Welcome
to the waterfront in Belmar, New Jersey, where a boater-friendly
redevelopment plan offers easier access, more transient slips and new
hope for the future. by Kim Kavin photography by Michael Berman
The Ocean Avenue Bridge is the first of four spans to greet boaters cruising into Shark River Inlet from the Atlantic Ocean. It was a fairly quiet inlet a few decades ago, but now, on busy summer Saturdays, this bridge gets calls to open at least every 20 minutes. Part of the demand comes from the U.S. Coast Guard, which has a post just a few hundred feet away, but most comes from local cruising and fishing boats in the 30- to 70-foot range. When the bigger boats pass port-to-port and the stress level gets high, the jetties on both sides can get awfully close, awfully fast.
"We get a little road rage going," the bridge tender says, looking out at the hundreds of sun-worshipers smothering nearby Belmar Beach. He smiles and shakes his head. "I get the finger."
Visiting on a weekday, I find the traffic is light. That's probably why I get a friendlier five-finger wave from the charter fishing captain waiting for the bridge to open. I'm in Chip Cavanagh's 21-foot center-console, which is small enough to zip under the span with plenty of room overhead as we cruise back to Belmar Marina, where he manages the Fish Den, a bait-and-tackle shop.
Cavanagh has lived and fished in Belmar, New Jersey, all his life, which, judging by his sun-squinted eyelids, I'd guess means four or five decades. He gets downright contemplative as we leave the Ocean Avenue Bridge behind and come first to the Main Street Drawbridge, then to a railroad bridge and, finally, to the sprawling Route 35 overpass that opened in fall 2003, replacing yet another drawbridge. Together, these four spans comprise the mile-long gauntlet boaters must run to get from the ocean to Belmar Marina. But the overpass itself—in addition to easing the highway road rage that occurs when traffic stops for boats every 20 minutes—stands as a symbol of the ambitious transformation taking place in Belmar as the borough attempts to grow into a bigger, better cruising destination.
"I have mixed emotions," Cavanagh says as we cruise past the bulldozers on shore. "This used to be a quiet little fishing town. Most of the boats were this size. Now, we're losing that. This quaint little summer town I knew is getting packed all year long."
For years Belmar catered primarily to local boats, with transients limited to about a dozen slips at the municipal marina. Although the downtown stands just a few blocks from the marina's docks, it never developed the cachet of, say, Sag Harbor, New York, or Mystic, Connecticut. For years, most summer tourists found their way to the borough by car or train—and they bypassed the riverside and downtown in favor of the nearby beach.
The traffic building up at the inlet on hot July Saturdays may feel like a lot to Cavanagh, the bridge tender and other locals, but it's likely to continue growing. After about 15 years of planning and construction, the borough's marina and seaport redevelopment projects have reached the point of fruition. The plans call for rejuvenating the marina and linking it via a riverside promenade to a rebuilt downtown full of newly constructed restaurants and shops with condominiums above. The marina is in the final phase of its redevelopment, with 73 new transient slips expected to be available by midsummer. A new courtesy building with showers and lockers is already in place. The promenade construction is also well under way, with plans for completion by 2006. The downtown redevelopment remains in the planning stages, but local merchants have already formed corporations to prepare for the coming facelift by wrecking ball.
Some longtime locals complain the undertaking will turn little ol' Belmar into a sanitized version of yuppie conformity, complete with a Trader Joe's grocery store, to which the mayor and others reply: That's right. Things are finally getting the spruce-up they've long needed, and boaters are going to love the results.
"My wife and I are sailors," says Kenneth Pringle, who has served as mayor since 1990. "We have a 30-foot O'Day that we cruise in. We've cruised to Block [Island] and back, laid over in a lot of places in Long Island Sound, and as a result we know how rare it is that there are quality transient boater facilities within proximity to a downtown. So we knew that Belmar's location, the proximity of our marina to the downtown and of our marina to the ocean, we're in an ideal spot."
If all goes according to plan, Belmar Marina and the revitalized area between it and the beach will draw 80 percent more transient cruisers. That translates into an awful lot of traffic running—and fingers flashing—underneath the four spans inside the Shark River Inlet. Pringle says the borough has targeted 30- to 50-foot transient powerboats (the new Route 35 overpass limits sailboats that need more than 50 feet of clearance).
As Cavanagh and I idle up to one of the new docks for seasonal slip-holders at Belmar Marina, I can see much more happening than when I came here as a kid. In those days, the marina languished as a smelly place where the charter boats tied up and counted their bluefish catch. Those boats remain popular as ever, but as I look past them to where the new promenade will stand and beyond to the envisioned downtown, I can imagine future cruising guides for the area waxing eloquent in their quirky way, perhaps calling the marina "a boater's gateway to a revitalized Jersey Shore enclave that bursts with family fun like a boardwalk chili dog."
Shark River, as seen from the Belmar Marina docks, is really an estuary that opens up like a bay. Some think its name derives from the sharks that used to frequent the feeder streams, but the name might be a bastardized version of one of the river's other known names. Maps from the 1700s refer to the waterway as Shirk River or Shack River, perhaps a place where people built shacks to shirk their workaday demands.
South of the inlet and east of the river grew the one-square-mile town of Belmar—a corruption of the French for "beautiful sea." The marina always stood a few blocks from Main Street, whose haberdasheries and restaurants changed throughout the years to suit the tastes of tourists and New York City commuters alike. Big old family houses with airy wraparound porches and narrow driveways line the sidewalks from downtown to the mile-long beach, which has evolved into a magnet for upward of 60,000 people each summer.
Sometime in the 1980s, the downtown began to atrophy—not so much from dilapidation as from suburban sprawl. Merchants always kept their storefronts neat, but newcomers favored the shiny outlying shopping malls over the traffic backups at the local drawbridges. Belmar didn't so much crumble like a cookie as it went stale like an old-time treat that went out of style.
That's why the mayor spearheaded the current redevelopment plan. "This is really payback time," Pringle says. "The malls are an old concept, and the new movement in retail is lifestyle centers, and we're at the cutting edge of that." The new Route 35 overpass eased the traffic problems on land; the marina improvements and riverside promenade are intended to lure more transient cruisers, and the downtown redevelopment aims at sprucing up the streets between boaters and the beach.
"Quizno's [chain restaurant] is coming in—that's kind of a bummer, but they're trying to make it more appealing to out-of-towners," says Kathy Snyder, executive director of the Belmar Chamber of Commerce. "The [old supermarket] Acme, there's talk of turning that into a mini-mall with condos on top. We're going to lose our small-town charm in time. But it's exciting, the things that are happening."
I can see the dream beginning to materialize as I step off Cavanagh's boat and walk from Belmar Marina across a busy Route 35 crosswalk toward downtown and the beach. Orange cones seem as abundant as summertime fluke as workers complete the highway expansion from four lanes to the new overpass's six. The motor lodge and apartments that flank 10th Avenue still look as style-deficient as they did in the 1970s, but the bustling farmers' market the borough started last summer has everything from modern handmade handbags to gourmet pumpkin ravioli. Most of the people perusing the fruits, vegetables and crafts look middle-aged or older, but they're young enough at heart to stop for a homemade brownie and tap their toes to the classical music wafting from overhead speakers. It's almost as if someone finally kicked up a beat to help them, and their town, find its new rhythm.
Cruising into Shark River Inlet, you'll quickly discover that Belmar is not a place best explored by water. Yes, you'll find the river great for rowboat fishing and kayaking (it's too shallow at low tide for much else), but the deeper inlet quickly gets congested—a fine place to traverse, but not the place to hang for the day. Belmar's real draw as a cruising destination comes from the marina's proximity to downtown and the beach. True, it's not yet completely spruced up, but Belmar already offers a lot more than many other ports. You can easily spend a single day playing in the sand, heading back to the boat to clean up, then walking back two or three blocks to downtown restaurants and bars.
That's the course I set for myself after cruising into Belmar Marina. Lots of American flags—big ones—fly above delicately planted gardens as I wander down the sidewalks toward the beach. I see few McMansions here; instead of tearing down the sprawling three-story houses that rose up in view of the ocean, homeowners have tried to maintain their original charm (almost like the inefficient but stunning mahogany runabouts). Yes, a few tufts of grass creep up through the cracks in the sidewalks, but the pathways to the white sand a few blocks away still look as neatly swept and straight as ever. At times, it almost feels like the 1950s, except for the number of cars squeezed into makeshift spaces along the block. Those old narrow driveways don't work for today's Hummers. After about 20 minutes meandering up 10th Avenue from the marina, I reach the boardwalk. Joggers are still working through their morning routines; they'll give way to midday baby strollers and then to late-night barflies. Children laugh on the playground next to the dunes, and sun-worshipers adjust their foldaway chairs the way new brides fiddle with their diamond rings. Beach bags and other oceanside accoutrements, it seems, remain the status symbol of choice here at the Jersey Shore.
Today is Tuesday, so I find the beach relatively quiet. If it were Monday, I might look forward to the weekly public concert at Huisman Gazebo; or Thursday, dancing at Taylor Pavilion; or Friday, the summer concert series at Pyanoe Plaza. Instead, I'll make due with plenty of room by the water, 72-degree breezes and a good bit of overcast sunshine.
Lunchtime comes all too quickly, and I find myself paying $7.45 for a cheeseburger and bottle of water at Gunny's Gourmet Pizza just across Ocean Avenue from the beach. When I came here as a kid, a slice of pizza cost a buck. I opt for the burger because I can't bring myself to pay more than $2 for a single triangle of dough, cheese and marinara sauce. I briefly flirt with the idea of a souvenir from the Exit 98 Boutique, or some dessert at the Tenth Avenue Freeze Out ice cream shop. Instead, I save my cash for a nice dinner on Main Street.
I find many choices as I walk in shorts and T-shirt back toward the marina, through the heart of downtown, but I instinctively head toward the river, where a little restaurant called Havens & Hampton has always made a stuffed-shrimp dinner that leaves me grinning. I'm distracted, though, as I walk toward the entrance— Klein's, the place across the street, has grown from serving lobsters on paper plates into a two-building fish market, sushi bar and full-on seafood restaurant with outdoor tables overlooking the river.
Poking my nose into Klein's, I'm immediately impressed by the newly painted décor, large takeout menu and bustling crowds. This kind of atmosphere should fit nicely into Belmar's redevelopment plans, where tourists who come by boat or by land will feel comfortable and buy T-shirts. I peruse the sushi menu for a few minutes before walking back across the street to Havens & Hampton.
I ask for a table on the enclosed porch by the river. To me it feels like sitting in a favorite uncle's sunroom, perfectly nice, but possibly not swanky enough for newcomers without personal ties. I've got fond memories of family dinners at this restaurant, and the tables here seem full of locals. Still, I can't overcome my sense that spots like the new-and-improved Klein's will outperform the old-school enterprises that have survived, just as the shopping malls did two decades ago. Visitors should find the improvements at Belmar Marina, along the Shark River and throughout the downtown wonderful. But sitting in the midst of them at a favorite old table, I find myself agreeing with Cavanagh: This little summer town I knew is on its way to becoming something else altogether.
A bellyful of stuffed shrimp later, I walk the five or six blocks back to Belmar Marina for the night, passing the new locker room with showers. Traffic whizzes overhead along the new Route 35 overpass. I realize this borough already has a lot for boaters to love, and, I happily agree, there's a lot more on the way: more slips, more restaurants, more shops and—if such a thing is possible—even more company clamoring to get through the bridges on sunny summer Saturdays.
That bridge tender on Ocean Avenue is sure going to be busy.
Kim Kavin writes about boats and travel for publications worldwide. She recently moved from Connecticut back to her home state of New Jersey.
AT A GLANCE
Getting There Belmar is 35 nautical miles south of New York Harbor and 50 nautical miles north of Atlantic City. The Shark River Inlet bell buoy marks the entrance from the Atlantic Ocean into Shark River Inlet, which leads to Belmar Marina. Along with the usual inlet concerns, watch for heavy traffic on summer weekends.
All bridges monitor VHF Channel 13, but each is known by several names. The bridge closest to the Atlantic Ocean is known as the Ocean Avenue Bridge and the Shark River Bridge. After it comes the Main Street Bridge, also known as the Route 71 Bridge. After that comes the Shark River Railroad Bridge—mercifully with only one name—followed by the new overpass where the Route 35 Bridge, a.k.a. the Belmar Bridge, used to stand. Your safest VHF bet is to call the river's name followed by the name of the bridge: "Shark River, Ocean Avenue Bridge." That first bridge from the Atlantic is the only on-demand drawbridge in the gauntlet. The Main Street Bridge opens every half-hour from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the railroad bridge remains open except when New Jersey Transit trains run to and from New York City. Check for those schedules at www.njtransit.com. The new Route 35 clearance is about 50 feet.
Dockage and Moorings Belmar Marina, (732) 681-2266, www.belmar.com/marina/, is just beyond the Route 35 overpass on the Shark River. It has more transient slips than any other marina on the river, with dozens more on the way. Slips are 7 feet deep at mean low tide, and transient rates are $2 per foot per night with a $35 minimum (with discounts for weekend or weeklong stays). Water, electricity, a boat ramp and telephone service are available, and there is a new floating fuel dock with two pumpout stations. The marina is home to the Fishermen's Den bait and tackle shop, (732) 681-5005, and a multitude of party and charter fishing boats.
Other options along the Shark River are Main One Marina (732) 776-5992 or VHF Channel 9, www.sharkrivernj.com and Shark River Hills Marina (732) 775-7400. While Main One is much smaller than Belmar Marina and transient slips are catch-as-catch can, it offers basic repairs, fuel and an excellent selection of scuba equipment for rent and sale.
Provisions Cruisers have to cab it about 5 miles south to the local Foodtown, (732) 280-2333, on Route 35 at 18th Avenue. It has everything a supermarket should, but if your tastes lean toward the gourmet, stay on Route 35 for another half-mile and shop at the A&P, (732) 974-9090. It offers a better selection of cheeses, pastries and the like. A Kmart is also nearby.
Attractions and Diversions Belmar Beach is the main draw in the borough, which has about 7,000 year-round residents but hosts a whopping 60,000 tourists each summer. Most come for the mile-long stretch of sand that includes playgrounds, volleyball pits, open showers and a wide boardwalk. Seasonal beach badges are $50, and daily passes are $6. Children 14 and younger use the beach for free, but pets are not allowed. Surfboarders, kayakers and boogie boarders are restricted to certain sections; see www.belmar.com/faq/ for details.
Paddlers will like Shark River Park, (732) 922-4080, www.monmouthcountyparks.com/parks/shark_park.asp. It's a 588-acre area with 7 miles of hiking trails, a playground, horseshoe and shuffleboard areas and plenty of picnic space. Local students sometimes bring sieves to mine the creeks inside the park for fossilized shark teeth.
Bookworms should walk downtown to the Paperback Exchange, (732) 681-6829, which has everything from trashy novels to literature, shelved under the heading "heavy stuff."
Restaurants The Belmar Tourism Commission, (732) 681-3700, www.belmar.com, produces a Dining Guide that includes sample menus for most of the borough's best eateries. It is available for free at Belmar Marina.
If it's a quick fix you're after, stroll across Route 35 from the marina to The Windmill, (732) 681-9628. It's open till 3 a.m., serves the fattest hot dog you'll find for $3.69, and is just a few steps away from dessert at the local Dairy Queen. Sweet teeth should not stop there, though; walk a few more blocks downtown to Main Street's Freedman's Bakery, (732) 681-2334. It doesn't look like much from the road, but it's been the local favorite for decades.
On the south shore of the Shark River, Klein's, (732) 681-1177, www.kleinfish.com, serves lobster, sushi, shrimp and mussel platters and more. Across the street is Havens & Hampton, (732) 681-1655. It's older and less fancy with a smaller fish market, but the prices are often a bit better and the stuffed shrimp is quite good.
At the opposite end of Main Street, through downtown, is The Boathouse, (732) 681-5221, www.boathousebarandgrill.com. It is a classic Jersey Shore haunt owned by two local brothers who infused it with authentic burgers-and-beer charm.
Down at the beach, you can get everything from a fat slice topped with pepperoni at Gunny's Gourmet Pizza, (732) 280-8899, to herb-roasted rack of lamb with garlic mashed potatoes at Matisse, (732) 681-7680, www.matissecatering.com. D'Jais Bar and Café, (732) 681-5055, serves sandwiches and snacks well into the wee hours when bands take to its stage.
For More Information Try the Belmar Tourism Commission, (732) 681-3700, ext. 9229, www.belmar.com, or the Belmar Chamber of Commerce, (732) 681-2900, www.belmarchamber.com, which has a small office on Main Street. —K. K.
