Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey
Borough
The boardwalk fronting Point Pleasant Beach
Seal
Location of Point Pleasant Beach in Ocean County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Ocean County in New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
Census Bureau map of Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey
Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey Location in Ocean County, New Jersey Show map of Ocean County, New Jersey Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Ocean
Incorporated	May 18, 1886
Government
• Type	Borough
• Body	Borough Council
Area
• Total	1.74 sq mi (4.51 km2)
• Land	1.42 sq mi (3.69 km2)
• Water	0.32 sq mi (0.82 km2)  18.22%
Area rank	429th of 565 in state 19th of 33 in county
Elevation	7 ft (2 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,766
• Estimate  (2023)	4,897
• Rank	386th of 565 in state 15th of 33 in county
• Density	3,347.8/sq mi (1,292.6/km2)
• Density rank	202nd of 565 in state 7th of 33 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	08742
Area code(s)	732
FIPS code	3402959910
GNIS feature ID	885358
Website

Nightlife at Jenkinson's Boardwalk

Point Pleasant Beach is a town located right on the coast of New Jersey. It's part of the famous Jersey Shore. This town is the northernmost place in Ocean County that faces the Atlantic Ocean.

It sits on the northern tip of the Barnegat Peninsula. This peninsula is like a natural wall. It separates Barnegat Bay from the big open Atlantic Ocean. The town's name comes from its beautiful location.

In 2020, about 4,766 people lived in Point Pleasant Beach. The town was officially created on May 18, 1886. It was formed from parts of Brick Township. Point Pleasant Beach is right next to Point Pleasant borough. These are two separate towns.

The town has a boardwalk that is about one mile long. It stretches along the coast. You can find amusement rides, the Jenkinson's Aquarium, and arcades there. There are also places to get pizza, ice cream, and play games. You can even play miniature golf. To get onto some beaches, people aged 12 and over might pay a fee. Parking also costs money.

In 2008, Point Pleasant Beach was named the eighth-best beach in New Jersey. This was part of a contest by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium.

A Look Back: The History of Point Pleasant Beach

The first people to live in this area were the Lenape Native Americans. On September 2, 1609, Henry Hudson sailed by on his ship, the Half Moon. His crew thought it was a "very good Land" and "pleasant to see."

Early Settlers and Tourism Beginnings

European fishermen and farmers first settled here in the 1700s. In the early 1800s, a Quaker named Thomas Cook Jr. started letting visitors stay at his farmhouse. This was the start of tourism in the area. People began to see Point Pleasant Beach as a great place for visitors.

In the 1870s, Captain John Arnold helped tourism grow even more. He built a road to the ocean, which is now Arnold Avenue. In 1875, he built the first bridge over the Manasquan River. This bridge connected the town to Brielle. He also convinced the Central Jersey Railroad to bring train service to the town. Trains started arriving on July 3, 1880. The Borough of Point Pleasant Beach was officially formed on June 2, 1886.

Growth of the Boardwalk and Amusements

The 1870s saw a big boom in tourism. Developers bought old farms and sold lots for vacation homes. Captain Arnold created "Arnold City." In 1877, the Point Pleasant Land Company bought a large farm. They built the four-story Resort House, which was the biggest building in town. They also started a horse-drawn trolley to bring tourists around.

Many hotels were built, but some burned down or were taken apart. At first, visitors liked the river and farms. But soon, they became interested in the ocean. The first beachfront pavilion was built in 1880. Ten years later, a temporary boardwalk was built. But it washed away in just two years.

The first amusement area was Clark's Landing, which opened in 1892. In 1897, the town decided that beaches should be privately owned. This was because the cost of keeping them up was too high for the town. In 1915, the first permanent boardwalk was built. It later stretched along the whole town. However, a hurricane in September 1938 destroyed its southern part.

The boardwalk changed from just a place to walk to an active amusement area. Charles Jenkinson built Jenkinson's Pavilion and Swimming Pool in the 1920s. This pavilion became a center for fun at night. Today, the boardwalk has many amusement rides, video arcades, and different kinds of food. Point Pleasant Beach also holds an annual Seafood Festival in September.

Famous Ship and Hurricane Sandy

The County of Edinburgh ship stuck on the beach in 1900

On February 12, 1900, a large Scottish ship called the County of Edinburgh got stuck on the beach. This happened during a high tide. The event became national news. A famous painting by Antonio Jacobsen was made from a photo of the ship. The ship was not damaged and was successfully refloated two days later. It then continued its journey.

In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused a lot of damage to Point Pleasant Beach. Many towns along the Jersey Shore were hit hard. Nearly 2,800 feet of the town's boardwalk was destroyed. Repairs cost about $2 million. After Hurricane Sandy, a seawall was built to protect the area from future storms. The town also made sure that homes rebuilt after the storm were raised higher. This helps protect them from storm surges.

Where is Point Pleasant Beach?

A view of the beach in Point Pleasant Beach

Point Pleasant Beach covers about 1.74 square miles. Most of this is land, but some is water.

Some smaller areas within the town include Clark's Landing and Sunshine Harbor. The town shares borders with Bay Head and Point Pleasant in Ocean County. It also borders Brielle and Manasquan in Monmouth County.

Who Lives in Point Pleasant Beach?

In 2020, the population of Point Pleasant Beach was 4,766 people. This was a small increase from the 4,665 people counted in 2010.

Learning in Point Pleasant Beach

The Point Pleasant Beach School District serves students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district has two schools:

• G. Harold Antrim Elementary School: For students in Pre-K through 8th grade.
• Point Pleasant Beach High School: For students in 9th through 12th grade.

Students from Bay Head and Lavallette also attend the high school. Students from Mantoloking attend both schools.

Getting Around Point Pleasant Beach

Route 35 northbound in Point Pleasant Beach

Point Pleasant Beach station, served by NJ Transit trains

Main Roads

Route 35 is the main highway in Point Pleasant Beach. It runs north to south through the town. Route 88 starts here and goes west.

Public Transportation

NJ Transit trains stop at the Point Pleasant Beach station. You can take trains north to places like Newark and New York City.

NJ Transit also offers bus service. You can take a bus to Philadelphia on the 317 route. There are also local bus routes like the 830.

Weather in Point Pleasant Beach

Point Pleasant Beach has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has warm, humid summers and mild winters. In summer, a cool sea breeze often blows in the afternoon. But sometimes it can get very hot and humid. July is usually the wettest month, with many thunderstorms. In winter, it can get very cold and windy. The area usually gets between 18 and 24 inches of snow each year. February is often the snowiest month.

Plants and Animals in the Area

The natural plants in Point Pleasant Beach would mostly be Oak trees. The area is part of the Eastern Hardwood Forest.

Famous People from Point Pleasant Beach

Many interesting people have lived in or are connected to Point Pleasant Beach:

• Evelyn Adams: She won the New Jersey Lottery twice!
• Jim Carone (born 1981): A head coach for the Wagner Seahawks baseball team.
• Robert (born 1966) and Dean DeLeo (born 1961): These brothers are musicians from the rock band Stone Temple Pilots. They grew up here.
• Matt Farrell (born 1996): A basketball player.
• Katelynn Flaherty (born 1996): A former basketball player for the Michigan Wolverines. She is the school's all-time leading scorer.
• Alfred M. Gray Jr. (born 1928): He was the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps.
• Dickie Harris (born 1950): An all-star defensive back who played football in Canada.
• James W. Holzapfel (born 1944): A member of the New Jersey Senate.
• Leonard Lomell (1920–2011): A U.S. Army Ranger who helped destroy German gun positions on D-Day.

Images for kids

• 

  The old Coast Guard Station on Manasquan Inlet, built in 1936.

See also

In Spanish: Point Pleasant Beach para niños