Best of the Shore
Beach Haven
Arcades. Shopping. Mini golf. Dining. On LBI, it’s pretty much all located in Beach Haven, the preferred spot for 20-somethings as well as families with small children who don’t want to schlep down the island every evening. Beach Haven and its surrounding communities—Beach Haven Terrace and Beach Haven Crest—are the closest thing LBI has to traditional South Jersey Shore towns, with traffic and timeshares and t-shirt shops. Even so, with no Boardwalk, a historic Victorian district, and roots as a vacation destination for Old New York, it’s more Cape May than it is Ocean City. While this used to be the “affordable” LBI town, real estate is now so valuable that year-round residents are being priced off the island altogether.
Best of Beach Haven
BIKE RENTALS, ETC.: JOBE’S SEASHORE RENTALS. Everything you need for a successful beach trip is housed in this hot-pink palace of kitsch, from beach cruisers and full-family surreys to hermit crabs and boogie boards (2306 South Bay Avenue; 609-492-3298).
BREAK FROM DVD RENTALS:SURFLIGHT THEATRE. Artistic director Steve Steiner leverages his Broadway experience into recruiting talent to his small, off-the-beaten-track gem located just two blocks from the ocean. The company performs musicals all summer long (Beach and Engleside avenues; 609-492-9477).
BURGERS: DOM’s. Hit this shack at Brant Beach if you like yours big and
juicy (3705 Long Beach Boulevard; 609-494-3333).
Fudge: Country Kettle. With up to 25 varieties, you’ll be tempted to stray from the traditional toward the likes of cheesecake swirl or chocolate-chip mint (9th Street and Bay Avenue; 609-492-2800).
No-fuss seafood: M&M Steam Bar. Suck down a few clams at the outside bar; wet bathing suits make perfectly acceptable attire (Delaware Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard; 609-492-9106).
Chowder: Country Kettle Chowda, Chowderfest’s blue-ribbon choice, served in a crusty bread bowl. Opt for “au vin,” the same hearty fare infused with white wine (9th Street and Bay Avenue; 609-492-2800).
Deep-fried lobster: Howard’s. In this, its 55th season, the restaurant still serves lobster the way Howard liked it—deep-fried, with a side of french fries, slaw, and a cup of drawn butter. The diet starts Monday (33rd Street and Long Beach Boulevard; 609-492-2319).
Bed & Beach
Average 2004 home price: $648,925
AVERAGE 1999 HOME PRICE: $220,781
Recent listing: Four-bedroom, two-bath bay-front condo with boat slip, pool access and upstairs loft space, $869,000.
Cost to rent a three-bedroom beach-block house: Around $6,000 a month.
Where to stay: Engleside Inn, a four-star hotel with a swimming pool overlooking the ocean (30 Engleside Avenue, 609-492-2226; engleside.com), or Magnolia House Bed and Breakfast, a romantic Victorian inn in the town’s historic district (215 Centre Street, 609-492-2226; magnoliahouselbi.com).
On the beach: Varies by street and state of erosion. Generally, the Center Street beach is the busiest; it’s also closest to bathrooms, so it has a lot of families. Holyoke Beach is tops for surfing.
