“We know our beaches are fantastic and it’s great to have that confirmed by voters in the NJ Sea Grant Consortium’s annual Top Ten Beaches poll,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the County’s Department of Public Information and Tourism. “Fans of Monmouth County and its beaches voted online last month and their votes made a difference. County beaches made the top 10 list for every category.”

Asbury Park, Belmar and Manasquan also made the top 10 beaches for day trips, Belmar ranked number nine in the top beaches for ecotourism and Manasquan and Belmar were voted as two of the top beaches for family vacations.

“This is a fun way to start the summer season,” Arnone said. “The days are warmer and longer and our businesses have ramped up to greet visitors and residents who are ready to entertain family and friends with time at the New Jersey shore.”

The winners were announced today at the Ocean City Music Pier in Ocean City, NJ. The beaches all received a recognition plaque.

“Most important are the bragging rights,” Arnone said. “This is a fantastic boost for Monmouth County’s tourism industry.”

In order, the beaches on the 2015 NJ Sea Grant Consortium Top Ten Beaches list are: Ocean City, Wildwood Crest, Wildwood, Sea Isle City, North Wildwood, Asbury Park, Manasquan, Belmar, Brigantine and Long Beach Township.

Twenty-three Monmouth County beaches were on the ballot and eligible for voting in 2015. The beaches are: Allenhurst, Asbury Park, Avon-by-the-Sea, Belmar,  Bradley Beach, Cliffwood Beach, Deal, Elberon, Highlands, Keansburg, Loch Arbour, Long Branch, Manasquan, Middletown, Monmouth Beach, Ocean Grove, Port Monmouth, Sandy Hook, Sea Bright, Sea Girt, Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park, Spring Lake and Union Beach. 

To find out about Monmouth County’s beaches and other things to do in Monmouth County this summer or year round, visit the Monmouth County website at www.visitmonmouth.com

In all, there were 66 shore communities represented in the survey, from the County’s Bayshore to Cape May. There were three categories in which voters helped determine this year’s Top 10 Beaches: family vacation, day trips and ecotourism. 

The competition is organized annually by the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium. For complete information log onto http://njseagrant.org/njsgc-toptenbeaches.

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