I’ve been going down the Shore since I was in diapers. Yet, every now and then I need a question answered. Maybe I’m looking for a bar recommendation in Cape May. Or the best ride at Wonderland Pier in Ocean City. Whenever such an occasion arises, the person I turn to is Jen Miller.
Miller—my predecessor as South Jersey Bureau Chief for New Jersey Monthly—knows more about the Shore than pretty much anyone else I know. She’s packaged that knowledge in a second edition of her book, The Jersey Shore: Atlantic City to Cape May.
In addition to the usual guidebook fare—restaurant suggestions, colorful maps, insider tips—Miller’s Jersey Shore offers easily digestible tidbits of local history and quirky characters, as well as myriad entertaining sidebars.
Moreover, Miller has gone to great lengths to make this updated edition captivating beyond the staid expectations of the guidebook genre. Consider, for instance, an essay by local freelancer Amy Z. Quinn titled “My Wildwoods.”
In the essay, Quinn writes, “If you’re about to get in a bar fight, North Wildwood is the chick you want at your back, because she always brings friends. West Wildwood’s the quiet type, not so much ignored as she is happy to be left alone.”
These little flourishes (and shout-outs for underappreciated places like Firewater bar in Atlantic City—my favorite place for draft beer) make The Jersey Shore indispensable—whether you’re heading to the Shore or not. For more information, visit Miller’s website at www.downtheshorewithjen.com.