Long Beach Island, N.J.
 

Any suggestions on places to stay here in L.B.I.? We would like a place on the beach and close to the boardwalk, any waterpark , or anything else that would keep two small children happy. Would love an efficiency unit or condo so we have access to a kitchen.

Stay at Beach Haven at the Southern tip of the island. It is close to an amusement park, waterslides, minature golf and the best pizza parlor in town.

Marianne,
Yeah, I spent every summer for about four years in Beach Haven. Nice family atmosphere, can get a little obnoxious around the holidays, but for the most part, a great place to be.

No hotels really on the beach though, my family usually went in with another on a house for a few weeks, and then I slummed with buddies for the summer. Mostly beachfront homes. Although further south of Beach Haven there are a few hotels that are about 1 block off of the beach. Sorry, it's been a while since I've been there.

The BEST family resort in New Jersey is
Ocean City,NJ. They have a 2+ mile boardwalk,plenty
of rides for the kids, a waterpark, movie theaters
for those rainy days. The beach is great. Also,
Ocean City is a dry town,meaning no bars or liquor
stores! It beats Long Beach Island hands down.There
you'll have to drive to the rather small amusement
park which is more expensive than Ocean City's.Also
in Ocean City you'll get to meet the many foreign
students that work in the restaurants and stores
for the summer.Check it out. You won't be disappointed.

ED

To find a nice cottage to rent for the week (with all the amenities of home) contact one of the dozens of real estate agents with offices on the island. Expect prices to start at about $600/wk. Beachfront properties are well over $1000/wk. I prefer the beach in Surf City - very clean. Little children can keep themselves busy all day at the beach. You can play minigolf at night. Long Beach Island is a very fun and safe place for families to vacation.

Sorry, I don't have a suggestion on where to stay (we rented from a friend), but my family stayed
at Long Beach Island last year. I think it is the
best beach I have ever stayed at. There is plenty
to do with small children. We just did one special
thing everyday, and my son loved it. There is a
children's theatre, the plays are great and it is
inexpensive. There is the small amusement park,
one evening there is a special price to ride all
rides. There are miniature golf places, a boat ride, small movie theatre's (there were several kids
and family movies playing.), an ice cream store that
puts on shows while you are served and eating your ice cream (be prepared to be picked to sing a song,
your kids will love it.), outdoor music shows (Beach
Haven), and much more. My son had a great time, and
so did I. It was all very relaxing, not like some
of the bigger beaches.

Most of the amusements are at the southern tip of the Island, in or around Beach Haven. A great
outdoor restaurant is the Boat House. There are
rides, water slides, and batting cages in Beach
Haven. However, no boardwalk, it is a great family
town as it is safe and clean. Happy vacation !!

We just retuned from LBI on Saturday, with a two and a half year old. It was great . We rented a house thru a broker in April. If you are close enough , try driving around the island and look for "For Rent" signs by owner. This will probably be a bit cheaper. We stayed in Harvey Cedars which is a half hour drive north of Beach Haven but a world away. It was much more residential and quiet. The beach was clean and the water was superb. We were within walking distance of the beach which was great especially with our daughter. We liked staying on the north end the best but, most of the activity is on the south end. Good luck and have fun.

My parents live near LBI, so I get to make day trips to the beaches there. The north end, Barnegat Light, is quiet and very beautiful. The southern end tends to get more crowded, naturally because it is where the restaurants and amusements are. I prefer Cape May myself. There is a "promenade", which is basically a very nice asphalt walkway along the beach. It is a 15 minute ride to Wildwood, which has more rides and water parks than you can do in a week. Plus there is a GREAT county zoo 10 miles north of Cape May. The town is a National Historical Site with great walks through town. Periwinkle Inn is the best Motel, and has efficiencies, but there are at least 10-20 other hotels across from the beach that are good. I haven't stayed in Ocean City, but it looks very nice also.

check w/ the southern ocean county chamber of commerce located just over the rt 72 bridge behind the quartedeck inn and before the new ronjon surf shop.there arent a whole lot of hotels here but you can get a motel or private rental,there are homes anywhere from small cottages to large oceanfront homes,they can all be quite costly. chamber of commerce phone # is (609) 494-7211.theres plenty of beach,most of them require beach badges,and theres alot of rules.most action is toward the southern end in beach haven,small amusement parks,water slides,miniature golf,shopping, etc.if you get the chance to go out for a good dinner, you must go to tuckers,in beach haven on the bay side,turn by the water tower and police department and go to the end of that street.really nice place with great food,indoor and outdoor dining,seperate smoking and nonsmoking sides of the building,fireplace for the winter,shuffleboard and room for a band and dancing on weekends.if you have to wait for an hour, you can take a ride to the southern tip of lbi-holgate,check out the oceanside,you may see some dolphins! <BR>also this time of year you may see dolphins at the opposite northern end at barnegat lighthouse.its beautiful there. the inlets been refinished so you can strollthe concrete walkway almost all the to the ocean,just follow the jetty,youll see the fishing boats going in and out the inlet,not to mention the sunrises and sunsets.theres plenty of boat rentals as well.the northern end-harvey cedars, loveladies,barnegat light, is a bit more <BR>private.theres some b&b there.theres fishing trips to go out on too-some day,some at night.ps.if you love french onion soup,wings, and a good german draft beer,youve got to check out the dutchmans brauhaus.theyve got german food and regular of course,but their french onion is to die for!theyve also got a dockside deck to pull up to by boat for drinks and raw bar,as well as their regular dining,service is -eh- and a little pricy,but its a nice place.enjoy the view as you go over the route 72e causeway bridge.watchout for all the traffic,it gets extremely backed up on weekends, coming and going.for the most part though all the fresh seafood is worth the trip.hope ive been of help. <BR>enjoy the jersey shore.

Ancient post, but in case anyone is still interested...<BR>There is no boardwalk on LBI, but there are beachfront hotels, despite earlier post. The Sea Shell and the Engleside Inn are the two main players in Beach Haven, each taking up a block of beachfront property. Outside bars, restraurants, palm trees and poolside entertainment make them a great spot for adults and older kids. The Coral Seas is a block away, with no bar/entertainment, so may be better for little ones. All three have efficiency units and are a few blocks from a summer stock theatre with children's shows. Thundering Surf waterpark and Fantasy Island amusments will keep them happy whne you're not at the beach. See www.seashell-lbi.com and www.engleside.com

There is a wonderful bed and breakfast we stayed in in Beach Haven called The Magnolia House. They have two very sweet cats that lounge on the porch...very nice place.

I would also recommend www.lbisource.com to look for places to stay. It is constantly updated and very easy to use.

Hello. The original post was in 1997 and the one right before yours was 2002

Otherwise, your post is not the least bit suspicious (cough cough)

And if you haven't heard, World War II is over.

Geez, I was wondering about those prices! Too bad!