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Beach Haven, New Jersey
Borough
Borough of Beach Haven
Surflight Theatre
Surflight Theatre
Nickname(s): 
The Queen City
Map of Beach Haven in Ocean County. Inset: Location of Ocean county highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Map of Beach Haven in Ocean County. Inset: Location of Ocean county highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Beach Haven, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Beach Haven, New Jersey
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Ocean
Incorporated November 11, 1890
Government
 • Type Faulkner Act (council–manager)
 • Body Borough Council
Area
 • Total 2.33 sq mi (6.03 km2)
 • Land 0.98 sq mi (2.54 km2)
 • Water 1.35 sq mi (3.50 km2)  57.94%
Area rank 386th of 565 in state
18th of 33 in county
Elevation
0 ft (0 m)
Population
 • Total 1,170
 • Estimate 
(2019)
1,205
 • Rank 527th of 566 in state
28th of 33 in county
 • Density 1,196.0/sq mi (461.8/km2)
 • Density rank 358th of 566 in state
18th of 33 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
08008
Area codes 609 exchanges: 207, 361, 492, 494
FIPS code 3402903940
GNIS feature ID 885152
Website

Beach Haven is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, that is located on Long Beach Island (LBI) and borders the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 1,170, reflecting a decline of 108 (-8.5%) from the 1,278 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 197 (-13.4%) from the 1,475 counted in the 1990 Census.

Beach Haven was incorporated as a Borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on November 11, 1890, from portions of Eagleswood Township, based on the results of a referendum held five days earlier.

History

Beach Haven, known on Long Beach Island as the "Queen City," is a late 19th century beach-front resort originally established in 1873 to house wealthy summer residents from Philadelphia. Although some of the major structures, including several hotels and a boardwalk, were lost to storms in the 1940s including the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944, a large portion of the town retains its Victorian and Edwardian character. The Beach Haven Historic District listed in the New Jersey and the National Register of Historic Places in the early 1980s, encompasses the most intact buildings at the core of the resort.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.320 square miles (6.010 km2), including 0.978 square miles (2.534 km2) of land and 1.342 square miles (3.476 km2) of water (57.84%).

The borough borders the Ocean County municipalities of Little Egg Harbor Township and Long Beach Township.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1900 239
1910 272 13.8%
1920 329 21.0%
1930 715 117.3%
1940 746 4.3%
1950 1,050 40.8%
1960 1,041 −0.9%
1970 1,488 42.9%
1980 1,714 15.2%
1990 1,475 −13.9%
2000 1,278 −13.4%
2010 1,170 −8.5%
2019 (est.) 1,205 3.0%
Population sources: 1900-2000
1900-1920 1900-1910
1910-1930 1930-1990
2000 2010

Census 2010

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,170 people, 531 households, and 301 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,196.0 per square mile (461.8/km2). There were 2,667 housing units at an average density of 2,726.2 per square mile (1,052.6/km2)*. The racial makeup of the borough was 92.65% (1,084) White, 0.34% (4) Black or African American, 0.00% (0) Native American, 0.77% (9) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 5.90% (69) from other races, and 0.34% (4) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.91% (116) of the population.

There were 531 households out of which 15.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.3% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the borough, the population was spread out with 13.8% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 34.5% from 45 to 64, and 25.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51.5 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 93.7 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $71,532 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,910) and the median family income was $89,306 (+/- $12,115). Males had a median income of $54,750 (+/- $63,730) versus $51,875 (+/- $34,023) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $52,498 (+/- $9,292). About 3.8% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

The Surflight Theatre was a 450-seat theater originally established in 1950 that offered theatrical productions for adults and children. It and its sister establishment, the cabaret-style sing-for-your dessert restaurant the Showplace Ice Cream Parlour, closed in 2015 after filing for bankruptcy with $2.6 million in debt.

Parks and recreation

Beach Haven is home to multiple attractions, including the only amusement park on the island: Fantasy Island, Bay Village Shopping Center, the Long Beach Island Museum and many distinctive shops and restaurants, including Tucker's Restaurant, noted in Philadelphia magazine as the number one restaurant on Long Beach Island. The first incident in the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916 took place at the east end of Engleside Avenue. The ensuing series of attacks along the Jersey Shore became the basis for the book Jaws, by Peter Benchley. There is also a water park, Thundering Surf, and numerous miniature golf facilities. Veteran's Bicentennial Park, in the heart of Beach Haven, hosts many summer concerts, flea markets and parades, and an open park area for general recreation. As the island is only a few blocks wide, the beach and the bay are readily accessible from anywhere in Beach Haven. Pavilions could be found at Fifth and Pearl Streets, both of which were washed away by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 and subsequently rebuilt in June 2013. Beach badges are required and can be purchased at Borough Hall or the Centre Street badge booth.

Transportation

2018-10-04 13 20 30 View north along Ocean County Route 607 (Bay Avenue) between Kentford Avenue and Jeffries Avenue in Beach Haven, Ocean County, New Jersey
County Route 607 (Bay Avenue) northbound in Beach Haven

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 20.93 miles (33.68 km) of roadways, of which 17.56 miles (28.26 km) were maintained by the municipality and 3.37 miles (5.42 km) by Ocean County.

No Interstate, U.S. or state highways serve Beach Haven. The main road serving the borough is County Route 607 (Bay Avenue).

Public transportation

Ocean Ride provides bus service on the OC9 LBI South route between Holgate and Manahawkin / Stafford Township.

The LBI Shuttle operates along Long Beach Boulevard, providing free service every 5 to 20 minutes from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. It serves the Long Beach Island municipalities / communities of Barnegat Light, Loveladies, Harvey Cedars, North Beach, Surf City, Ship Bottom, Long Beach Township, Beach Haven and Holgate.

Education

The Beach Haven School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade at Beach Haven Elementary School. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 55 students and 12.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 4.6:1. In the 2016–17 school year, Beach Haven had the 3rd-smallest enrollment of any school district in the state, with 70 students.

For seventh through twelfth grades, public school students attend the Southern Regional School District, which serves the five municipalities in the Long Beach Island Consolidated School District (Barnegat Light, Harvey Cedars, Long Beach Township, Ship Bottom and Surf City), along with students from Beach Haven and Stafford Township, as well as the sending district of Ocean Township. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Southern Regional Middle School with 934 students in grades 7–8 and Southern Regional High School with 1,952 students in grades 9–12. Both schools are in the Manahawkin section of Stafford Township.

Notable people

See also (related category): People from Beach Haven, New Jersey

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Beach Haven include:

  • Doc Cramer (1905–1990), center fielder who played for four American League teams
  • Elizabeth Warder Crozer Campbell (1893-1971), archaeologist.
  • Lara Knutson (born 1974), artist and industrial designer, who was influenced by being fascinated as a child by the play of light on seashells along the beachfront in her hometown, as well as the texture they would create when crushed.
  • Joe Piscopo (born 1951), comedian and actor
  • Henry Wisniewski (1908-1988), American football player and dentist.

See also

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