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Every Town on LBI: A Guide to the Communities of Long Beach Island

Long Beach Island is eighteen miles of sand, salt, and stories — and no two stretches feel quite the same.

If you’ve ever driven across the causeway and turned left or right onto Long Beach Boulevard, you already know the feeling. The mainland falls away behind you, the bay opens up on one side, and suddenly you’re on this narrow strip of land that somehow manages to contain over 20 distinct communities — each with its own personality, its own history, and its own fiercely loyal regulars who will tell you, without hesitation, that their stretch is the best stretch.

LBI is technically made up of six municipalities: Barnegat Light, Harvey Cedars, Surf City, Ship Bottom, Long Beach Township, and Beach Haven. But that list barely scratches the surface. Long Beach Township alone encompasses more than a dozen named neighborhoods scattered along the island, from Loveladies in the north to Holgate at the very southern tip.

Here’s your guide to all of them — north to south, the way the island runs.

Barnegat Light

The northernmost town on the island, and the home of the one and only Old Barney, our namesake.

Barnegat Light is a fishing village first and a beach town second — and that’s exactly why people love it. The Barnegat Lighthouse has been standing watch over the inlet since 1859, designed by Lieutenant George Meade (who, six years after completing the plans, would go on to lead Union forces at Gettysburg). The 217-step climb to the top delivers panoramic views of the inlet, the bay, and the Atlantic — and it costs almost nothing.

The town was originally called Barnegat City when it was incorporated in 1904. The name was changed to Barnegat Light in 1948 to honor the lighthouse and avoid confusion with Barnegat Township on the mainland.

Then there’s Viking Village — a working commercial fishing dock that doubles as one of the most interesting spots on the island. Scandinavian fishermen settled here in the 1920s, and their legacy lives on. You can watch boats unload their catch in the morning, browse craft fairs on summer weekends, and pick up fish so fresh it was in the ocean a few hours ago. The beaches here are the widest on LBI, the crowds are thinner, and the pace is about as slow as it gets on the Jersey Shore.

If you want the version of LBI that existed before the vacation rental boom — quiet, salty, and real — this is it.

High Bar Harbor

Tucked along the bay side just south of Barnegat Light, High Bar Harbor has one of the more unusual origin stories on the island.

It was originally a small island separated from LBI entirely — home to the High Bar Gunning Club, where hunters came for waterfowl. In 1943, the Army Corps of Engineers built a sand dike to reduce erosion from Barnegat Inlet’s tidal flow, and a sand bridge gradually formed, connecting the island to the rest of LBI. By 1953, it became a residential development.

Today, it’s a quiet, lagoon-laced community with deep-bay access — a favorite among boaters. The High Bar Harbor Yacht Club has been here for decades. There are no public beaches in High Bar Harbor itself, but with Barnegat Light’s wide stretches just to the north, that’s never been much of an issue. On a calm summer evening, this is one of the most peaceful corners of the island.

Loveladies

Just south of High Bar Harbor, Loveladies is the island’s most exclusive enclave. The name comes from Thomas Lovelady, a sportsman who once owned a ten-acre island in the bay here — though some have always just called it the Hamptons of the Jersey Shore.

The homes are larger, the lots are wider, and the population density is lower than anywhere else on the island. It’s private without being pretentious — more understated than flashy.

But Loveladies isn’t just about the houses. This is the cultural heart of LBI, home to the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences. Founded in 1948 by Boris Blai — a sculptor, a student of Auguste Rodin, and the founding Dean of Temple University’s Tyler School of Art — the Foundation sits on a 22-acre campus on the bayside of the boulevard. The main building, designed by architect George Daub, features a vaulted-ceiling gallery with natural light. The Foundation runs year-round exhibitions, art classes, ceramics workshops, kids’ summer camps, and a visiting artist residency program. If you’ve ever wondered where the creative soul of LBI lives, it lives in Loveladies.

Harvey Cedars

Harvey Cedars sits along one of the narrowest points of the island, where you can stand in the middle of town and practically see both the ocean and the bay. It’s been that way for centuries — early settlers pastured cattle here and harvested salt hay in an area they called “Harvest Quarters.” Say Harvest Cedars fast enough, and you can hear how it became Harvey Cedars.

The Harvey Cedars Hotel was one of the earliest structures on the shore, dating back to at least the 1850s. Captain Perrine ran it as a sportsman’s hotel, complete with a ballroom where he’d fiddle for square dances on summer evenings. Sailing parties from other hotels would come across the water just for the music. The hotel eventually closed, sat abandoned for years, and was transformed into the Harvey Cedars Bible Conference in 1941 by Presbyterian minister Jack Murray. The Conference still operates today and has become one of the most well-known Christian retreat centers on the East Coast.

Sunset Park, on the bay side, is the town’s gathering place — playgrounds, tennis courts, picnic tables, and sunsets that will stop you mid-sentence. The Barnegat Light Yacht Club is here too, along with the Long Beach Island Fishing Club, housed in the old decommissioned Coast Guard station — one of the first federally funded coastal shipwreck rescue stations in the country.

This is a town for people who want to be on the island without being in the middle of everything.

North Beach

One of the later communities to be named on LBI, North Beach came about in 1949 as a result of residential development in Long Beach Township. Some older maps still call this area Frazier’s Park, after Daniel Frazier, who purchased the original tract in 1911.

North Beach sits between Harvey Cedars and Surf City, and it tends toward larger lots and newer homes — much of this area was rebuilt after the devastating 1962 nor’easter. The streets here include exclusive lanes with private access to both the beach and the bay. It’s one of the quieter residential communities on the island, with no commercial strips to speak of — just wide beaches and a sense of space that’s hard to find on a barrier island.

Surf City

Surf City holds the distinction of being the oldest community on Long Beach Island.

Whaling families — the Sopers, the Inmans — settled here around 1690, drawn to an area then known as “Great Swamp,” which had tall stands of white cedar and fresh water. The first major boarding hotel on the entire Jersey Shore coast, the Mansion of Health, was built here in 1821. A hurricane that same year destroyed the cedar forest and the swamp, but the town kept going. It cycled through names — Buzby’s Place (after a hotel owner), Old Mansion, Long Beach City — before the postal service finally insisted on something less confusing. It became Surf City in 1899.

Today, Surf City sits right in the geographic center of the island, making it a convenient home base whether you’re heading north to Old Barney or south to Beach Haven. The Surf City Hotel is one of the oldest structures on LBI and still operates as a restaurant, bar, and hotel — with ghost stories included at no extra charge. The Surf City 5&10, a family-owned shop since 1952 and now in its third generation, is one of those “you have to stop in” LBI institutions. SwellColors glass art studio offers workshops for anyone who wants to try their hand at mosaics and fusing.

There’s a calm bay beach here that’s perfect for small kids, a strong surf culture on the ocean side, and a main strip that buzzes with ice cream shops, galleries, and casual restaurants all summer long.

Ship Bottom

Everyone who visits LBI passes through Ship Bottom. It’s where Route 72 ends and the island begins — the “Gateway to Long Beach Island.”

The name comes from one of the most dramatic rescue stories on the Jersey Shore. In March 1817, Captain Stephen Willets of Tuckerton was navigating through thick fog when he heard reports of a ship in trouble. After hours of searching, his crew found an overturned hull in the shoals. As one of his men climbed aboard, he heard tapping from beneath his feet — someone was alive inside. Willets took an ax and chopped through the barnacled hull, freeing a young woman who had been trapped inside. She spoke no English, but when they brought her ashore, she drew a cross of thanks in the sand. No one ever recorded her name or the name of the ship. But the place where it happened became known as Ship Bottom.

Ship Bottom became a Life Saving Station in 1872, and the first permanent dwelling was built in 1898. It officially incorporated in 1925 (originally as Ship Bottom-Beach Arlington, shortened in 1947). The Italian bark Fortuna ran aground here in 1910 — an event so iconic that the ship’s anchor, recovered decades later, now sits on the lawn of Borough Hall.

This is the commercial hub of the island — Ron Jon Surf Shop has its East Coast flagship here, there are markets and restaurants lining the boulevard, and the energy picks up the moment you cross the bridge. Ship Bottom is the front door to LBI, and it sets the tone for everything that follows.

Brant Beach

Named for the Atlantic brant — the small geese that have been wintering along the bayside for centuries — Brant Beach is one of the larger and more established communities within Long Beach Township.

Its history goes back further than you might think. The Lenape people likely favored this stretch of the island, with its perfectly shaped cove forming one of the best natural harbors along the eighteen-mile coast. In the late 1600s and early 1700s, whalers built watch towers on the dunes here and launched harpoon boats from the beach. By the 1890s, a Philadelphia lawyer named Henry B. McLaughlin had purchased a four-mile tract and was building a train station at 60th Street, offering free rides and clam bakes to lure upscale Philadelphia tourists. Prime lots went for $50 to $100.

Today, Brant Beach is the heart of Long Beach Township’s mid-island section. The township pavilion at 68th Street is the only public ocean viewing area along the full length of LBI — and also serves as beach patrol headquarters with restrooms and showers. The St. Francis Community Center, founded in 1972, has become a cornerstone institution here — running athletics programs, senior services, educational offerings, and volunteer opportunities that serve residents and visitors across the island. The old railroad cutouts for the train station are still visible along the boulevard. Brant Beach has a strong year-round population, a handful of restaurants and hotels (the boutique Daddy O with its rooftop bar has become a destination in its own right), and a mix of original cottages alongside newer construction. The bay side is prime for crabbing and kayaking.

This is a community where families have been coming for generations—and many have become year-round residents.

Beach Haven Crest

Beach Haven Crest is a small residential community that took its name from the Crest Fishery, one of the local businesses that once anchored this stretch of the island. It mirrors Brant Beach in character — quiet, residential, and beach-focused.

This is also where Surflight Theatre originally opened in 1950, in a shaky 2,200-seat tent with a cast of 60 and a 12-piece orchestra, before moving to its permanent home in Beach Haven. That piece of theatrical history is easy to miss, but it’s a good reminder that even the smallest communities on LBI have stories worth telling.

Brighton Beach

Brighton Beach sits between Brant Beach and Peahala Park, and it’s one of the communities where the old railroad still left its mark. The cutouts for the original train stations are visible along Long Beach Boulevard here, with houses and businesses set back from the road — a pattern that dates to when the railroad ran the length of the island.

LBI was a popular destination for the Philadelphia and New York elite during the 19th century, and the installation of the rail line only accelerated that. Brighton Beach retains the quiet, residential character of this mid-island stretch — a place defined more by its porches and proximity to the beach than by any commercial activity.

Peahala Park

Peahala Park takes its name from the Peahala Gunning Club, an exclusive hunting and fishing club that occupied these beaches in the late 1800s. The word “Peahala” itself has roots in Native American language, though its precise meaning has been lost to history.

The community stretches from around 88th Street to 98th Street — a small but beloved tract that has been a summer haven for generations. Peahala Park was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy on the bayside, but the recovery has been remarkable, with many homes rebuilt to be more storm-resilient. Today it’s a low-density residential community with naturally wide beaches, a slower pace, and an ACME supermarket nearby that functions as a surprisingly important gathering point for this part of the island.

Beach Haven Park

Beach Haven Park is one of the mid-island communities within Long Beach Township, and it has a feature that sets it apart: Cottage Court, a charming cul-de-sac neighborhood, and the bayside homes along the somewhat protected Harris Harbor.

This is a central LBI location — close enough to Beach Haven’s activity that you can get there quickly, but removed enough that you’re not in the thick of it. The bay access here is excellent for fishing, kayaking, and watching the sun go down over the water.

Haven Beach

Haven Beach is a small, residential community tucked between Beach Haven Park and The Dunes. It’s home to the Haven Beach Yacht Club, which offers its members activities and a pool, and has the kind of tight-knit neighborhood feel that’s increasingly hard to find.

The bay side is lovely here, and the community’s relative obscurity is part of its appeal — it’s one of LBI’s best-kept secrets for families who want a quiet stretch of island without the price tag of the northern communities.

The Dunes

There was a time when this section of LBI was nothing but rolling sand dunes — and you can still see the remnants of that landscape up along the beach. The community takes its name directly from that natural feature.

Development here happened in two stages: the ocean side was built up in the 1950s and 1960s, while the bay side came later in the 1980s. The Dunes borders Haven Beach to the north and Beach Haven Terrace to the south, and it shares the wide beaches and beautiful bayfront sunsets that define this stretch of the island. It’s highly sought after for its combination of natural beauty and proximity to Beach Haven.

Beach Haven Terrace

Known locally as “the Terrace,” this community has a bit more commercial activity than its immediate neighbors — and that’s part of what makes it appealing.

Beach Haven Terrace grew up around a railroad station and the U.S. Life Saving Station #117 (also called the Long Beach Station). Today, the Terrace Tavern is a longstanding island hangout, and the Delaware Avenue Oyster House and Bar next door has brought a more contemporary dining scene to the neighborhood. The community strikes a nice balance between quiet residential living and walking distance to dinner.

Beach Haven Gardens

Beach Haven Gardens is a tiny slice of LBI living, but a sweet one. This is one of the neighborhoods incorporated into Long Beach Township back in the 1800s, and it remains primarily residential with a few restaurants and rental shops mixed in.

The draw here is location: Beach Haven Gardens sits close enough to Beach Haven that you can bike to the action in minutes, but the community itself stays quiet. The bay side is a favorite for fishing, with Escape Harbor Marina and Southwick’s Marina providing access to the water. Howard’s Restaurant is a local institution here.

Spray Beach

Spray Beach grew up around a hotel — the Spray Beach Hotel, which dates back to 1890 and is one of the most historic properties on Long Beach Island. The hotel still operates today as the Spray Beach Oceanfront Hotel, offering direct beach access and a pool deck that buzzes all summer.

But Spray Beach, the community, is more than the hotel. Spray Beach sits just a few blocks north of Beach Haven, which means Fantasy Island, Thundering Surf, the Chicken or the Egg, and the rest of Beach Haven’s attractions are a short walk or bike ride away. It’s the sweet spot for families who want to be close to the action without being right on top of it.

North Beach Haven

Despite the name, North Beach Haven is part of Long Beach Township, not Beach Haven — a distinction that confuses visitors but makes perfect sense once you understand how LBI’s municipal lines were drawn.

North Beach Haven borders Beach Haven and shares a lifeguarded beach with the borough. It’s primarily residential, with a few small shops, and it functions as a quieter gateway to everything Beach Haven has to offer. Community boundaries on LBI are more about tradition and feeling than hard lines on a map — and North Beach Haven is a perfect example.

Beach Haven

If Barnegat Light is LBI’s quiet fishing village, Beach Haven is its beating heart.

Known as the “Queen City,” Beach Haven was founded in 1874 and quickly became a destination for the upper echelon of Philadelphia, Tuckerton, and Mount Holly. It’s the cultural, commercial, and entertainment center of the island — and it wears that title well.

Surflight Theatre has been producing Broadway-caliber musicals on the island since 1950. It started in a tent in Beach Haven Crest, moved to an old meat market, then a garage, and finally to its permanent home on Engleside Avenue. The Show Place Ice Cream Parlour next door — where the waitstaff sings and dances while you eat — has been an LBI tradition since 1975. The New Jersey Maritime Museum houses a collection of shipwreck artifacts, maritime history, and coastal lore. Fantasy Island Amusement Park and Thundering Surf Water Park keep kids busy. Bay Village and Schooner’s Wharf— built around the reconstructed tall ship replica of the Lucy Evelyn — offers one of the more distinctive shopping experiences on the shore.

The downtown is walkable, bikeable, and packed with restaurants, bars, galleries, and shops. Chowderfest, Hop Sauce Festival, the Art Walk — this town runs events nearly year-round. The Beach Haven Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places, and walking through the older streets, you can still feel the Victorian-era bones of the place underneath the modern energy.

South Beach Haven

South Beach Haven is the quiet tail end of the Beach Haven area, sitting within Long Beach Township at the transition point between the borough’s bustle and Holgate’s wilderness. It’s a small residential community — more of a neighborhood than a destination — but it’s valued for exactly that quality. The pace slows down noticeably here, and you start to feel the island narrowing as it stretches toward its southern tip.

Holgate

The southernmost point of Long Beach Island, and the end of the road — literally.

Holgate is predominantly a wilderness area, managed as part of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge since 1960. The Holgate Unit stretches about three miles and encompasses more than 400 acres of pristine barrier beach, dunes, and tidal salt marsh. In 1975, Congress designated it a National Wilderness Area — one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches in all of New Jersey.

This is where you come to see the island as it existed before anyone built on it. The refuge sits on one of the Atlantic Flyway’s most active migration paths, and over 360 bird species have been recorded here. Piping plovers — federally listed as threatened — nest on the beaches. American oystercatchers, least terns, black skimmers, and common terns breed here, too. The area is closed to the public during nesting season to protect these fragile populations, but when it’s open, it’s one of the most extraordinary walks on the Jersey Shore.

There is a residential section of Holgate as well — one that was particularly hard hit by Hurricane Sandy but has made a strong comeback. And there’s a clamming trail open from September through March, providing access to shellfishing grounds in the state-owned waters along the peninsula’s western edge. On a clear day, you can see the Atlantic City skyline across the bay.

It’s a fitting end to the island — a reminder that before the towns, the hotels, the surf shops, and the ice cream parlors, Long Beach Island was just this: dunes, salt marsh, and birds.

The Thread That Ties It All Together

Twenty-plus communities. Six municipalities. Eighteen miles. One island.

What makes LBI special isn’t any single town — it’s the way they all coexist on this narrow ribbon of sand. You can start your morning climbing Old Barney, eat lunch in Surf City, spend the afternoon on the beach in Brant Beach, catch a show at Surflight in Beach Haven, and watch the sunset from Harvey Cedars — and never leave the island.

The Lenape were the first to love this place, using it as a summer retreat for fishing and clamming centuries before the first lighthouse, hotel, or causeway. The whalers came next, then the sportsmen, then the vacationers. Storms have battered it — the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962 split the island into pieces, and Hurricane Sandy in 2012 reshaped it again. But the island keeps coming back. The people keep coming back.

That’s the thing about LBI. It’s not just a place. It’s a feeling. And every town on this island has its own version of it.

See you over the bridge.

Sources & Further Reading

Want to dig deeper into the history and communities of Long Beach Island? Here are some of the best places to start.

History & Heritage

Landmarks & Attractions

Community Guides