Location of Ocean City in Cape May County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Cape May County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 11,229,[12][13] a decrease of 472 (−4.0%) from the 2010 census count of 11,701,[22][23] which in turn reflected a decline of 3,677 (−23.9%) from the 15,378 counted in the 2000 census.[24] In summer months, with an influx of tourists and second homeowners, there are estimated to be 115,000 to 130,000 within the city's borders.[25][26]
Ocean City originated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 3, 1884, from portions of Upper Township, based on results from a referendum on April 30, 1884, and was reincorporated as a borough on March 31, 1890. Ocean City was incorporated as a city, its current government form, on March 25, 1897.[27][28] The city is named for its location on the Atlantic Ocean.[29][30]
Known as a family-oriented seaside resort, Ocean City has not allowed the sale of alcoholic beverages within its limits since its founding in 1879,[31][32] offering miles of guarded beaches, a boardwalk that stretches for 2.5 miles (4.0 km), and a downtown shopping and dining district.[33]
Travel Channel rated Ocean City as the Best Family Beach of 2005.[34] It was ranked the third-best beach in New Jersey in the 2008 Top 10 Beaches Contest sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium.[35] In the 2009 Top 10 Beaches Contest sponsored by NJ.com, Ocean City ranked first.[36]
Before Ocean City was established, local Native Americans set up camps on the island for fishing in the summer months.[37] In 1633, Dutch navigator David Pietersz. de Vries referred to "flat sand beaches with low hills between Cape May and Egg Harbor", possibly the earliest reference to the island that became Ocean City. In 1695, Thomas Budd surveyed the land on behalf of the West Jersey Society. Around 1700, John Peck used the island as a base of operation for storing freshly hunted whales, and subsequently, the land became known as Peck's Beach. The first record of a house on Peck's Beach was in 1752. During the 18th century, cattle grazers brought cows to the island, where plentiful trees, weeds, brush, and seagrass provided suitable conditions. Parker Miller was the first permanent resident of Peck's Beach in 1859.[38]
Originally purchased by the Somers family, the island was formerly named Peck's Beach, believed to have been given the name for a whaler named John Peck.[39] In 1700, Peck began using the barrier island as a storage place for freshly caught whales. The island was also used as a cattle-grazing area, and mainlanders would boat over for a picnic or to hunt.[40] On September 10, 1879, four Methodist ministers—Ezra B. Lake, James Lake, S. Wesley Lake, and William Burrell—chose the island as a suitable spot to establish a Christian retreat and camp meeting on the order of Ocean Grove. They met under a tall cedar tree, which stands today in the lobby of the Ocean City Tabernacle. Having chosen the name Ocean City, the founders incorporated the Ocean City Association and laid out streets and lots for cottages, hotels, and businesses. The Ocean City Tabernacle was built between Wesley and Asbury Avenues and between 5th and 6th Streets. Camp meetings were held by the following summer and continue uninterrupted to this day.[41]
In 1881, the first school on the island opened.[37] The first bridge to the island was built in 1883, and the West Jersey Railroad opened in 1884.[42] Based on a referendum on April 30, 1884, the borough of Ocean City was formed from portions of Upper Township, following an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 3, 1884.[27]
The ship Sindia joined other shipwrecks on the beach on December 15, 1901, on its way to New York City from Kobe, Japan, but has since sunk below the sand. A salvage attempt to retrieve treasures believed to have been on the ship was most recently launched in the 1970s, all of which have been unsuccessful.[43] In 1920, the Chamber of Commerce adopted the slogan "America's Greatest Family Resort".[44][38]
In 1927, a large fire broke out and caused $1.5 million in damage (equivalent to $26 million in 2023). This led the city to move the boardwalk closer to the ocean, which resulted in a greater potential for damage from saltwater.[45]
As a result of its religious origins, the sale or public drinking of alcoholic beverages in Ocean City was prohibited.[46] In 1881, the Ocean City Association passed a set of blue laws, which were designed to enforce religious standards. The town banned the manufacturing or sale of alcohol in 1909.[47]
Promoting water instead of drinking alcohol, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union donated a public fountain, dedicated on Memorial Day in 1915.[48] Despite the prohibition of alcohol within the municipality, illegal saloons operated within Ocean City, and in 1929, prosecutors raided 27 speakeasies.[49]
In 1951, the town banned the consumption of alcohol on the beach. All public alcohol consumption was banned in 1958. During the campaign for a 1986 referendum to repeal the blue laws, ads in the local paper suggested that the repeal could be next.[47] In May 2012, 68.8% of voters rejected a ballot initiative for BYOB—bring your own bottle.[50] As of 2016, Ocean City was one of 32 dry towns in New Jersey.[51] Despite the prohibition in the city, 18.3% of adults in the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area (which includes all of Cape May County) drink alcohol heavily or binge drink, the highest percentage of any metro area in the state. USA Today listed Ocean City as the state's most drunken city on its 2017 list of "The drunkest city in every state".[52] Additionally, a loophole in the law allows private dining clubs adjacent to restaurants to serve alcohol to members.[53]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 11.56 square miles (29.93 km2), including 6.72 square miles (17.39 km2) of land and 4.84 square miles (12.53 km2) of water (41.87%).[3][4] The island is about 8-mile (13 km) long.[54]Unincorporated communities, localities, and place names located partially or completely within the city include Peck Beach.[55]
Since 1951, the beach has been replenished more than 40 times, potentially the most of any beach in the country. This is due to erosion caused by storms, and in an extreme instance of erosion, a $5 million replenishment project in 1982 had largely disappeared within two and a half months. During the 1960s and 1970s, the city owned its own dredge, but ceased replenishment projects when it could not secure permits for dredging the lagoons.[59] Since 1992, the United States Army Corps of Engineers has handled responsibility for beach nourishment projects, periodically adding 1,100,000 cubic yards (840,000 m3), roughly every three years, using the shoal area about 5,000 feet (1,500 m) offshore the Great Egg Harbor Inlet. The project and funding was authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 1986,[54] and the most recent replenishment was completed in December 2017.[60] After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the Army Corps completed the city's largest beach replenishment since 1993, adding 1,800,000 cubic yards (1,400,000 m3) of sand to replenish the eroded beaches.[54]
The city utilizes 39% of its land area—1,716 acres (694 ha)—for parks and recreation purposes. This includes about 1,300 acres (530 ha) of protected dunes and wetlands. There are several parks within the confines of Ocean City, including ten playgrounds scattered across the island. There are also a volleyball court, a shuffleboard court, a hockey rink, four baseball fields, four soccer fields, eight basketball courts, and 24 tennis courts.[61]
Across from the Ocean City Airport is the Howard Stainton Wildlife Refuge, a 16 acres (6.5 ha) area of wetlands established in 1997. There are no trails, but there is a viewing platform accessible from Bay Avenue.[62] Adjacent to the airport is the Ocean City Municipal Golf Course, a 12–hole course run by the city and open to the public.[63]
At the southern end of the island is Corson's Inlet State Park, which was established in 1969 to preserve one of the last undeveloped tracts of land along the oceanfront. The park is accessible by Ocean Drive (Cape May County Route 619), which bisects the park.[64]
Of the 5,890 households, 14.8% had children under the age of 18; 40.6% were married couples living together; 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present and 47.6% were non-families. Of all households, 42.1% were made up of individuals and 21.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.98 and the average family size was 2.68.[22]
14.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 16.7% from 25 to 44, 32.9% from 45 to 64, and 29.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 88.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 86.4 males.[22]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $55,202 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,710) and the median family income was $79,196 (+/− $11,239). Males had a median income of $48,475 (+/− $5,919) versus $41,154 (+/− $12,032) for females. The per capita income for the city was $40,864 (+/− $3,899). About 5.1% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.[73]
As of the 2000 United States census,[18] there were 15,378 people, 7,464 households, and 4,008 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,222.8 inhabitants per square mile (858.2/km2). There were 20,298 housing units at an average density of 2,934.0 per square mile (1,132.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.57% White, 4.31% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.99% of the population.[71][72]
There were 7,464 households, out of which 16.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.3% were non-families. 40.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.71.[71][72]
In the city, the population was spread out, with 16.4% under age 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 25.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.4 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 82.8 men.[71][72]
The median income for a household in the city was $44,158, and the median income for a family was $61,731. Males had a median income of $42,224 versus $31,282 for females. The per capita income for the city was $33,217. About 4.3% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.[71][72]
The concept of beach tags at the Jersey Shore was introduced in the late 1920s, but Ocean City did not establish them until 1976. Beach tags are a major source of revenue for the city, with the $4.1 million in revenue generated in the 2016 season, the most of any municipality in the state.[74] In the 2017 budget, the projected $4.1 million in fees for beach tags and $3 million for parking were two of the city's biggest revenue sources, accounting for almost 9% of the city's annual budget of almost $80 million,[75] and increased fees, including a doubling of the fee for daily tags, were part of an effort to bring the total up to $5 million for the 2023 season.[76]
From early June through Labor Day, Ocean City requires individuals age 12 and up to purchase a beach tag to access its beaches.[77] For the 2023 season (from the first weekend in June through Labor Day), a one-day pass will cost $10, a weekly pass was $20, and a seasonal pass for the full summer season will be $25. Additionally, there are free seasonal beach tags made available to military personnel. Beach tag revenue is used by the city to cover the costs of maintaining and cleaning the beaches. It is also used to hire and pay lifeguards and other members of the beach patrol for the city.[78]
Adjacent to the beach is a 2.45-mile (3.94 km) long boardwalk that which runs north from 23rd Street to St. James Place.[79] The boardwalk was first built in 1880 from the Second Street wharf to Fourth Street and West Avenue. In 1885, plans to extend the boardwalk along the entire beach were made as the city's first amusement house, a pavilion on the beach at 11th street called "The Excursion" opened. A second amusement park, the "I.G. Adams pavilion", at Ninth Street and the boardwalk, opened soon after but was destroyed by fire in 1893. Following a second catastrophic fire in 1927, the boardwalk and its businesses were rebuilt 300 feet (91 m) closer to the ocean on concrete pilings, with parking created for cars in the space where the buildings and boardwalk once stood.[80] The Ocean City Music Pier partially opened one year later, with work completed in time for the 1929 season.[81]
In 2007, controversy emerged over the city's proposed use of ipê, a type of wood, to re-deck parts of the boardwalk. Environmental activists protested against the city's use of the wood, but the plan went ahead.[82] In Fall 2013, the city began a $10 million project to rebuild the 85 year old boardwalk from 5th to 12th Streets. This replaced the concrete substructure from 1928 with wooden supports and pine decking, and included the removal of 12,000 cubic yards (9,200 m3) of sand. Originally intended to be a seven-year project, the work finished two years ahead of schedule in March 2018.[83][84][85]
In 1965, the Wonderland Amusement Park opened on the boardwalk at 6th Street, which is now known as Gillian's Wonderland Pier. Runaway Train, a steel twister, operated as the park's sole major roller coaster until its removal in 2018.[citation needed] The theme park is set to permanently close at the end of the 2024 season.[86]
Playland's Castaway Cove is located on the boardwalk at 10th Street. Two major roller coasters operated there, which were the Python, a looping coaster, and the Flitzer, a wild mouse coaster. A new major shuttle coaster at Castaway Cove, Storm, was planned to be finished in summer 2013.[87] The two older coasters were removed and for the 2016 summer season, a new ride called GaleForce was being built, which is a high thrill roller coaster with three linear synchronous motor launches reaching speeds of 64 miles per hour (103 km/h) and a 125-foot (38 m) beyond vertical drop. GaleForce opened to the public on May 26, 2017. The new Wild Waves ride is a family-oriented coaster, with a height of 50 feet (15 m), that wraps around the GaleForce coaster. The new Whirlwind ride is a figure eight kiddie coaster with spinning cars.[88]
There is also a water park located on the boardwalk called OC Waterpark, open during the summer months.[89]
There are several mini golf courses on the Boardwalk in Ocean City.
Media publications in Ocean City include its newspaper, The Ocean City Sentinel[90] Ocean City also has a seasonal publication, The Ocean City Sure Guide, and a lifestyle magazine known as Ocean City Magazine.[91] The city also has a daily blog that has update on the city as a whole, called OCNJDaily[92]
The City of Ocean City was incorporated on March 25, 1897. Since July 1, 1978, the city has operated within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the mayor–council system of municipal government, which is used in 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide.[94] The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the City Council. The mayor, the chief executive of the community, is chosen at-large for a four-year term at the municipal election in May and serves part-time for a yearly salary. The mayor neither presides over, nor has a vote on the council. The mayor has veto power over ordinances, but any veto can be overridden by a vote of two-thirds of the Council. The City Council is the legislative body and is comprised of seven members, of which four members represent individual wards and three are elected at-large. Each council person serves a staggered four-year term, with the three at-large seats and the mayoral seat up for election together, followed by the four ward seats which are voted upon two years later.[9][95]
In September 2015, Councilman Michael Allegretto resigned from his seat expiring in December 2018 to take a position as the city's Director of Community Services. As the council could not reach agreement on a successor in the month following the resignation, the position remained vacant until a successor was chosen in the May 2016 municipal election to serve the balance of the term of office.[96] In May 2016, Karen A. Bergman was elected to serve the balance of the vacant term.[97]
In August 2021, Terrence Crowley Jr. was appointed to fill the First Ward expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Michael DeVlieger until he had resigned from office.[99] Crowley served on an interim basis until the November 2021 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.[100]
As of 2023[update], the mayor of Ocean City is Jay A. Gillian, whose term of office ends June 30, 2026.[5] Members of the city council are Council President Peter V. Madden (2026; At Large), Council Vice President Karen A. Bergman (2026; At Large), Terrence Crowley Jr. (2024; First Ward, elected to serve an unexpired term), Jody Levchuk (2024; Third Ward), John A. "Tony" Polcini (2026; At Large), Tomaso Rotondi (2024; Second Ward) and David Winslow (2024; Fourth Ward, appointed to serve an unexpired term).[98][101][102][103][104]
In August 2023, the city council appointed David Winslow to fill the Fourth Ward seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Bob Barr until he resigned from office to take a city on the Cape May Board of County Commissioners; Winslow will serve on an interim basis until the November 2023, when voters will select a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office.[105]
Cape May County is governed by a five-person Board of County Commissioners whose members are elected at-large on a partisan basis to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year; At an annual reorganization held each January, the commissioners select one member to serve as director and another to serve as vice-director.[115] As of 2024[update], Cape May County's Commissioners are
Director Leonard C. Desiderio (R, Sea Isle City, 2024),[116]
Robert Barr (R, Ocean City; 2025),[117]
Will Morey (R, Wildwood Crest; 2026),[118]
Melanie Collette (R. Middle Township; 2026),[119] and
Vice-Director Andrew Bulakowski (R, Lower Township; 2025).[120][115][121]
The county's constitutional officers are Clerk Rita Marie Rothberg (R, 2025, Ocean City),[122][123]
Sheriff Robert Nolan (R, 2026, Lower Township)[124][125] and
Surrogate E. Marie Hayes (R, 2028, Ocean City).[126][127][128][121]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 8,810 registered voters in Ocean City, of which 1,747 (19.8%) were registered as Democrats, 3,776 (42.9%) were registered as Republicans and 3,282 (37.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 5 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.[129]
Ocean City vote by party in presidential elections
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 75.7% of the vote (3,436 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 22.9% (1,038 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (62 votes), among the 4,638 ballots cast by the city's 8,926 registered voters (102 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 52.0%.[137][138] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 58.2% of the vote (2,894 ballots cast), ahead of both Democrat Jon Corzine with 34.3% (1,707 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 6.1% (306 votes), with 4,976 ballots cast among the city's 9,008 registered voters, yielding a 55.2% turnout.[139]
Students are also eligible to attend Cape May County Technical High School in the Cape May Court House area, which serves students from the entire county in its comprehensive and vocational programs, which are offered without charge to students who are county residents.[152][153] Special needs students may be referred to Cape May County Special Services School District in the Cape May Court House area.
In 2009, the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area (Cape May County) ranked as the sixth-highest in the United States for percentage of commuters who walked to work (8.4 percent).[156]
In 1883, the first drawbridge to the island opened at 34th Street, linking Ocean City with the rest of Cape May County. Financed by the Ocean City Association, the toll road was narrow, frequently under water, and built of shells, gravel, sand, and cedar poles; it was widened in 1909, replaced in 1914, and again replaced in 1964. The newer bridge at 34th street was refurbished in 2018.[38][157] In 1914, a bridge connecting the island with Somers Point opened across the Great Egg Harbor Bay, which was replaced in 1932 and again in 2012.[38][158] A road bridge connecting Ocean City and Strathmere opened in 1918, which was replaced in 1946 after being purchased by the county and made a part of Ocean Drive.[38][159] The Ocean City Automobile Club built a bridge in the northern end of the island in 1928, connecting the island with Egg Harbor Township; the bridge was replaced in 2002.[160]
As of May 2010[update], the city had a total of 126.07 miles (202.89 km) of roadways, of which 114.85 miles (184.83 km) were maintained by the municipality, 9.31 miles (14.98 km) by Cape May County and 1.91 miles (3.07 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[161] Ocean City has bridge connections to the Marmora section of Upper Township by the 34th Street (Roosevelt Boulevard) Bridge, Egg Harbor Township by the Ocean City-Longport Bridge, Somers Point by the 9th Street Bridge (Route 52[162]), and the Strathmere section of Upper Township by the Corson's Inlet Bridge.[163]
Adjacent to the marshes of the Great Egg Harbor Bay is Ocean City Airport, officially known as Clarke Field. The airport was built in 1935 on what was previously a landfill, funded by the Works Progress Administration. The airport, still open to the public, operated at an annual loss of $150,000 for the city as of 2016.[168]
Parking in the downtown and beach areas of Ocean City is regulated by on-street parking meters, metered parking lots, staffed parking lots, and permit parking lots. Parking meters and fees for parking lots are in effect between early May and early October. In addition to public parking, there are also several private parking lots in Ocean City.[169]
In 1880, one year after Ocean City was established as a Christian resort, regular steamboat service from Somers Point began.[170] In 1883, the Lake Brothers opened a streetcar line.[171] In 1884, the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad extended its rail line from Sea Isle to the Ocean City Tenth Street Station.[38] The line was replaced by buses in 1932. From 1906 to 1981, the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines operated rail service from Tuckahoe to Ocean City; service stopped when the Crook Horn bridge became damaged in 1981, and was eventually removed in 1992. After that time, rail tracks in Ocean City were removed from 9th to 34th streets.[172][171] From 1907 to 1946, the Atlantic City and Shore Railroad operated a line from Atlantic City to Ocean City, until the bridge across the Great Egg Harbor Bay burned.[173]
Julia Lawlor of The New York Times wrote in 2004 that Christian heritage influenced Ocean City's conservative laws; prior to 1986, shops were not allowed to conduct business on Sundays. The Sunday business closures were heavily enforced, with a grocer being arrested for selling a cantaloupe.[174] In 2004 there were 15 churches.[25]
In 2011, the city played the backdrop to an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia titled "The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore". The city was never name dropped and only serves to portray a generic shore town as the episode features many stereotypes about the Jersey Shore and its culture, most of which negative. At the time of airing the episode caused backlash with many members of the community, citing the episode's raunchy nature in contrast to the family-friendly image Ocean City claims to have.[175]
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Ocean City has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with hot, moderately humid summers, cool winters and year-round precipitation. Cfa climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature above 32.0 °F (0.0 °C), at least four months with an average mean temperature at or above 50.0 °F (10.0 °C), at least one month with an average mean temperature at or above 71.6 °F (22.0 °C) and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months in Ocean City, a cooling afternoon sea breeze is present on most days, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values at or above 95.0 °F (35.0 °C). During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values below 0.0 °F (−17.8 °C). The plant hardiness zone at Ocean City Beach is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 6.0 °F (−14.4 °C).[176] The average seasonal (November–April) snowfall total is 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm), and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity.
Former Hurricane Sandy struck 12 mi (19 km) north of the city on October 29, 2012, causing severe storm surge flooding and 70 mph (110 km/h) wind gusts. The Bayside Center recorded a high tide of 9.31 ft (2.84 m) during Sandy, surpassing the previous tidal record set in 1944. The storm caused major to severe damage to 29% of the houses in Ocean City, incurring a financial loss of $15.5 million to the tax base.[177][178]
Climate data for Ocean City Beach, NJ (1981–2010 Averages)
Josiah E. DuBois Jr. (1913–1983), former U.S. Treasury Department official who played a major role in exposing State Department obstruction of efforts to provide American visa to Jews trying to escape Nazi Europe[192]
^Genovese, Peter. "Down the Shore 2011: South Jersey"Archived October 28, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, Inside Jersey / The Star-Ledger, May 2011. Accessed October 27, 2019. "For those who swear by Seaside, Ocean City's boardwalk will come as a shock. No boardwalk is better, or more relentlessly maintained; cups, straws and fast-food wrappers are quickly snatched up by cleanup crews.If you're looking for a good time in 'America's Greatest Family Resort,' it'll have to be alcohol-free. Ocean City is a dry town, which means no liquor stores and no bringing wine or beer to a restaurant."
^Spoto, MaryAnn. "Ocean City wins No. 1 beach in New Jersey for '09"Archived May 22, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 19, 2009. Accessed September 13, 2015. "The town is dry and charges beach fees, but Ocean City had enough quaint charm to knock its rowdier neighbor Wildwood out of the top spot of best beach in the state this year."
^Johnston, David. "In Ocean City, The Expensive Legacy Of A Fire"Archived April 19, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 12, 1991. Accessed September 13, 2015. "The popular Music Pier needs those renovations because of the city fathers' action after the 1927 inferno. They used the fire as an excuse to move the boardwalk much closer to the ocean. That, in turn, led the Music Pier to be built over the water - making it much more susceptible to the damaging effects of saltwater."
^History of Ocean CityArchived February 20, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Ocean City Chamber of Commerce. Accessed September 13, 2015. "Part of the original four's wish, that Ocean City remain a pure retreat that exemplified the Christian mindset, still remains today as strong as the cedar tree they first met under. Historically, Ocean City is a dry town—there is no public drinking anywhere on the island."
^Lowe, Claire. "Temperance fountain rededicated in front of City Hall"Archived December 22, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The Gazette of Ocean City, May 27, 2015. Accessed December 23, 2017. "Steelman was on the corner of Ninth Street and Central Avenue Monday, May 25 for the rededication of the Women's Christian Temperance Union water fountain outside of City Hall. This year marks a century since Mayor Joseph G. Champion dedicated the fountain on Memorial Day 1915."
^O'Brien, Kathleen. "What it means to be one of N.J.'s 32 'dry' towns"Archived October 28, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, Inside Jersey, December 21, 2016, updated January 16, 2019. Accessed October 27, 2019. "Some towns, like Ocean City, vote to stay dry and not serve alcohol in restaurants or bars, other towns are dry because there are simply no restaurants or bars within their borders."
^Stebbins, Samuel; and Comen, Evan. "Alcohol abuse: The drunkest city in every state"Archived December 22, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, USA Today, November 21, 2017. Accessed December 23, 2017. "In the Ocean City metro area, some 18.3% of adults drink heavily, a larger share than the 17.6% of adults across New Jersey as a whole and a slightly larger than the 18.0% national rate."
^"The Highwayman: Bayside rambling 'down the shore'"Archived December 23, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Delco Times, May 31, 2014. Accessed December 23, 2017. "If you prefer to spend as much time as possible outdoors at the shore, don't bypass the Howard Stainton Wildlife Refuge on Bay Avenue between 23rd and 30th streets, directly across the road from the Ocean City Airport. This 16-acre freshwater refuge supports waterfowl and marshland birds such as the black-crowned heron, sandpipers, killdeer and Canada geese, as well as the endangered least tern and black skimmer. The refuge was completed and opened in 1997 after a nearly decade-long legal battle between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (which wanted the parcel to be protected as wetlands) and a development company, which had plans to build properties on the land."
^Wittkowski, Donald. "Ocean City's Proposed 2017 Municipal Budget Emphasizes Capital Projects"Archived January 24, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, OCNJ Daily, March 15, 2017. Accessed January 23, 2018. "Ocean City's proposed $79.7 million operating budget reflects a healthy real estate market and should satisfy Wall Street credit-rating agencies, but will require local property owners to pay more in taxes this year, according to the city's chief financial officer.... Ocean City has the ability to tap different sources of revenue – in addition to local property taxes – to finance the operating budget. Beach tag sales and parking operations are two of the biggest revenue generators. The budget forecasts $4.1 million in beach tag sales and $3 million in parking revenue for 2017."
^Pritchard, Michael. "Ocean City's Music Pier: A Giant Among Piers; Ocean City's Music Pier is the center of the city's Boardwalk and the home of summer concerts."Archived June 25, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Atlantic City Weekly, July 6, 2011. Accessed September 13, 2015. "'The pier was built in 1928, but it really wasn't ready for the summer that year, so it opened in the summer of 1929,' says Fred Miller, Ocean City historian and the author of seven books on the city's history. 'It was built after the great fire of 1927 that destroyed the Boardwalk. But there actually had been a music pavilion there since 1905. It did survive the fire, but they moved it and built the pier.'"
^Gilfillian, Trudi. "Southern New Jersey boardwalk officials search for the right wood (or plastic)"Archived January 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, The Press of Atlantic City, August 24, 2009. Accessed January 19, 2012. "But hardwoods such as ipe have their own downside, namely the controversy that can arise over their use. In Ocean City, officials opted this year to use pine to replace a block of Boardwalk after an order of tropical hardwood was delivered months late.... The city's initial decision to use tropical hardwood prompted public protests on the Boardwalk and outside City Hall. The Mayor's Office was flooded with messages from protesters."
^Bellano, Anthony. "125-Foot Roller Coaster Coming to Ocean City; GaleForce is set to open next year at Playland's Castaway Cove."Archived September 10, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Ocean City Patch, August 5, 2015. Accessed September 13, 2015. "A 125-foot roller coaster is coming to Playland's Castaway Cove in Ocean City next year. Nicknamed 'GaleForce,' the roller coaster will feature a 64 mph launch and a drop of beyond 90 degrees.... GaleForce and another roller coaster to be named soon will replace Playland's looping Python and Flitzer at 10th Street, according to the Ocean City Gazette."
^About UsArchived June 15, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Ocean City Sentinel. Accessed September 29, 2015. "Founded in 1879 the Ocean City Sentinel is the oldest business in Ocean City, NJ, 'America's Greatest Family Resort.' The Ocean City Sentinel's history dates back to 1880 and the newspaper has been published continually since 1881."
^About Ocean City Nor'eastersArchived February 3, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, USL Premier Development League. Accessed October 17, 2012. "The Ocean City Nor'easters have taken a huge step forward in their attempts to improve the quality of the soccer product being played at Carey Stadium in the summer as they are now being operated by a nonprofit corporation, Ocean City Nor'easters Soccer, Inc."
^Lowe, Claire. "Ocean City Council will not fill vacant seat"[permanent dead link], Ocean City Gazette, September 29, 2015. Accessed September 30, 2015. "The seat left vacant after the resignation of Councilman Michael Allegretto two weeks ago will not be filled this year, council decided.Council President Keith Hartzell said Tuesday, Sept. 29 that three council members had to support filling the position by Monday's agenda meeting and that did not happen.... Allegretto, who was council vice president, officially resigned on Sept. 14 to take the position of city director of community services. He was one year into his third, four-year term on council.... Whoever is elected in May will be sworn in at the next consecutive council meeting to serve the remainder of Allegretto's term, which expires in 2018."
^ abCity Council, City of Ocean City. Accessed August 23, 2023. "This form of government provides for election of a mayor and seven council members. Three council members may be elected at large and four are elected by wards; and serve four-year concurrent or staggered terms."
^Wittkowski, Donald. "Terrence Crowley Appointed City Council Member", OCNJ Daily, August 27, 2021. Accessed May 2, 2022. "Terrence Crowley Jr., a pharmaceutical sales executive who is making his first foray into elected politics, was unanimously appointed by City Council on Thursday night to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of former First Ward Councilman Michael DeVlieger. With the appointment, Crowley will temporarily represent the First Ward in the city's north end until the Nov. 2 general election. He confirmed that he intends to run in the election. The winner of the election will fill DeVlieger's unexpired term until June 30, 2024."
^Wittkowski, Donald. "Ocean City Welcomes New Councilman, Says Goodbye to Another", OCNJ Daily, August 10, 2023. Accessed August 23, 2023. "City Council said goodbye Thursday night to former Fourth Ward Councilman Bob Barr and appointed a new member to fill the vacancy on Ocean City's governing body until the November election. Voting 6-0, Council selected former Board of Education member and longtime Ocean City resident Dave Winslow to temporarily succeed Barr."
^ abBoard of County Commissioners, Cape May County, New Jersey. Accessed April 28, 2022. "Cape May County Government is governed by a Board of County Commissioners. These individuals are elected at large by the citizens of Cape May County and hold spaced 3-year terms." Note that as of date accessed, Desiderio is listed with an incorrect term-end year of 2020.
^"Governor - Cape May County"(PDF). New Jersey Department of Elections. January 29, 2014. Archived(PDF) from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
^Ocean City Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Ocean City School District. Accessed September 28, 2024. "Purpose The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve in the Ocean City School District. Composition The Ocean City School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Ocean City."
^Superintendent Profile, Ocean City School District, February 11, 2022. Accessed August 5, 2022. "A primary, intermediate, and high school deliver a top-tier education to approximately 2,200 students as it serves the communities of Ocean City, Sea Isle City, Upper Township, Corbin City, Longport and participates in the NJ School Choice Program."
^Frequently Asked QuestionsArchived October 27, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, Cape May County Technical High School. Accessed October 27, 2019. "All residents of Cape May County are eligible to attend Cape May County Technical High School.... The Cape May County Technical High School is a public school so there is no cost to residents of Cape May County."
^Campbell, Al. "St. Augustine School, Ocean City, to Close Next June"Archived July 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Cape May County Herald, November 29, 2007. Accessed October 17, 2012. " Emphasizing the need to strengthen and revitalize Catholic school education in South Jersey, Most Rev. Joseph A. Galante, Bishop of Camden, on Nov. 29 announced a reconfiguration of schools in nine clusters representing 35 elementary schools in the diocese. St. Augustine, Ocean City, which has 112 students currently enrolled, will close in June, 2008."
^"Areas We Serve". Bishop McHugh Regional Catholic School of Dennis Township. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
^"NFL/ Eagles Camp '70", The Press of Atlantic City, August 4, 2007. Accessed August 5, 2007 "Punter Sav Rocca went home to his native Australia for a few weeks and spent some time in Ocean City with place-kicker David Akers, who owns a home there."
^Roncace, Kelly. 'Breaking Benjamin is back and going home with show at Trump Taj Mahal"Archived August 9, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 8, 2015. Accessed August 9, 2018. "'I was born in Atlantic City, at the hospital there, and raised in Ocean City until I was 12 years old.' Burnley explained his family moved to Pennsylvania when he was 12 due to an increase in taxes at the shore town."
^Donahue, Bill. "Standing Pat"Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, South Jersey Magazine, February 2011. Accessed September 13, 2015. "Pat Croce—karate champion, former Philadelphia 76ers president, motivational icon and our region's most famous hard body—can still outrun you at age 56. We find out what drives this part-time Ocean City resident to succeed."
^Strauss, Robert. "Ode to Joi(sey)"Archived January 13, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, April 27, 2003. Accessed October 9, 2007. "Mr. Dunn, who used to live in Port Republic, a remote town in the interior of South Jersey, now divides his time between Ocean City and his wife's hometown, Frostburg, Md."
^"New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940". Marriage of Preston S. Foster and Gertrude Elene [Warren] Leonard, June 27, 1925, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. FamilySearch, a free online genealogical database provided as a public service by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. Retrieved August 16, 2017. Foster lived in Ocean City from birth to at least the age of 10, which is documented in the United States Census of 1910. His family later moved to Pitman, New Jersey.
^Staff reports. "St. Augustine Prep honors Dan Hilferty with Mendel Medal"Archived December 2, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Ocean City Gazette, November 24, 2014. Accessed December 1, 2014. "Ocean City native, and 1974 graduate of St. Augustine Prep, Daniel J. Hilferty received the 2014 Gregor Mendel Medal at dinner held in his honor at the Union League of Philadelphia on Nov. 13."
^"Biography of Ambassador William J. Hughes"Archived September 22, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, Stockton University William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy. Accessed September 13, 2015. "The Center is named in honor of U.S. Ambassador William J. Hughes. A native of southern New Jersey, Ambassador Hughes and his wife, Nancy, live in Ocean City, NJ."
^Princess Grace ExhibitArchived April 18, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Ocean City Historical Museum Press Release dated July 12, 2005. "John Kelly, Grace's father, and family were famous summer residents of Ocean City. Grace spent many summers on the Ocean City beach before becoming Hollywood movie star."
^Iati, Marisa. "Murphy nominates ex-acting EPA chief as state DEP commissioner"Archived December 24, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 21, 2017. Accessed December 23, 2017. "Gov.-elect Phil Murphy on Thursday announced he has chosen a former top federal environmental official to serve as commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection.Announcing the nomination of Catherine McCabe with a backdrop of the beach in Long Branch, Murphy criticized Gov. Chris Christie's administration for its handling of pollution cases, pulling out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and abolishing the DEP's Office of Climate and Energy.... 'I remember vividly my husband digging out the five feet of sand that landed in the yard of our home in Ocean City.'"
^Assemblyman Antwan McClellan, NJ Assembly Republicans. Accessed January 12, 2022. "A lifelong resident of Ocean City, he served as councilman from 2012 to 2019, and as a member of the Ocean City Board of Education from 2010 to 2012."
^ abSugarman, Joe. The Other Ocean CityArchived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Baltimore Style, July/August 2003. Accessed May 2, 2007. "First of all, Ocean City, N.J., is dry, as in, NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ALLOWED. Not on the beach. Not at restaurants.... Now there's Cousin's, an excellent Italian eatery where Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell often dines (he owns a house in town)."
^Staff. Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey; 1988 Edition, p. 244. J.A. Fitzgerald, 1988. Accessed October 25, 2016. "Assemblyman Shusted was born Aug. 3, 1926, in Ocean City. He attended Camden Catholic High School, LaSalle University, and Rutgers Law School. He was admitted to the bar in 1954."