Barnegat Peninsula

The Barnegat Peninsula, also known as the Island Beach Peninsula, is a long, narrow barrier peninsula located in Ocean County, New Jersey, that divides the Barnegat Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. It is a vacation destination and summer colony area and is heavily dependent on the industries of tourism; real estate; and fishing. The Barnegat Peninsula is one of the most sought-after areas on the Jersey Shore for tourists and local home owners alike. The communities on the peninsula run the full gamut of types of summer towns ranging from hip, lively and youthful Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant Beach to the quiet, wealthy, exclusive, old-money bastions of Bay Head and Mantoloking. Most other communities on the peninsula seem to fall somewhere between the two extremes.

Geography

The peninsula divides the Atlantic Ocean from Barnegat Bay in Ocean County, New Jersey. It stretches approximately 20 miles from Manasquan Inlet in Point Pleasant Beach in the north to Island Beach State Park in the south. It is separated from Long Beach Island to the south by the treacherous Barnegat Inlet.

The area surrounding the peninsula were described by Henry Hudson, in 1609, as "...a great lake of water, as we could judge it to be ... The mouth of the lake hath many shoals, and the sea breaketh on them as it is cast out of the mouth of it." The name of the peninsula is derived from that of the adjacent inlet and bay, which were originally named in 1614 "Barendegat," or "Inlet of the Breakers," by Dutch settlers, referring to the waterway's turbulent channel. [Lloyd, John Bailey. "Eighteen Miles of History on Long Beach Island." p. 42. 1994 Down The Shore Publishing and The SandPaper, Inc.]

Communities

Communities on the peninsula include Point Pleasant Beach, Bay Head, Mantoloking, Lavallette, Ortley Beach, Normandy Beach, Seaside Heights, and Seaside Park. Additionally, Brick Township Beaches I, II, and III, Dover Beaches North, and Dover Beaches South are located on the peninsula.

Point Pleasant Beach is a popular family resort known for its boardwalk, aquarium, fishing industry, and top-notch restaurants.

Bay Head, called "A Country Village By The Sea" is noted for its quiet, towny ambience, secluded beaches and its beautiful, well-kept homes. Bay Head is a popular town for those sort of people who would also liley summer in The Hamptons or on Nantucket. It is home to the prestigious Bay Head Yacht Club.

Mantoloking, the wealthiest community in the State of New Jersey, is a lovely, prestigious summer town noted for its large, Shingle Style mansions overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay. Some of the things that make Mantoloking so exclusive are its yacht club, sand dune-lined private beaches, lack of a business district, prohibitive home prices, and a quiet, family-oriented atmosphere.

Normandy Beach, NJ, Lavallette, Dover Beaches North, NJ (Ocean Beach and Chadwick Beach); Ortley Beach; and Seaside Park are quiet, middle class/ upper middle class, unassuming coastal towns with laid-back vibes, huge summer populations and tiny winter populations. They are popular for their oceab beaches and water activities on Barnegat Bay. The typical type of homes here are much smaller and less ornate than in Bay Head or Mantoloking and many have "been in the family" for generations.

Seaside Heights is the principal community in the southern half of the peninsula, world-famous for its boardwalk and amusement piers lined with food stands, shops, games-of-chance, and amusement park rides. Seaside Heights has a summer population of close to 40,000 and a winter population of just 5,000. The town is popular with families, especially those with older kids, and the college-age groups. In the summer of 1998 MTV hosted their summer-broadcast in "Seaside."

The main thoroughfare connecting these shore towns is Route 35. Connections to the mainland include the Mathis and Tunney Bridges in Toms River, Bridge Avenue in Bay Head, and the Mantoloking Bridge.

Since the Point Pleasant Canal was built in 1925 connecting the Manasquan Inlet with the Barnegat Bay, the peninsula is technically an island. It is sometimes referred to as Barnegat Beach Island, or just "the barrier island."

References

External links

* [http://www.islandbeachnj.org Island Beach State Park]