Avon By the Sea

Best beach in NJ… and I’ve been to many! Overall, the town is quiet, but full of character. The beach has just about everything you would want. if you aren’t looking for an amusement filled boardwalk. It’s simple with no fills, but will all of the pros you need when looking to just relax.
The boardwalk: It has 1 restaurant, the Pavilion. It serves breakfast and lunch with diner like options ranging from grilled cheese to salads to sandwiches. They have a walk up area where you can order some menu items to go or ice cream. Next to the Pavilion is a small boutique for light shopping or needs during your stay on the beach.
The beach: Its very clean and there is enough space to truly spread out. Unless you are closest to the Pavilion (Norwood Ave) then you will find you can easily move around without people on top of you. If you have kids, the cove by the Belmar bridge is shallow and you can catch sea creatures easily there. There are bathrooms by Cove area and next to the Pavilion. It costs about $ 9 or $ 10 per adult for the beach… very expensive. Seasonal badges are around $ 90 I believe. They stop checking between 3:30 and 4pm. Parking is tough, be ready to walk 4 – 5 blocks during the early afternoon.
Ocean Ave: There is one restaurant across from the Pavilion on Ocean ave called The Columns. They serve salads to seafood to sandwiches. There is outside deck seating overlooking the water and boardwalk. Inside they have a good amount of space with a full bar. At night on the weekends they stay open until about 1am. It is an older crowd, but anyone is welcome!
Main St.: You will find some unique shops like the Macaroon Store and Cove which is a paleo restaurant. They also have some stores if you forgot your chairs, towels, or sandwiches. This is not really walking distance to Ocean ave, but I’m sure you could do it if you wanted to.
Overall, this has been my go to town/​beach for over 30 years. When I want some down time without a crowed beach, this is where you will find me.

Really lovely beach, great for an afternoon of relaxing, frolicking in the ocean, fishing, whatever you’re into. My boyfriend grew up just 30 minutes from this beach and came here frequently as a kid to swim, surf, fish, etc. He took me here this weekend and I loved it. Disclaimer is that we went in mid-​September in warm weather, and I am sure it gets very cold and less nice in the winter.
First off — free parking by the boardwalk. I imagine it can get pretty tough on find a spot during the peak summer months, but in mid-​September in a nice hot day we didn’t have any trouble finding a spot. The beach is kept very clean, the sand is nice and soft, and the water is also very clear and you can head out decently far into the ocean and still see your feet and/​or fish in the water. The waves are sometimes good, sometimes basically non-​existent. The beach is super family-​friendly, with lots of kids, but it wasn’t too rowdy or crowded when we were there. There’s usually a bunch of people fishing, apparently you can get some pretty good fish (bass maybe?) here although this is just what I hear since I’m not very into fishing. The beach is lined by a pretty well-​maintained Boardwalk and beautiful vacation homes. There’s lots of cute little boutiques and local shops to eat at as well. I hear that you can catch a great sunrise here on this East Coast beach, so I’ll have to check that out sometime. Overall, a great beach to spend a summer afternoon!

The fishing jetty along the ocean and shark river is ideal for fluke in summer and striped bass in the fall. The beach had an interesting curvature to it that breaks away from the boring traditional landscape. We have Been going here since my childhood and there’s a great sense of pride and nostalgia.

It’s –16. So I’m reviewing a beach to reminisce about it being 50 degrees or higher.
Avon by the Sea is populated with approximately 1.5 billion children– it’s like a Lego store on the weekend. I feel like every child in NJ is at this beach. As such, I avoid at all costs except in early spring. No one needs sand being thrown in their face.
On to the things I like – there is a pool by one of the Jetties where you can hunt for sand Dollars and star fish. I have even seen Dolphins swimming behind this jetty. It’s a great beach to explore sea life. It’s also an exceptional place to go fishing off the jetty by the canal. I always see «REEL BIG FISH» being pulled from the water. (See what I did there? LOLzzzz).
The Avon pavilion is a Great place to have a Mother’s Day brunch. I’ve also witnessed numerous weddings. But that plays to the family friendliness.
The boardwalk is just a boardwalk. It usually ends my run or bike ride from Asbury. They did a good job restoring post Sandy.
All and all, this is a good spring /​fall beach where you can really experience nature. That’s why I am awarding 4 stars.

Ever since I was a little girl summers = Jersey Shore. We had always went to Point Pleasant and Seaside but the crowd has changed drastically and now that I have children of my own, we prefer to avoid the rowdiness, unless we want to do the boardwalk (Point Pleasant over Seaside).
LBI is our favorite but if we want to do a day trip without the boardwalk, Avon is where we go. The lifeguards are pleasant and SUPER attentive. The sand and water is so clean and there are [clean] bathrooms and a concession stand/​restaurant (pretty good food but a bit pricey). We have yet to try the restaurant and it always appears very busy.
Avon consists of mostly families and you will find that everyone, unlike at Point Pleasant, obides by the unspoken beach rule … don’t sit on top of anyone! Leave some space between my blanket and yours!
Beach is $ 9 per person (ages 11 and under are free) and read the signs at each enterance that dictate where surfing is allowed, high/​low tides, etc. On a weekday get there by 9AM (8:30AM on weekends) and get super close free parking; parking is otherwise free but a bit farther if you come later.
Avon is a great place to enjoy sun and sand with family — clean, calm, beautiful!

Great beach. Nice little boardwalk. The Pavilion is rebuilt. Nice place for breakfast.

Where do you go on your first day in the sun, Avon! A lot less people than surrounding beaches but not few enough to make you feel lonesome. Lots of families and nice people that make you feel welcome. The beach is very clean along with a beautiful new boardwalk. A much better choice than belmar and a great experience on a sunny summer day

Avon has become one of our favorite beaches in a NJ. It’s located near Bradley Beach and north of Belmar. Get here in the morning and you’ll be able to find free street parking. Although, it does cost $ 9/​pp to enter the beach, which I believe is standard for most beaches. The beach is very clean, great for families, and has lots of space. We were here for July 4^th weekend and the beach was packed. However, I didn’t feel claustrophobic at all. The crowds here are very civilized.
It’s a low key, simple beach with a clean boardwalk and a pavilion with an eatery that offers fast food and a dine-​in section. Across the street is the Columns bar and restaurant which is also a good option for lunch or for an afternoon drink.
Overall, a great beach to spend a hot summer day with the family.

This by far is one of my favorite beaches. It is beautiful, clean, and family friendly. Parking is free and abundant. The bathrooms are very clean. A definite must try.

I’m hesitant to write a review since I want to keep this beach all to myself. It’s laid-​back, classy, clean, quiet and far from pretentious. (It’s like my alter-​ego, except for the quiet part.) I also love that it’s not too far to get to like some of my other favorite Jersey beaches. Head to the Columns for seafood and spirits afterwards and you’ll have a REAL Jersey Shore experience. None of that nonsense you see on TV. Don’t like the Jersey Shore ‘cuz you’re too snooty? Good, more for me!!!

It was a 90 degree day, and my BFF and I both had days off (yay!). What better way to celebrate than to tan and play in the water? We had our hearts set on Point Pleasant since we wanted to go to Tiki Bar, but by the time we left it was almost 1:30PM, and it would’ve been way too late to soak up some rays. We decided on Belmar beach, but somehow got lost on the way, and ended up here!
It was 3:45 by the time we arrived, and we were about to head to the stand and pay for wristbands when the very helpful girl at the entrance told us if we waited 10 more minutes her shift would be done, and we didn’t have to pay. We figured we it was late anyway, there was no harm in waiting 10 more minutes, so we got into the beach for free!
There are plenty of free parking spaces along the boardwalk so we had no trouble finding a spot at all.
It’s a fairly clean beach and less crowded than others I’ve been to. Another bonus? I’m knee deep in water, and can still see my toes clearly! For a second, I forgot I was at the Jersey Shore.
Overall, I loved this beach!
—— Quick Tips!
Free parking along the boardwalk!
No entrance fee if you go after 4!

Avon is a great beach.
We drove down early on Sunday morning, and parking was very easy to come by, only one block off the beach. Not to shabby for a summer morning that was 80 degrees, sunny, and no humidity.
You do have to pay $ 9 to get on the beach.
They have done a great job rebuilding the pavillion and the bathroom facilities are the best for that area of the shore. They were clean, well stocked, and didn’t smell like… well, you know.
The beach was gorgeous. No smoking and they enforce the rules. The beach is more family oriented than some of its other brethren. It is a great beach to sit in the sun, enjoy some good conversation, read, swim and go for walks. Very quiet and peaceful.
Across the street is a great bar/​restaurant called columns, worth a try if you want to get out of the sun for a mid day cocktail.

great little beach! not too crowded

A lovely beach probably my favorite in Jersey although Spring Lake is a close second. I spent summers here growing up when I wasn’t at Breezy Point. The boardwalk is all new and the bathroom is currently just a trailer but is kept clean. The water can be rough and has different sections for swimming and surfing. There are a lot of lifeguards here so your kids should be safe. The area has food stands as well as restaurants. It is a laid back family place which is more my scene than crazy, trashy Belmar.

My favorite beach on the Jersey Shore.
Quiet, family friendly, fun. Tons of free parking. Great atmosphere.
You can watch the ship go into Belmar Marina from the Jetty. You can dig for clams and other sea creatures or just ride some waves into the shore. Life guards are very friendly and it is not to expensive to go onto the beach.
I bring my own food and drinks but I’m sure you can get it somewhere close to the beach.
Went here when I was child and have been going ever since.

AVN beach is one of my fav one near NYC (

People actually have been camping on the beach at night when it is hot. It is super safe.
This beach is always less crowded than other beaches in the area. It is less known. There are also parking changes. See link for changes.
Here is my previous review. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Avon by the sea is a resort community next to Bradley Beach and Belmar. In contrast to Belmar it is a quiet town. On their web site it says The Shore’s best kept secret.
It is known for Shark River and people watch the boats come and go though the inlet.
Avon is good or a quiet relaxing day at the beach. There is also bird watching, fishing and boating.
Although Avon By The Sea does have a surf camp like most Jersey shore towns, Avon itself is not known for surfing.
Avon is known for scuba diving. Avon has several dive shops and a dive school.
Jersey shore beaches tend to have cleaner and clearer water than other beaches on the east coast.
Avon by the Sea has festivals and fairs, and many restaurants.
It is a clean classy town and beach and the people are friendly. Avon is more exclusive than Bradley Beach or Belmar and less exclusive than Spring Lake or Sea Girt, NJ.
Season badges are $ 75.00 or $ 8.00 per day.

I love Avon By the Sea! I have been coming to this beach since the age of six. So many childhood memories have been created at this lovely, clean beach. Avon is more of a family oriented beach, unlike belmar, which tends to have more of the younger crowd.
I like my peace and quiet when I’m at the beach so Avon is perfect for me. The beach itself is gorgeous. The boardwalk is lovely as well. There is a great restaurant on the boardwalk if you want to grab breakfast.
I arrive at the beach around 7am and grab coffee and a breakfast sandwich at quick chek near by. There is nothing like the early morning crisp beach air.
Plenty of lifeguards on duty during the season as well =)

If your beach days are a music genre…
House — go to seaside
Taking Back Sunday — go to belmar
Sade — go to Avon
Avon by the sea is as smooth and classy as it gets. If you’re looking for a beach day that involves a nice umbrella, a good book, and a long nap, go there.