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Point Pleasant draws more crowds due to the boardwalk/rides, especially as it gets later in the day and people transition from beach to boardwalk/rides or just come with their kids for the rides. It's just a different type of place than a beach town without rides, boardwalk games, and arcades. As someone uninterested in the rides and that general boardwalk scene for a beach day, I don't go to Point Pleasant. Why would I when there are towns without all that extra stuff that better cater to what I want, and that are also closer? Point Pleasant gets so crowded I avoid it completely. It's not my type of scene, I don't care for what it offers so I go elsewhere. It's not that weird.
Not that you need any more suggestions, but I’m a fan of the Spring Lake/Sea Girt/Manasquan stretch of beaches. Like you, I’m not into the commercial boardwalks and prefer just a nice beach that’s easy in and easy out. These towns are pretty nice and small’ish and with easy parking. With moderate traffic, these are just under an hour from me so assume Essex County would be about 15-20 minutes closer or so.
I would like to visit Asbury Park someday, but have always assumed that parking would be a nightmare. But more for the restaurant scene than the actual beach.
I appreciate everyone's suggestions. I'm not interested in rides or amusements on this particular trip but I'll keep those suggestions for future trips when we have more time. I think this time we'll focus on Long Branch (7 Presidents) and keep Asbury in mind as a backup plan.
If you're just looking for beach and such I would suggest Belmar,Spring Lake or sea Girt.
7 presidents and Asbury Park are both great with kids. We've gone to a bunch (it's my mission every summer to hit as many as I can with the kids), so we've been to 7 Presidents, Long Branch near Pier Village, Asbury Park, Point Pleasant, Manasquan, Lavalette, Seaside Heights, and all the way to Wildwood and Cape May.
For a day trip, if you just want a few hours of beach and sand, 7 presidents is as spare as you can get (my husband and kids love it). You park right next to the changing rooms/bathrooms/snack bar, and you have the beach and the playground right there. The playground is great if it's not a super hot day. You can leave that area and walk/drive to Amy's Omelette house or Strollo's italian ice nearby.
Long Branch has a lot more restaurants/shops at Pier Village, but I wouldn't go there if my main focus was a few hours of sun/sand.
Asbury Park is my personal fave with kids--there is a small playground directly on the sand, plus the splash pad and mini golf right off the boardwalk, and a few interesting places to eat nearby. I usually get 1 groupon for the splash pad to burn each summer. It is a little hipstery and more diverse which is what I like, tbh.
Point Pleasant is the bottom of the list for me personally. Of course my kids like the little kiddie rides, but because of the kiddie rides area and the small aquarium, it does get a lot more crowded. We've eaten at 2 different random boardwalk places and they were both pretty Meh. But I would still go there, if we were looking to do some kid rides, and not just for a nice beach. IIRC, we even had to pay for changing rooms there, on top of the parking and beach badge. And my kids are totally the type to have to ride rides if they could see them, so then you spend so much time watching your kids ride rides rather than doing the fun beach stuff I personally prefer to be doing.
Manasquan has a really cute main street area, but it's not right at the beach. The beach area is nice and very residential.
7 Presidents and Asbury park are the 2 we return to the most often. I wouldn't mind buying a shore house close to either.
I should say, I've been on weekdays to most of the places, and Point Pleasant only on a weekend, so that may be why I liked it significantly less. I prefer less crowded, more relaxed vibe. And free bathroom/changing room access for ease of use with kids.
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