Long Beach Island

Long Beach Island (LBI), famous Exit 63 off the Garden State Parkway, is an 18-mile-long barrier island in Ocean County, New Jersey. The island has evolved from an important fishing hub to a playground for well-to-do men and women. Nowadays, the numerous tourists attractions and white sandy beaches make LBI a huge tourist spot. The summer months are busiest, "the season" ranging from mid-May through Chowda Fest in October. The majority of the island shuts down during the winter months. Although evolved from the 1950s days of full-coverage bathingsuits, LBI is certainly still a playground of sorts.

Understand
The Island derives its name from its white sand beaches that stretch the entirety of the 18 miles. LBI was discovered in 1614 by Captain Cornelius Jacobsen May, a Dutch explorer and tradesman. During its history, the island was rattled by a few major hurricanes, including the largest in 1944. A famous photograph of a home slowly falling victim to this hurricane is hung in many stores, restaurants, and hotels on the island today.

Get in
The easiest way to get to Long Beach Island is by car. There are bus services, but they are limited, expensive, and/or complex.

By car
Long Beach Island is the perfect embodiment of American car culture. So it is almost certain you will be driving your own car to the island.

Take the Garden State Parkway to Exit 63. Then, take Route 72 E onto the Island. From there, you will want Long Beach Boulevard, which is the main street going the entire length of the inhabited parts of the island. There will be a toll at the exit.

Or, take US Route 9 to the exit marked Route 72. Then, take Route 72 onto the Island. From there, you will want Long Beach Boulevard, which is the main street going the entire length of the inhabited parts of the island. As a US Highway, there is no toll.

By bus
TransportAzumah, a private bus service, will take you directly from New York City (9 Ave-42 St) or Newark Airport to various stops on the island. It only runs during the peak summer period from late June to early October. There is only one bus per day each direction and the ticket costs $40 for adults and $30 for students under 18 (with ID) (2017). The route is TAZ10. Reservations are recommended. .

Or you can take a bus to nearby Manahawkin and then a taxi or rental car to the island.
 * New Jersey Transit provides service from Newark, New York City, and Philadelphia to Manahawkin. From there, you will need to take a taxi to the Island. This will always involve two buses and a taxi.
 * From New York City or Newark, take bus #67 or #319 to Toms River, then bus #559 to Manahawkin.
 * From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, take bus #551 to Atlantic City, NJ, then bus #559 to Manahawkin.

Communities

 * — Home to Barnegat Lighthouse. Other than that, not much.
 * — Mainly residential, with a few stores and restaurants. Harvey Cedars is a getaway from the hustle and bustle of other LBI towns.
 * — Lots of shopping and dining opportunities.
 * — Known as the "Gateway to LBI" since it's the landing place for the Causeway Bridge.
 * — A historic summer resort town with notable Victorian architecture, and ample shopping, dining, and entertainment opportunities. It also hosts the only amusement park on LBI.

Get around
Once on the island, there are not many ways to get around besides private car. A shuttle bus traverses the entire island, charging a nominal fee. Depending on which hotel you stay at, they may offer transportation services. If you are not staying at a hotel and need to get around, you can use a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft. In the summer months, they are very easy to come by. The island is very strict with drunk driving, so when you go out at night, make sure you have a ride back to wherever you are staying.

By bike
Another way to get around the island is by renting bicycles. Throughout the streets, there are bicycle lanes, so it is very safe to get around, and bike racks can be found at most beach entrances, as well.You can bring your own bike, or there are many places to rent them.



Other

 * Uber/Lyft drivers are available, at least in the summer months. They may be hard to come by in the off-season.

Do




Mini-golf
Mini-golf is a popular thing to do on LBI and there are several courses to try out.



Movies
It may seem odd to go to the movies while on vacation, but many tourists to LBI do.



Buy
There are hundreds of shops up and down the Island, ranging in size and mainly along Long Beach Boulevard.

Eat
If you love to eat, you’ve come to the right island! Long Beach Island is packed with restaurants and eateries from Lighthouse to Inlet, with the majority of them centralized in Beach Haven, Surf City, and Harvey Cedars. Many restaurants do not take reservations and some can have waits as long as 3 hours for a meal, so timing is key when it comes to dining on LBI. Because rentals change over on Saturdays, avoid going out to eat Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. Optimum days to dine out are Thursdays and Fridays, when most tourists are devouring the leftovers they have in their refrigerators before departing. Bon appetit!

Drink
LBI has a great night life. There are numerous bars to choose from. Most of the bars require casual attire.



Sleep
Many people rent a house through one of many rental agencies. Houses can be rented by the week usually and come in all kinds. Keep in mind the landlords can be very particular about their house integrity remaining uncompromised and it is not uncommon for them to drive by to see if the house is in order. You may not even notice they drove by.


 * Some homeowners rent their houses without going through a realtor. For those cases, check out websites like VRBO or craigslist. If using craigslist, be very careful, talk on the phone with the homeowner to make certain that it is not a scam.
 * Some homeowners rent their houses without going through a realtor. For those cases, check out websites like VRBO or craigslist. If using craigslist, be very careful, talk on the phone with the homeowner to make certain that it is not a scam.
 * Some homeowners rent their houses without going through a realtor. For those cases, check out websites like VRBO or craigslist. If using craigslist, be very careful, talk on the phone with the homeowner to make certain that it is not a scam.
 * Some homeowners rent their houses without going through a realtor. For those cases, check out websites like VRBO or craigslist. If using craigslist, be very careful, talk on the phone with the homeowner to make certain that it is not a scam.

Hotels
For less hassle, you can choose from many hotels or bed and breakfasts on the island:



Go next
Atlantic City is about 65 miles south of LBI.