A too-quiet summer for some Jersey Shore towns
Sunday, August 25, 2013 Last updated: Monday August 26, 2013, 4:40 AM
BY KAREN SUDOL AND KATHLEEN LYNN
STAFF WRITERS
The Record
Every time a new business reopens in the tiny Shore town of Sea Bright, Mayor Dina Long tweets about it, considering each a celebratory milestone for the borough that was wiped out by Superstorm Sandy.
“I do it so that people know that Sea Bright is coming back to life,” Long said of her tweets, which have included a July 24 note about the 7-Eleven convenience store’s grand reopening: “Oh, thank heaven. Welcome back 7-11!”
As businesses have steadily opened doors throughout the summer along the Jersey Shore, many shop owners — especially those in the towns hardest hit by the Oct. 29 storm — have characterized it as a very quiet summer with revenues that don’t come close to last year’s figures.
Their fervent — and last — hope is for a sunny and warm Labor Day weekend that will lure more visitors and consequently place more money in their pockets. Some are even planning to remain open into the fall. The Keansburg Amusement Park, for example, is hosting events like an Octoberfest to draw visitors during the off-season.
Real estate agents and tourism officials said that the summer was weaker than in 2012 for a combination of reasons, including rainy weather in May and June and a lingering heat wave in July, as well as the aftereffects of the storm, especially in the hardest-hit areas. Despite an aggressive statewide advertising campaign promoting the Shore as open for business, potential visitors stayed away somewhat because of the perception of widespread damage. – See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/A_too-quiet_summer_for_some_Jersey_Shore_towns.html#sthash.R3diNkJT.dpuf