Sea Girt is a small scenic seashore town with a population of approximately 4,036. The community boasts a beautiful beach, an old-fashioned boardwalk, and a laid-back and charming character. The town offers an excellent recreational program and a school that has been rated one of the best in the state. And, if you want a change from this lovely and serene lifestyle, the amenities and excitement of the big city of New York are a short drive away. For a summer get-away or year round home, Sea Girt can’t be beat.
Location
Sea Girt is a New Jersey borough located in eastern Monmouth County, in the New York metro area. It is situated on the Jersey Shore section of the Atlantic Ocean. Monmouth County is located in the Atlantic Coastal Plain area of central New Jersey. It is bounded by Mercer and Burlington Counties to the west, Ocean County to the south and Middlesex County to the north.
Geography/Terrain
The borough has a total area of 1.5 square miles, 1.1 square miles of which is land and 0.4 square miles of which is water. Sea Girt sits on the Atlantic Ocean at an elevation of 19 feet above sea level, south of Wreck Pond. Together with Spring Lake and Wall Township, it encircles this tidal pond, which is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.
Distance to 3 closest major cities
Sea Girt is located approximately 40 miles south of New York, NY; 61 miles northeast of Philadelphia, PA; and 38 miles east of Trenton, NJ.
Jobs
There is a small business district in Sea Girt, comprised of restaurants, salons, real estate brokers and financial offices, which serve the town. Finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing provide19.1% of the employment in the borough; professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services provide 18.4%, educational, health and social services provide17.3%, and retail trade provides 11.0%.
The unemployment level in Sea Girt is 4.10% and there has been a 2.05% increase in available jobs within the last 12 months. The average time to travel to work is 40 minutes. The median household income in town is $96,066 and the average per capita income is $60,350.
Housing
The borough of Sea Girt boasts a peaceful world of well-groomed lawns and stately homes. You can find country estates on large acreage, charming Colonial carriage houses, seashore mansions, and modest starter and ranch homes. There is also one condominium complex in Sea Girt, with units selling at reasonable prices. There are homes with breathtaking ocean views, on the beach or just a short distance from the beach. Be it a summer home or a year-round residence, you can find the house you want here.
Parks/Sports/Recreation/Golf
Recreation in Sea Girt is focused on their mile of white sandy beaches and the old fashioned boardwalk. The designated beaches offer swimming, fishing, surfing and sun bathing. You can take a walk on the boardwalk, from the foot of the Historic Lighthouse to the south end of town, while enjoying the splendid view of the Atlantic Ocean.
This small, quiet town has no marina or organized volleyball area but it does have tennis courts tucked away in Crescent Park. Nearby Belmar does offer a large marina with party boats as well as regular games of beach volleyball. The campsite at the Sea Girt National Armory boasts state-of-the-art soccer fields, bordering the Sea Girt beach, with ocean views. The town offers its own recreation program incorporating a variety of youth-related activities. There is a summer evening basketball league, and an award-winning lifeguard program.
Not far from Sea Girt is Island Beach State Park, a narrow barrier island that stretches for 10 miles between the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay. One of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches on the north Atlantic coast, Island Beach Park encompasses over 3,000 acres with 10 miles of untouched coastal dunes. The miles of sand dunes and beaches offer habitat to a range of maritime plants and diverse wildlife.
Gateway National Recreation Area is a 26,607-acre National Recreation Area with four separate units. The Sandy Hook Unit in Monmouth County is home to the historic former Fort Hancock, as well as the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in America. The area provides plentiful recreational opportunities, from swimming, boating and fishing to team sports, bicycling and nature study.
If golf is your sport of choice, you can enjoy the game at nearby Spring Lake Golf Club, Bel-Aire Golf Club, Spring Meadow Golf Club, or Quail Ridge Golf World. All offer excellent facilities, providing fun and challenges for every skill level.
Special Attractions/Events
In September, Sea Girt celebrates the renowned Irish Festival, featuring some of the region's best Irish bands, Step Dancers, Irish cultural exhibits, traditional food, and fine products. The festivities include two stages of music all day, six pipe and drum bands, step dancers, a children’s area, a cultural and heritage pavilion and traditional Irish food and shopping.
Local delights include Crescent Parkway, an old-fashioned divided street; the Beacon House Bed and Breakfast; the Terrace, a dirt road that meanders along Wreck Pond; and oceanfront houses backing onto Morven Terrace. Sea Girt also is the home to a National Guard camp and New Jersey State Police training academy.
Some of the nearby attractions you can enjoy include: a dinner cruise around New York Harbor; a day of thrills and entertainment at Six Flags Great Adventure theme park; dining and shopping at posh Bay Head; casino fun at Atlantic City; and a multitude of recreational and historical activities at Allaire State Park.
You can visit Point Pleasant, with its boardwalk, first-class aquarium, rides, live entertainment and amusements. The downtown area boasts a flourishing shopping district with a number of delightful antique shops. Seaside Heights offers pristine beaches, top-notch restaurants, lively nightlife, water sports and boardwalk activities, not to mention sunrises over the Atlantic and sunsets over Barnegat Bay.
Interesting Facts/Historic Buildings and Places
In 1875, land developers from Philadelphia purchased the last two large undeveloped farms on the shore in Monmouth County. These farmlands split off from the township of Wall and became the borough of Sea Girt in 1917. The borough became the peacetime summer capital of New Jersey, as each year the governor and his family arrived at the Little White House located on the grounds of the Commodore Stockton estate.
In 1948 the comedian Fred Allen visited Sea Girt with his wife while on vacation.
The Sea Girt Lighthouse was first operational in1896, illuminating the long coastline between Sandy Hook and Barnegat Inlet. It became the last live-in lighthouse built on the Atlantic coast, and is one of only 20 that remain in New Jersey.
In 1921, the Sea Girt Lighthouse became the first shore lighthouse to be equipped with a radio fog signal. It acted as a command center for rescue efforts in 1934 when the luxury cruise ship Morro Castle burned and sank about three miles off the coast. The lighthouse was used up until the 1950’s when it was no longer practical to maintain. The borough of Sea Girt acquired the property, and it was used for a long time as a meeting place for various civic groups. In 1980, “The Sea Girt Lighthouse Citizen’s Committee” leased the property from the town for twenty-five years. The group refurnished, repainted, and updated the lighthouse, making it possible for visitors to tour this historical site.
The community was named for the estate of Comm. Robert F. Stockton. The National Guard camp in Sea Girt was once the summer home to past governors of the state and was frequented by President Woodrow Wilson.
One of the longest battles of the American Revolution took place in the fields and forests of nearby Monmouth Battlefield State Park. The park has maintained a rural 18th-century landscape of hilly farmland and hedgerows offering miles of hiking and horseback riding trails, and a restored Revolutionary War farmhouse.
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