June 2025: Summer Shore Guide | New Jersey Monthly

June 2025: Summer Shore Guide

Nobody knows the Jersey Shore like the people who live there. For this year’s Shore Guide, we decided to turn to these knowledgeable folks to help us create New Jersey Monthly’s first-ever Locals’ Guide to the Shore.

Our guide features recommendations from 34 locals who live in Shore towns all over Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties, including their favorite places to eat, shop, see wildlife, take in live music, surf, and grab coffee with friends.

In addition to picks from locals, this issue is chock-full of useful information, like new restaurants to try this summer and the top Shore festivals.

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GARDEN VARIETY

Restaurateur Marilyn Schlossbach stands in front of a colorful mural

Marilyn Schlossbach’s Restaurants Helped Transform Asbury Park. Now She’s Set Her Sights on Long Branch

After selling her wildly popular Langosta Lounge and other Asbury Park properties, Schlossbach has joined Whitechapel Projects in Long Branch, an art-filled restaurant and event space emphasizing community.

Jersey Shore Wave players at Hinchliffe Stadium

Yes, Women Play Tackle Football! The Jersey Shore Wave Celebrate Inaugural Season

The full-contact women’s team is already making waves in the Women’s National Football Conference.

At Albini Pharmacy in Hoboken, employees pose with tern decoy

How Hoboken is Rallying Around the Threatened Tern

When a flock of common terns were blocked with nets from their nesting pier, a community jumped into action.

A front-yard view of Mary's Place by the Sea in Ocean Grove

At Spa-Like Ocean Grove Nonprofit, Women With Cancer Find Healing Beyond Medicine

Mary’s Place by the Sea hosts free retreats for women battling cancer, offering meditation, yoga, reflexology, nutritional counseling and oncology massage.

Red-and-pink printed bikini

Stylish Pieces to Wear All Summer Long

Stay cool in bright stripes and colorful prints, plus versatile sunnies and shoes.

Boho dressed mannequins at Lola's boutique

Point Pleasant Beach Shop Features Boho-Chic Style

Lola’s Boutique in downtown Point Pleasant Beach offers favorite brands and a relaxed vibe.

FEATURES

Artist Mickalene Thomas

Acclaimed Artist Mickalene Thomas Finds Inspiration in Her Camden Roots

Multimedia artist Mickalene Thomas talks about her hometown, honoring women, anchoring legacy, and making art for everyone.

Woman standing in front of Stephen Crane House in Asbury Park

Author Stephen Crane’s Childhood Home Escaped the Wrecking Ball That Transformed Asbury Park

The former home of the groundbreaking Red Badge of Courage author is thought to be the oldest in Asbury Park. It’s open for tours.

Woman in bikini at the Jersey Shore

Where the Locals Love to Go at the Jersey Shore

Shore residents share their favorite places to eat, shop and explore the outdoors.

Judy & Harry's in Asbury Park

What’s New at the Jersey Shore For Summer 2025

Restaurants and more from Asbury Park to Atlantic City

Kool & the Gang performs at last year’s Sea Hear Now in Asbury Park

A Guide to Summer Festivals in New Jersey

Revel in the Garden State’s hottest celebrations of music, food, arts and more.

This spot in the Sandy Hook Bay/Raritan Bay is popular for kiteboarding.

A Complete Guide to Exploring the Bayshore, aka the ‘Other Jersey Shore’

Here’s how to enjoy it, from Keyport to Highlands.

Woman lying in grass reading "The View From Lake Como" by Adriana Trigiani

Best Summer 2025 Beach Reads, Starring New Jersey

12 new page-turners to get lost in this summer.

Images showing chef and author Hailee Catalano and her cookbook "By Heart: Recipes to Hold Near and Dear"

Jersey Shore Chef and TikTok Star Hailee Catalano Debuts Cookbook of Cozy Recipes

The Neptune-based chef is beloved for her homey, achievable dishes—including giant sandwiches enjoyed at the beach. Her first cookbook, By Heart, is out now.

James Gandolfini

Why New Jersey Loves James Gandolfini—and Tony Soprano—So Much

Like the character he played in The Sopranos, Gandolfini’s roots were in Italian-American New Jersey.

EAT & DRINK

Ahi tuna tower at Bistro by Chef Bass in Point Pleasant Beach

No Nautical Clichés Here! Bistro by Chef Bass Redefines Shore Dining in Point Pleasant Beach

“I’m trying to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing,” says French-trained chef Moussa Bass of his white-tableclothed restaurant.

Burger, fries and beer at Byrdcage in Atlantic City

Atlantic City’s Byrdcage: A Campy, Colorful LGBTQ Haven With Great Food and Fun

This upbeat, inclusive spot features cheekily named menu items, a dance floor, drag shows and karaoke nights, and more.

Soft-serve ice cream at Kubo Coffee and Creamery in Nutley, New Jersey

What Our Editors Are Eating and Drinking Right Now

We’re loving purple ube soft-serve, specials at an iconic AC restaurant and pocket-sized French pastries.

Danielle Hickson, owner of Asbury Park Sea Salt, with a bucket of seawater on the Asbury Park beach

Meet Jersey’s ‘Salt Girl’ Who Harvests Her Product at the Shore

Danielle Hickson collects seawater by hand, works her magic in her Tinton Falls kitchen, then hand-delivers jars of the flaky finished product to local customers.

The Iron Chef Dishes on His New Restaurant in Montclair

MM by Morimoto in Montclair will feature an omakase menu with fish flown in daily from Japan, as well as Wagyu steak.

Food and beer at Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall in Atlantic City

AC’s Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall Expands Booze Lineup and Menu

The Boardwalk-adjacent spot has added rare craft brews, expanded spirit offerings and five wine taps, plus a new flatbread section.

EXIT RAMP

Illustration of family enjoying a crab feast

An Ode to My Family’s Messy, Delicious Crab Feasts

As long as there are blue crabs in Barnegat Bay, there will be crab sauce on my table.