Keansburg

Keansburg (Gem of the Bayshore) is a working class resort town in Monmouth County, New Jersey, on the east coast of the United States of America. This article also covers the neighboring village of Hazlet.

Understand
The town has been a popular tourist spot since the beginning of the 20th century, through to the 1960s, when Hurricane Donna wiped out much of the waterfront area. Weary New York City residents would ferry over and spend the weekend, or summer vacation to escape the city heat. The boardwalk and town enjoyed its popularity for many years and is now part of American culture. In 2010, the borough population was 10,105.

The town was badly damaged during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and has never fully recovered. Try to imagine Keansburg in its glory days to make the most out of a visit.

Get in
NY Waterway offers ferry service from NYC to Belford, NJ and other destinations on the Jersey shore. The Belford station is a five minute drive to downtown Keansburg or the boardwalk area. http://www.nywaterway.com/FerryRoutesSchedules.aspx



Hazlet is at exit 117 off the Garden State Parkway, not to be confused with exit 117A. Two major highways, NJ35 and NJ36, run through the township.

Do

 * Hazlet Multiplex Cinemas: 2821 Highway 35 Hazlet
 * Veteran's Park: Green Acre Drive, off Middle Road in Hazlet
 * Hazlet Multiplex Cinemas: 2821 Highway 35 Hazlet
 * Veteran's Park: Green Acre Drive, off Middle Road in Hazlet
 * Hazlet Multiplex Cinemas: 2821 Highway 35 Hazlet
 * Veteran's Park: Green Acre Drive, off Middle Road in Hazlet
 * Hazlet Multiplex Cinemas: 2821 Highway 35 Hazlet
 * Veteran's Park: Green Acre Drive, off Middle Road in Hazlet

Buy




Eat
The majority of restaurants are take-out or dine in with plastic utensils. A few worth mentioning include:


 * Barb's Big Burrito which offers great Mexican food, the burrito is tough to beat.
 * Anthony's Pizza Villa, located by the roller-coaster. Has quite possibly one of the best slices of pizza on the east coast outside of NYC.
 * Dixie Lee Bakery, Located on Main Street. One of the best bakeries at the shore. Famous for their Black & Whites cookies. Be sure to try the coconut & crumb buns, but arrive early since they often run out.

Drink
Keansburg has many pubs and taverns. Several can be found along the boardwalk area, including:


 * TJK Stadium Seasonal bar open all year round.  They make a decent burger at this tiki style open air bar.  Formally known as the "Stockhouse".
 * Cabana Club on the boardwalk and Beachway.  This bar has been renamed a few times through various owners.  They have fresh seafood and two bars though the inside one is usually closed.  Formally known as the "Miami Club" and the "Alibi"
 * Jackie Keelen's Bar on the Henry Hudson Trail in the old train station building. The nicest bar in town has 26 beers on tap but no food.
 * Applejack Bar & Grille at the corner of Centre and Carr Ave.  This place is known as the rudest bar in town but they also have the best food.  Formally known as the "Deluxe Bar"
 *  The Marina Inn Bar at the foot of Laurel Ave where the creek meets the  bay.  Some of the patrons here look like extras from a pirate movie.  Also known as the "Maplewood Inn".
 * Ted's Tavern Located on Hwy 36 in West Keansburg.  This bar features a fairly friendly crowd on the edge of town.
 * Bachstadt's Tavern near Ideal Beach, off of Port Monmouth Rd.  This is the oldest of old man bars and one of the few to still sell "set-ups" (Buy the bottle and drink it there)
 * Bachstadt's Tavern near Ideal Beach, off of Port Monmouth Rd.  This is the oldest of old man bars and one of the few to still sell "set-ups" (Buy the bottle and drink it there)

Note:
 * 1) Some places in town tend to be local hangouts but most people won't bother you, if you mind your own business. Sometimes, its best to keep your loudmouth friend at home.
 * 2) Walking around away from the boardwalk area at night is not advised. Most of the crime in the area is youth based vandalism. Moderate precautions will be more than enough to keep you safe.

Sleep
There are no major hotels in Keansburg, so you should check out the nearby area including:


 * Holiday Inn in Hazlet
 * The Howard Johnson's in Middletown
 * Wellsley Inn in Hazlet

Marine boat and docking facilities: