New Jersey's best beach? Really?
By Charles Layton
I was hoping this would go away, but no, it’s back: the annual Top 10 Beaches contest.
This thing is organized by the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium. Each year, in an online survey, the Consortium invites people to vote for their favorite New Jersey beach. Then they publicize the result, as if they think it bears some relationship to reality.
It does not.
If you go to their meretricious (look it up) little website — here — you will be able to vote for the best overall beach plus three subcategories: best family vacation beach, best day trip beach and best ecotourism beach. Also, you can vote for the best beach in each of four counties.
People, this is a sham. The beaches that pull the most votes tend to be those with high populations, not the little boutique beaches such as ours. We may have the beauty and charm, but we don’t have the voting clout. In last year’s polling, the top three beaches turned out to be The Wildwoods, Ocean City and Sea Isle City.
Imagine.
In the subcategories, the best “family vacation” beach was: The Wildwoods.
Best “day trip” beach was: The Wildwoods.
Best “ecotourism” beach was (this is truly hilarious): The Wildwoods.
Here’s the cruelest cut. According to last year’s survey, the best beach in Monmouth County was judged to be: Asbury P P P — I can’t bring myself to type it.
One final note: the contest has been fixed to favor The Wildwoods. Here’s how: In past years the contest had separate listings for Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and North Wildwood. That made sense, because those are three separate cities. But under that system Wildwood was being edged out in the contest by Ocean City. So they combined those three into a single beach, The Wildwoods, and now it (they, whatever) takes top honors in all categories.
The 2012 results will be announced on May 24, just before the Memorial Day weekend. Wanna bet on the winner?
Asbury Park is actively advertising for people to vote for them. Their electric sign on Main Street is asking for votes.
@ken: while many here state that occurs, I cannot possibly believe that happens at such a rate to explain the parking issue. The OG beach is packed every day in the summer. AP cannot boast that type of crowd.
The plentiful parking in AP costs, feed the meter or get a ticket. Whereas the lack of available parking in the summertime in OG is in part due to AP beach goers parking free in OG (no meters) and walking to ASBURY.
We’ve already got the kudos from all who fill our beaches each summer. They all know that OG is the best, safest, cleanest family friendly place around. AND we have just enough parking to make it work.
In AP’s defense, it is a nice locals beach. Plenty of parking available compared to OG, the surf characteristics are far better up there. The groins in og haven’t been cut, so you have a large flat beach and a short angled beach, 2 groins and a pier create and weird entry surf.
Due to AP’s less then stellar reputation, it is far less crowded on even the busiest days in the summer than OG, plus more dining options in walking distance.
Say no more, beezee, you hit the nail on the head !
The best times at those other beaches ended at the end of the 1960’s.
Life’s still a beach……spend it in Ocean Grove !
This is great, just the way it is. Let “Them” go elsewhere, relying on the survey.
OG people, nearby fans, and our summer residents are perfectly capable of filling our beaches, all by ourselves. As to the rest, who needs ’em? Let OUR beaches be OUR little secret.