Going Places with Dina Guzzardo
The Jersey Shore has arguably the most famous boardwalks in the world. The Ocean City boardwalk, in particular, offers families a myriad of fun options. Each year, families from all over the tri-state area descend on Ocean City for a vacation filled with sand, sea, dining, rides and unbeatable entertainment.
One of the most special parts of the Shore are the amazing store owners who work tirelessly each summer to provide customers with the trendiest products of the year. Whether its clothes, souvenirs, artwork, or jewelry, the store owners at the shore always stock the latest trends at unbeatable prices.
Three of the most popular stores on the boardwalk are Bad Kitty (1064 Boardwalk), The Henna Shop (9174 Boardwalk), and the Surf Mall (1154 Boardwalk). Okay. Full disclaimer, they are the favorite stores of my young niece and my older stepdaughter. However, they are exactly where I head to when I am looking to purchase a gift for them because I know I am always going to find something that they both love at their respective stores.
Bad Kitty Kids can only be described as a little girl’s utopia. From stuffed plush mermaids to fluorescent pink tutus, this is somewhere every girl from the ages of 2-11 could spend hours without getting bored. The store has been a core part of Ocean City’s identity for 20 years and is owned by Chrissy Triggiani. They sell the cutest outfits adorned with unicorns, butterflies, rainbows, and just about everything else that is adored by pre-teens. If you are looking for a fun day out with your daughter, granddaughter, niece, or goddaughter, take her here and I promise you will be her favorite for a long time to come. Their most popular items are their hair accessories, including hair wraps and feather hair extensions, which have been making a comeback thanks to Tik Toker, Addison Rae. Chrissy also forecasts this year’s hottest toy to be the pop fidget, something that can only be described as reusable bubble wrap which comes in all sorts of shapes and colors.
With a tough year last year due to COVID-19, Chrissy said she expects this year to be especially busy; however, Bad Kitty Kids have implemented several procedures to ensure their customers are safe at all times. Hair wraps will operate by appointment only and the staff have reduced to ensure there is no overcrowding in the store, and the changes have been nothing but positive. “We were pleasantly surprised. It really improved our store operations. We have been operating the same way for 20 years. It took a pandemic to force us to make some changes that were necessary.” explained Chrissy.
If you make your way down the boardwalk a few stores, you will find yourself at The Henna Shop, which is run by Steffi Triggiani, Chrissy’s sister. The Henna Shop opened 22 years ago on the Ocean City boardwalk and has always been one of the most popular stores with lines frequently appearing outside as people wait to get their temporary summer ink. For those unsure what Henna is exactly, Steffi explains that “Henna is not an ink, it is leaves crushed into a powder. Our Henna is often from India or Morocco, and we use the newest, freshest Henna that we can buy each season. This plant is all natural and good for your skin. We make the paste in our own kitchen and do not add any inks or dyes to our Henna. It often contains lemon, tea, sugar, and eucalyptus.” Steffi and her team are undoubtedly artistically gifted and create some of the most beautiful and funky designs which allow people to express themselves. Last year, the most popular design was sunflowers, and waves are usually a popular design each year. However, it is difficult to predict what will take off this season. They also sell an array of beautiful jewelry geared towards young adults, and this is also a great place to find beautifully dyed hair feathers in all kinds of colors and patterns, from neutral to rainbow. Steffi is feeling incredibly optimistic about this summer and cannot wait to get going.
“We can already see that this summer is going to be fantastic. I think everyone is tired of the pandemic, the mask wearing and social distancing. We miss our friends, and we miss shopping and talking to strangers.” Of course, The Henna Shop suffered last year and had to make several changes to ensure the safety of their customers and staff. “We immediately installed plexiglass partitions at every Henna station. Of course, all the staff wore masks, but the one most important thing we did was we changed every design so that it could be completed in less than 15 minutes. We wanted to keep our staff safe and more importantly our customers.” They are most certainly excited to be able to do the big designs again this year though, and their entire staff are either fully vaccinated or in the process of being, and they are extremely excited for a great 2021!
Finally, Surf Mall has it all. The one-stop shopping experience has one of the largest selections of products you will find under one roof on the entire boardwalk. They cater for all ages/interests/needs and offer premium products at affordable prices from 12 completely different stores. Wander over to Search Rock Star Headquarters for the largest selection of rock apparel on the east coast! For the beach babes looking for a cute new romper, Beach Basix has all the latest styles to make sure you are looking good as you strut down the boardwalk. For those who partied a little too hard the night before and need some rejuvenation, check out the Oxygen Bar for an instant pick-me-up. They also have an impressive selection of feather hair extensions which they can put in for you right away! This is just a dent in the assortment of products they carry, and you will not walk away empty handed if you head there!
So, next time you find yourself wondering what to do on a Friday or Saturday afternoon, head down to Ocean City Boardwalk and check out my top 3 picks for this summer. Each store boasts warm and friendly staff who are on hand to ensure you have a great experience!
Dina Guzzardo is the President and Executive Promoter of Dina Media Group LLC. Dina Media Group is an innovative cutting edge event production and marketing company that produces and promotes large events as well as a talent agency that manages some incredible talent.www.dinamediagroup.com
