May 31, 2016
As you are well aware, PhillyVoice brought you “the definitive Jersey shore town-rankings list” on the eve of Memorial Day weekend.
But life itself is an ever-evolving process and, like everything, definitive lists evolve into even more-definitive lists. It is a natural, symbiotic mechanism – nay, motion – akin to the shifting influence of time and happenstance.
Like the guarantee that tides will come in and go out, we will update these power rankings as situations arise that impact the standing of these towns (from a summer-visit perspective), clearly delineating the reasons why a city rose or fell in standing.
Here is the list as it stood before Memorial Day Weekend:
16. Longport
15. Long Beach Island
14. Ventnor
13. Cape May Point
12. Brigantine
11. Wildwood Crest
10. Margate
9. Cape May
8. Atlantic City
7. Stone Harbor
6. North Wildwood
5. Wildwood
4. Ocean City
3. Avalon
2. Strathmere
1. Sea Isle City
As you will see, there has been some movement both up and down the charts.
Here are the shore-town power rankings as of 6 p.m. May 30, 2016:
16. Wildwood (-11 spots) No, it’s not about how people don’t want to work there anymore. It’s that the people who do go there leave their litter all over the damn place. That’s not a good look, and it reflects poorly on everyone.
@thephillyvoice @Wildwood365 probably should patrol the trash that leaves the trash and stay ahead of it
— CK (@cranekicker) May 30, 2016
15. Longport (+1) This place moved up solely because it isn’t Wildwood. Kudos.
14. Wildwood Crest (-3) I would hate to go on vacation and get electrocuted in the motel’s pool. Horrible story.
13. Cape May Point (even)
12. Ventnor (+2) See Margate below.
11. Brigantine (+1) See Longport above.
10. Long Beach Island (+5) One spot was thanks to Wildwood, the rest was because its low standing hurt our Jimmy Kempski’s feelings.
What?!? Wildwood 5th and LBI 15th?!? Wildwood is trash. https://t.co/4pQomUgBOD
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) May 28, 2016
It could have gone higher, but too many people complained that they got sunburnt there this weekend.
9. Cape May (even)
8. Atlantic City (even)
7. Margate (+3) This upward trajectory can be chalked up to one simple reality: The closer you are to Philly, the less the mass-exodus traffic sets you back time wise. This also applies to Ventnor.
6. Ocean City (-2) Had I known about last week’s Boardwalk bomb threat, I’d have moved this locale back a couple. I will do so retroactively.
5. Avalon (-2) Canceling the Memorial Day Parade on account of rain? Naw. That ain’t right.
4. North Wildwood (+2) With its sister barrier-island municipalities tumbling in the rankings, North Wildwood held its own and should be over-rewarded. Positive feedback begets positive reactions.
3. Strathmere (-1) Took a lot of heat from people who’d rather keep their special place to themselves but sharing is caring, even when it comes to traffic and wait-for-table times.
Damn you @BrianPHickey! #reportinglive pic.twitter.com/VakHPHUsB4
— Ed Tettemer (@tettemer) May 30, 2016
2. Stone Harbor (+5) The Eagles were there. So were Turtle Trotters. And, an appreciation/remembrance of the troops was issued. In a week where several towns lost standing, Stone Harbor sat in the sweet spot of leapfrogging others.
1. Sea Isle City (even) It’ll take some work to topple royalty, and nothing noteworthy happened to ensure that occurred. Besides, our contributor Angelo Cataldi posted a really sweet pic of the beach there.
Sea Isle City beach, Memorial Day weekend, 2016. Perfect! pic.twitter.com/NlIswcu3wM
— Angelo Cataldi (@AngeloCataldi) May 28, 2016
As with the previous rankings, sure, the list remains definitive, but please share your thoughts anyhow. As you've seen, it can make a difference.
