My biggest complaint with the Outer Banks was the condition of the beaches. Trash strewn is the only way to describe it.

I've never seen Outer Banks beaches in less than beautiful condition. Are you sure you weren't there after a major storm or during some other event? Maybe a strike by city workers or tourists-gone-wild day? That's really a strange one.

Absolutely! Always a great place. And go one Island north to Island Beach State Park and you have 10 miles of undeveloped beach. Both LBI and IBSP are seperated from the mainland by Barnegat Bay. Barnegat (Burning Place in Dutch, or so i'm told) is a 40 mile long bay good for anything water bourne. Fish in the morning, sail in the afternoon once the dependable SW winds kick. Windless, darn, break out the sea kayaks and explore the sedges. There is a reason NJ is one of the biggest boating markets in the country.

Yeah Yuh..... Good times.....

[quote=mikebutler222]

People are moving to the SE for the temperate temperatures, not the beaches. Along the east coast NJ is the hands down winner in the clean beach catagory. ........Beaches in both SE and SW FL are not nearly as nice or as clean.  [/quote]

Come on, Bondguy, I agree with much of what you've said here, but I've got family on the NJ S.E. shore and have been going there all my life. There's just no comparison between NJ beaches and the Southeast. None, zip, zero, nada.

I agree. After travelling to many if not most of the beaches along the east coast none are as nice as NJ. Almost all our recreation involves being on the water and/or being on the beach (Catamarran racing for example).

Not counted in above statement are beaches along the Redneck Riviera or Padre Island. We haven't gotten there yet, so I'll let you know.

Like I said, I've had life long experiences on NJ beaches (Southern coast) and just don't agree.

That's Ok, We're crowded enough as it is.

In fact, fair or not, ask the average American what comes to mind when they hear the words "New Jersey" and "beaches", they're likely to answer "medical waste".

How about that? To find medical waste you actually have to look for it. Not only does NJ look, but when they find it they publicize it. Full disclosure. Jersey is one of the few states that cleans its beaches and extensively checks water quality. Interesting how many people draw the wrong conclusion from that effort.

I'm sure NJ does fine work these days and the "medical waste" issue is a legacy of days gone by. When I lived in the NYC area 1989-91, thereabouts, medical waste washing up on NJ beaches was as common as rain. It was a running joke.

The problem was blown way out of proportion, as you're doing here by saying common as rain.

So how clean is the water on your beach?

Perfect, thanks for asking, and it draws retirees and vacationers by the ton. (literally, you should see some of them)

All those people and no testing? That's a little scary don't you think?

The majority of my clients are transplants from the Northeast and Midwest and almost to the last one they'll tell you they came here for the ocean and the beautiful beaches. Now, if you want some Buick sized mosquitos or some alligators, I have some spares

The mosquito is the Jersey state bird. But the far more painful experience is the Greenhead fly.

Hey, I was trying to throw you a bone. Thanks for reminding me about those flies, they make our no-see-ums look beautiful by contrast. As to the NJ state bird, you're right, I owe the part of my dead brains cells not killed by alcohol during my mis-spent youth to riding behind the sprayer trucks when I was a kid.

That's funny. I'm waiting for my time spent chasing the sprayer trucks in Ft Lauderdale as a kid to catch up with me. I hope it doesn't. We have more in common everyday.

Worst no seeums were in a place Sugar Loaf Key. We were in Homer who weighs in around 45,000 pounds and  I thought these things were going to carry us off. Oh, and dirty beach. We left, drove Homer up to Fiesta Key. No beach but nice pool and they sprayed to keep the no seeums from no bitting. There is a reason people don't go to the keys in the summer.

Like mosquitos, it's only the females that bite. Absolutely agree that the SE has some beautiful beaches. And who can argue with that ocean? Yet, the water quality is unknown.

Nah, not unknown at all. Constantly tested and we don't have the large urban centers or industrial threats to the ocean near our shores that NJ health officials have to deal with. That's the run-off danger source.

Runoff from rain is the biggest threat. I'll bet you've got that. Runoff overflows even the most modern sewage systems washing contents into the water. Surface pollution also gets washed in.  On top of that, in more rural areas, chemicals from farm fields end up in the water. This is a major problem for the Chesapeake Bay. NJ tests every beach everyday in season. Indusrial waste isn't a threat or a problem. Beach closings in Jersey have been runoff/storm sewage related. Nothing more.

Then there's the usability of the beaches for swimming. In SW FL, Sanibel Island area, too many Bull Sharks around to comfortably swim or kayak.

Sharks are nature's way of culling the human herd, don't you know?

I see people swimming between sand bars at around 6pm and think the same thing.

This doesn't keep us out of the water, NJ has sharks too. Just much less of a factor in Jersey.

We also have near year-round access. Seriously, I've lived on/near both, and there's just no contest. OTOH, we don't have AC or the Eagles here, so perhaps it's a much more even score.

Let's see, tomorrow it's going down to 20 and staying there through Friday, with snow showers. This time of year, after football season, you clearly win.

What beach are you near?

[quote=BondGuy][quote=entrylevelFA]

MikeB clean out your PM folder, I can't reply to you.

Further south than VA Beach.  The water ain't clear, but it sure ain't sewage.  I'd eat anything caught in the water by our city...it's that clean.

[/quote]

My biggest complaint with the Outer Banks was the condition of the beaches. Trash strewn is the only way to describe it. Even the cleaner beaches in that area were dirty when compared to the standard I'm applying, which is the average NJ beach in mid season.

The fish are safe to eat all along the eastern seaboard. Shellfish may or may not be due to local conditions. It takes some shell fish generations to recover from pollution.

[/quote]

In the SE, you have to know what beaches to go to.  We have two different kinds.  Redneck beaches (beer cans, mcdonalds bags, etc.) and family beaches that are cleaner than my office.  You just have to ask which is which.  I guess if you hit the wrong beach you could be under the impression that they are trashy. 

[quote=mikebutler222]

My biggest complaint with the Outer Banks was the condition of the beaches. Trash strewn is the only way to describe it.

I've never seen Outer Banks beaches in less than beautiful condition. Are you sure you weren't there after a major storm or during some other event? Maybe a strike by city workers or tourists-gone-wild day? That's really a strange one.

[/quote]

There were no extradinary circumstances. We've been several times only to find the beaches in varying degree of clean. And we'll go again. I guess I shouldn't condem the entire Outer banks. We were only on four beaches. But I was struck at the irony of Jersey getting a bad rap about its beaches from the uninformed and here at what is suppose to be a world class clean beach, trash. People trash. Cigarette butts, beer and soda cans and bottles,  deli wrap, along with half eatten hoagies(subs). OK , someone had a party, along miles of beach, at four beaches spread over 30 miles.

Almost got the Jeep stuck as the tide was coming in, and Homer had an engine check light come on, but those are another story.

[quote=leftykickserve]Nothing funnier than a guy in jersey trying to tell us how great new jersey is. [/quote]

Why is it funny?

Come on, Bondguy, I agree with much of what you've said here, but I've got family on the NJ S.E. shore and have been going there all my life. There's just no comparison between NJ beaches and the Southeast. None, zip, zero, nada.

I agree. After travelling to many if not most of the beaches along the east coast none are as nice as NJ. Almost all our recreation involves being on the water and/or being on the beach (Catamarran racing for example).

Not counted in above statement are beaches along the Redneck Riviera or Padre Island. We haven't gotten there yet, so I'll let you know.

Like I said, I've had life long experiences on NJ beaches (Southern coast) and just don't agree.

That's Ok, We're crowded enough as it is.

Honestly that's good to hear. I'm trying to remember the specific S. NJ town, but I recall reading about tourism dying off and killing the local economy. It would be a shame to see those places fade away. And besides, we have more than our share of "guests" for my money.

In fact, fair or not, ask the average American what comes to mind when they hear the words "New Jersey" and "beaches", they're likely to answer "medical waste".

How about that? To find medical waste you actually have to look for it. Not only does NJ look, but when they find it they publicize it. Full disclosure. Jersey is one of the few states that cleans its beaches and extensively checks water quality. Interesting how many people draw the wrong conclusion from that effort.

I'm sure NJ does fine work these days and the "medical waste" issue is a legacy of days gone by. When I lived in the NYC area 1989-91, thereabouts, medical waste washing up on NJ beaches was as common as rain. It was a running joke.

The problem was blown way out of proportion, as you're doing here by saying common as rain.

Well, like I said it's long ago enough to be a tad unfair to mention, but it doesn't take too many episodes of needles, etc., washing up on the beach to create a lasting memory.

So how clean is the water on your beach?

Perfect, thanks for asking, and it draws retirees and vacationers by the ton. (literally, you should see some of them)

All those people and no testing? That's a little scary don't you think?

We do test.

The majority of my clients are transplants from the Northeast and Midwest and almost to the last one they'll tell you they came here for the ocean and the beautiful beaches. Now, if you want some Buick sized mosquitos or some alligators, I have some spares

The mosquito is the Jersey state bird. But the far more painful experience is the Greenhead fly.

Hey, I was trying to throw you a bone. Thanks for reminding me about those flies, they make our no-see-ums look beautiful by contrast. As to the NJ state bird, you're right, I owe the part of my dead brains cells not killed by alcohol during my mis-spent youth to riding behind the sprayer trucks when I was a kid.

That's funny. I'm waiting for my time spent chasing the sprayer trucks in Ft Lauderdale as a kid to catch up with me. I hope it doesn't. We have more in common everyday.

Between that and mom cooking on aluminum cookware it's a wonder we can remember our own names. 

Worst no seeums were in a place Sugar Loaf Key. We were in Homer who weighs in around 45,000 pounds and  I thought these things were going to carry us off. Oh, and dirty beach. We left, drove Homer up to Fiesta Key. No beach but nice pool and they sprayed to keep the no seeums from no bitting. There is a reason people don't go to the keys in the summer.

I just hate those little $%^&(), but reminding me of the biting flies makes me a little less angry about them.

Like mosquitos, it's only the females that bite. Absolutely agree that the SE has some beautiful beaches. And who can argue with that ocean? Yet, the water quality is unknown.

Nah, not unknown at all. Constantly tested and we don't have the large urban centers or industrial threats to the ocean near our shores that NJ health officials have to deal with. That's the run-off danger source.

Runoff from rain is the biggest threat. I'll bet you've got that.

Sure, but what we don't have is the same density (think roads and parking lots, anything that prevents rain water from soaking into the ground) or industrial base. That means that rain water has more "clean" areas, like grass a wetlands to sink into before it floods a storm drain system or gets mixed with nasty elements like oils and the like.

Runoff overflows even the most modern sewage systems washing contents into the water. Surface pollution also gets washed in.  On top of that, in more rural areas, chemicals from farm fields end up in the water. This is a major problem for the Chesapeake Bay. NJ tests every beach everyday in season. Indusrial waste isn't a threat or a problem. Beach closings in Jersey have been runoff/storm sewage related. Nothing more.

Then there's the usability of the beaches for swimming. In SW FL, Sanibel Island area, too many Bull Sharks around to comfortably swim or kayak.

Sharks are nature's way of culling the human herd, don't you know?

I see people swimming between sand bars at around 6pm and think the same thing.

This doesn't keep us out of the water, NJ has sharks too. Just much less of a factor in Jersey.

We also have near year-round access. Seriously, I've lived on/near both, and there's just no contest. OTOH, we don't have AC or the Eagles here, so perhaps it's a much more even score.

Let's see, tomorrow it's going down to 20 and staying there through Friday, with snow showers. This time of year, after football season, you clearly win.

What beach are you near?

You wnt me to make condo reservations for you?

[quote=BondGuy]

[quote=leftykickserve]Nothing funnier than a guy in jersey trying to tell us how great new jersey is. [/quote]

Why is it funny?

[/quote]

LOL, when I read that last statement I just pictured the stereotypical italian NY/NJ guy, with the whole accent and all.  Straight out of "Goodfellas."

"Why is it funny?  Hey, youse talkin to me?  Youse talkin to me?  Wise guy!"

Give me $200,000/yr in the South versus a $1,000,000/yr in the North any day of the week.  No question.

Don't mind them coming down here (and they are, in DROVES) but honestly, that accent makes my skin crawl.

[quote=BankFC][quote=BondGuy]

[quote=leftykickserve]Nothing funnier than a guy in jersey trying to tell us how great new jersey is. [/quote]

Why is it funny?

[/quote]

LOL, when I read that last statement I just pictured the stereotypical italian NY/NJ guy, with the whole accent and all.  Straight out of "Goodfellas."

"Why is it funny?  Hey, youse talkin to me?  Youse talkin to me?  Wise guy!"

Give me $200,000/yr in the South versus a $1,000,000/yr in the North any day of the week.  No question.

Don't mind them coming down here (and they are, in DROVES) but honestly, that accent makes my skin crawl.

[/quote]

Bank, you watch way  too much TV. And you've gotten your mobsters mixed up. Goodfellas were NYC mobsters, not Jersey. We've got Tony Soprano.

Speaking of stereo typical NJ/NY guys listen to Rudi Giulaini. Does he make your skin crawl?

Yet to meet a mobster or anyone who speaks anything like one of the guys in any of the movies or TV shows about NJ/NY mosters. What a gyp.

[quote=blarmston]

Absolutely! Always a great place. And go one Island north to Island Beach State Park and you have 10 miles of undeveloped beach. Both LBI and IBSP are seperated from the mainland by Barnegat Bay. Barnegat (Burning Place in Dutch, or so i'm told) is a 40 mile long bay good for anything water bourne. Fish in the morning, sail in the afternoon once the dependable SW winds kick. Windless, darn, break out the sea kayaks and explore the sedges. There is a reason NJ is one of the biggest boating markets in the country.

Yeah Yuh..... Good times.....[/quote]

Blarm...you get into the sauce again?  You know what they say about people who talk to themselves...

Yeah well. I may have been a little intoxicated still from last night.... Ahhh... Good times...

You guys crack me up, you can keep your medical waste, beer cans, rednecks, heck you can even keep the sand.

I much prefer my Vegas beaches at The Hard Rock, Mandalay Bay, or if we're really feeling adventureous the topless "beach" at Ceasar's. 

And if we really want to go jetskiing or boating, Lake Mead is only an hour away.

Moved out here from the south 3 years ago and the only way we're going back is in a box.

[quote=ExPropTrader]

You guys crack me up, you can keep your medical waste, beer cans, rednecks, heck you can even keep the sand.[/quote]

Right, because everyone knows there isn't any trash or rednecks in Vegas.  

Seriously, I enjoy my visits, but you can keep your 116 degree August days. Seems like there's no place without some drawback, including my old home Hawaii...

[quote=mikebutler222][quote=ExPropTrader]

You guys crack me up, you can keep your medical waste, beer cans, rednecks, heck you can even keep the sand.[/quote]

Right, because everyone knows there isn't any trash or rednecks in Vegas.  

Seriously, I enjoy my visits, but you can keep your 116 degree August days. Seems like there's no place without some drawback, including my old home Hawaii...

[/quote]

But Vegas is such a good place to raise a family.

[quote=BondGuy]

But Vegas is such a good place to raise a family.

[quote=mikebutler222][quote=ExPropTrader]

You guys crack me up, you can keep your medical waste, beer cans, rednecks, heck you can even keep the sand.[/quote]

Right, because everyone knows there isn't any trash or rednecks in Vegas.  

Seriously, I enjoy my visits, but you can keep your 116 degree August days. Seems like there's no place without some drawback, including my old home Hawaii...

[/quote]

I have to agree with you on that one, there's trash and rednecks everywhere, less here than in TN though.

Everyone seems to complain about the heat but I promise when we decide to move here it was in July, it was 110 when I left here and that was tolerable, but as soon as I stepped off the plane in Nashville I was miserable, it was ONLY 90 but the 95% humidity made it worse than Vegas.  So I much prefer the "dry" heat.  In addition we don't have to worry about tornadoes, hurricanes, snowstorms.

I guess it all depends on what you're used to and living in TN for 32 years really lowered my standards.

[quote=mikebutler222]

But Vegas is such a good place to raise a family.

[/quote]

Right now it's just me and the wife so we haven't tried that yet, gotta wait a couple of years till I grow up.  I don't really see how it's worse than any other major city though. 

 I have to say on the whole beaches thing that any NJ beach pales in comparison to oh I don’t know any one of two dozen Socal beaches.  Like Newport, Santa Barbara, Zuma, etc.  I could go on and on but without a doubt I will put those beaches against “dirty Jersey” anyday of the week.

Nothing like the beaches in San Diego land as well- Del Mar, La Jolla Shores, and good 'ol Pacific Beach where you can drink and party on the sand with 2K other 20-somethings every day of the week from March 1- November 1.

It doesnt suck...

[quote=DodgerDraftpick] I have to say on the whole beaches thing that any NJ beach pales in comparison to oh I don't know any one of two dozen Socal beaches.  Like Newport, Santa Barbara, Zuma, etc.  I could go on and on but without a doubt I will put those beaches against "dirty Jersey" anyday of the week.[/quote]

Dirty Jersey?

Cute.

So Mr. Dodger draft pick, Jersey beach expert, on which Jersey beaches are you basing that opinion?

NJ is the first state immediately south of NY along the coast if that helps. That big blue area on the map to the right of both states is the Atlantic Ocean. I'm sure you've read about it.

Next moron please!