You will not be disappointed with Cape May. Our favorite out of all those mentioned and the best place for kids.

That said -- Spring Lake is a little more convenient to New York.

South Jersey Beaches or Delaware beaches.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I REALLY dislike Jersey Shore beaches, but Cape May is okay - as is Spring Lake.

There is Jersey Shore like the TV show and then there are the places people are suggesting. I actually really like the jersey beaches. We love Ocean City NJ, and it's a dry town which means there is no bar scene there so it's very family oriented.

Agree - but that's not at all what I meant. I dislike that you have to pay for a beach pass, that you can't eat or drink on the beach, etc. It feels so constricting (but I will admit that I am an OBX person - love having essentially private beaches that are totally relaxed).

this isn't true. You can eat and drink on the NJ beaches.

Yes, this is right. You do need beach tags at every NJ beach I've been to, though. I recommend Avalon, Stone Harbor, Cape May or Spring Lake (which is particularly nice, but much closer to NY).

Stone Harbor

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I REALLY dislike Jersey Shore beaches, but Cape May is okay - as is Spring Lake.

There is Jersey Shore like the TV show and then there are the places people are suggesting. I actually really like the jersey beaches. We love Ocean City NJ, and it's a dry town which means there is no bar scene there so it's very family oriented.

Agree - but that's not at all what I meant. I dislike that you have to pay for a beach pass, that you can't eat or drink on the beach, etc. It feels so constricting (but I will admit that I am an OBX person - love having essentially private beaches that are totally relaxed).

this isn't true. You can eat and drink on the NJ beaches.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I REALLY dislike Jersey Shore beaches, but Cape May is okay - as is Spring Lake.

There is Jersey Shore like the TV show and then there are the places people are suggesting. I actually really like the jersey beaches. We love Ocean City NJ, and it's a dry town which means there is no bar scene there so it's very family oriented.

Agree - but that's not at all what I meant. I dislike that you have to pay for a beach pass, that you can't eat or drink on the beach, etc. It feels so constricting (but I will admit that I am an OBX person - love having essentially private beaches that are totally relaxed).

You can't picnic on the beach in NJ?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I REALLY dislike Jersey Shore beaches, but Cape May is okay - as is Spring Lake.

There is Jersey Shore like the TV show and then there are the places people are suggesting. I actually really like the jersey beaches. We love Ocean City NJ, and it's a dry town which means there is no bar scene there so it's very family oriented.

Agree - but that's not at all what I meant. I dislike that you have to pay for a beach pass, that you can't eat or drink on the beach, etc. It feels so constricting (but I will admit that I am an OBX person - love having essentially private beaches that are totally relaxed).

Anonymous wrote:I REALLY dislike Jersey Shore beaches, but Cape May is okay - as is Spring Lake.

There is Jersey Shore like the TV show and then there are the places people are suggesting. I actually really like the jersey beaches. We love Ocean City NJ, and it's a dry town which means there is no bar scene there so it's very family oriented.

Assatesgue is close to OC, but more natural & park-y.

I REALLY dislike Jersey Shore beaches, but Cape May is okay - as is Spring Lake.

LBI, NJ, Ocean City, NJ, or Stone Harbor NJ

Cape May, Long Beach Island are both fabulous.

Avalon, NJ

Beach Haven on Long Beach Island in Nj.

DH, 6yr old DD and I are looking at meeting friends coming from NYC at a beach at the end of August. Other than Bethany and Ocean City MD (which I don't care for), we really aren't familiar with the mid Atlantic beaches since normally we head south towards Outer Banks or Isle of Palms.

Any recommendations for a family-friendly beach town that wouldn't be horribly out of the way driving between the two locations? DCUM seems to like Cape May and Lewes both, are either a good option and if so, which would be preferable? There are hundreds of pages of beach threads in the Search function, but I couldn't easily find anything that would include the element of driving between the two locations.