Just south of Asbury Park, The James Bradley opened last summer in Bradley Beach. The design-minded boutique hotel encompasses 16 rooms and suites and a private bungalow, plus a secluded, tree-lined courtyard. Stays include daily breakfast, anchored by fresh baked goods, and use of beach passes to take to the sandy shore just a block away.
In July, Atlantic City’s Ocean Resort and Casino is celebrating its 5th anniversary with, among other dazzling things, giveaways, fireworks shows, and a Birthday Bar Pop-up with surprise celebrity appearances. The resort is also unveiling a $15 million renovation, slated for July, that will include neary 300 refreshed rooms across seven floors. Also in AC, the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa is celebrating 20 years in business, and just finished a $55 million remodel of its MGM Tower, which includes new nautically-inspired rooms and suites.
The Reeds at Shelter Haven in Stone Harbor is also celebrating a milestone; the 10 Year Anniversary Celebration will include festive programming and discounts on services at their Salt Spa. For court sport aficionados, the resort is also running a Lilly Pulitzer package combining pickle ball and tennis reservations and fresh gear.
At the southern tip of the shore, the more than century-old Inn of Cape May, located in the town’s historic district, has reopened with refreshed rooms, new restaurants, and a coffee bar.
New things to do in the Jersey Shore
While the Shore’s biggest draw, of course, is the miles of wide, dune-lined beaches (and in Stone Harbor and Avalon there’s more of it this summer, with 695,000 cubic yards of sand was recently pumped from the ocean to the beaches), there’s plenty more to do when it’s time to break from the sun. In Atlantic City, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, which is also celebrating its 5th anniversary this year, will showcase a summer line up that includes acts like Tina Fey & Amy Poehler and Diana Ross. Island Waterpark, the world’s largest beachfront water park joins the biggest arcade on the East Coast, Lucky Snake, both at Showboat Resort. Meanwhile Caesars is unveiling Spiegelworld’s ’The Hook’ this month—a dinner and over-the-top show featuring acrobats, comedians, and circus performers inside a splashy new theater.
For some classic seaside town charm, a stroll around downtown Stone Harbor is a must. Stop into People People, where a newly-expanded collection includes brands like Emerson Fry and Loeffler Randal, and a slate of pop-ups brings in Bauble Bar and more.
After closing for a restoration, the Barnegat Lighthouse (known by the locals as Old Barney) on the northern tip of Long Beach Island, reopened in early June. Visitors can once again climb to the top for panoramic beach views. On the other end of the Shore, the Cape May Lighthouse will once again open for nighttime events, with Full Moon Climbs in addition to last year’s Stairway to the Stars New Moon nights. Both allow visitors to ascend the 199 steps of the historic lighthouse to revel in the night sky. A stone’s throw away, the Cape May Point Science Center—once a retreat for nuns—reopened as a research, education, and environmental center. Tours are open to the public on Thursdays through Saturdays.
Returning events and festivals
Some of the region’s beloved festivals are making their comeback this summer, including Oceanfest, New Jersey’s biggest July Fourth celebration, which returned to Long Branch last summer after a two-year hiatus. In AC, the Tidal Wave Fest returns in August for three days of world-class country music acts.
Beloved Margate restaurant Steve & Cookie’s will host a pop-up from James Beard Award-winning chef Greg Vernick (of Vernick Fish) in conjunction with the Four Seasons Philadelphia: Starting Monday, August 7th, through Friday, August 11th, the restaurant will hold seafood-centric lunch offerings culminating on August 12th in a dinner under the stars at Reed’s Farm in nearby Egg Harbor Township.
In Cape May, Beach Plum Farm brings back its charming outdoor Farm-to-Table series with dinners that draw from the scenic farm’s own meats, organic produce and herbs. Avalon will stage Thursdays at Surfside, a weekly summer concert series in the park. Visitors can BYO beach chairs and come to hear music from acts like Bruce Springsteen and Fleetwood Mac cover bands.
Asbury Park’s Stone Pony continues its Springsteen-fueled legacy with another season of Summer Stage concerts. Also in town, the Asbury Park Boardwalk will again host regular Beach Bonfire nights, when visitors can pick up dinner and dine on the sand.
