Best of the Shore
Ship Bottom
As the first LBI town over the bridge from the mainland, Ship Bottom is the quickest destination for daytrippers looking for an afternoon at the beach. In the past several years, it’s seen a bump in real estate, with summer-only cottages being converted into larger, pricier mini-manses, bringing a richer crowd of owners and renters. Ship Bottom is also the best place on the island to rent a boat—perhaps to motor across the bay to Tuckerton, for boatside root beer and dining at Stewart’s (609-296-7895). The town hosts an annual Elvis tribute in mid-July.
Best of Ship Bottom
Upscale restaurant: La Spiaggia. Not dressy or stuffy — this is the Shore, after all — but a classy joint with good old-fashioned pastas and sauces (357 West 8th Street; 609-494-4343).
Nightclub: Joe Pop’s Shore Bar. One of the few hopping spots on the quiet island, with a huge dance floor, four bars, and a crowded happy hour every night. Jon Bon Jovi was once coaxed into a set after stopping in for a drink (20th Street and Long Beach Boulevard; 609-494-0558).
Mini-golf: Flamingo Golf Course. None of that newfangled stuff intended as putting practice for real golfers—just classic, family-oriented putt-putt on a course that’s been around for decades (5th Street and Long Beach Boulevard; 609-361-1874).
Bet for crabbing: Causeway Boat Rentals & Marina. Look for the big red-lettered, weather-beaten sign off the Route 72 Causeway Bridge leading to Ship Bottom to point you toward reasonably priced rentals for your day on the bay. And skip lunch. If the crabs are biting, you’ll eat well come evening (2200 East Bay Avenue; 609-494-1371).
Bed & Beach
Average 2004 home price: $549,719
AVERAGE 1999 HOME PRICE: $208,511
Recent listing: A four-bedroom, two-bath home built in 1950, with a small deck and a view of the bay, $499,900.
Cost to rent a three-bedroom beach-block house: $4,000 a month and up.
Where to stay: Drifting Sands Oceanfront Motel, for a year-round, full-service oceanfront stay (119 East 9th Street, 609-494-1123; dslbi.com).
On the beach: Though they’re wide and long, Ship Bottom’s beaches are the most crowded on the island.
