US POSTAGE PAID MAIL PERFECT Official Visitors Guide 2011 PRSRT STD BERGER OCEAN CITY New Jersey Ocean City Regional REALTY Chamber of Commerce www.oceancityvacation.com Leon K. Grisbaum - Owner 1-800-BEACH-NJ Mark Soifer, Ocean City’s Leader “America’s Greatest Ocean City Publicist Family Resort” Putting Ocean City, NJ on In Real Estate the map for more than Sales and Rentals Over 10,000 leases per year 43 years. Over 2,500 rental properties PLUS Follow his weekly column Largest # of Full-Time every Thursday on Rental/Sale Agents and Office Support Staff www.OceanCityVacation.com VISIT ONE OF OUR 4 OFFICES 3160 Asbury Ave. 133 S. Shore Rd. Ocean City, NJ Marmora, NJ 1-888-399-0076 1-609-390-9300 17th & The Boardwalk 55th & Haven Ave. Over 30 Rides! OCC11 Ocean City, NJ Ocean City, NJ 1515 FREEFREE RideRide TicketsTickets plus 1-888-579-0095 1-800-399-3484 Money Saving Coupons with purchase of FAMILY BOOK • Offer good until 10/10/11 Or Online at Our Tickets Playland’sPlayland’s CastawayCastaway CoveCove www.bergerrealty.com NEVER EXPIRE!!! 10th & Boardwalk • OCNJ • oceancityfun.com MUST PRESENT THIS COUPON FOR BONUS OFFER • CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER Photography - Don Kravitz Don - Photography POINTS OF INTEREST 1 Airport 2 Bayside Center, 520 Bay Avenue 3 Boardwalk 4 Boat Ramp, Tennessee Avenue 5 City Hall Annex, 901 Asbury Avenue 6 City Hall, 861 Asbury Avenue 7 Cultural-Aquatic & Fitness Center, 1701 Simpson Library, Art Center, Historical Museum 8 Golf Course, 2600 Bay Avenue 9 Humane Society, 1 Shelter Rd 10 Information Centers a. 16 East 9th Street b. Music Pier c. 34th & Bay Ave. (Acme) 11 Recreation Sport Complex - 6th Street & Boardwalk Skateboard Park, Volleyball, Track, Football & Basketball 12 Shops at Asbury Avenue BASKETBALL COURTS 13 Music Pier, 811 Boardwalk Basketball Courts at all Playgrounds 14 Shuffleboard Courts, 5th Street 15 Carey Memorial Field, 6th & Atlantic Avenue 51 34th & Asbury Avenue 16 Transportation Center, 9th & Haven Avenue 17 Veterans Memorial Park, 5th & Wesley Avenue 18 Corson’s Inlet State Park TENNIS COURTS 19 Park/Nature Area, 4th & Wesley Ave. 52a 34th & West Avenue 21 Howard Stainton Wildlife Area 52b 18th Street & Haven Avenue 22 Recycling Drop Off Center 52c 6th & Atlantic Avenue 22b Ocean City Dog Park BEACH TAG SALES 53 Welcome Center 54 Music Pier 55 8th Boardwalk 56 5th 57 8th 73 City Hall, 9th and Asbury 58 10th 59 12th 60 14th 61 34th 62 36th 63 46th POLICE STATION Municipal Court PARKING LOTS 64 821-37 Central Avenue Metered Lots BEACH PATROL 23 Longport Bridge 65 1st Street Headquarters, 100 Boardwalk 23b 6th & Atlantic 66 Beach Patrol Station 1245 Boardwalk 24 7th & Central Avenue 67 Beach Patrol Station 34th & Beach 25 8th & Central Avenue 68 Beach Patrol Station 58th & Beach 26 9th & Central Avenue 27 12th & Asbury Avenue 28 14th & Ocean Avenue RESTROOMS 29 59th Street 69 1st Street 30 9th & Haven Avenue (Transportation Center) 70 5th Street Baseball Field Municipal Lots (Pay When Entering) 71 6th Street & Boardwalks 72 Music Pier 31 9th & Boardwalk (South Side) 73 City Hall 9th & Boardwalk (North Side) 74 Transportation Center 32 Atlantic Avenue (Between 8th & 9th Street) 75 12th Street Comfort Station 33 Moorlyn Terrace & Boardwalk 76 34th Street Comfort Station 34 8th Street (Near Boardwalk) 77 59th Street & Beach 35 5th Street & Boardwalk 78 Stainton Sq., Asbury Ave. (8th & 9th) Free Lots POST OFFICE 36 5th & Asbury Avenue (next to firehouse) 79 9th & Ocean Avenue FIRE STATIONS 80 46th Street & West Avenue 37 Fire HQ, Station #1, Code Enforcement PAVILIONS 38 Station #2, 2901 West Avenue 81 58th & Central 39 Station #3, 4508-44 West Avenue 82 12th & Boardwalk 83 17th & Boardwalk PLAYGROUNDS 84 20th & Boardwalk 40 North Street & Haven Avenue 41 1st Street SAILING BEACHES 42 6th Street & Simpson 85 23rd 43 8th Street Recreation Complex 86 29th 44 29th Street 87 41st 45 34th Street 88 57th 46 52nd Street Reese Hopson Memorial SOCCER FIELDS SURFING BEACHES (ONLY) 89 7th Street & Boardwalk 47 15th & Haven Avenue 89b Waverly Blvd & 16th Street 48 Tennessee Avenue www.njoceancity.com FISHING AREAS BASEBALL FIELDS 90 5th Street & Boardwalk, Fishing Jetty 49 5th & Haven 91 Corson Inlet 1.800.BEACHNJ 50 35th & Simpson 92 North End of the Island at the Longport Beach WELCOME T a b l e o f Contents Welcome Message 4 Getting Here & Navigating 6 The 411: Visitor Information 10 The Beach 14 Around Town: the Neighborhoods 17 Stuff to Do 20 Amusements 20 Boating & Watersports 25 Fishing 26 Outdoor & Nature 36 Inn Tours 36 Historic Walking Tour 36 Day Trips 36 Golf 38 Sports, Fitness & Fun 41 Events Calendar 43 Culture & the Arts 52 Staying Over 56 A Taste of Ocean City 88 Retail Therapy – Shopping 102 Weddings at the Beach 106 Services 107 Real Estate 117 Houses of Worship 124 History 126 Chamber of Commerce 128 Member Directory 130 Advertiser Index 146 Map 147 The Ocean City Visitors Guide is published by the ©2010. The Ocean City Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce. Project Regional Chamber of management by Envision, Inc., Linwood, N.J.: Bill Commerce assumes no Horin, editorial photography; AXIS visual, design; Sal responsibility for errors or omissions. Listed information Emma, copy; Nancy Northrup-McCabe, ad design . should be verified by Printed by Interstate Graphics of Morristown, Tenn. telephone with attractions and event organizers. 1-800-BEACH-NJ | www.oceancityvacation.com 3 WELCOME W e l c o m e t o Ocean City here’s something about Ocean City, N.J. Anticipation builds as you get closer. Asphalt and shopping malls give way to an expanse of green as you pass through the coastal forest. The air gets cooler on a fresh sea breeze and backseat fidgeting is suspended when the kids realize you’re on final approach. Then, you come around a curve and your eyes land on jewels Tof sunlight dancing on the bay. Fishing boats bob on the waves as Jet-Skis slalom between them. In the distance, the Ferris wheel makes its endless journey. Excitement rushes through the car. You’re only minutes from your destination – fun and sun in America’s Greatest Family Resort. The sea, the sand, the Boardwalk – wide, handsome avenues lined with pretty homes, unique shops, restaurants and com- fortable hotels. It’s the Jersey Shore’s charming, family-friendly, fun vacation paradise. You’ve arrived. 4 www.oceancityvacation.com | 1-800-BEACH-NJ GETTING HERE G e t t i n g 39° 16' 44" N Here 74° 34' 33" W avigating our island You can get to Ocean City, N.J. by just about any Nmeans – car, bus, or plane. At the northern border of Cape May County, N.J., the island lies 10 miles south of Atlantic City, 28 miles north of Cape May, 56 miles southeast of Philadelphia and 110 miles south of New York – as the crow flies. 6 www.oceancityvacation.com | 1-800-BEACH-NJ GETTING HERE Most visitors come by car – Ocean City is easy to access via the Atlantic City Expressway and Garden State Parkway. Four bridges serve the island: • On the north end of town, the Ocean Drive/Long- port Bridge leads to Longport and northern Somers Point. Accessible via Wesley Avenue. • In the middle of town, the Howard Stainton Memorial Causeway (9th Street) takes Route 52 to Somers Point and Garden State Parkway Exit 30. This bridge is being replaced – but all four lanes will remain open throughout the entire re- construction. Accessible via 9th Street. • At 34th Street, the Roosevelt Boulevard bridge leads to Marmora, Upper Township and Garden State Parkway Exit 25. • On the southern end of town, the Ocean Drive spans Corson’s Inlet and Strathmere Bay, towards Strathmere and Sea Isle City. By bus – New Jersey Transit serves Ocean City via the Transportation Center at 10th St. & Haven Ave. • (973) 275-5555; 1-800-772-2287 for TTY or njtransit.com 1-800-BEACH-NJ | www.oceancityvacation.com 7 GETTING HERE By air – the closest commercial airports are Getting around Ocean City Atlantic City International (ACY) in Pomona From stem to stern, the island is just over and Philadelphia International (PHL). eight miles in length. The Avenues run The Ocean City Municipal Airport serves north-to-south and streets run east-to-west. general aviation traffic at 26th St. & Bay Ave. West, Asbury and Central Avenues run the • (609) 525-9223 entire length of the island. The street num- bers decrease as you move northwards, with Driving Distances 1st Street near the northern tip and 59th Street at the southern border. Destination: Ocean City, N.J. From Miles Drive Time Need an address for GPS or interactive maps? Philadelphia 70 1:20 Ocean City Welcome Center New York 140 2:40 16 E. 9th St. Ocean City, NJ 08226 Trenton 100 2:00 Wilmington, Del. 95 1:45 Baltimore 165 3:00 Washington, D.C. 195 3:40 Distances and times approximate, provided by Rand McNally. Driving Directions From Philadelphia Take the Atlantic City Expressway east to Exit 7S, Garden State Parkway south. Parkway Exit 30 serves 9th Street and Exit 25 serves 34th Street. From Points South by road Take Interstate 95 north to Interstate 295 north. From 295, take Rt. 40 east to Rt. 55 south to Rt. 49 east. Turn right on Rt. 50 south. From Rt. 50 turn left on County Route 631 and follow signs to Ocean City. From Points South, by ferry The Cape May-Lewes Ferry links Cape May, N.J. with the DelMarVa peninsula. From the Cape May Ferry Terminal, follow signs for the Garden State Parkway.