Long Beach Island is so narrow (just a few hundred yards from ocean to bay in some places) that its pristine beaches have been lined with sand dunes, dune grass and wood fencing to prevent the entire island from being washed away by a nor’easter – as it almost was various times in the past, most recently in 1962.

At the north end of the island stands the Barnegat Lighthouse. “Old Barney”, one of the Jersey Shore’s most recognizable structures, towers above the fishing community of Barnegat Light and overlooks multimillion-dollar beachfront homes in nearby communities with whimsical names like Loveladies, Harvey Cedars and Shipbottom. Farther south, LBI gets a little wider, busier and more densely populated. Beach Haven – though hardly a bustling metropolis – is its hub and features casual shopping, dining and amusements. Also in Beach Haven is a village green surrounded by old Victorian bed and breakfasts, a sing-along ice cream parlor, and LBI’s charming Surflight Theatre playhouse. Believe it or not, Holgate, LBI’s southernmost community, has a trailer park! (But don’t laugh – those trailers probably go for a million and a half apiece.)

At the very southern end of the island is a wildlife refuge. It’s just north of what USED to be the very southern end of LBI – a once-thriving community known as Tucker’s Island that was literally washed away by the tide in the early 20th Century. Rumors persist that ancient pirate treasures were buried on this latter-day Atlantis. Of course, those treasures pale in comparison to the ones earned nightly by Atlantic City’s casinos, plainly visible from Holgate.

BIG CHEESE: “They say there are two groups of people on LBI – the ‘haves’ (who live on the south half) and the ‘have-mores’ (who live on the north half). Yes, house prices are unreal, but LBI isn’t a ‘money and power’ scene like the Hamptons. It’s all about sun, salt water, sea breezes, and relaxing with family and friends.”

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