Closest beach to Philly?
 

My husband and I are thinking of relocating from New York to Philadelphia and are planning a trip there soon to check it out in-depth. My husband is crazy about the beach (we go to either the Jersey Shore or Far Rockaway now) and wants to know where the closest beach is from Philly. Is it Atlantic City? Cape May? I'm looking at maps and searching for info but I thought someone here might have an inside answer. Many thanks!

Meg

The closest NJ beaches to Philly include anything from LBI to Cape May. Most beach points are within a two hour travel time. It all depends what roads (highway or back roads) you take and when you travel. What do you look for in a beach town?

AC is exactly 60 miles from Philly. The beach towns of Ventnor, Margate and Longport are all south of AC, on the same island (Absecon Island) and less hectic than AC with nicer beaches. Once you start heading north to Long Beach Island or South to Ocean City, Avalon, etc. your trip gets much longer as any travel on the Garden State Parkway is awful on a holiday weekend. That being said, many find those beaches to be superior. Truth be told, they are all fairly similar except for AC.

The answer depends on where you would reside in Phila. (there are multiple bridges into NJ). From downtown Phila., the closest would be Atlantic City. There are then a long string of narrow islands south to Cape May (Ocean City, Sea Isle City, Stone Harbor, the Wildwoods, etc.). Please just plan to become a Philly sports fan and leave the Giants/Yankees/Mets gear with the neighbors.Explore these towns after Labor Day and you'll have many choices that fit your tastes.

Oooh, quick replies! Thanks for the info, that's all good to keep in mind. I think the most important thing in a beach is lack of people, or at least enough shore that you could walk for awhile and find a more empty spot to sit. After that, cheap parking, clean beaches, and restrooms are important. Otherwise, anything really goes.

Cheapbutnice, I was born in Boston so my team allegiance is already very confused. So don't worry, you won't ever see a Yankees cap on me!

Brigantine just N of AC used to be VG.
Any updates from someone local?
M

I spent a week in Brigantine last summer and found it adorable - a tiny, quiet and quaint island. And it is very close to AC if you are in the mood for some nightlife - call the Brigantine cab co - extremely nice people!

You really expect to find beaches in So.Jersey without a lot of people.If so then expect to go off season.

Brigantine to most of us is no mans land.

We live in the Philly suberbs. We use to go the south Jersey shore but now we go to Spring Lakes for a daily trip. It is a gorgeous town, no board walk if that is important. It is a wonderful commute and we are there in 40 minutes traveling 70 MPH the entire way. For longer hauls we also go to Brigantine next to A.C.

What's a Brigantine? No prize for the correct answer this trip.
I spent my childhood Summers there, mostly fishing for flounder.
M

I don't know but it is synonymous with GREENHEADS.

Another vote for Spring Lake and its next door neighbor Sea Girt. When I lived in Chestnut Hill, I did shares in shore houses in Stone Harbor and Spring Lake and SL was much easier to get to...traffic is a lighter going to Spring Lake/Sea Girt than it is heading down to Avalon/Stone Harbor.
Spring Lake is a beautiful small town.
But as others have noted, it depends on where in Philly (or the burbs) you live.
When I was a kid, we always went to Rehoboth, DE, which back then was a sleepy, not expensive, family oriented town. Things sure have changed!

Spring Lake doesn't have a Boardwalk? It sure does!

I should have been more specific. Spring Lake does have a boardwalk, this is true. I was comparing this to the boardwalk in Ocean City, that type of "Boardwalk." Tee shirt shops, Laura's fudge, the games etc.etc.

We live north of Phila and we find it takes us little time to get to Pt. Pleasant, which has a nice boardwalk. A bit farther south is my favorite NJ beach: Island Beach SP.

For whatever reason, 90% of Philadelphians head south - AC, Ocean City, Wildwood, Stone Harbor, etc. It takes a lot longer to get to many of these places than if you just go straight across NJ. Another benefit: we hit very little beach traffic coming and going.

NotoriousMEG -

We enjoy spending some time on the beach at Strathmere, which is located just north of Sea Isle City and south of Ocean City. This is one of the few beaches along the southern shore which does NOT require a beach tag. It's nice because you can just stop for a few minutes or a few hours and it doesn't cost anything. Just a warning though...there are no lifeguards on duty, that's why it's free. And since there are no lifeguards, it's less crowded and not alot of kids swarming around.

Now, if you're looking for a real family-oriented beach town, it has to be Ocean City, which is one of the few, if only, "dry" beach towns along the southern shore. Dry meaning no alcohol is served/sold within the city limits, not a bar to be found in the city. However, you can find all the alcohol you want just over the city line.

If I may hitch on to your post...does anyone know of a beach in southern New Jersey where we may take our dog to? Or, are there any rules that allow us to take the dog on the beach after hours or after season?

Enjoy the beach and don't forget to wear your sun screen. Peace.

Robyn

Margate,Ventnor,longport allow dogs on the beach but not during the summer.

A brigantine is a type of two-masted sailing vessel.

Larry1,
Of course, but we are now far away from our sea faring history - so sad in many ways.
M (fmr LCDR, MC, USNR)