The sun, surf and sand are very enticing down the Jersey Shore almost any day or season of the year. During the summer, people flock to party towns like Belmar, Manasquan and Point Pleasant. Waterfront bars and restaurants are jammed each weekend with young people from New York and North Jersey partying like there is no tomorrow.
During the summer in Bradley Beach, it is a little more laid back. There are no bars on the Ocean Avenue strip. Houses are modest and most folks grill and party on their porches or in their yards. With fairly easy parking, nice boardwalk and gorgeous sandy beaches ($8 for day badge), Bradley Beach is a great place to forget you are so close to NYC.
Fluking is usually pretty good through the summer and the inlets are great for blue crabs. As a fisherman, nothing is better than after the boys of summer and the “bennies” (the summer tourists who spend the Benjamins) leave in late September. The late autumn is a striped bass golden time down the shore. Stripers love clam and bunker. Worms are great but eels are better at night.
Bradley Beach’s beach erosion lead to the construction of protective sand dunes in the mid-1990s using old snow fences and retired Christmas trees to build a base of sand that rose 15 feet in some places. Dune grass was planted on top and their deep roots helped to build a true beachfront that stood up against the mother of all storms. The dunes protected the town during Sandy and kept the old fashioned charm of this sweet little beach town.
Bradley Beach Fourth of July 2018
Asbury Park is quite close and has great restaurants, music and boardwalk attractions. Belmar is a little south of here and has party boats, charters, great places to dine and dance clubs that go until 2 a.m. if that floats your boat.
I go for the fishing, porch parties and the lull of the ocean. Bradley Beach is just the ticket for me.
At the bottom, I will list a few sites for more information.
http://www.bradleybeachnj.gov/
http://www.visitnj.org/city/asbury-park
JKS 8/3/17
ErinGoScratch 
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