Ocean City, New Jersey, is something truly special.
Ocean City, New Jersey has preserved its charm, delivering family fun and cherished vacation memories for generations. With peaceful, tree-lined streets, lots of charming shops and eateries, an exciting beachfront boardwalk and a pristine, sugar-sand beach–Ocean City truly lives up to its nickname, America’s Greatest Family Resort. Coastal Living Magazine named Ocean City America’s Happiest Seaside Town. And the Travel Channel named our beach Number One in the area.
Founded as a Methodist spiritual retreat, Ocean City retains the family-friendly character of years past. Just over eight miles long, the island is compact, walkable and bike friendly. It has a little bit of everything: diverse architecture; superb natural resources of beach, sand and sky; rides, miniature golf, arcades and live entertainment on the boardwalk; fishing, boating, surfing and other water sports; an eclectic downtown shopping district; and every imaginable style of dining, from starched linen gourmet to ice cream, cheese fries, taffy and pizza slices on the boardwalk.
Each neighborhood has its own unique character – the quiet, picturesque beaches of the Gardens District in the north; the buzz beside the Boardwalk; cozy homes and apartments nestled between restaurants, art galleries and shops, downtown. Stately, elegant homes on the Gold Coast. And peaceful boulevards amid the rolling dunes of the south end, near the unspoiled beauty of Corson’s Inlet State Park.
In pre-history, aboriginal Americans set up summer fishing camps on the island. By the early 18th century, it was known as Peck’s Beach, after John Peck and his crew who used the island for their whaling operation. Other early settlers hunted, grazed cattle and raised crops here. Establishing a tradition that continues today, some rowed or sailed over from the mainland the beach for picnics and summer recreation.
In the late 19th century, a group of Methodist ministers were seeking land for a new Christian retreat. Peck’s Beach caught their eye and they bought the island in 1879, renaming it Ocean City. Camp meetings began the following summer as William Burrell and Ezra, James and Wesley Lake mapped out streets, railroads, schools churches, a lifesaving station and the boardwalk. The Tabernacle they established has since grown into a nationally-renowned summer ministry. The lifesaving station has been exquisitely restored as a museum.
One legacy of its religious heritage, Ocean City is dry, with no alcohol sales within city limits. Without a bar scene, it remains a perennial favorite for vacationing families.
And Berger Realty is your key to unlock the perfect Ocean City family vacation. Berger is Ocean City’s biggest, busiest summer rental agency, with a full century of experience in helping families turn their Jersey Shore summer vacation dreams into reality.