Down the Shore

Vol. 52 - Week of September 7th

September 08, 2026

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend here at the Shore! We’re turning up on a Tuesday, as we’re certain everyone was avoiding their inbox yesterday (like us) and trying to soak in every ounce of the glorious weather delivered to us.

When the Monday night melancholy kicked in, we had to remind ourselves that this is not, in fact, the end of summer here, but merely the beginning of our local time to shine. After circling the Sea Bright Beach parking lot several times to no avail this morning, this was actually quite a comforting fact.

And there’s plenty to be excited about during the transition into fall in our area as well - apple cider slushies at Delicious Orchards, for instance. And apple cider donut ice cream at Nicholas Creamery. Heck, anything with DO apple cider. Forget pumpkin spice.

Back to School: Jersey Shore History Class

School is officially back in session, so it’s time to reveal who did their summer reading. Pop quiz results are in…drumroll, please.

  1. Who is the “May” in Cape May named after?
    Answer: Cornelius Mey, a Dutch explorer. Mey also supposedly gave Barnegat Inlet its name after the Dutch word Barende-gat, meaning “breaker’s inlet” - an apt name for this treacherous pass that took many ships to the bottom.

  2. Which Jersey Shore resort town that had its heyday in the 1800s is now completely underwater?
    Answer: Tucker’s Island, an area once located at the southern tip of Long Beach Island. Storms and shifting sand kept it from developing into a permanent vacation spot like its neighbor to the north, Beach Haven. By 1950, the island had completely disappeared into the sea due to erosion.

  3. Which U.S. president died in Long Branch after surviving an assassination attempt, when his doctor advised that the sea air might aid his recovery?
    Answer: James A. Garfield. A special train spur was even built to deliver him from the station to the door of his Elberon beach home in comfort, only for him to pass away a few weeks later on September 19, 1881.

  4. Which Jersey Shore town in Monmouth County has a beachfront that runs only two blocks long?
    Answer: Loch Arbour. At only 0.10 square miles, the tiny village was carved out of Ocean Township in 1957, when residents sought to prevent a condominium development on the waterfront. One of its very few businesses, Deal Lake Bar + Co, has themed trivia nights every Monday.

  5. Name the three bodies of water that can be found in the town of Spring Lake, not counting the Atlantic Ocean.
    Answer: Spring Lake (if you didn’t at least get this one—shame on you), Lake Como and Wreck Pond - which gets its name from ships that wrecked after sailors mistook its inlet for the larger Manasquan Inlet.

Field Trip: The Summer White House

Did you know that several U.S. presidents have been connected to Long Branch, NJ?

In fact, there’s a whole park, Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park, that commemorates this history. During our visit to Long Branch this Labor Day, we visited the park and took in the monument dedicated to each of the seven presidents located on the boardwalk. Afterwards, we wanted to learn more about this fascinating piece of New Jersey history and share it with our readers.

Curiously, it was the wife of a president (who is not one of the seven commemorated at the park) who is credited with helping launch Long Branch’s rise as a destination in the mid-1800s: Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of President Abraham Lincoln, visited in 1861 at the suggestion of the Lincoln family doctor. Her highly publicized visit helped put Long Branch on the map as a destination for the rich and famous.

As for the “Seven Presidents” moniker, its history is a little murky. St. James Episcopal Chapel in Long Branch eventually became known as the “Church of the Presidents,” based on claims that seven U.S. presidents had worshipped there. Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park later borrowed the name from this local lore.

We say lore because turns out Long Branch may have been bluffing about the number of presidents. The specifics are debated (we’ll tell you our take below).

But without further ado, let’s meet the seven presidents:

Ulysses S. Grant: Civil War general and U.S. president, Grant spent summers in Long Branch throughout his eight years as president at Mrs. Grant’s “cottage” (in quotes, as the cottage had 28 rooms).

James A. Garfield: President Garfield was shot in Washington, D.C., and as his condition deteriorated, it was decided that the sea air in Long Branch might aid his recovery. Volunteers laid temporary train tracks overnight by torchlight to make the journey possible. While he made it to Long Branch, he died 13 days later (see our pop quiz).

Chester A. Arthur: Arthur was Garfield’s vice president and came to Long Branch when President Garfield died.

William McKinley: McKinley visited his ailing vice president, Garrett Hobart, who had a summer home in West Long Branch, in 1899. During the trip, McKinley gave a speech in Ocean Grove about the importance of the American flag.

Woodrow Wilson: In 1916, Wilson spent his summer at Shadow Lawn in Long Branch (now part of Monmouth University and also the location of Daddy Warbucks’ home in the 1982 film Annie).

Rutherford B. Hayes and Benjamin Harrison both have plaques associated with the Seven Presidents tradition. President Harrison famously summered in Cape May, but there is also documentation that he spent time in Long Branch after leaving office. The record for President Hayes is much more questionable: his extensive diaries do not indicate that he ever visited Monmouth County, and the evidence historically used to place him here is disputed.

As an aside, we’d recommend checking out this article from MonmouthTimeline.org, which is chock-full of primary sources and well-researched. This YouTube video is also worth a watch to learn more.

Weekly Forecast

Tuesday 9/8 - 79°/60° Mostly Cloudy

Wednesday 9/9 - 80°/65° Sunny

Thursday 9/10 - 85°/69° Light Rain

Friday 9/11 - 77°/62° Sunny

Saturday 9/12 - 75°/63° Mostly Cloudy

Sunday 9/13 - 77°/67° Light Rain

And for the surfers out there, here are the weekly surf conditions in Belmar courtesy of Surf Captain:

Surf Conditions

Tues 9/8

AM: Clean, 1+ ft

PM: Clean, 1+ ft

Weds 9/9

AM: Clean, 1 ft

PM: Choppy, 1-3 ft

Thurs 9/10

AM: Fair, 2-3 ft

PM: Clean, 1-3 ft

Fri 9/11

AM: Fair, 1-2 ft

PM: Fair, 1-2 ft

Farmers Market Roundup

And if there are any markets we should definitely feature this season, let us know!

Happenings Down the Shore

This is the first full week of September local summer and we’re sad to see a number of the wonderful, recurring summer events going on hiatus until next year. But stay tuned as we’ll be profiling haunted houses, apple pickings, Oktoberfests, and ghost tours in no time. Until then, let’s enjoy the great weather without the crowds.

We also want to note that this week will represent the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Many towns throughout the Shore will be holding events to commemorate this day and the American lives that were lost.

As always, if there’s an upcoming event you’d like us to cover, feel free to pass it along!

Tuesday 9/8

Belmar - Music Bingo Tuesdays at Beach Haus Brewing (7 pm)

Red Bank - Trivia with Jenn at Jamians (7:30 pm)

Wednesday 9/9

Long Branch - Bingo Night at Beach Bee Meadery (6:30 pm - learn more)

Red Bank - Karaoke at Jamians (8 pm)

Tinton Falls - Bingo & Brews at Twin Lights Brewing (6 pm)

Thursday 9/10

Belmar - Trivia Night Thursdays + Oyster Night on the Rooftop at Beach Haus Brewing (7 pm)

Holmdel - Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future: A 9/11 Memorial Observance with Bell Theater at Bell Works (5 pm)

Red Bank - Jeff Levine at The Molly Pitcher Inn (6 pm - live music)

Spring Lake - Mayhem in the Mountains book event with author Jane Rubin at Thunder Road Books (6 pm - learn more)

Tinton Falls - Trivia on Tap at Twin Lights Brewing (7 pm)

 

Friday 9/11

Belmar - Meg Cannon at Beach Haus Brewing (7 pm - live music)

Holmdel - Castles in the Sky at Fox Hollow Vineyard (6 pm - live music)

Loch Arbour - Force Fed Trio at Deal Lake Bar + Co (5 pm - live music)

Manasquan - Wrong Exit at Harpoon Willy’s (8:30 pm - live music)

Oceanport - Charlie Krause at Skinny Flowers Brewing (6 pm - live music)

Red Bank - Coasst AI Education Series: Let’s Build a Chief of Staff, The Residency at Anderson Market (11 am - sign up here)

Red Bank - Marty Hoski at The Molly Pitcher Inn (6 pm - live music)

Tinton Falls - Open Mic Night at Twin Lights Brewing (6 pm)

Saturday 9/12

Brielle - Brielle Day (9 am - learn more)

Holmdel - I Am Curbie at Fox Hollow Vineyard (2 pm - live music)

Loch Arbour - Ed + Co. at Deal Lake Bar + Co (8 pm - live music)

Manasquan - The Salt Brothers at Harpoon Willy’s (8:30 pm - live music)

Oceanport - Stereomotion at Skinny Flowers Brewing (6 pm - live music)

Ocean Grove - Fall Market (9 am - learn more)

Red Bank - Frank Rainey at The Molly Pitcher Inn (6 pm - live music)

Sunday 9/13

Belmar - NGXB at Beach Haus Brewing (3 pm - live music)

Long Branch - Yappy Hour at Beach Bee Meadery (3 pm - learn more)

On Deck

September 14: Spring Lake - An Evening with NYT Bestselling Author Harlan Coben at Spring Lake Theatre (6 pm - get tix)

September 19: Red Bank - Kids Mini Book Fair at Crazy Story Books (10 am - learn more)

September 20: Oceanport - The Expecting Mom Social at The Bunny Hive Fort Monmouth (10 am and 2 pm - get tix)

Did we miss an event? Let us know.

Thanks for reading and if someone forwarded this to you, please subscribe via the link below. See you next week!