OCEAN CITY, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) – Some beaches along the Jersey Shore look like a half-eaten sandwich as Mother Nature took more than a couple of bites in storms during the winter and spring, but excitement is still building as business owners, residents and visitors are anticipating a great season at the shore.
People there believe it’s a different vibe this year, and one man plans to have more guests than he had the past couple of pandemic-laden years.
“I have a lot of family members coming down over the summer, just [to] hang out, relax, just enjoy,” said John, who lives in Ocean City.
Marty Saul owns Marty’s Sportswear on the boardwalk, and he said rentals will be tough to find.
“I’ve been talking with realtors and some of my friends who rent their places, and it's all booked right through Labor Day,” he said. “So it will be really difficult to find a place down here if you want to come. Day-trippers will be fine. But I think it’s going to be a good season.”
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A few stores down, the 4th Street Cookie Company is gearing up for its first year in Ocean City.
“We’re very excited,” manager Jake Kellner said. “We came from Wildwood up here to a busier location, looking to do a bunch of business and get our name out there.”
Visitors feel more welcome as well. We heard a few times that it just feels different this year.
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“It’s nice to see all the people come back again,” Sam from West Chester said. “It seems people are more friendly this time around.”
He added that nobody seems to be giving dirty looks about masks or social distancing.
“I hope we’re on the other side of that now,” Sam said.
Elsewhere, some beaches remain closed.
Officials in North Wildwood say they are dealing with some serious beach erosion, and they don’t expect to open some sections until the middle of June as more sand is being trucked in.
There will be some noticeable erosion to different degrees at many shore towns. Some beaches won’t be accessible due to cliffs as tall as 6 feet that storms formed in recent months.
Ocean City, Toms River, Stone Harbor, Bay Head, Avalon, Harvey Cedars, Brigantine and the Strathmere section of Upper Township have all faced erosion issues coming into the summer beach season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.