Coastal Long Branch, with its boardwalk, beach, and breeze, is just over 50 miles south of NYC. It’s the perfect Jersey Shore getaway. Once a favored vacation retreat for theatrical performers and seven U.S. Presidents, today it draws a diverse crowd enjoying the laid-back seaside vibe.
For the car-free traveler, it’s easy to reach Long Branch via rail. Once you’ve arrived, you can stroll over to the Bungalow Hotel in minutes. With the beach and shops and restaurants of Pier Village right there, everything you need is at your fingertips. This getaway is great for summer or winter. Long Branch exudes a welcoming vibe year-round for an overnight spring fling that is practically perfect.
Jersey Shore Getaway Stay
Bungalow Hotel is a hip and playful respite. Its location, so close to the beach you can hear the waves crashing, is prime. The décor has been curated by dynamic design duo Cortney and Robert Novogratz so expect a sense of whimsy combined with sky-high good taste. The 24 individually appointed rooms are as clean and fresh as a daisy with modern furniture, bold artwork and splashes of nautical charm.
Thoughtful in-room details include fresh flowers, gas fireplaces and waterfall showers. Even the smallest guest room is bigger than many NYC apartments, so it’s super-spacious. Common areas attract guests like bees to honey with an inviting bar and abundance of retro games like billiards, foosball, checkers and backgammon.
The outdoor fireplace and plush seating is a magnet during the daily happy hour (4-7 pm, 4-midnight Fridays), when drinks are sold for a song.
Complimentary low-tech beach cruisers are perfect for pedaling and loaner standup paddleboards seal the deal.
Eat
You’ll feel transported to the South of France when you dine at Avenue. The menu is garnering accolades for its clarity of flavors, especially when it comes to seafood. The kitchen conjures up mealtime magic weaving French technique with locally sourced Mid-Atlantic ingredients.
Mouth-watering choices include an appetizer of escargot drenched in luscious parsley-garlic butter or briny and beautiful mussels followed by a delicate salt-crusted whole branzino for two, dusted with fennel pollen. Pastry Chef Stuart Marx’s talent is mythical so you won’t want to miss his warm apple tarte tatin, the fruit enrobed in layers of gossamer pastry and finished with buttery caramel. The cultivated wine list is heavy on French bottles but it spans the globe and includes biodynamic and natural offerings.
If the weather cooperates, the panoramic wrap-around porch is a delight but the fireplace is cozy if it’s a tad chilly. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of the surf whether you’re seated indoors or out.
Do
Pier Village presents an eclectic range of shops, dining and nightlife. Drop by Aloha Grove for surf wear, Atlantic Books for the perfect beach read and Playa Bowls for an energy-inducing smoothie.
The New Jersey Repertory Company is one of the most respected non-profit regional theaters in the country. Its mission is to nurture both established and unknown writers. Audiences reap the benefit with a robust schedule of productions throughout the year.
If you crave the wave, Summa Love’s surf camps, private lessons, and al fresco yoga can’t be beat.
And if you’re looking for a longer stay, you can also visit Bay Head as well.
Get to Long Branch from NYC
NJ Transit from New York’s Penn Station to Long Branch takes 96 minutes.
Photo credits: Bungalow Hotel, Summa Love
Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributes travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She is fluent in Italian and Spanish and laughably adequate in French. Her background as an Early Childhood Educator gives her an added understanding of what it takes to travel with kids in tow. She firmly believes that the most important part of education takes place outside of the classroom, on the road, around the world. She never misses a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. Follow Allison at @gourmetrav.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram