After 5,000 votes in the past week, our readers have named the top crop of beaches in our statewide search!
Last week, we posed the ultimate summer inquiry -- which is the best beach in New Jersey?
And after nearly 5,000 votes -- in a poll that spanned all 140 miles of Garden State coastline -- we have tallied the six top Jersey Shore vote-getters and the finalists, in our search for the state's superior spot for surf and sand.
The finalists are:
- Cape May
- Island Beach State Park
- Long Beach Township (Long Beach Island)
- Ocean City
- Point Pleasant Beach
- Wildwood Crest
Unsurprisingly, each of the finalists are among New Jersey's most popular summer locales, for family-friendly long weekends, beach house rentals and recreation beyond the sand itself.
Over the next few weeks, we will spend plenty of time at each of the finalist beaches, and continue to the search for which is truly the best, based on the following criteria:
- Quality of beach itself: sand cleanliness, swimmable water, etc.
- Quality and size of out-of-town crowds (less is usually more)
- Availability of boardwalks, food and recreation
- Cost of beach badges
Stay tuned to read our findings, and by the end of July we will name the best beach in New Jersey!
Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier. Find NJ.com on Facebook.