EXPLORE THE SHORE
There’s a Lot of Shore Out There. Here’s the Part Worth Knowing.
The Jersey Shore is a long stretch of coastline. Absecon Island — Atlantic City, Ventnor, Margate, and beyond — is the part we know best. We’ve been here for 45 years. Let us show you around.
THE SHORE IN A FEW HONEST SENTENCES
The Jersey Shore runs for 127 miles of coastline. The stretch we know best — Absecon Island, where Atlantic City, Ventnor, Margate, and their neighbors sit side by side — is not one place. It’s four or five, depending on how you count, and each one has its own particular energy, its own kind of guest, its own reason to come back year after year.
Atlantic City is the one most people think they know. They’re usually half right. The boardwalk and the casinos are real — but Atlantic City is not one neighborhood. Lower Chelsea, bordering Ventnor, is residential, walkable, and close to the beach without the full casino energy — a quieter AC that families and repeat visitors choose. The Inlet corridor near Ocean Casino, Hard Rock, and Showboat is the full-volume version: resort amenities, the water park, the arcade, the hotels that define the skyline. Venice Park sits on the bay side, with water views and a skyline perspective that guests on the ocean side never see. And Center City and the Orange Loop on Tennessee Avenue is its own destination entirely — independent restaurants, art spaces, karaoke rooms, specialty coffee, and a block that has become the most interesting place to spend an evening in South Jersey. Four different Atlantic City trips, all within the same city limits. Ventnor is where families go — wide beaches, front porches, the comfortable feeling of a Shore town that hasn’t been discovered so much as inherited. Margate is quieter and more residential, with higher real estate and lower foot traffic, and Lucy the Elephant standing at the water’s edge like she’s always known something the rest of the island is still figuring out.
All of it is within a few miles. All of it is worth your time. We’ll help you make the most of it.
Three Towns. One Island.
Completely Different Trips.
Atlantic City
The Energy. The Boardwalk. The Orange Loop.
Atlantic City is the Shore at full volume — but it is not one place. It is a city of four distinct neighborhoods, each with its own character and its own kind of stay. Lower Chelsea, bordering Ventnor, is the residential AC: quieter streets, walkable to the beach, close enough to the boardwalk without being inside the resort corridor. The Inlet near Ocean Casino, Hard Rock, and Showboat is the full resort experience — the water park, the arcades, the skyline hotels, the energy that never fully stops. Venice Park sits on the bay side, with water views and a skyline perspective that most visitors never find. And Center City and the Orange Loop on Tennessee Avenue is its own destination: independent restaurants, art spaces, Café, private karaoke, and the kind of block that earns its reputation by being genuinely worth a night out. AC rewards the curious.
Ventnor
Wide Beaches. Front Porches. Familiar Faces.
Margate
Quiet. Residential. Lucy the Elephant.
Margate is the Shore’s best-kept open secret — not actually secret, but the kind of place that feels like it belongs to the people who love it. Higher-quality homes, lower foot traffic, and a beach that tends to feel more spacious than its neighbors. Lucy the Elephant — the National Historic Landmark shaped like, yes, an elephant — has stood at the edge of the water since 1881, which tells you something about how long people have understood that this particular stretch of shore is worth keeping.
THINGS TO DO
A guide, not a checklist.
The places we’d send our own family to. Updated each season, written by people who actually live here.
Family Activities
🏖️ Family Activities
The Jersey Shore has been a family destination for over a century — and the infrastructure to support it runs deep. Miles of beach, a boardwalk that rewards both the two-year-old and the twelve-year-old, amusements and arcades that have been running the same games for decades, and water that is warm enough by July to stay in all day. Here’s where we send our guests.
Best Beach Access Points by Town
Bartram Ave Beach, Atlantic City, Somerset Ave, Ventnor, and Granville Ave Margate are main hubs, guarded with nearby restrooms. AC is free to access, while beach tags are included with your stay for all other towns.
- Atlantic City · Family · Beach
Boardwalk
The Boardwalk — What to Know Before You Go
- Atlantic City · Family · Boardwalk · All Ages
Arcade Recommendation
- Family · Kids · Rainy Day Option
Lucy the Elephant, Margate
- Margate · Family · Historic · Iconic · All Ages
Family Activity Recommendation — mini golf, water park, etc.
- Family · Kids · Active
Local Favorite
Family-Friendly Local Favorite — ice cream, snack bar, etc
- Family · Food · Tradition
Groups & Nightlife
Atlantic City does not run out of things to do after dark.
Tennessee Avenue — The Orange Loop
Live Music / Show Venue Recommendation
Bar or Rooftop Lounge Recommendation
Casino Experience Recommendation — specific floor, show, or dining experience
Late Night Dining or After-Hours Recommendation
Unique Group Experience — escape room, axe throwing, charter boat, etc.
Food & Dining
From boardwalk classics to the best table you’ll need a reservation for.
Featured · Food & Coffee
Sidecar Café — the island's quiet flagship.
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Specialty Coffee Recommendation — independent, local
Breakfast / Brunch Recommendation
Seafood Restaurant Recommendation — the real one, not the tourist trap
BYOB or Fine Dining Recommendation
Casual Lunch or Family Restaurant Recommendation
Boardwalk Food Recommendation — pizza, funnel cake, saltwater taffy, etc.
Ice Cream or Dessert Spot Recommendation
Outdoor & Active
🚴 Outdoor & Active
Absecon Island sits between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Egg Harbor Bay — which means the outdoor options run in two directions at once. Ocean-side: surf, swim, sunbathe, walk the beach for miles. Bay-side: kayak, paddleboard, fish, or watch the sun go down over the water with a completely different quality of light than the ocean side delivers. Both are worth your time. Here’s where to start.
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Kayak / Paddleboard Rental or Tour Recommendation
Fishing Charter or Pier Recommendation
Bike Rental or Trail Recommendation
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Surf Lesson or Rental Recommendation
Nature Walk, Bird Watching, or Wildlife Recommendation
Boat Tour, Dolphin Watch, or Bay Cruise Recommendation
ONLY ON TENNESSEE AVENUE
The Orange Loop is Atlantic City's best new story. We helped write it.
Tennessee Avenue sits in the heart of the Orange Loop — named after the orange properties on the Monopoly board, and earning that distinction with a stretch of independent businesses, art spaces, and experiences that have made it one of the most interesting blocks in South Jersey. STAY Tennessee, our sister hospitality brand, lives here.
A private karaoke club for groups who want their own room. A specialty coffee shop and gathering space where the morning is worth waking up for. A craft and art studio that gives you something to do with your hands and take home at the end. And five suites above the stores, managed by Bartram Beach Homes, for guests who want to be inside the experience rather than adjacent to it.
You don’t have to STAY on Tennessee Avenue to experience it. But if you’re staying with us anywhere on the island, it’s worth the trip.
A private karaoke club for groups who want their own room. A specialty coffee shop and gathering space where the morning is worth waking up for. A craft and art studio that gives you something to do with your hands and take home at the end. And five suites above the stores, managed by Bartram Beach Homes, for guests who want to be inside the experience rather than adjacent to it.
You don’t have to stay on Tennessee Avenue to experience it. But if you’re staying with us anywhere on the island, it’s worth the trip.
RAINY DAY & INDOOR
A Rainy Shore Day Is Not a Wasted Day. Here’s Why.
The Shore has a particular magic on a rainy day that sunny days don’t — quieter streets, better light, and all the indoor experiences that get overlooked when the beach is calling. Here’s what we tell our guests when the forecast turns gray.
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Karaoke at STAY Tennessee
Book a private karaoke room at STAY Tennessee on Tennessee Avenue — your own space, your own playlist, your own people. Hourly rentals available. Perfect for groups of any size.
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Tennessee Ave Coffee Co.
🏛️
Atlantic City History & Art
🎝️
Casino Dining & Entertainment
🎨
Craft & Art Lab
The Craft and Art Lab at STAY Tennessee is a hands-on creative studio where you make something — and take it home. Open to walk-ins. Great for families, couples, and groups who want something different.
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Local Shopping — Atlantic Avenue
Tanger Outlets Atlantic City
Just minutes from the beach and Boardwalk, Tanger Outlets Atlantic City features over 100 brand-name stores offering great deals on fashion, accessories, and more—perfect for a little retail therapy during your stay.
A Local Orientation
Planning starts before you arrive.
Ready to Find Your Shore Home?
Browse our full collection of handpicked homes across the Jersey Shore — Atlantic City, Ventnor, Margate, and beyond.
We are a collection of properties with great access to the best experiences.
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