RSS Feeds: Seaside Heights, a September Visit to the Beach
If you live in New Jersey, New York City or the Philadelphia area, Seaside Heights is a great place to visit the beach. If you have never visited the town before, this post will tell you a bit about what you can expect to find and why you may want to consider going there. I know you may think the official summer vacation season ended a few weeks ago but there is still time to have some fun at the beach. September means the crowds are gone, Seaside Heights hotels have lowered their prices and the ocean is the warmest it will be all year.
The Boardwalk
A September day on the boardwalk
The commercial boardwalk is, besides the beach, the big draw in Seaside Heights. It extends over a mile and has two sections that feature a wide range of amusement rides. Beyond the rides you will find arcades, food stands, a few bars, games of chance where you can win prizes and numerous shops. Inside one of the arcades, the Casino, you will find a historic carousel that is close to 100 years old. You can also play miniature golf at a rooftop course that is built on top of a number of boardwalk stands.
The Beach
From Memorial Day through Labor Day you have to pay to access the ocean beach. The beach badge fees help the town pay for the lifeguards that protect swimmers and for keeping everything tidy. Once September rolls around, the lifeguards no longer patrol the beach and you can have access to the sea and the sand for free. Of course, you need to be extra careful when you are swimming now that the lifeguards are gone for the year.
Food
There are a lot of places to eat in Seaside Heights and like most businesses in town, they make most of their money during the summer tourist season. There are still plenty of places open and many lower their prices once the summer season ends. The boardwalk stands that sell food offer plenty of options that include pizza, calzones, seafood and other famous Jersey shore favorites. In town, there are numerous sit down restaurants that offer a wider range of culinary choices.
Places to Stay
One of the many hotels in Seaside Heights
New Jersey beaches are not all like Atlantic City. In fact, most of them have none of the large beach front hotels you might expect to find at a tourist centric beach town. Other New Jersey shore towns like Ortley Beach, Point Pleasant Beach, Seaside Park and Long Beach Island have no large chain hotels or motels. While there are more than 30 hotels in Seaside Heights, each is privately owned and is not part of a larger chain. There are also condominium rentals and at this time of the year you can get a nice weekend or weekly rate.
As you have learned, there are plenty of good reasons to think about planning a visit to the shore in September. I have only hit the highlights, as I did not mention Barnegat Bay, fishing and other things you can do in and around Seaside Heights.
Similar Articles:BSim enjoys spending time at, and writing about, as many east coast beaches as his free time allows him to visit.
