Ship Bottom News

Long Beach Boulevard in Surf City was jammed with cars this morning. But it wasn't because of the start of Memorial Day weekend.

The hottest spot in Asbury Park? It's Porta on 911 Kingsley, where a bustling Naples-style pizzeria turns into the nightclub to be in the city by the sea.

Ann Coen relies on the beach for both business and pleasure. "I live two blocks from the beach," she said, at home in Ship Bottom.

The beach is free for children 12 and younger. Badges are required for Ocean and Bay beaches.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation today announced that preliminary construction work is underway on the $350 million Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridges project, and that two lanes of traffic will be maintained to allow access to Long Beach Island during the busy daytime hours and weekends of the summer months ahead.

Considered the unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day rolls out on LBI with activities that will both help you show your patriotism and enjoy the best of the sun and sand.

Schoolchildren from New Jersey shore communities battered by Superstorm Sandy will join Michelle Obama for a garden harvest next week.

Instead of shivering on the beach, visit some of these indoor Island locations until the weather warms up: A former church, but now educational center, The Long Beach Island Historical Association Museum has been on the Island since the 1880s.

Ices are refreshing in the summer heat. An institution on LBI since 1994, Meltdown in Beach Haven Terrace offers 12 flavors of water ice.

From its cozy, candlelit dining room and energetic vibe to its upscale, elegant fare, one thing is certain -- Yellowfin in Surf City offers a tempting taste of the city right here on LBI.

The boardwalks are back, and so are most of the beaches, even if some are a little thinner this year.

Comcast has said it has rebuilt 144 miles worth of cable infrastructure since Superstorm Sandy struck the Shore area and has hired extra staff for coastal area offices as an influx of seasonal customers is anticipated.

As crews work up and down Long Beach Island to get the beach ready for Memorial Day - Ship Bottom, which serves as the island's gateway - is the hub of it all.

The Bushman family of Manahawkin play a round of mini golf at the Sand Trap in Ship Bottom.

Comcast has said it has rebuilt 144 miles worth of cable infrastructure since Superstorm Sandy struck the Shore area and has hired extra staff for coastal area offices as an influx of seasonal customers is anticipated.

While striped fishing remains good, and bluefish are building up inshore, the spotlight shifts to Saturday's opening of the fluke season - followed by the sea bass opener on Sunday.

As noted in recent blogs, there are some big stripers being trolled in deep water off Island Beach State Park.

"I think someone was watching over this place because we had minimal damage," said Amanda Weimmer, a manager and bartender at Used to Be's in Sandy-ravaged Mantoloking.

Damage left behind by Hurricane Sandy's landfall last October can still be seen along the US East Coast, especially the hard hit beachfront areas in New Jersey, as many communities work to move forward.

Gov. Chris Christie conducts a town hall meting at St. Francis Community Center in Brant Beach-Long Beach Township April 30, 2013.