Your Ocean City Memorial Day Weekend Guide

Ahoy! This is Memorial Day Weekend!

Welcome to our more than 400 new subscribers since our last email. As we launch into summer, we want your help to cover everything that happens in and around Ocean City.

That’s why we’re launching our TIPS inbox. See something interesting? Have a great meal somewhere? A bad one? See a whale riding an e-bike dangerously on the Boardwalk? Whatever it is, we want to know about it. Just send an email to [email protected] or reply to this email.

Stay tuned to the end of the email for updates on our one-week vacation giveaway for next summer, and how to get more entries when you send us a pic of our BANNER PLANE flying by this weekend.

In the email today:

📆 Upcoming events

🆙 Offseason upgrades!

🐋 Windmill update

🔗 News links

🦀 Chickie’s and Pete’s will pay your tolls today

🚔 Teens will be encouraged to congregate on the beach at night, again

👚 New store alerts

🍩 Browns on FOX Good Day

🏠 Real estate update

🍺 Drink of the Week

🍽 Dish of the Week

🍦 Treat of the Week

5️⃣ Takeout and Delivery Options for Memorial Day Weekend

📙 Offseason recap

🎟 Tickets and discounts

🌊 Weather and tides

📆 Upcoming Events in (and around) Ocean City

• May 26th (Today)

  • Unlocking of the Ocean and Business Persons Plunge

    • When: 12:00 p.m.

    • Where: Moorlyn Terrace Street Beach (Music Pier)

    • Description: Participants dress in business suits, carry brief cases and march into the ocean to the strains of Pomp and Circumstance to welcome the new season.

• May 27th

  • Memorial Beach Challenge for 31 Heroes

    • When: 7:30 a.m. and onward

    • Where: 9th Street Beach

    • Description: The main obstacle course challenge is a soft sand adventure race followed by kid’s fun run. Registration here.

• May 29th

  • Memorial Day Service

    • When: 11:30 a.m.

    • Where: Veteran’s Memorial Park (5th and Wesley)

    • Description: Memorial Day Service

• May 29th

  • National Moment of Remembrance

    • When: 3:00 p.m.

    • Where: Boardwalk (Music Pier)

    • Description: Congress asks Americans wherever they are at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day to pause in an act of national unity for a duration of one minute.

• June 1

  • Wonder’s Birthday Bash

    • When: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

    • Where: Wonderland Pier

    • Description: Celebrate Wonder Bear’s birthday. Celebrating 93 years on the Ocean City Boardwalk with fireworks at 9 p.m.

Other events to look forward to: Flower Show (June 2-3)

🤳 News Bits

Offseason Upgrades 🆙

There have been a lot of changes since last summer.

• Beach replenishment: The Army Corps of Engineers replenished beaches from the Gardens to 14th Street with 1.2 million cubic tons of sand.

  • Some have noticed erosion of the new sand in the Boardwalk area, but the North End looks great.

  • The South End is likely to be approved in August for a replenishment this fall that will include work in Strathmere and Sea Isle.

  • Beach mats will be placed at every dune crossover this summer.

• Resurfaced basketball courts on 6th Street

• Resurfaced pickleball courts adjacent to the middle school on 18th and Haven, with upgraded sound barriers so nearby residents don’t continue to be annoyed by the sound of bouncing pickle balls.

• New scoreboard at Carey Stadium: The city was expected to approve the installation of a new scoreboard at Carey Stadium, which was gifted to the city.

Windmill Update 🐋

At this point, I hate writing about this every week, but there continue to be updates.

• Cape May County passed a resolution opposing Orsted’s wind project, citing, among other things, the potential for a $1.1 billion loss to the local economy, and numerous attempts by Orsted to circumvent county approvals.

• The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) gave its approval for Orsted to continue with its plan to put 98 wind turbines 15 miles from shore. It’s another step toward full approval for Orsted.

• Four dolphins were found dead along the New Jersey coast this week.

• The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s commissioner, who was appointed by Governor Murphy, says the increase in dead whales and dolphins is due to climate change - warmer water pushing their food closer to shore and, thus, pushing the whales into the danger zone of propellers - and not offshore work on windmills.

  • Supporters note that we have been in the midst of an “unusual mortality event” for whales for several years, long before construction of offshore wind turbines began. That’s true, but as the data shows, the number of whale deaths so far this year is above already-elevated levels.

• Recap: Orsted sued Ocean City because it hasn't granted the company permits to dig up the road and bury its transmission line under 35th Street.

News Links 🔗

• Jitney service on the island is back— it will run Memorial Day Weekend from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. in a continuous loop from 55th Street to Battersea Road, it will return daily on June 23 (here is a printable map) 🚌

• Wildwood banned alcohol on the beach, meanwhile its mayor and two other officials were indicted for fraud 🍸

• Details on the girl who was bitten by a shark in Stone Harbor last weekend 🦈

🦀 Chickie’s and Pete’s Is Paying For Tolls Today

Reminder that from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. today Chickie’s and Pete’s will be covering tolls on the AC Expressway.*

They will also be giving away free crab fries at the Farley rest stop from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

*Might I recommend getting down there much earlier, just paying the toll, and taking the free fries (which are more expensive than the toll) if you choose.

🚔 Teens Will Be Encouraged To Congregate on the Beach, Not The Boardwalk, At Night

Maddie Vitale, writing for OCNJ Daily:

Ocean City is doing the best it can within state laws to monitor teens and limit disruption, while also allowing kids to be kids. Not the worst strategy here.

👚 New Stores Alert

Both The Inquirer and OCNJ Daily have stories about new shops in town.

Here’s a quick rundown of new stores, including a recap of ones we’ve already told you about:

• Shoppes at The Asbury (801 Asbury Ave.): Nine new high-end shops will open in the old Crown Bank building today, including Bece Beauty, Gypsy Lane Home, White Bear Children’s Boutique, Seagrass Boutique Women’s, Flirt Lingerie, 8th & Crown Men’s, Timberlane Handcrafted, Oliver & the Sea Accessories and Diving Horse Handbags.

• Agape Gourmet Grocery (854 Asbury Ave.): Gourmet grocery store.

• Petes Mercantile (601 Asbury Ave.): Women’s fashion.

• Green Eggs Cafe (500 E. 9th Street, former Chatterbox): Famous Philly breakfast spot.

• Lisa’s Sweet Treats (1046 Asbury Ave.): Sweet treats.

• Groovy Smoovies (611 E. 8th Street): Smoothies.

• Smithville Pickle (1324 Asbury Ave.): Pickles.

• Ashore Fit (1215 Asbury Ave.): Activewear for men and women.

• PJ Buckets (621 8th and Ocean Ave.): Steamer buckets.

• Old School Burgers (3401 Asbury Ave.): Burgers.

• Soulberri Coffee + Smoothies (340 Ocean Ave.): Cleanse material, baby!

🍩 Browns Was Featured on FOX Good Day This Week

Yes, and please.

🏠 Real Estate Update

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Mortgage Rates Rise to Over 7% 🏦

From our on-staff local agent: “Average $1 million deal at 3.25% a year ago being about $4200 per month with taxes and insurance. Now with 7.2% you’re around $6300 per month. $2,000 difference in 1 year.”

Agent Hot Takes on New Listings 🔥

Read all of our takes on the latest new listings over at our new work-in-progress real estate site ShoreCribs.com.

Real Estate News Bits 🐚

• Behold, Ocean City’s most expensive home sale of the year— 26 Barbados Ln. (pictured here), $6.4 million 💰

• Does this $6.1 million renovated beachfront duplex signal a top in the market? 🥶

• So what’s going on with Ocean City median sale prices? ↕️

🍺 Drink of the Week: Yards High Dive

It’s very good. Like an evolved version of a Miller Lite. That’s not a knock. It has the more pretzel-y flavor that you’d expect with a quality pilsner, without going full Merkel and smothering you in its Deutschtum. Meanwhile the lemon hops lighten things up (though it’s very subtle). 4.8%. Might as well be 2.8. Easily drinkable. You’ll want a little more sweetness for the real hot weather, but perfect palate starter for summer.

🍽 Dish of the Week: Piccini Spaghetti and Baby Clams

Just a phenomenal expression of this classic dish.

Here’s the trick— Piccini, I think, uses canned clams (chopped) in addition to just an orgy of little necks. I mean, the hard clams gather atop the spaghetti like luminaries gathered at that mansion in Eyes Wide Shut. You’re not sure if this is even legal (are there limits to how many clams one can eat?), but it feels oh-so-right, or wrong, depending on your morality.

Anyway, YES, get ready for the carbo load. The broth, the pasta, throw a little red pepper flakes on top to express some heat.

My son is a big clams guy and this ranks so far atop his list that it’s basically in a category of its own. He SHOVELS it into his mouth.

I don’t even have a picture of the dish because my hands are always so dirty when eating it. If anyone at Piccini wants to shoot over a pic, we’ll add it to this post.

Pro tip: Take their crab pizza and dip it into the sauce when you’re done. Get exactly 2 red pepper flakes on the pizza when you do this. And then fall asleep.

🍦 Treat of the Week: Fractured Prune Cannoli Cream

I haven’t had this. But the picture sold me.

5️⃣ Great Takeout and Delivery Options For Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day Weekend can be ROUGH for takeout and delivery. Restaurants are understaffed, the island is overcrowded, and trying to get a hot meal on short notice can be frustrating.

If you’re looking for reliable takeout outside of the staples, here are some good options we’ve come to rely on… until we blast this out to 3,000 people and overwhelm the hungover 21-year-olds trying to squeeze in some OT pay between liquid dinners and jello shots.

Here’s 5 places we have confidence in getting you good food when you need it:

1) Piccini

Featured in our Dish of the Week (and not a sponsor this week!), Piccini is always reliable. You may wait a while, but they have an OPERATION for takeout. It used to be cash or check only, but their website says they now take card. They’ll deliver, too, but last year you had to have a check in the exact amount + tip.

Still, they’ll get you the food there hot, delicious, and plentiful.

2) Sals Coal Fired Pizza (Door Dash)

They’re in Somers Point but available on Door Dash, at least in the Northern end of the island. You can get much more than pizza. Classic Italian dishes, reliably delivered. I do recommend the coal fired Parma with prosciutto though.

3) 16th Street Seafood

Local guys swear by 16th Street over perhaps the more popular Spadafora. At 16th and Haven, it’s also easy to park. Nothing unexpected here, but reliable seafood takeout.

4) Mike’s Seafood

I feel like Mike’s gets a bad wrap, maybe because it feels like a Sea Isle port-over. Whatever. If you’re in the South End, this is a good alternative to 16th Street. They nail the takeout process. You get a big tray, well-packed. They can handle the load.

5) Sack O’ Subs

Locations in 9th and 55th Street, Sack O’ Subs is just flat-out reliable and used to handling the crush. More than just subs, you can get a decent meal here, consistently. They answer the phone promptly.

Pro tip: Calling around at, say, 5:30 p.m. on Saturday could be frustrating. Door Dash can be a good option. Yeah, it’s better for restaurants if you go direct, but Door Dash removes a lot of the inconsistency in ordering and modernizes the experience. Only one time have I seen restaurants on Door Dash decline an order, and you can pull from Somers Point, Margate, and in some cases, Atlantic City, if things get tough.

📙 Recapping Previous Stories

Many of you may have missed these big stories over the last couple of months, so here they are:

• Details on the new mini golf course on 34th Street

• Playland gets approval to move ahead with new family-friendly coaster

• Orsted wind sues Ocean City over delayed permits

🎟 Tickets and Discounts

• Get $30 seasonal beach tags before the city updates to $35 on June 1. There is a $5 shipping fee on each order, but you can order up to 10 tags at once. Get them here.

Want to advertise here? Just reply to this email and we’ll respond to your request.

🌊 Weather and Tides

Weekend looks decent. A little cool with maybe a slight chance of rain on Sunday. We’ll take it.

As always, we recommend getting up-to-date forecasts from THE GOAT of South Jersey weather, NorEaster Nick, directly on his Facebook page.

Tides (9th Street):

• Friday (5/26)

  • High: 1:02 AM

  • Low: 7:58 AM

  • High: 1:56 PM

  • Low: 7:43 PM

• Saturday (5/27)

  • High: 1:54 AM

  • Low: 8:47 AM

  • High: 2:52 PM

  • Low: 8:43 PM

• Sunday (5/28)

  • High: 2:49 AM

  • Low: 9:33 AM

  • High: 3:46 PM

  • Low: 9:44 PM

• Monday (5/29)

  • High: 3:44 AM

  • Low: 10:17 AM

  • High: 4:35 PM

  • Low: 10:41 PM

• Tuesday (5/30)

  • High: 4:37 AM

  • Low: 10:58 AM

  • High: 5:20 PM

  • Low: 11:35 PM

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Thanks! Enjoy the weekend.