ctspice

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is that the whole area between Ocean City, NJ and Cape May is only 30-35 miles. So you can stay at any of the towns along there and visit the other ones. Starting at the north end, Ocean City is a great family town with a terrific boardwalk. A good mix of stores, amusements and a nice beach. Sea Isle is smaller with a small amount of commercialism. Next island down is Avalon and Stone Harbor where we visit when we camp. Good beaches, nice Main St. at Stone Harbor. Nice family area and a little more upscale. Next down is the Wildwoods. The boardwalk at Wildwood is wall to wall teenagers on cell phones in my opinion. Lots of rides, amusements, cheap stores. I understand North Wildwood and Wildwood Crest are better areas. Something to keep in mind is that the distance from the boardwalk to the water is long!! A very deep beach. Then comes Cape May. A nice town with lots of victorian bed and breakfasts. A small "boardwalk" area. No rides, but mini-golf and stores. Also the Washington Street mall with some nice stores. Other things to see in the area are the Cape May Lighthouse, Cape May Diamonds, the concrete ship and the really nice, free zoo at Cape May Courthouse.

justme22

even the smallest family owned hotels may well exceed your 150 per night. if you stay several blocks from the ocean in one of the shore towns, you might get something at that prices.

the hotels only have a short season to make their entire income for the year and so none are cheap.

for a family, wildwood crest, ocean city nj, cape may will be too pricey

djkkk

Being a Philly girl who went to Wildwood NJ shore alot as a teenager, now an adult, I'd recommend Ocean City, NJ especially where kids are involved. It's a nicer town, very family oriented. As for Wildwood, it's true what one poster said where you will find teens with their cells phone attached to their ears (you see that anywhere nowadays). It's known as the "place for teens to escape for the weekend" It's a very old town with many run-down motels. Very, very loud at night if you're staying anywhere close to the boardwalk with drunks, people screaming, etc.

I've been to Cape May plenty of times, and frankly, while kids enjoy it, there's not as much for them to do, IN MY OPINION. The outdoor shopping mall area is quite small. There's no boardwalk, but plenty of mini-golf. Adults love it there because of the Victorian homes that line the streets with bed/breakfasts and just because it's a quaint place to visit. It is very nice. More expensive there as you've read from previous posts.

Nowadays, we go to the Delaware beaches.

tuscanlifeedit

We go to Long Beach Island every summer. There are plenty of motels, some cheaper than others. The Admiral is just ok, but clean and possibly in your price range. No street to cross, as it is on the beach block.

LBI is very family oriented, with lots to do for kids, but with the family, it is best to choose Beach Haven, for its larger concentration of eating places and amusements. Motels are expensive. Don't even attempt to get on the island on a Saturday, when rentals change.

I guess you know by now that a full service hotel, with a suite, for 150, isn't something you are likely to find at the Jersey shore in summer.

BTilke

I'm going to side with Wenger: Stone Harbor and Avalon ("cooler by a mile" as the saying goes). Family oriented, both towns are practically Philadelphia suburbs in the summer. Lots of kids. Ditto also a rec for the Windrift.
My family always did the Rehoboth/Lewes thing, but that's because friends of my parents had a house there. It was just ok; the highlight of all my trips there was finding a $20 bill on the ground outside the Thunderbird gift shop (that was big money for a young kid in the late 1960s!).

pminct

Has anyone heard about the Surf Comber Motel on Atlantic and Taylor? All rooms have microwave & ref. They are $59 and $69 a night. I'm just curious if it's a decent motel.

lauriefrompa

I agree that you should check out Island Beach State Park. I used to go there as a teenager. Get there early; they count the cars and after a certain number they close the beach! This prevents it from getting too crowded.

I rented a house in Ocean City, NJ, for two years in a row. It's a very clean, family oriented town.

I love Rehoboth. They have the best restaurants! There are a couple of excellent inns and bed-and-breakfast accomodations there.

We used to go to Wildwood Crest year after year, but simply grew tired of it.

We went to Ocean City MD but for two adults with grown kids, it's no longer a place that we enjoy. It's too busy, and the restaurants are not as good as Rehoboth!

fllady

I grew up spending summers in Cape May, and I love it, and I think it can definitely be kid friendly. It depends what you consider kid friendly. If you want the crazy boardwalk, Wildwood is about 15 min. away. Cape May has a really cute boardwalk for kids and lots of ice cream shops and some mini-golf. Whatever it is lacking is a short drive away in Wildwood. Whatever you decide, enjoy!