Seaside Heights

Seaside Heights is a borough with almost 3,000 residents (2019) in the New Jersey Shore region. Seaside Heights is a beach town on a barrier island that faces the Atlantic Ocean on the east and Barnegat Bay on the west. It is connected to the mainland community of Toms River via the Thomas A. Mathis Bridge (New Jersey Route 37) over the bay. Seaside Park, directly to the south on the same island, is also covered in this article.

By car

 * From New York, Northern and Southern New Jersey, travel along the Garden State Parkway until you reach Exit 82 East for Route 37. Then, take Route 37 East for 9 miles over the bridge into Seaside Heights. The trip from New York City is about 80 miles and will probably take you close to 2 hours. If you are coming from Atlantic City, you would go about 60 miles north and should expect to spend more than 1 hour on the road.
 * From Philadelphia, take the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and follow signs for New Jersey Route 70 East. Take Route 70 until its junction with Route 37 East in Lakehurst, NJ. Continue on Route 37 and follow it over the bridge into Seaside Heights. The trip is about 65 miles and takes at least 1½ hours, but allow more time in case of traffic.

During the summer months, traffic from all directions is heavy. Traffic can vary depending on the time, day and month. Listen to local radio stations, such as WOBM 1160AM, to find out information about traffic patterns, accidents, and shortcuts. Tourist traffic usually begins in late May and continues until early September.

By plane
The closest large airports to Seaside Heights are:


 * - Newark Liberty International Airport --in Newark, NJ. A major intercontinental airport near New York City, serving as a hub for United Airlines.
 * - Atlantic City International Airport -in Atlantic City, NJ. This airport is the smallest of the three and is usually is used by those within the Atlantic County area.  Casino patrons are common customers, along with vacationers during the summer months.  It provides main airlines such as Spirit Airlines, and Delta Connection COMAIR flights daily.  There are not many restaurants or shops within the airport, but Atlantic City is full of them.
 * - Philadelphia Airport -in Philadelphia PA. Philadelphia's primary airport serves as a hub for American Airlines.

By taxi
There are a number of taxi services around and within Seaside Heights, though most have offices in Toms River. Fares vary depending on the service:



By foot
The total area of Seaside Heights is 0.8 square miles. Because of this, many residents and visitors like to get their exercise by walking along the boardwalk or any other destination especially during the months of May until September.

By bike
It is common to see residents and tourists riding their bikes along the boardwalk during the summer months. Bikes are also ridden within the town to and from various destinations. Because Seaside Heights is less than a mile in total area, it is easy to get exercise and travel at the same time.

By car
When the weather begins to get a little colder and the summer is coming to an end, more and more people turn to their cars for transportation. Although Seaside Heights is not large, it is quick to reach a destination by car. Traffic can be hectic during the summer months, but it tends to slow down as September begins. Generally, parking costs $1 to $2 per hour at metered parking lots from April to October. Free parking is available year round at Grant Ave, at the town entrance, but be prepared to walk at least 4 blocks to get to the boardwalk.

By taxi
Taxi services are not really necessary during the daytime, but are usually used at night by those who take advantage of the bar scene. They are sometimes used by those who are in a real rush and do not have a car nearby.

By tramcars
This type of transportation can only be found on the boardwalk. It is a family friendly way to get around and see the boardwalk at its best.

Beach
All Seaside Heights beaches are open to the public and are at just about every block. Badges can be purchased daily and paid weekends are in effect beginning Memorial Day. Children 11 years and younger are free. $5 Seasonal Badges, $30 prior to May 14th, $35 post May 14th.

Lifeguards are available all hours that the beach is open and lifeguard towers are scattered throughout the beach. No swimming is allowed once the guards are off duty!

The surfing hotspot is at the northern end of Seaside Heights. There are natural sandbars that create some of the best waves in New Jersey.

One thing that the Jersey Shore asks of its users is to remember to keep the beaches clean!

On Thursday and Sunday evenings at the Hiering Avenue Ocean Front Stage free movies are shown on the beach. This occurs during the months of July and August. People sit on the beach with their own beach chairs or blankets. On Sunday nights, the movies are rather PG-13. No alcohol or glass are permitted to this event.

On Monday evenings at the Hiering Avenue Ocean Front stage live concerts are held. All concerts begin at 7PM. This also takes places during the months of July and August.

To the south:

Water activities
Crabbing is an activity that is fun for the whole family to enjoy. Blue crabs are native to the Bay all the way down the shoreline. Docs can be located just south of the Rt.35 bridge.

Fishing is also common in Seaside Heights. Try your luck at catching Bluefish, Fluke, Striped Bass, and Kingfish of the Casino Pier. There is a small fee for fishing and rod rentals are available. For fishing or crabbing equipment, there are many tackle stores located throughout the region. Two popular ones are The New Dolphin and Betty and Nick’s, located along Rt. 35. They are great sources of information, especially for the hotspots! Seaside Heights does not have an inlet, but if you are looking for a charter or party fishing boat, you can head seven miles north to Point Pleasant.



Buy
There is not much in the way of shopping, but little shops are also located on the boardwalk. Stores selling customized t-shirts, surf shops, and candy stores are all open from when the beach is available to the public to about 11PM.

There are many small stores along the sides of the boardwalk in Seaside Heights. Shops include, piercing parlors, beachwear outfits, t-shirt/souvenir shops as well as food/candy stores.



Sleep
There are many places to stay in Seaside Heights. Since the town is a vacation area there are many available accommodations to choose from. You could stay at a motel or rent a house for a short period of time. There are many realty/rental companies that would be able to assist you with your rental options.