The
Jersey Shore is a term used in the mid-Atlantic region of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to refer to both the Atlantic coast of
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
and the adjacent resort and residential communities. Its popularity as a
tourist destinationA tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
is due in large part to the nearly continuous stretch of beaches along its length, classic themes (antique, quaint, and classic), and boardwalks filled with hundreds of rides.
The New Jersey State Department of Tourism further considers the
Shore RegionThe Shore Region of the state of New Jersey encompasses Monmouth and Ocean Counties, and is often called the Jersey Shore. It is one of six such officially recognized areas, the others being the Greater Atlantic City Region, the Southern Shore Region, the Delaware River Region, the Skylands Region...
,
Greater Atlantic CityAtlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. Famous for its boardwalk, casino gambling, sandy beaches, shopping centers, view of the Atlantic Ocean, and as the inspiration for the board game Monopoly, Atlantic City is a resort community located on Absecon Island on the...
, and the
Southern ShoreThe Southern Shore Region is located in the southeastern part of State of New Jersey in the United States of America. It is one of six marketing areas established by the New Jersey State Department of Tourism, the others being the Gateway Region, Greater Atlantic City, the Delaware River Region,...
to be distinct, each having different character.
The
Jersey Shore is a term used in the mid-Atlantic region of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to refer to both the Atlantic coast of
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
and the adjacent resort and residential communities. Its popularity as a
tourist destinationA tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
is due in large part to the nearly continuous stretch of beaches along its length, classic themes (antique, quaint, and classic), and boardwalks filled with hundreds of rides.
The New Jersey State Department of Tourism further considers the
Shore RegionThe Shore Region of the state of New Jersey encompasses Monmouth and Ocean Counties, and is often called the Jersey Shore. It is one of six such officially recognized areas, the others being the Greater Atlantic City Region, the Southern Shore Region, the Delaware River Region, the Skylands Region...
,
Greater Atlantic CityAtlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. Famous for its boardwalk, casino gambling, sandy beaches, shopping centers, view of the Atlantic Ocean, and as the inspiration for the board game Monopoly, Atlantic City is a resort community located on Absecon Island on the...
, and the
Southern ShoreThe Southern Shore Region is located in the southeastern part of State of New Jersey in the United States of America. It is one of six marketing areas established by the New Jersey State Department of Tourism, the others being the Gateway Region, Greater Atlantic City, the Delaware River Region,...
to be distinct, each having different character. The other three tourism marketing areas are the
GatewayThe Gateway Region is located in the northeastern part of State of New Jersey in the United States of America. The area encompasses Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Union and Middlesex counties...
, the
Delaware ValleyThe Delaware River Region refers to an area in Western New Jersey along the Delaware River border with Pennsylvania. It encompasses Burlington County, Camden County, Gloucester County, Mercer County, and Salem County. The area is primarily part of Greater Philadelphia with the exception of Mercer...
, and the
SkylandsThe Skylands Region is a marketing area of the State of New Jersey located in the Northern and Central part of the state. It is one of six marketing areas established by the New Jersey State Department of Tourism, the others being the Gateway Region, Greater Atlantic City Region, the Southern...
..
The Jersey Shore is home to many renowned boardwalks including
Asbury ParkAsbury Park or sometimes called just "Asbury" is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, on the Jersey Shore and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city population was 17,930....
,
Atlantic CityAtlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. Famous for its boardwalk, casino gambling, sandy beaches, shopping centers, view of the Atlantic Ocean, and as the inspiration for the board game Monopoly, Atlantic City is a resort community located on Absecon Island on the...
,
BelmarBelmar is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 6,045. The Borough of Belmar is governed under the Faulkner Act system of municipal government....
,
Cape MayCape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean....
,
Ocean CityOcean City is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is the principal city of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Cape May County. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 15,378...
,
KeansburgKeansburg is a Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 10,732....
,
Long BranchLong Branch is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 31,340.Long Branch was formed on April 11, 1867, as the Long Branch Commission, from portions of Ocean Township...
,
Point Pleasant BeachPoint Pleasant Beach is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 5,314....
,
Seaside HeightsSeaside Heights is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 3,155...
, and
WildwoodWildwood is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 5,436 during the off-season, but it can swell to 250,000 during the summer months.Wildwood was originally...
.
Location and region
Geographically, the term encompasses the New Jersey coast from Sandy Hook in the north to
Cape MayCape May is a peninsula, the southern tip of which is the southernmost point of the state of New Jersey, United States. It runs southwards from the New Jersey mainland, separating Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean...
in the south. The Jersey Shore area includes the easternmost portions of
MonmouthMonmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 615,301, which had grown to 642,030 as of the Bureau's 2007 estimate. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is...
,
AtlanticAtlantic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2000 Census, the population is 252,552. Its county seat is Mays Landing....
,
Cape MayCape May County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 102,326. This county is part of the Delaware Valley area as well as the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county seat is the Cape May Court House section on Middle...
and
OceanOcean County is a county located along the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its county seat is Toms River, which, like the county itself, has been one of the fastest growing areas of the state since the 1990s. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population was 510,916...
counties.
There are also areas that get both New York and Philadelphia tourists. While there is no defined border between North and South, the
Manasquan RiverThe Manasquan River is a major waterway in central New Jersey. It flows from central Monmouth County, beginning in Freehold Township, to the Atlantic Ocean, where it empties between the communities of Manasquan and Point Pleasant via the Manasquan Inlet. It widens greatly as it nears the ocean,...
or
Interstate 195Interstate 195 is an auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its western end is at I-295 just south of Trenton, New Jersey ; its eastern end is at Route 34 in Wall Township. I-195 measures 34.17 miles in length...
are often mentioned. However, since New York City and Philadelphia are just 90 miles apart, there is a lot of overlap between where each metropolitan area's residents go for beach tourism. Long Beach Island is split between New York and Philadelphia. Below it is Philadelphia territory and above it is New York territory for the most part.
Points of Interest
- Shore Institute for Contemporary Art
The Shore Institute for Contemporary Art is a non-profit arts center in Long Branch, New Jersey, USA, located in the former Lincon Can Manufacturing building....
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Monmouth County, New Jersey
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Ocean County, New Jersey
- Church of the Presidents
The Church of the Presidents is a former Episcopal chapel on the Jersey Shore where seven United States presidents worshiped. It was visited by presidents Chester A. Arthur, James Garfield, Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Harrison, Rutherford Hayes, William McKinley, and Woodrow Wilson...
Pollution controversies
During the 1980s, the beaches of the Jersey Shore gained a somewhat unsavory reputation for being polluted, popularized in part by incidents of medical waste from the now non-existant
Fresh Kills LandfillThe Fresh Kills Landfill on the New York City borough of Staten Island in the United States, was formerly the largest landfill in the world, at more than 2200 acres , and was New York City's principal landfill in the second...
in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
washing up on the shore (an example of this is the "
Syringe TideSyringe Tide refers to a period during 1987-88 in New Jersey, where significant amounts of medical waste and raw garbage washed up onto a stretch of Atlantic Ocean beaches in Jersey Shore communities in Monmouth and Ocean counties. This forced the closing of all the beaches in the two counties...
" in 1987).
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
was forced to pay for the clean-up after
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
took it to court.
Jersey Shore sound and culture
The Jersey Shore is home to numerous rock and roll bars, most famously in
Asbury ParkAsbury Park or sometimes called just "Asbury" is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, on the Jersey Shore and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city population was 17,930....
, where
Bruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American singer-songwriter. He records and tours with the E Street Band...
honed his skills at now defunct clubs like The Upstage and the Student Prince. He still makes periodic live appearances at The Stone Pony bar or at
Convention HallAsbury Park Convention Hall is a 3,600-seat indoor exhibition center located on the boardwalk and on the beach in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It was built between 1928 and 1930 and is used for sports, concerts and other special events. Adjacent to the Convention Hall is the Paramount Theatre; both are...
as either a solo act, with the
E Street BandThe E Street Band is a musical group that has periodically toured and recorded with rock musician Bruce Springsteen since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Sting,...
, or with other artists. Furthermore, Bill Haley and the Comets performed "Rock Around the Clock" for the first time live at the Hoff Brau in Wildwood.
A style of music known as the
Jersey Shore soundThe Jersey Shore sound was a genre of rock and roll popularized at the Jersey Shore on the Atlantic Ocean coast of New Jersey, United States, that went by a variety of names or, more often, was defined by its artists...
evolved from this scene. The Springsteen song "
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)"4th of July, Asbury Park ", often known just as "Sandy", is a 1973 song by Bruce Springsteen, originally appearing as the second song on his album The Wild, The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle...
" is one of several Springsteen songs that contains references to the Jersey shore scene of the early 1970s.
The Jersey shore represents one of the most booming real estate markets on the
East CoastThe East Coast of the United States, also known as the "Eastern Seaboard" or "Atlantic Seaboard", refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada...
as its prominence as a tourist destination and vacation spot has risen greatly in the past decade.
In recent years, the fortunes of the shore have improved and it has once again become a heavily-used destination for beachgoers and resort vacationers during the summer months (with the exception of Atlantic City, which is popular year-round). The area is also undergoing a population boom, particularly in Monmouth and Ocean counties, where the population is steadily rising. The area also experienced a real estate boom in the early 2000s, but since early 2008, real estate prices have seen a dramatic drop like many other areas of the United States.
- Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey
Avon-by-the-Sea is a Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, although many of the vacationers and locals call it Avon. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 2,244....
- Atlantic County, New Jersey
Atlantic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2000 Census, the population is 252,552. Its county seat is Mays Landing....
- Barnegat Peninsula
The Barnegat Peninsula, also known as the Island Beach Peninsula, is a long, narrow barrier peninsula located in Ocean County, New Jersey, that divides the Barnegat Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. It is a vacation destination and summer colony area and is heavily dependent on the industries of...
(also known as the Island Beach Peninsula)
- Cape May County, New Jersey
Cape May County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 102,326. This county is part of the Delaware Valley area as well as the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county seat is the Cape May Court House section on Middle...
- Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 615,301, which had grown to 642,030 as of the Bureau's 2007 estimate. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is...
- Ocean County, New Jersey
Ocean County is a county located along the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its county seat is Toms River, which, like the county itself, has been one of the fastest growing areas of the state since the 1990s. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population was 510,916...
- Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916
The Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916 were a series of shark attacks along the coast of New Jersey between July 1 and July 12, 1916, in which four people were killed and one injured. Since 1916, scholars have debated which shark species was responsible and the number of animals involved, with the...
- Max's Famous Hotdogs
Max's Famous Hot Dogs is a restaurant in Long Branch, New Jersey known for its hot dogs. Max's uses quarter pound Schickhaus beef/pork dog slow cooked on a griddle. Max's Hotdog style is a Jersey Shore variant of Kosher style. It is popular with local celebrities and is said to be a favorite of...
- The Windmill (hotdog stand)
- Lucy the Elephant
Lucy the Elephant is a six-story elephant-shaped architectural folly constructed of wood and tin sheeting in 1882 by James V. Lafferty in Margate City, New Jersey, two miles south of Atlantic City, in an effort to sell real estate and attract tourism.-Zoomorphic architecture:The idea of an...
, Margate, New Jersey
- Cape May Light
- Atlantic City Casinos
- Long Beach Island
Long Beach Island is a barrier island and summer colony along the Atlantic Ocean coast of Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States...
- Island Beach State Park
Island Beach State Park is a New Jersey state park located just south of Seaside Park on the Barnegat Peninsula in Berkeley Township, Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry. Most of the park encompasses the...
- Bay Head, New Jersey
Bay Head is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 1,238. Bay Head is situated on the Barnegat Peninsula, a long, narrow barrier peninsula that separates Barnegat Bay from the Atlantic Ocean...
- Point Pleasant Boardwalk
- Manasquan Inlet
The Manasquan Inlet is an inlet that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Manasquan River, dividing the counties of Ocean County and Monmouth County in the state of New Jersey. Passage to Bay Head Harbor and the Barnegat Bay is possible via the Point Pleasant Canal.The present Manasquan River...
- Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook is the name of several places in the United States of America:* Sandy Hook , Connecticut* Sandy Hook, Kentucky* Sandy Hook, Maryland* Sandy Hook, Mississippi* Sandy Hook, New Jersey* Sandy Hook, Virginia-Other:...
, Gateway National Recreation AreaGateway National Recreation Area is a 26,607 acre National Recreation Area in the New York City metropolitan area. Scattered over Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, New York and Monmouth County, New Jersey, it provides recreational opportunities that are rare for a dense urban environment,...
- Raritan Bayshore
The Raritan Bayshore region of New Jersey is the area around Raritan Bay from the The Amboys to Sandy Hook.The Sadowski Parkway beach area in Perth Amboy, which lies at the mouth of the Raritan River was deemed the "Riviera of New Jersey" by local government, although swimming is still currently...
Benny and Shoobie
Jersey Shore locals (generally from
Ocean CountyOcean County is a county located along the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its county seat is Toms River, which, like the county itself, has been one of the fastest growing areas of the state since the 1990s. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population was 510,916...
and
Monmouth CountyMonmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 615,301, which had grown to 642,030 as of the Bureau's 2007 estimate. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is...
) are known for their "Jersey Attitude", yet staunch disdain for rowdy tourists (
shoobieA shoobie is a term used in South Jersey and Santa Monica, California to describe a tourist who visits the seashore for a brief period of time, primarily to use the beach during the summer months. Shoobie is used in resort towns along the southern Jersey Shore, between the areas of Long Beach...
or
bennyBenny is a derogatory term used by residents of the Jersey Shore to describe tourists from more northern cities, specifically New York City and its immediate suburbs. The term is predominantly used by locals from the towns of Ocean County and Monmouth County....
in the local vernacular), usually from the
New YorkThe New York metropolitan area, also known as Metropolitan New York, Greater New York, or the Tri-State Region, is the most populous metropolitan area in the United States and is also one of the most populous in the world. The metropolitan area is defined by the U.S...
and
PhiladelphiaThe Delaware Valley is a term used widely by the media to refer, perhaps misleadingly, to the metropolitan area centered on the city of Philadelphia in the United States. The term is derived from the Delaware River, which flows through the area, although the river extends more than 100 miles to the...
Metropolitan Areas. The origin of the word "benny" is disputed. Some believe it may be derived from the word "benefit"; early day-trippers to the Jersey Shore were given free trips as an economic "benefit" to the area. Locals in the northern part of the Jersey Shore - usually the beaches of Monmouth County - will customarily explain the origin of the word as an acronym for "Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark, New York," which are the four main areas of which "bennies" were originally residents. Most tour guides to the area cite the former explanation as correct and claim the latter is simply a backronym. However, in either usage, the term "benny" is usually infused with scorn by locals. The word "shooby", also disputed is said to have originated from vacationers who brought pack lunches to the area, often in shoe boxes. Others claim it derived from the fact that vacationers would often wear their 'shoes' on the 'beach', usually accompanied with dark socks bringing attention to the fact.
External links