By Katherine Goff

After driving for close to six hours, I roll down my windows, turn on “Born to Run” by Garden State native Bruce Springsteen, and take in the fact that I have arrived at my favorite place in the entire world: Avalon, New Jersey. This quaint, seven-mile island sits just north of the most southern tip of New Jersey and is home to some of the most beautiful, quiet beaches. For as long as I can remember, I have been waking up early and traveling up the East Coast to spend my entire summer at “The Shore.”

Our family house in 1960. Photo credit: Gertrude Sabo.

My great-grandparents built one of the first houses on the island in 1960, consisting of three bedrooms and one bathroom. Years later, they added an addition, creating space for children and grandchildren. Little did they know that this house would be passed from generation to generation and would be used every summer from the beginning of June until the end of August.

My mom, originally born in Camden, New Jersey, traveled to Avalon every summer with her family as a child. She remembers, “falling asleep in the metal bunk beds,” and “shucking crabs on the back porch.” When my sister and I were born, my mom wanted to share these same experiences with us. 

When my sister and I were younger, my mom and dad would take us to Avalon for weeks at a time. Their reasoning behind the long vacation stemmed from the fact that Richmond was always too hot in July, and that entertaining two toddlers for an entire summer seemed nearly impossible. 

Some of my favorite memories from my childhood took place in Avalon. I remember riding my bike to Wawa with my cousins and unexpectedly hitting the curb and falling off my bike. Many tears later, with a scraped knee, I managed to stumble six blocks to reward myself with a Wawa slushie. While I despise this large, circular scar that sits on my left knee, I cannot fail to laugh when I think of the story behind it. 

Whenever I bring up that I travel to the Jersey Shore for the summer, the first thing people always say is, “Have you ever met Snooki?” in reference to the reality TV personality on the MTV series Jersey Shore, which debuted on MTV in 2009. I always answer no, because what people do not understand is that there are over 20 beaches that stretch across the coast of New Jersey. Avalon is located about an hour and a half south of Seaside Heights, where Jersey Shore was filmed. 

I have always hated saying that I go to the Jersey Shore, because people immediately think of orange spray tans and middle-aged men with tattoos all over their body. These are just a few examples of the many stereotypes I hear when talking about the Jersey Shore. However, Avalon is the complete opposite. 

Sign entering Avalon. Photo credit: Katherine Goff.

The island, consisting of 116 streets, is split into two boroughs. From 6th Street to 80th Street is Avalon, and from 81st Street to 122nd Street is Stone Harbor. The boundary that lies between the two boroughs is simply signs on both sides of the street that say, “Welcome to Avalon,” and “Welcome to Stone Harbor.” 

When visiting Avalon and Stone Harbor, it is impossible to go a day without indulging in delicious Jersey food. My cousin, Olivia Erickson, states, “Our entire day revolves around what we eat and when.” It is difficult to come across a fine dining experience in Avalon, but there are delicious pizza spots and seafood shacks all across the island. 

Sometimes I miss the food in Richmond when I am in Avalon, but nothing will ever beat a greasy, salty slice of Jersey pizza.

After hours of swimming in the ocean, or napping on the beach, my dad and I will drive to Circle Pizza for an afternoon snack. Or, we will call Seven Mile Pies, another locally owned pizza shop that delivers to the beach.

The food in Avalon is not what attracts the visitors, but rather the clean, quiet beaches all across the island. When I was little, the only time the island got busy was on July 4. Now, it seems nearly impossible to find a parking spot when traveling into town.

Within the past five years, Avalon has become extremely popular. Older houses are replaced by massive mansions, and hotels are sold out every week of the summer. There are only a few people who live on the island year-round, due to the lack of entertainment during the winter. However, as soon as Memorial Day weekend comes around, the population quadruples. 

Avalon, unlike the Outer Banks or Myrtle Beach, has never been home to many hotels. The few that are on the island are usually booked all days of the summer due to the rising popularity of Avalon and the ridiculous prices of the homes. 

I hope everyone gets to experience Avalon for themselves one day, whether it is for an entire summer or just 24 hours. 

Beautiful sunset from the beach. Photo credit: Katherine Goff

Featured image credit: Katherine Goff.