 32nd and Dune Drive in Avalon-  a mortgage broker’s office closed and replaced with a Chinese Restaurant!
I’m the eternal optimist about our local real estate market-Â this is not a sign of doom and gloom, just part of the cycle…and a bit funny 🙂
Beautiful morning on the beach- I was back home getting ready for work when the 1st band of rain arrived.
Glad I closed up the house before I left (the downpours were torrential by mid-morning).  I even turned on the air conditioning- painful for frugal me!
The sun is back out this afternoon- a wild day of weather at the shore.
And not just the over served bar patrons arriving home at 2 am.  This is even more annoying: skunks wandering our neighborhoods.
 The skunks are adapting to people- no longer intimidated by those of us who dare to walk in the evening. One crossed the street right in front of me last night- and the odor lingered well after he disappeared behind a house.Â
Tip: avoid walking on the sidewalks adjacent to heavily landscaped yards- I often walk to the right of the bike lane, and appreciate the extra visibility from the street lights.
There are 2 distinct groups at the shore: beach people and bay people.  Similar to your religious or political affiliation- you are who you are. Â
Sure, a mixed marriage can work, but eventually one spouse will cave to the pressure and convert.
So you have the bay front owners fluent in bulkheads, floating docks, and fishing gear…and the other property owners who can’t understand why someone would want to live that far from the beach.
I am a beach person at heart, but also enjoy quietly snooping (…I mean kayaking) around the beautiful bay front neighborhoods. The boats and elaborate water toys are impressive-  sometimes in contrast to a modest cottage.   And the residents are a friendly bunch- everyone waves as I paddle by 🙂
The rain and stormy weather has finally ended, leaving behind large waves for the surfers to enjoy (but not much beach at high tide).
Help a good cause: children from Avalon Elementary School are running the Alex’s Lemonade Stand (http://www.alexslemonade.org) today in front of Avalon Supermarket on 29th Street and Dune Drive.
Have a great weekend!
 With Memorial Day early this year, we gained a bonus May weekend. The weather cooperated, too.
The island is still quiet during the week-Â with families anxiously awaiting the end of the school year.Â
The lifeguards look a bit bored as they wait for the crowds to arrive…and the ocean to warm up.
Each Jersey Shore town has an image or landmark that identifies their unique community.Â
We all share the same “beach” along the Atlantic Ocean, but as you cross a bridge or land border, the next town can have a completely different look.
Margate (Lucy’s home town) reminds me of a classic suburban Philadelphia neighborhood that happens to have a beach.  Cape May Point has natural wooded lots…in sharp contrast with Sea Isle City’s gravel yards. Wildwood Crest allows high rises along the beach…versus mostly single family homes on Avalon’s beach front. The well maintained 1950’s summer cottage is common in North Wildwood…the complete opposite of the contemporary mansions in Longport.
We may differ with our definition of a perfect beach town…but our love for the shore connects us all!
 The vacant lot on the corner of 96th Street and Third Avenue will forever be known as the “Shelter Haven” property.  The overgrown bay side lot has been an eyesore for several years- waiting for the owner/developer to begin the new project.Â
The Borough of Stone Harbor and local organizations arranged for the lot to be cleared and landscaped for the summer. What a difference!  It’s now an attractive 1st impression as you enter Stone Harbor.
Seasonal beach tags for Avalon and Stone Harbor are discounted through next weekend. $19 until May 31st; $24 starting June 1st.Â
The beach tag booths are open every day: 30th Street adjacent to Community Hall in Avalon, and 95th Street adjacent to the lifeguard building in Stone Harbor. Either tag allows you access to the entire 7 mile beach 🙂
Seashore Mist
 The radar map is clear- no rain in sight. But you will still return soaking wet from a walk on the beach.
It’s good for the skin!
The seashore mist- a nice name for visible layers of swirling moisture.  The phrase “cold and clammy” comes to mind. Before the days of air-conditioning, beach house furniture and towels would never fully dry during the summer months. Ahhh…the good old days!