Spotlight on Long Beach Island

By: Erin McFeeters

Deep through the pines, traveling Route 539 and over The Causeway, is one of New Jersey’s barrier islands, chock full of more small businesses, eclectic homes, and stories of summers down the shore than one could fathom. Long Beach Island, LBI to most, isn’t like other Jersey Shore towns. There’s no boardwalk, chain establishments are few and far between, and in some spots, there are only a few steps between the bay and the ocean’s sea foam.

While most lump LBI’s 18-mile stretch into one big town, it’s made up of six municipalities, and even more communities and neighborhoods known mainly to those who live or visit them year after year. You have spectacular Old Barney views in Barnegat Light, mailboxes that catch your eye in Loveladies, Peahala Park remembered by the old water tower you could spot from the beach, Spray Beach’s quaint neighborhood feel, and at least eight towns with Beach Haven included in its name, but who’s counting?

It’s a place where residents still place ads in the local paper to advertise their yard sales, there’s a Facebook page dedicated to helping each other find their lost deliveries, and the host at your favorite pancake place knows you by name.

“Here you have to learn how to ride a bike, build a drip castle, and figure out how to have your own fun in the sand and in the water safely,” said Fee.

“Find the joy in your first lick of ice cream, find the joy in your toes in the sand, and not seek out things like a big boardwalk…If you want to relax, the place in time is now, and it’s on LBI, because there’s no place like this.”

The LBI draw began early. Inhabitants and visitors, mostly men at that time, came to hunt and fish, but soon enough, the families wanted in on this little slice of the Jersey Shore; thus, they built more elaborate accommodations. Soon after, they started building cottages and more permanent residences, according to Fee.

Some of the original cottages remain, but over time, the island has transitioned into what it is today. A big factor? Superstorms like the 1962 Nor’easter and Hurricane Sandy in 2012 wreaked havoc on the island. Rebuilding takes time, but to preserve the history and LBI-feel everyone loves, municipalities have tight regulations in place to prevent tall buildings and expansive development, while some municipalities even have preservation commissions to preserve designated historical areas.

Other areas, such as Barnegat Light State Park and parts of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, are undeveloped protected lands that serve as critical habitats for wildlife. The Holgate Wilderness Area of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge closes for visitors during the spring and summer seasons to protect the many beach-nesting and migratory birds that call LBI home. Also in Holgate: The best seashell and sea glass hunting on the island.

“LBI is probably one of the most beautiful places on the Jersey Shore,” said Fee.

Year-round, Long Beach Island is home to approximately 10,000 residents, but in the summer months, it’s estimated there could be upwards of 100,000 people on the 18-mile island.

“You could walk it from one end to the other and never be disappointed by what you’re looking at,” said Fee. “18 miles is a nice, long hike, but you would probably get lost in everything you’re seeing. You would never realize you’re walking 18 miles, it’s just stunning that way.”

Beyond the beach, LBI is known for its unique restaurants with some being on the island since the early days like Kubel’s or the Porthole, the ice cream from Skipper Dipper and Dairy King, the unique attractions such as the Long Beach Island Historical Museum and the Surflight Theatre, iconic clam chowder from Country Kettle and Stefanos, and its unique places to explore like Viking Village and Schooner’s Wharf.

“It’s what’s most pure about the island. It’s that experience. Toes in the sand, the sun on the shoulders, salt in you know, every other place,” said Fee. “That’s the call of LBI in my humble, humble opinion.”

Municipalities & Neighborhoods on Long Beach Island

Barnegat Light

Long Beach Township

• Bay Vista

• Beach Haven Crest

• Beach Haven Gardens

• Beach Haven Heights

• Beach Haven Inlet

• Beach Haven Park

• Beach Haven Terrace

• Brant Beach

• Brighton Beach

• Haven Beach

• High Bar Harbor

• Holgate

• Loveladies

• North Beach

• North Beach Haven

• Peahala Park

• Silver Sands

• Spray Beach

• The Dunes

Harvey Cedars

Surf City

Ship Bottom

Beach Haven

Local Summer Bucket List

• Explore the Long Beach Island Historical Museum

• Go on the Ferris Wheel at Fantasy Island at Sunset Climb Old Barney

• Have Peach Pancakes at Uncle Will’s

• Buy Fresh Seafood from Viking Village

• Get Up in Time for the Sunrise Over the Ocean

• Try a Poptart from The Local

• Have a Salty Dog Coffee on the Rooftop at Guapos

• Order the Wipeout Flight at Ship Bottom Brewery

• Go to Daqs on the Deck at Bird & Betty’s

• Read the Sandpaper

• Hunt for Seaglass in Holgate

• Find the Mickey Mouse Mailbox in Loveladies

• Eat Outside at Wally’s

• Go to Mustache Bill’s for Lunch