If the beach is your thing, there are plenty of options available. Most of the beaches offer daily passes if you haven’t secured a summer rental, but keep in mind that changing and shower areas are overcrowded and not available at every area along the shore.
If you don’t have access to a car, New Jersey Transit stops at several points south along the shore. There are also daily bus runs to Atlantic City if you prefer the excitement of the casinos. If you are going to drive, keep in mind that Friday traffic is a problem no matter what time you leave. And holiday weekends usually mean double the amount of time sitting in traffic. Check out daily beach information Web sites such as www.ourtownrentals.com to find out more.
Beach house gossip
Still wondering if you should get that share? Some Hudson County residents recently shared their experiences. “Personally, I love the shore, but I’m happy to not be having a share this summer,” said Cate Wells of Hoboken. “Roommates can be difficult enough, especially when you are friends. My best living situations have been with total strangers. Combine tight quarters with lots of alcohol, and drama is bound to happen.”
“When you get a dozen or so strangers, all of them brought together by one or two house organizers, then you better pray to God that everyone gets along,” said Ed Rice, formerly of Hoboken. “When you live with that many roommates, you see the best and worst in people. You see them at their drunkest, their foulest, and their most obnoxious state of inebriation. You see how dirty or clean they are. By the end of the summer, you walk away wondering how half of them hold normal, high-paying executive jobs in the city.”
Jersey City resident Alex Vilchez has been going to Belmar every year since 1998. Vilchez is an organizer, who secures the rental every summer. Vilchez has had almost the same group of 14 for the last seven years. The group used to admit outsiders, but ran into problems one year when the stranger punched holes in a wall. This year, his housemates are too old – between 28 and 32 – for that kind of destructive behavior.
“The younger guys want to get crazy and break things,” Vilchez said. “But we have girls who live there too.” According to Vilchez, when you share a house you have to expect certain things; food left in the refrigerator is fair game, the house might not be that clean, and you should never leave personal bath products in the bathroom, unless you don’t mind someone using your soap. Parties on holiday weekends can involve a lot of people, so sometimes you end up with nowhere to sleep. The worst case scenario for a large party is a noise violation from the police, or someone going to the hospital.
“One year, a friend of a friend came to a party,” Vilchez said. “He was drunk and started playing football in the street. He fell and cracked his face open. He still has a scar.”
Even with minor problems, Vilchez said going to the beach on weekends is better than staying up north, just to get out of the city. He said he will keep renting every summer, at least for a while. But he is not sure whether it will be Belmar next summer, for two reasons. For the past two years, rental prices have been going up in Belmar, and Vilchez said the crowd that goes out in Belmar is young. “It might be time to move to another beach,” Vilchez said. “Long Beach Island is the retirement place for Belmar.”
Hoboken resident Scott Howell spends his summers on Long Beach Island in shares with people he doesn’t know. He recalled only one summer when it was a problem living with strangers. “There was one girl living at the house that no one liked,” Howell said. “She got drunk every day and hooked up with everyone.”
According to Howell, living at the beach is better than staying in the city. “At the beach, I’ll get up and do things,” Howell said. “I’ll get up early in the morning to bike or swim, even if I’m out all night. There are more things to do outside.”
Hudson County
Whether your idea of summer means having dinner in an outdoor café or packing a lunch for the park, Hudson County has many fun things to do over a long weekend. There are free concerts in the park in Hoboken at Frank Sinatra Park on Thursdays and free movies on Wednesday nights in Hoboken’s Pier A Park. Also in Hoboken, the Downtown Boathouse is sponsoring free kayaking on Saturdays at Frank Sinatra Park, and Shakespeare in the Park will be performing at three different locations for their summer session. For more information on any of the free events in Hoboken, call (201) 420-2207 or visit www.hobokennj.org.
Liberty State Park in Jersey City is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The park has picnic areas, open fields, a water walkway, a pool, tennis courts, a playground and Liberty Science Center. Ferry service runs from Liberty State Park to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. You can reach the park by car, light rail, or from the bike path that connects Newport to the park.
The Jersey City arts community will be hosting “JC Fridays” in downtown Jersey City. There will be musical performances, art exhibitions, films and theater events on Friday June 3. For more information, check out www.jcfridays.com.
The Newport section of Jersey City will be hosting a variety of events this summer, in addition to offering outdoor dining. Some of the events planned are the Newport Beach Party, jazz concerts on Saturdays, and Metro Stars Event on July 13. For more information, call Andrea Goldstein at (212) 708-6644. Whatever your pleasure, make sure to enjoy the longer days of summer and check out some of the free events!