The Truth About The Jersey Shore

Have you happened to watch MTV'S Reality Show, "Jersey Shore"? If so, you probably have a VERY distorted image of what the "real" Jersey Shore is all about. I live in Staten Island, NY (yes, another area with a bad reputation) home to Vinny and Mike, A.K.A. "The Situation." When the show first aired, I had absolutely no interest in watching it, despite all the talk going on around me about it. Finally one night, I gave in and watched one episode, curious to see what the hype was all about. Let me just tell you, this Reality program is like a train wreck! You don't want to watch it, but somehow, you can't take your eyes away. I was hooked. 

Let me start out by saying, I am a huge fan of Seaside Heights, Wildwood, Atlantic City, Belmar. In case you aren't familiar with New Jersey, these are all very popular Summer locations. I have been going to Wildwood, NJ with my family since a little girl. My Uncle used to own several hotels over there, so we had a reason to spend our summers there. The past few years, I have been a frequent visitor of Seaside Heights, since it's closer to where I live than Wildwood is, and much more convenient for day trips. Had I watched MTV's hit reality show before ever visiting, I would of stayed far away for sure. 

Seaside Heights is nothing like what you see on this show. There are no "Snookies" running around half naked, chasing "guido" guys all over the place. "The Situation", Pauly D, you won't find guys like this there, so if you are planning your Summer vacation to seaside for that reason alone, you better not get too excited. Will you get lucky and come across these types? Possibly. Truth is, you will find guys/girls like this ANYWHERE you go, but there won't be many. These are rare characters, putting on a show for the camera. You know what you WILL find down at Seaside Heights? Guys just like Vinny, which is probably why he didn't get much airtime. Vinny was my favorite on the show, despite being the least popular. Why? because he was the most real to me. A good looking, average guy of his age. Props to you Vinny, for staying true to yourself! 

How about Ronnie, Sammie, and JWOW? Well, they are much more realistic than the previous three I mentioned. JWOW I believe, played herself up big time for the cameras and MTV. Ronnie and Sammie? Typical couple, I would say. Even though they caused unnecessary drama, trying to impress one another i'm sure. 

Now let me tell you about my experience and view of The Jersey Shore, particularly Seaside Heights. It is an area for families, yes. Filled with rides that weren't really shown on the TV show, about half of them being childrens rides. There are game stands, concession stands, and stores all up and down the boardwalk for everyones enjoyment. During weekend nights is around the time where families clear out, and the rowdy teens and College kids hit the area. There are quite a few bars along the boardwalk, not to mention a ton of gross, shady looking motels all nearby and this is how trouble, like you saw on the show, erupts. I must say though, that last summer alone I visited Seaside at least 10 times, all being Friday/Saturday nights, and I did not once witness a fight of any sort, nor did I come across any type of drama. This place is SWARMED with police officers everywhere you go, I wouldn't think it would be possible for any sort of real trouble to come about. If you walk down to the sand, you will discover the ocean isn't the cleanest body of water to swim in but hey, in this area, none of the oceans are too clean. The beach itself is taken very well care of, despite the massive amount of people who are on it daily, all summer long. 

Now, if you want to check out one of the area bars, that's a completely different story. All of them are so packed on the weekends, you could barely move once inside. Drinks are ridiculously expensive, and you do come across your fair share of drunken fools. You have that crowd that just turned 21 and want to act "tough" so they will occasionally try to start a problem, but like I said, with all the police officers around, there could never be a real serious incident. However, I would advise staying away from any bar/club in the seaside heights area, will save yourself a lot of headaches for sure. 

Overall, the Jersey Shore in general is a very nice place to visit for all ages. There is so much to do, you will never get bored. If you are a family with children, i'd suggest heading over to Keansburg instead, which is a smaller/calmer amusement type area targeted mostly for children. If you just want to relax on the beach for an afternoon, I would suggest Belmar or Bradley Beach, both very quiet areas with a relaxing atmosphere. For an extended getaway, or even a week vacation, I would STRONGLY suggest staying in the Wildwood area. Wildwood boardwalk is huge, twice the size of Seaside, and it definitely a more family oriented area. There are three piers of rides, 3 water parks, hotels everywhere you look. Not to mention all the activities in the Wildwood town itself. 

Please feel free to contact me if you need any suggestions about your trip to NJ :)