From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Jersey Shore is a term used in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States to refer to the Atlantic Ocean-facing coast of New Jersey, together with the adjacent resort and residential communities. Residents of the state simply refer to the area as "the shore," and to visiting it as "going down the shore." Its popularity as a tourist destination is due in large part to the nearly continuous stretch of beaches along its length, as well as rides and concessions along the boardwalks of Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Atlantic City and Wildwood.

Contents 1 Location 2 Regional popularity 3 Pollution controversies 4 Jersey Shore sound and culture 5 See also 6 External link

Geographically, the term encompasses the New Jersey coast from Sandy Hook in the north to Cape May in the south and excludes the estuaries of New York Bay and Delaware Bay. The Jersey Shore area includes Cape May, Atlantic, Burlington, Ocean, and Monmouth counties.

The Jersey Shore has long been a hugely popular tourist destination for the surrounding regions, specifically for residents of New Jersey and nearby New York City and Philadelphia.

The city of Asbury Park along the northern shore was popular in the early 20th century, having been linked by the New York and Long Branch Railroad to New York City. It went through a period of sharp decline from the 1960s-1990s, but in the past decade has been reemerging as a popular resort and population center.

Along the southern coast, Atlantic City was a popular beach destination before falling into decline after World War II. The introduction of legalized gambling in the 1970s led to a vigorous revival of the community and it is now regarded as one of the most popular tourist destinations on the East Coast. However, most of the cityscape that is removed from the popular boardwalk and casino area remains run-down and dangerous to non-locals.

Denizens of the Shore often note the divide that appears to exist between the New Jersey Shore's New York City and Philadelphia spheres of influence. The most oft-cited border between the two being the Manasquan River or Interstate 195. Most transportation links in Monmouth County and Ocean County filter north (to New York City and North Jersey), while those in Atlantic County and Cape May County filter west (to Philadelphia and South Jersey).

Each region of New Jersey associates itself with a specific beach. North Jersey is often associated with Seaside, Central Jersey with Belmar and South Jersey with Wildwood or Ocean City

Tourists to the Jersey Shore from outside these areas are referred to derogatorily as "bennies" (or "shoobies" in Atlantic and Cape May counties). The use of these insults reflect the frustration of the swell of outsiders in the summer months, who are often perceived as rude and boorish.

During the 1970s, the beaches of the Jersey Shore gained a somewhat unsavory reputation for being polluted, popularized in part by incidents of medical waste from Fresh Kills Landfill in New York City washing up on the shore (an example of this is the "Syringe Tide" in 1987). New York was forced to pay for the cleanup after New Jersey took it to court.

For some time, the Jersey Shore has also been known as a live music mecca, due to the numerous rock and roll bars, most famously in Asbury Park, where Bruce Springsteen honed his skills at The Stone Pony and other local clubs and still makes periodic live appearances either as a solo act, with the E Street Band, or with other artists. Watch out

The Springsteen song "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" is one of several Springsteen songs that contains many references to the Jersey shore scene of the early 1970s. A style of music known as the Jersey Shore sound evolved from this scene.

In recent years, the fortunes of the shore have improved and it has once again become a heavily-used destination for beachgoers and resort vacationers during the summer months (with the exception of Atlantic City, which is popular year-round). The area is also undergoing a population and real estate boom, particularly in Monmouth and Ocean counties, where the population is steadily rising.

The Monmouth and Ocean County areas have frequently been named by Money magazine as one of the 10 best places to live in the United States.

Popular Jersey Shore destinations include:

• Asbury Park
• Atlantic City
• Avalon
• Bay Head
• Belmar
• Cape May
• Island Beach State Park
• Lavallette
• Long Beach Island
• Long Branch
• Manasquan
• Margate
• Ocean City
• Ocean Grove
• Point Pleasant Beach
• Red Bank
• Sandy Hook
• Sea Isle City
• Seaside Heights
• Seaside Park
• Spring Lake
• Stone Harbor
• Toms River
• "The Wildwoods":
  • Diamond Beach
  • North Wildwood
  • West Wildwood
  • Wildwood
  • Wildwood Crest

• Atlantic County, New Jersey
• Barnegat Peninsula (also known as the Island Beach Peninsula)
• Cape May County, New Jersey
• Long Beach Island
• Monmouth County, New Jersey
• Ocean County, New Jersey

• NewJerseyShore.com, a guide to the New Jersey Shore.
• VisitNJShore.com, a guide to the New Jersey Shore.

	State of New Jersey Trenton (capital)
Regions	Central Jersey | Delaware Valley | Jersey Shore | Meadowlands | North Jersey | Pine Barrens | Shore Region | Skylands Region | South Jersey | New York metro area | Tri‑State Region
Cities	Atlantic City | Bayonne | Camden | Cherry Hill | Clifton | East Orange | Edison | Elizabeth | Hackensack | Hoboken | Jersey City | Linden | Long Branch | New Brunswick | Newark | Passaic | Paterson | Perth Amboy | Plainfield | Princeton | Toms River | Trenton | Union City | Vineland
Counties	Atlantic | Bergen | Burlington | Camden | Cape May | Cumberland | Essex | Gloucester | Hudson | Hunterdon | Mercer | Middlesex | Monmouth | Morris | Ocean | Passaic | Salem | Somerset | Sussex | Union | Warren