⛱️ 😔 The end of summer? | Down the Shore

The official end of the summer season is upon us, and something’s been weighing on me over the past couple of seasons that came to a head in 2025.

Far too many people are complaining about the small things at the Jersey Shore. They’re locals. They’re “shoobies” (I dislike that word a whole lot). They’re newcomers and folks who’ve been visiting for decades.

I feel somewhat qualified to weigh in on this. I’m Jason Nark, a lifelong Jersey Shore-goer, with a home base in North Wildwood. And while I mostly write about rural issues in the wilds of Pennsylvania, I’ve written hundreds, maybe more, stories by the beach. I’m subbing in for Amy S. Rosenberg today, like I have done a few times before.

Amy, already touched on this after the summer of 2021, dubbed “the summer of bitching.”

Things haven’t gotten any better.

I’ve found that everyone has something to say about everything: dogs, teens, bikes, teens on bikes, the parents of those teens on bikes, the various types of beach shades, their servers, the prices, new construction, old houses, boaters, swimmers, surfers, banner planes, the tenderness of their scallops, the distance between their beach blanket and someone else’s, etc.

I’ve seen at least a half-dozen posts in recent weeks about a supposed wolf on a leash in Wildwood.

It’s exhausting. I actually started a Facebook group, in jest, for people to complain about the Shore this summer, and it has about 600 members.

If you’ve got a day on the beach, enjoy it. Have an entire week? You’re doing great, probably better than great. Now, before regular newsletter readers come for my head, I know you all spent a lot of money. Maybe you maxxed out a Visa, or paid for that Airbnb with Klarna (I’m still paying off a spring break trip to Folly Beach, South Carolina). It’s not cheap going to the Shore, even for a day on a free beach, and I’ve been a strong advocate for holding on to the little things that can help out day-trippers, like small hotels and pay showers.

Amy actually did a deep dive on whether it was cheaper to go to Paris and other exotic destinations than the Jersey Shore.

I’m a bit of a hypocrite, complaining about the complaining. I have a place to stay — my parents’ condo in North Wildwood, purchased for less than six figures around 2000. I could not afford a week at the Shore with my kids without it. I’m grateful.

I also have strong feelings about beach flags, particularly the political ones, so I started going to a bigger, emptier beach in Stone Harbor because I’m sick of seeing them.

My own summer’s been a whirlwind, but the few times I was down, I had great crab soup, cold IPAs, beautiful runs on the North Wildwood sea wall, and exciting interactions with coyotes. I watched my son surf and work as a bouncer at a local bar before he headed off to college, and I enjoyed the rides, Sam’s Pizza, and Polish water ice with my toddler.

Maybe it’s a newfound balance I have, but I can’t complain as much as I used to. If I ordered salmon, and the server brought me a plate of scallops, I’d probably eat the scallops. I would send back a light beer, though.

I’ll be down this weekend with my toddler and dog, and I know I’m gonna have a great time, even if the weather isn’t perfect. Plus, the shoulder season is even better come September.

I’m not here to chastise, just to offer an alternative. If someone posts that a beach umbrella is too close, take the Mel Robbins approach and “let them.” Breathe deep and let it go. Unless they’re smoking cigars.

Freak out if they do that.

📮 It seems some beaches at the Jersey Shore can’t exist without replenishment, but with that program in jeopardy from the feds, what alternatives are there? Let Amy know what you think by replying to this email and she might include your most interesting responses in a future column. Have ideas or news tips about the Shore or this newsletter? Send them to Amy here.

☀️ ☁️ The weather is calling for a cool, sunny to partly cloudy Labor Day weekend down the Shore. You might not broil on the beach, but the water temps are in the 70s. Grab a hoodie for happy hour and a pumpkin spice coffee from Wawa in the morning.

— Jason Nark (🐦 Tweet me at @jasonnark. 📷 Follow me on Insta at @jasonnark. 📧 Email me here.)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

🥤Replenishment: Beach days may fade after Labor Day, but from October through April, Shore towns face storms that can devastate dunes and homes. As The Inquirer’s Frank Kummer reported, they’ll receive “no federal dollars for beach replenishments for the first time in almost 30 years.” By Memorial Day, replenishment could be the hot topic.

💵 Cape May County, eh? Amy reported that Canadians still found a way to the Jersey Shore, despite President Donald Trump’s tariffs and all-around bluster with our friendly neighbors to the north.

🏠 Tiny homes at the Shore: When I was a kid and we rented a home in Wildwood, I used to wonder who the older woman living in the backyard was. That’s what compelled me this summer to write about the uniqueness of the Jersey Shore’s “accessory dwelling units.”

You might know them better as mother-in-law suites, granny flats, bungalows, shacks, or guesthouses. Some towns, like Asbury Park, are encouraging homeowners to build them to create more affordable housing.

I’ve often found myself doing the final newsletter of the season, mentioning the same great shoulder-season events, and this year’s no different.

🤠 Boots at the Beach: I’m a recent convert to (some) country music, but plenty have been riding that hay wagon for years. On Sept. 12-13, the Boots on the Beach festival brings live music and events to North Wildwood’s boardwalk and beach, with most performances at Seaport Pier. Need gear? South Jersey’s Cowtown Outfitters will be on-site to countrify you. Tickets are $10-$15 at bootsatthebeach.com.

🦀 Ventnor’s Downbeach Seafood Festival is Sept. 13 and 14.📍North Dorset & Burk Ave in Ventnor City, 💵 Tickets range from $10.41 to $80.99 for VIP. Check out the site for more information.

🎃 It’s almost spooky season and Menz Restaurant & Bar, an eclectic seafood restaurant just outside of Wildwood in Rio Grande, has been hosting “haunted” dining for several years. I took my kids back in the day. It’s dark, so my toddler probably isn’t ready, but older kids will love it. The haunted dining runs from Sept. 26 to Oct. 26, and reservations are highly recommended. Get the crab au gratin. Check out the site for more information.

🎺 Cape May Jazz Festival: In last year’s final summer newsletter, I mentioned I was entering the “jazz phase” of my life, and I actually did it: I went to the renowned Exit Zero Fall Jazz Festival in Cape May, solo. Cape May in the fall is precious, and this year’s event is a bit later than usual, from Nov. 7-9. Check out the site for more information.

🎤 Sebastian Maniscalco’s long run in A.C.: I haven’t seen too much of this Italian American comic, but he’s clearly hit a nerve in New Jersey. He’s bringing his “It Ain’t Right” tour to Atlantic City’s Ocean Casino for a whopping eight shows, starting Sept. 18. Tickets for his opening night are still available on Ticketmaster.

It’s been almost 13 years since Hurricane Sandy swamped the Jersey Shore and ruined Halloween, but the storm left behind a particularly unique reminder of its power in the Seaside Heights surf. What was it?

A. A Ferris wheel

B. A beached fishing vessel

C. The Star Jet roller coaster

D. The MTV Jersey Shore house.

If you think you know the answer, click on this story to find out.

Deirdre Childress Hopkins is executive director of Marketing, Communications and Events for Penn Nursing, and a recent transplant to Ventnor. Way back when she was an editor at The Inquirer, and, after, directed communications for Visit Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and Temple University. As a new Shore local, she shared her Shore picks with us.

Favorite beach: Ventnor

Favorite summer breakfast: Isabella’s for convenience. Girlchrist for great pancakes.

Your idea of a perfect beach day: Any day after Labor Day.

Perfect night: Dancing at Golden Nugget’s deck.

Best Shore sandwich: Sack O’ Subs.

Ice cream or water ice order: SunDaze.

When summer nears the end, I feel: Sad.

It wouldn’t be the Jersey Shore without: Popcorn.

Best thing for kids: Storybook Land.

Surfing or fishing: Surfing.

Sunrise or sunset: Sunrise.

Shore pet peeve: Parking.

The Shore could be improved if: Building levels were matched with added parking.