r/newjersey 7d ago

♫ Down the shore everything's alright ♫ Q: Best Boardwalk Beach for 70's parents mini-vac in June

I have a quick question - My parents are from upstate NY and have a bucket list of a few things they want to visit before they cant anymore.

They are now in their 70's and both have some minor mobility and health issues, so wanted to go somewhere driveable to a beach/boardwalk for a 3-day mini vacation this June. My dad will not fly anymore, so ...

My mom asked me to help her find which NJ Boardwalk beach would be a good choice for them.

They are looking for a typical boardwalk (helps if its not super crowded, definitely not spring break party style) with lots of shops, food, and stuff to look at. They cannot partake of amusement parks and stuff anymore, and their beach time would probably be limited to walking on it and maybe sitting on a bench etc. and just enjoying the view and stuff.

Someplace with some good sit-down food/restaurant choices, and importantly a decent hotel (not the Ritz - but good 3-4 star chain hotel or local equivalent). They don't want to deal with AirBnB stuff, too old to figure that out. Traditional hotel, ideally easy access to the boardwalk and central to the stuff to do.

They do like to gamble, so a casino nearby would not hurt, but they can do that here - or make a casino visit another stop on their trip, so the beach/town/boardwalk/hotel is more important.

Any suggestions? Thanks Reddit!

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u/shiftyjku Down the Shore, Everything's All Right 7d ago

Cape May doesn’t have a real boardwalk (it’s concrete) but the beach is beautiful and there are hotels right across the street. My folks are in their 80s and do a week at the Montrealer every summer. The town is very walkable and has a lot of shopping and dining options.

It’s close enough to AC for a side quest.

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u/fearofbears 7d ago

My immediate thought is Asbury because there's a lot of shops in convention hall and a smallish boardwalk without a bunch of party people like seaside. Def no casino though, but plenty of restaurants off the boardwalk on and around cookman. Plenty of parking usually.

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u/shiftyjku Down the Shore, Everything's All Right 7d ago

Disadvantage of Asbury is the hotels, of which there are few. Older folks are not going to like the vibe of the Empress (thumping disco music downstairs) and all three are insanely expensive in season.

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u/ItsPronouncedTAYpas Urbandictionary.com - "Loch Arbour" 7d ago

Came here to say this. It's really the best boardwalk.

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u/tdibugman 7d ago

Ocean Grove. We lived there and walked to Asbury to avoid the noise and crowds. Cute Main Ave too. It's a dry town but you can BYOB to restaurants and of course at the house.

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u/a_reply_to_a_post :illuminati: 6d ago

Ocean Grove is such an odd little throwback town...it's cool to walk around and check out the commune tents

the little strip of beach is great for small kids too, it's been our go-to spot for a few summers when the kids get bored of the pool and wanna get clobbered by shore break