Jersey Shore 442163 225322242 2008-07-13T02:21:33Z SmackBot 433328 Date the maintenance tags or general fixes {{Travel guide|date=June 2008}} {{dablink|Jersey Shore can also refer to [[Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania]].}} [[Image:Familyfunandsunresort.JPG|right|thumb|300px|Casino Pier, Seaside Heights, NJ]] The '''Jersey Shore''' is a term used in the mid-Atlantic region of the [[United States]] to refer to the [[Atlantic Ocean]]- facing coast of [[New Jersey]], together with the adjacent resort and residential communities. Its popularity as a [[tourist destination]] is due in large part to the nearly continuous stretch of beaches along its length, classic themes (antique, quaint, and classic), and boardwalks filled with hundreds of rides. The shore represents one of the most booming real estate markets on the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] as its prominence as a tourist destination and vacation spot has risen greatly in the past decade. The Jersey Shore is home to many world-famous {{POV-statement|date=May 2008}} boardwalks in towns including [[Asbury Park, New Jersey|Asbury Park]], [[Belmar, New Jersey|Belmar]], [[Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey|Point Pleasant Beach]], [[Seaside Heights, New Jersey|Seaside Heights]], [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]], [[Ocean City, New Jersey|Ocean City]], [[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]], and [[Cape May, New Jersey|Cape May]]. Jersey Shore "locals"{{Who|date=July 2008}} are known for their mild-mannered yet staunch disdain for rowdy tourists ([[shoobie]] or [[benny (slang)|benny]] in the local vernacular), usually from the [[New York Metropolitan Area|New York]] and [[Delaware Valley|Philadelphia]] Metropolitan Areas.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} ==Location and region== Geographically, the term encompasses the New Jersey coast from [[Sandy Hook (New Jersey)|Sandy Hook]] in the north to [[Cape May]] in the south and excludes the [[estuary|estuaries]] of [[New York Bay]] and [[Delaware Bay]]. The Jersey Shore area includes [[Atlantic County, New Jersey|Atlantic]], [[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May]] and [[Ocean County, New Jersey|Ocean]] counties, along with towns in [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth]] and [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex]] counties and the small shoreline edge of [[Burlington County, New Jersey|Burlington]] county. Citizens of certain areas of the Shore are unique in New Jersey because some communities often have mixed affiliations between New York and Philadelphia.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} There are also areas that get both New York and Philadelphia tourists. While there is no defined border between North and South, the [[Manasquan River]] or [[Interstate 195 (New Jersey)|Interstate 195]] are often mentioned.<ref>Galant, Debra. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9401E6DD133FF93AA35757C0A9669C8B63 "JERSEY; South Jersey Is Friendlier? Oh, Shut Up And Drive"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[April 9]], [[2000]], accessed [[April 11]], [[2008]]. "For the purposes of dividing North Jersey from South Jersey, Gannett drew a line between Monmouth County and Ocean County. I decided that it would be amusing to drive down to this dividing line -- which turned out to be the Manasquan River -- and test the hypothesis."</ref> However, since New York City and Philadelphia are just 90 miles apart, there is a lot of overlap between where each metropolitan area's residents go for beach tourism. ==Pollution controversies== During the 1980s, the beaches of the Jersey Shore gained a somewhat unsavory reputation for being polluted, popularized in part by incidents of medical waste from [[Fresh Kills Landfill]] in [[New York City]] washing up on the shore (an example of this is the "[[Syringe Tide]]" in 1987). [[New York]] was forced to pay for the cleanup after [[New Jersey]] took it to court. ==Jersey Shore sound and culture== For some time, the Jersey Shore has also been known as a live music mecca {{POV-statement|date=May 2008}} {{Fact|date=May 2008}}, due to the numerous rock and roll bars, most famously in [[Asbury Park, New Jersey|Asbury Park]], where [[Bruce Springsteen]] honed his skills at [[The Stone Pony]] and other local clubs and still makes periodic live appearances either as a solo act, with the [[E Street Band]], or with other artists. Furthermore, Bill Haley and the Comets performed "Rock Around the Clock" for the first time live at the Hoff Brau in Wildwood. The Springsteen song "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" is one of several Springsteen songs that contains many references to the Jersey shore scene of the early 1970s. A style of music known as the [[Jersey Shore sound]] evolved from this scene. In recent years, the fortunes of the shore have improved{{Updateneed}} and it has once again become a heavily-used destination for beachgoers and resort vacationers during the summer months (with the exception of Atlantic City, which is popular year-round). The area is also undergoing a population and real estate boom, particularly in Monmouth and Ocean counties, where the population is steadily rising. *[[Atlantic County, New Jersey]] *[[Barnegat Peninsula]] (also known as the Island Beach Peninsula) *[[Cape May County, New Jersey]] *[[Monmouth County, New Jersey]] *[[Ocean County, New Jersey]] *[[Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916]] ==References== {{reflist}} == External links == *[http://www.app.com/special/boardwalks/intro.html Jersey Shore Boardwalks, a multimedia site with information and history on the Jersey Shore]. *[http://www.ShoreRegion.com Shore Region Tourism Council (covering Ocean and Monmouth Counties)]. *[http://www.shorenewstoday.com 17 New Jersey Shore Newspapers serving Atlantic and Cape May Counties]. *[http://www.thecapemaygazette.com The Cape May Gazette Newspaper :: Southern Jersey Shore]. *[http://14days.shorenewsnow.com/ Atlantic City Area Events Blog]. *[http://www.visitnjshore.com/ New Jersey Shore Travel Guide - Accommodations, Dining, Events, Articles]. {{New_Jersey}} [[Category:Jersey Shore| ]] [[Category:Culture of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Seaside resorts in the United States]] [[Category:Atlantic County, New Jersey]] [[Category:Cape May County, New Jersey]] [[Category:Monmouth County, New Jersey]] [[Category:Ocean County, New Jersey]] [[Category:Regions of New Jersey]]