Brandy07

We’d like to go to NJ coast for a couple of days - any recommendations of where to go/stay for a family of 4?

Pulaski

What do you like to do? I think you'll find it mostly comprises slightly trashy-run down beach towns, with Atlantic City about half way along, which is bigger, with more hotels and restaurants, but is also slightly trashy and run down.

Brandy07

We’d like to go to a nice beach in a resort which has a few sightseeing places (museums, parks), where we can walk round (really miss not being able to walk anywhere!) and go out to eat in the evening (so family friendly restaurants nearby). Does this exist there??

Pulaski

Honestly I have never stayed up there, but I know a little about it - at the northern end it was historically an area that people came to from NYC and northern NJ, so a sort of US Southend or if you're being charitable, Brighton. Musems? Probably only of the Ripley's Believe It Or Not, variety!

You will find that run down seafront properties may have a business upstairs offering "massages". No, I am not kidding - here's an example from Tom's River, NJ, earlier this year, and another from Wall Township in 2014.

If it was me, I would stay in Atlantic City because there are decent hotels and restaurants, then drive down to explore the parks and wildlife refuges further south. I see there is a zoo down there, though if you are familiar with "big city" zoos and places like Whipsnade, then most US zoos are not great shakes. ..... I see Atlantic City has an aquarium ..... which features an "exotic animal show", so like the stereotype I mentioned above, a bit trashy!

Brandy07

😂 thank you for your response. I’ll have a look around Atlantic City area.

Pulaski

I added a bit of "colour" to my post above, and corrected a place-name typo.

Jerseygirl

Atlantic City slightly trashy and run down is an understatement...it is a dump.

It's years since I've been down the Jersey Shore (not coast )...mostly small seaside type towns. I'm not a fan...but that's just my opinion.

Englishmum

Cape May.....no idea where you are coming from but it is in the southern tip of NJ; not sure if it runs all year round but you can take a car ferry from Delaware (we did this one year when we spent the 4th of July at Rehoboth beach in Delaware and stopped off in Cape May on the way home).

It's a beautiful Victorian town. Last November (approx 6th) we spent a weekend there and stayed in a suite at the Montreal Beach Hotel, right across from the beach. We took our bikes and cycled up to a nature reserve with a lighthouse....apparently it's a highway for migrating birds and we did see plenty of them (glad we took our binoculars). We didn't bother going up the lighthouse as we have been up them in the UK.

The next day we went on a whale and dolphin watching cruise....it was brilliant. We saw many pods of dolphins and at least 7 whales, all just a few hundred feet from the beaches up to Wildwood....on the way back to the marina there were two whales greeting each other right alongside our boat, it was fantastic!

There are plenty of bars and restaurants to dine at in the evening. It was a lovely trip, albeit helped by nice sunny days and mild temps.

I would highly recommend it for a weekend getaway. If you want to go upscale then the Congress Hall is the top place to stay.

Rete

Not really. There are lovely beach town, i.e. Point Pleasant, Cape May but a resort? Never happen. You have tacky or exclusive. The tacky would be Seaside Heights, NJ just down through Toms River or Wildwood, NJ. Wildwood Crest a bit better but not much. Point Pleasant and Cape May are wonderful towns with Cape May winning hands down for their lovely old Victorian B&B's. As for museums, I took my kids to Seaside Heights annually for over 5 years but never thought of going to a museum so never looked for one.

Also look into Red Bank, NJ.

Ecto17

I was also going to recommend Cape May.

Nutmegger

For museums, keep heading south to Philadelphia — a wonderful city full of history and all manner of great museums.

Brandy07

Thank you - we’ve decided to go to Cape May (it’s only 2 hour drive for us). We’ve booked into the Montreal Beach Hotel. Will look into the whale/dolphin cruise - my 2 would love that!

Brandy07

Thank you - we’ve decided on Cape May

Brandy07

We’re in the suburbs of Philadelphia- we’ve done sightseeing there, but we have family coming to visit soon so we’ll do more of that with them. We’ve decided on Cape May as wanted to go a little further afield and while the weather is still nice go to the coast.

mum 2 3

Cape May is perfect for what you want. On the dolphin/whale watching... We did a boat trip the first time and didn't see anything. Then when back at our ocean front hotel saw dolphins from the balcony. Have seen them every day every visit since, (6 trips in 5 years) just from the shore, although our trips have been in the summer. Lots of great restaurants in the walkable downtown area. Recommend Blue Pig Tavern for evening, and breakfast at the Mad Batter for families.