One of our favorite Jersey shore spots is Ocean Grove, which is different from any other shore town you will find.
It is located almost due east of Lansdale, which makes it one of the fastest ways to get to the ocean from here. The town was built as a Methodist camp meeting, much of which is still there and thriving. Each summer dozens of 'tent houses' are set up, which are literally half tent and half house. Families occupy these for the summer season, after which the tent portion is packed up and the wood part closed off.


The town is a delightful mixture of old hotels, Victorian buildings, and small private homes. The centerpiece is the Great Auditorium, which is set at the end of a long pathway to the ocean. For over a hundred years beautiful building has hosted religious services, local and national music acts, speeches, and much more. The centerpiece of the building is a 100-year-old pipe organ, which you can see and hear here:

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There is a boardwalk, but it is free of concessions or any other buildings except a small covered pavillion. Nearby Asbury Park once provided all the standard shore amusements, but fell on hard times in the 70's. Today that city is trying hard to make a comeback, and there are some signs of life along their boardwalk.
Ocean Grove beach access is $7 for anybody over 12 (only in high season), and parking is usually not too hard to find. After the beach you can walk to one of two ice-cream institutions; Days, which features a semi-enclosed garden with tables; or Nagles, a former pharmacy complete with a soda counter that is now all food.
If you have ever seen the Woody Allen movie, Stardust Memories, it was filmed on Ocean grove with Great Auditorium serving as a backdrop for the film festival scene. Bruce Springsteen also just filmed his video for the song "Girls in their summer clothes" on the beach in Ocean Grove. The legendary Stone Pony is right nearby in Asbury Park.

- Chris Stanley