Brigantine - the South Jersey Shore's best kept secret!

Going to Brigantine is like stepping back in time to a gentler, more relaxed, safer time. There is only one building on the Island over 4 stories tall. The streets are wide with bicycle lanes and low speed limits, which enhances the relaxed, summer feeling of the Island. Because the town of Brigantine has been very careful, the Island has not been overdeveloped like so many other Jersey Shore communities. This means that beaches are not packed like sardine cans as they are in so many other overdeveloped Shore communities on hot summer days. There's plenty of room to stretch out. A great place to unwind from your stressful life.

Atlantic City, just over the bridge from Brigantine, has a boardwalk, night life and the casinos, but not the beach. It's hustle and bustle; traffic and parking worries. A small city. The train station and the airport (www.acairport.com) for the area and even a baseball stadium are there. However, there is a lot to do. For entertainment, there is a Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum: www.ripleysatlanticcity.com, an aquarium: www.acaquarium.com/, a water & music display at the Pier at Caesar's: www.thepiershopsatcaesars.com/scc/11954.html, an amusement park with rides; www.steelpier.com, department store outlet shopping: www.acoutlets.com/, upscale shopping at the casinos, headliner shows and comedy clubs: www.casenet.com/concert/atlanticcityconcert.htm, restaurants and buffets: www.acweekly.com/index.php?inc=menus&what=casinos, spas (Bally's Borgata, Caesar's, Tropican and Harrah's), and of course the famous Atlantic City boardwalk with salt water taffy and tourist trinkets. Climb to the top of Absecon Lighthouse. Check out their program offerings: www.abseconlighthouse.org, or take a cruise to look for dolphins: www.atlanticcitycruises.com, rent a boat and take the family fishing: www.highrollerfishing.com. It is a lot of fun to go here for a change of pace after a day of lazing at the beach or on a rainy day.

Compare to other Jersery Shore communities in Atlantic County,
under one and a half hours from Philadelphia

Longport is about 30 minutes from Brigantine and has beautiful beaches. An exclusive community, it has few rental properties and few restaurants or things to do.

Margate is about 20 minutes away and there are some nice restaurants. Lucy the Elephant, a Shore landmark is there. But while it's a nice place to visit for a meal. . . it is busy and crowded for beach going. Some stretches of Margate's beaches are so jammed with people during peak season, it's hard to find a place to set up your beach blanket and chairs. Condo and townhouse buildings in the downtown area are tall, blocking the view and any feeling of being at the ocean. If you like crowds, heavy traffic and a closed-in feeling, Margate is for you.

Ventnor, about 15 minutes away also has some nice eateries, however, it's even more crowded and over-developed than Margate. No relaxed beach feel there but it does have an elevated wooden walkway that connects to the Atlantic City boardwalk. Good for joggers who don't want to run on sand and want a long stretch with a good view of the water. Start near the bridge in Atlantic City (that leads into Brigantine) and keep going past the casinos in Atlantic City.

They are all nice places to visit, but Brigantine is a nice place to stay!