Ocean City, NJ vs. Ocean City, MD
By Steffen Klenk
Summer is almost here and it’s time to plan your vacation.
With warm weather returning and countless people deciding how to spend their time close to the water, we wanted to take a look at the two East Coast summer beach communities known as Ocean City.
There’s no question that Ocean City, N.J., has a lot to offer, and our sister city in Maryland is also bound to see its fair share of tourists this season. So what sets these two popular summer destinations apart? Let’s take a look.
Ocean City, N.J was first inhabited by Native Americans. Dutch explorer David Pietersz de Vries referred to the island as “flat sand beaches with low hills.”
In 1700 John Peck used the island as an operating base for storing freshly hunted whales. The land soon became known as Peck’s Beach.
In September 1879, four Methodist ministers chose the island as a spot to establish a Christian retreat. The group met under a tall cedar tree on the land that is now the Ocean City Tabernacle. Soon afterward, the first school and railroad were brought into town.
With over 10,000 year-round residents and more than 100,000 guests during the summer months, Ocean City, N.J. remains a popular family destination and boasts two theme parks: Gillian’s Wonderland Pier and Playland’s Castaway Cove.
There are tons of family-friendly amenities, from mini golf to the waterpark, parasailing, surf camps, surrey rides and biking. The 2½-mile-long Ocean City Boardwalk is a perfect place to start any day, with several ocean-side restaurants that boast incredible sunrise views. On top of that, visitors can find plenty of shopping and amenities up and down Asbury Avenue.
Ocean City, N.J. also has the distinction of being a “dry town” where the sale of alcohol is prohibited.
Ocean City, Md., was founded after Englishman Thomas Fenwick obtained it from Native Americans. In 1870 local businessman Isaac Coffin built the first beach-front cottage to host paying guests. A short time later, more boarding houses were built along a thin strip of sand, attracting businesspeople from Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Baltimore, and Wilmington, Del.
The town is home to just over 6,000 year-round residents, with a population that swells well above 320,000 on bustling summer weekends. There are plenty of hotels up and down the resort town. While the area is also known for its boardwalk, food, and attractions, it is largely oriented to an adult clientele.
Seacrets is one of the city’s Maryland’s main attractions. This bar and nightclub features several stages of live entertainment, prime bayfront views, and a distillery.
Head to their boardwalk and you will find Trimper’s Rides, a popular landing spot for families. The town is also home to the Ocean Gallery World Center. From the outside, this building puts a spotlight on art, with an entire façade of signs, and an interior full of fine art and oil paintings. It is a bedazzling sight to be sure.
What puts Ocean City, N.J., on the map is its various family activities held during the summer. For more than a century, the city’s Baby Parade has marched its way down the Boardwalk, much to the delight and awe of the crowds. The parade’s 2023 installment will mark its 113th year.
Night in Venice, the city’s annual boat parade, has become a popular summertime tradition, with decorated boats lined up and parading down the bay, to a brand new theme each year (this year’s theme is “It’s a Philly Thing”). The town’s official mascot, Martin Z. Mollusk, makes his prediction for an early summer every May.
While doing research for this column, we came across another small town with a very similar name bordering the Pacific Ocean.
Ocean City, Wash., is a small, unincorporated community located about two hours’ drive from Seattle and a short 30-minutes’ drive from Aberdeen, Wash.
The birthplace of the late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, the area is home to a small market for food and drinks, several RV parks, and a small casino on its borders. If you plan to visit, bring a light jacket. The average summer temperature is 67 degrees.
Of course we hope you spend your fun time right here in beautiful Ocean City, N.J. But no matter how or where you decide to spend your vacation, have a spectacular summer.
