NJ area in summer for 2

honestly, i think it's going to be a bit of a stretch to put more than the beach and NYC into a 5 day trip in August, which tends to be hellishly hot and muggy in these parts. in fact, if you think you might be back in the area at a time of year with better weather, i'd skip the city and either spend your whole trip at the beach or head up to the mountains (catskills, adirondacks, something like that) where it's cooler.

Well, while the weather is most definitely "hellishly hot and muggy," during the summer, I wouldn't let that deter you from coming into the city. Point Pleasant is a definite experience, and it will give you a great look into New Jersey culture (the good, the bad, and the ugly). If you're looking for a typical Jersey Shore town, that's it. There's a ton of stuff to do on the boardwalk, there, and you also have the beach to relax on. If you're only spending one night in Jersey, I recommend spending the other 4 days in New York City. You'll just get a brief overview of the city, but you can still do a lot. If you're still looking for other things to do, let us know what you enjoy, and we can make recommendations. You could maybe see Philadelphia, the New Jersey Pine Barrens, or Atlantic City, depending on what you enjoy doing.

Oh, and remember, in New Jersey, we call it "the shore," not the beach or anything else.

fully agree with Brapp. A night on the beach and a few nights in NYC is a lot, even for the most ambitious tourist.

Thanks for the tips guys,

First night will most probably be on the 'shore', any ideas what activities are available throughout the night - apart from the obvious I mean?

If you are into zoo's, check out the Cape May County zoo. It is a free zoo that takes donations. It might be about 1-1.5 hours from Point Pleasant. But it is one of my favorite zoos. Wildwood used to be worth the effort to check out, but it has changed too much. The city used to be stuck in the 1950's. It was awesome.

I agree with all ideas mentioned, if you want to do NYC, then do NYC, you can easily have fun visiting the different shore points over that 5 day span though...Ocean City and Wildwood both have FUN (if you haven't gone your whole childhood) boardwalks to check out... Avalon, Sea Isle have a nice 20something nightlife and fun beaches (for attractive singles) and Cape May has an older feel. I say skip NYC if you already are going to Pt. Pleasant and make your way down the coast.....good luck sleeping on the beach though, I've never been to a beach that wasn't patrolled at night or at least cleaned up at night (big tractors dragging rakes....usually a death a year when they run over passed out beachgoers)/ Have fun! and visit NYC when you have a week to spend up there.

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<hr>good luck sleeping on the beach though, I've never been to a beach that wasn't patrolled at night or at least cleaned up at night (big tractors dragging rakes....usually a death a year when they run over passed out beachgoers)<hr></blockquote>

aaaaaaaaahh, what's that all about lol? We just want to spend a romantic night on the beach, and we will be at point pleasant at that time so is there anything else to know?

Not sure how you'll be getting around the shore/nyc, but if you are taking the NJ Coast Line (regional train, runs very consistently and not too expensive), then I'd recommend spending a few hours in Red Bank, NJ. It's a great jersey town with lots of shopping, excellent dining options, arts venues, and some actual character to it. Its located about 45 minutes north of Pt. Pleasant, and just over an hour's train ride form NYC. Enjoy.

I presume that when you say you're planning to spend a night on the beach, you don't mean it literally but you mean that you're going to rent a hotel room. I was in Point Pleasant in 2005 and I'd be quite surprised if you can stay on the beach overnight.