"There are beach towns that you visit once, and then there's Long Beach Island-the kind of place people return to for decades. I've been coming to LBI for most of my life, first as a kid wedged between beach chairs and boogie boards in the backseat, and now alongside a new generation of kiddies, armed with ice cream-sticky hands and sandy feet. The arrival at this special Jersey beach town is a ritual that continues to feel the same: Somewhere on the drive, the windows are rolled down, Jack Johnson's In Between Dreams starts to play-"Banana Pancakes" serving as the island's unofficial soundtrack-and on cue, the Fantasy Island amusement park's Ferris wheel appears in the distance."
"LBI has been a beloved Jersey Shore escape since the late 19th century, when wealthy Philadelphians first built breezy summer cottages along its narrow barrier island dunes. More than a century later, the old-school Americana spirit is as strong as ever, now a summer sojourn for families and folks from all over New England. Here, you'll find sand splattered onto most of the main roads, pastel bikes being ridden everywhere, and old seafood shacks that haven't yet lost their edge."
"Bay Village, the center plaza of shops and eateries, buzzes with groups carrying armfuls of saltwater taffy, tweens lined up for henna tattoos, and kids begging for one more arcade game before dinner. Surf shops are packed with sun-faded hoodies, hermit crabs are sold in pretty much every gift shop, and old seafood shacks that haven't yet lost their edge."
Long Beach Island is a Jersey Shore destination that many visitors return to for decades, treating arrival as a familiar ritual. The drive often includes rolled-down windows and music, followed by the sight of the Fantasy Island amusement park. The island’s appeal traces back to late-19th-century summer cottages built by wealthy Philadelphians, and it still carries an old-school Americana feel. Visitors find sand on main roads, pastel bikes, surf shops, gift shops selling hermit crabs, and Bay Village as a lively hub of shops and eateries. The experience extends beyond beaches and food through long sunset picnics, multigenerational families, and waves of loved ones arriving throughout the week.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
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