s underrated dining destinations.

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Nicholas Creamery, 84 First Ave.; [phone]; nicholascreamery.com. For years, I had picked Cookman Creamery in Asbury Park as Monmouth County’s top ice cream spot—until I visited Nicholas Creamery. Nicholas is Nicholas Harary, owner of Barrel & Roost (the former Restaurant Nicholas) in Middletown. Small-batch ice cream using natural dairy and working directly with local farmers and food artisans to source the freshest, seasonal ingredients is the mission statement here. The ice cream is über-rich and impossibly creamy. Always-available Creamery Classics include Tahitian vanilla, Valrhona chocolate brownie bake, mint Oreo, and brown sugar cookie dough. Rotating flavors of the month include Bailey’s chocolate chunk, Mexican hot chocolate, and brown butter peanut brittle. There are also locations in Fair Haven and Tinton Falls.

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Peace Love Pickles, 131 First Ave.; [phone]; peacelovepickles.com. Sandwiches made of pickles, without any bread. Yes, you read that right. In 2019, Katherine Cohen opened Elsie’s Pickles in Haddon Township, and it was an immediate hit. She hollows out Kirby pickles with an ice cream scooper, filling halves with ingredients—turkey, corned beef, Swiss cheese, salami, provolone, hummus, and tuna, to name a few. The result is weird, wacky and wonderful all at once, I wrote in my Greatest Thing about Every New Jersey Town series. You can also buy bottled mixers (the Pickled Surfer combines pickle brine, lime juice, and jalapeño) and pickle guts, the hollowed-out portion of the pickle. There is another location in Northfield.

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Sissy’s at the Harbor, 8 Simon Lake Dr.; [phone]. Inspirational messages abound at Sissy’s: Happiness is the best facelift. You can’t stop the waves but you can learn to surf. No working during drinking hours. Sissy’s is a time-honored neighborhood breakfast and lunch spot overlooking the marina and a flotilla of boats. Eggs, pancakes, French toast, waffles, subs, burgers, and seafood sandwiches are among the offerings.

Attractions

First Avenue Playhouse Dessert Theatre, 123 First Ave.; [phone]; firstavenueplayhouse.org. Dessert and a play? Sign me up! The First Avenue Dessert Theatre has provided comedies and musicals for 30-plus years, with a newly staged production every month.

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Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook, 460 Ocean Blvd. About the last place you’d expect to find the highest natural elevation on the Atlantic seaboard is New Jersey, right? Well, Mount Mitchill is the place. Ninety percent of Jerseyans, I’m willing to bet, have never heard of it, much less paid it a visit. The scenic overlook, 266 feet above sea level, offers a heart-stopping view of Sandy Hook, the Atlantic Ocean, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, and the New York City skyline. The site is named after naturalist and botanist Samuel Mitchill, described in the park brochure as a remarkably educated man who held degrees in medicine and law; worked as a professor of agriculture, chemistry, natural history, and botany; and served in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. In 1816, the site was named in honor of Mitchill for his circumnavigation of Long Island. The 12-acre park also is home to Monmouth County’s official 9/11 memorial.

Mount Mitchill, Atlantic Highlands

Can’t-Miss Event

FilmOne Fest, July; filmonefest.org. FilmOne Fest stands out among Jersey film festivals. It’s devoted to short-short films—about a minute or so—from around the world. The festival takes place every third Saturday in July on a giant screen at the Atlantic Highlands Marina. There are also screenings on the festival’s Facebook page.

Atlantic Highlands Marina

Highlands

Quick fact: Highlands was first settled by Richard Hartshorne in 1678 but not incorporated until 1900.

Official town website: highlandsborough.org.

WPA Guide: At the insistence of local residents, a blind was put on the tower (at Twin Lights) to keep the revolving light from flashing into house windows.

You could call Highlands the front door to the Jersey Shore; it’s situated at the spectacular crossroads where the Atlantic Ocean, Raritan Bay, and Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers converge. The sweeping drive down Route 36—Sandy Hook to the left, Sea Bright to the right—always takes my breath away.

Where to Eat

Bahrs Landing, 2 Bay Ave.; [phone]; bahrslandingnj.com. From necktie business in Newark to Shore restaurant legend. That’s the arc of Bahrs, which can be traced to John Bahrs’s tie business in the early 1900s. Bahr and his wife moved to Highlands, where they bought a small boat rental business and in 1917 started making chowder. The eventual restaurant drew such famous customers as Frank Sinatra and Joe DiMaggio. That clam chowder is still on the menu, along with clams and oysters on the half shell, whole broiled or steamed lobsters, crabs, and more. The outdoor