Our Week in OCNJ – Ocean City, New Jersey Boardwalk + Vacation Guide

Aaaaand we’re home! We spent the past week soaking up some sun at the Jersey shore. Ocean City, New Jersey has been a family favorite for us for years; we’ve spent the past 5+ summers there, sans last year since I was giving birth. 😉 Safe to say everyone was stoked to get back! We mixed it up this year with a new AirBnB that was MUCH better location for our needs (closer to the beach + the Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk, which is a MUST with the kids!), and it totally made the trip.

I wanted to round up our top recommendations in one place, so consider this our photo diary and trip log to save if you’re considering an OCNJ getaway yourself. 🙂

We stayed in an AirBnB around 12th and Ocean – so we were basically in the immediate area the entire time. There’s SO much to do downtown, especially between 8-12th and between Ocean Ave. and Asbury, so this location is really ideal. Nearly everything we eat and did was also in the immediate Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk vicinity, so consider this your guide to the best of the OCNJ boardwalk, too! 😉

Our Week in OCNJ - Ocean City, New Jersey photo diary + recommendations, on Coming Up Roses

Our Week in OCNJ - Ocean City, New Jersey photo diary + recommendations, on Coming Up Roses

Our Week in OCNJ - Ocean City, New Jersey photo diary + recommendations, on Coming Up Roses Our Week in OCNJ - Ocean City, New Jersey photo diary + recommendations, on Coming Up Roses

Cherry water ice + active seagull watch…these are the days…

Our Week in OCNJ - Ocean City, New Jersey photo diary + recommendations, on Coming Up Roses

Our Week in OCNJ - Ocean City, New Jersey photo diary + recommendations, on Coming Up Roses

Our Week in OCNJ - Ocean City, New Jersey photo diary + recommendations, on Coming Up Roses

Our Week in OCNJ - Ocean City, New Jersey photo diary + recommendations, on Coming Up Roses

10/10 recommend this indoor/outdoor play yard…it’s perfect for the beach but would also be great in the backyard, or even in your living room??? Had an Instagram follower reach out saying throw balls in it for a DIY ball pit come winter and that just sounds GENIUS. It’s super easy to fold/unfold and attach the canopy top! Also was half the price of other competitors on Amazon, but just as great. So impressed!

Our Week in OCNJ - Ocean City, New Jersey photo diary + recommendations, on Coming Up Roses

 

TO EAT – on the Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk…

  • Prep’s Pizza – Every OCNJ trip, our family tradition is “pizza on the porch” for our first night’s dinner. We order a pizza and we…you guessed it!…eat it on the porch or patio or balcony of the beachhouse with beers (+ non-alcoholic beers for the Gwynns this year…Corona, Heineken, and Stella Artois are our favorite NA beers so far!). Mimi found Prep’s Pizza recommended somewhere, so we grabbed a pie on the boardwalk to walk back to the house – we all enjoyed thoroughly and would get it again (and we’re pizza snobs. Ha!).

Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk recommendations BEST OF BOARDWALK - on Coming Up Roses

 

  • Taqueria Rendon – Get the passionfruit juice with a tajin rim + chamoy stick! This was a 10/10 recommendation all around. We also got the Birria Taco Box to share – it comes with 12 tacos, as well as chips and guac/pico de gallo – so it’s a great group option!

Taqueria Rendon - Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk recommendations BEST OF BOARDWALK - on Coming Up Roses

  • Crunch’ikn – Maybe our collective family favorite? This Korean fusion joint isn’t unique to OCNJ, but it was delish nonetheless. We got veggie japchae, crunch balls, chicken dumplings, bubble teas…and literally everything was 10/10. We got dumplings and bubble teas on multiple days to bring down to the beach and would’ve gone back again if we had time to try more!
  • Bungalow Bowls – My favorite is the Coconut Girl…it’s a coconut base and comes with mango, pineapple, coconut flakes, granola and a honey drizzle!

Bungalow Bowls - Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk recommendations BEST OF BOARDWALK - on Coming Up Roses

  • Boba Milk – We found this bubble tea joint on a corner downtown – they have funky bubble teas on the menu, as well as fun treats like mochi donuts. I got the peach ring milk tea special (And I always order my drinks “half sweet”)…it was FABULOUS. J said mine was the best one haha.
  • Kohr Bros – But of course. Did you even go to the Jersey shore if you don’t have a Kohr Brothers’ cone to show for it?

KOHR BROS - Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk recommendations BEST OF BOARDWALK - on Coming Up Roses KOHR BROS - Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk recommendations BEST OF BOARDWALK - on Coming Up Roses

  • Ocean City Coffee Company – There are quite a few locations on the boardwalk, but one of my best friends insisted we go because it’s her favorite spot…sure enough, fabulous coffee. Other friends of mine also say it’s their favorite coffee, so much so that they order it online during the year!

  • Opa gyros – This place is a five-star-rated Greek gem hidden within one of the boardwalk food courts. They do gyros, as well as crepes – both savory + sweet. I didn’t get to try the crepes this trip, but the gyros are SO good!

Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk recommendations BEST OF BOARDWALK - on Coming Up Roses

  • Crunchy’s – Get the barrel of fries to share! These are amazing handcut crinkle fries…but they make them NOT soggy. I cannot stand soggy fries, so this was a win in my book! The barrel was a great size for 4 adults and 2 little kids.
  • Blue Cactus Taco Shop – Crunchwrap tacos for the win! Also the queso.
  • Monkeybread – A boardwalk breakfast treat! If you get there around 8 am, you can grab the first, freshest batches right outta the oven.

MONKEYBREAD - Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk recommendations BEST OF BOARDWALK - on Coming Up Roses

 

TO DO – on the Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk…

  • Playland’s Castaway Cove – Hands down, the highlight of our trip and our favorite hidden gem? (Althought probably not-so-hidden for anyone not living under an OCNJ rock…ha!). While we had seen the tops of coasters and the ferris wheel from our balcony, we assumed it was just another sortof pier with your usual carnival rides…we didn’t realize there was an ENTIRE AMUSEMENT PARK tucked away right on the Ocean City New Jersey boardwalk?!? Apparently the entrance space used to be an arcade that burned down; now there’s a cove that you enter with an entire day’s worth of fun inside. Now, we know amusement parks and carnivals, because we are the attendee equivalent of a “carnie.” We carnival hop between towns, and the OG’s sole dream is TO FIND A CARNIVAL. The girl had the whole ocean in front of her and just wanted to find a Frog Hopper. HA. But in all seriousness, this place was incredible. GREAT bang for your buck – the rides didn’t feel insanely overpriced, and the rides were GOOD. Like, new, unique rides that were FUN. We were so, so impressed. Better than Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, if you’re familiar! And the ticket books don’t expire!

Playland's Castaway Cove - Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk recommendations BEST OF BOARDWALK - on Coming Up Roses

Playland's Castaway Cove - Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk recommendations BEST OF BOARDWALK - on Coming Up Roses Playland's Castaway Cove - Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk recommendations BEST OF BOARDWALK - on Coming Up Roses

  • Bella U – For the Philly sports fanatics (or should I say “phanatics?” 😉 ) – this is your spot! Granted, only a pop-up shop of the store is on the boardwalk itself – the stand-alone boutique location is on 8th and Asbury. All super cute, unique pieces with cool patches, stitching, insanely squishy soft and comfortable materials…I would’ve stocked my closet with Eagles apparel from this shop. GO BIRDS.
  • Stainton by the Sea + Stainton galleries on Asbury – So we first found Bella U through their a pop-up shop in the Stainton galleries. We saw quite a bit of rain during our trip…unforunate for the sand, but fortunate for some shopping + exploring. These galleries feature loads of local small shops + artisans, which I’m all about. We did the big Asbury gallery on our rain day, but also stopped in the Stainton by the Sea on the boardwalk – it’s just an abridged version of the fuller space!

Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk recommendations BEST OF BOARDWALK - on Coming Up Roses Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk recommendations BEST OF BOARDWALK - on Coming Up Roses

  • Bad Kitty – A little girly girl’s dream! This is where the OG got hair tinsel. 🙂 Right on the boardwalk, featuring hair tinsel, braiding, wrapping…but also loads of cute gifts for the girls, from Disney princesses to hair bows and acessories to mermaid costumes and princess capes…basically, my five-year-old’s version of heaven.

Our Week in OCNJ - Ocean City, New Jersey photo diary + recommendations, on Coming Up Roses

  • Shows at the Ocean City Music Pier – Gotta love a night at the theater! We saw the junior version of Anything Goes for a little date night on Friday night…Anything Goes was my senior show in high school, so it will always hold a huge piece of my heart. The Music Pier’s show schedule is so impressive – I mean, Grease? Loren Allred from the Greatest Showman? The Beach Boys? KRISTIN CHENOWITH?!? Be still my heart.

Smocked maxi dress (20% off code: EL20)

 

A few swimsuits to share…

 

Have you been to the Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk + beach before?

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