Things We Complain About in Ocean County, NJ

If you live in Ocean County, you already know. There are certain things that can make you roll your eyes, sigh loudly in the car and say, “I can't take this anymore!”

Then five minutes later, you're sitting near the water, eating something delicious, watching the sunset and thinking, “Okay… maybe it's not so bad.” Actually, it's pretty great.

That's the funny thing about living in Ocean County. We complain about it constantly, but deep down, most of us wouldn't trade it.

Here are some of the things we love to complain about, while secretly loving every minute of it.

Summer Traffic Is a Completely Different Animal

You know it's summer when a drive that normally takes 15 minutes suddenly becomes an adventure. You see the traffic ahead and immediately start calculating alternate routes.

Then you find yourself sitting in traffic wondering why you didn't just stay home.

It's summer at the Jersey Shore. And honestly, we'd rather deal with a little traffic than live somewhere without the beach.

The Summer Crowds

We love having the beach. We love having the boardwalk.

We love the restaurants, ice cream shops, mini golf, rides and everything else that comes with summer. And then summer actually arrives. Suddenly there are people everywhere.

The roads are packed. Parking becomes a competitive sport. Restaurants have waits. The boardwalk is shoulder-to-shoulder. And we complain. "Where did all these people come from?" Umm… us.

We wanted everyone to know how great Ocean County is. So I guess we can't be too surprised when they show up.

Finding a Parking Spot Near the Beach

Finding a parking spot near the beach during a beautiful summer weekend should probably be considered an Olympic event. You drive around. You see someone walking toward their car. You slow down. You put your blinker on. You wait. And then someone comes flying around the corner and steals your spot.

Finally, you find a spot and the second your feet hit the sand? You forget all about it.

Everyone Has That One Road They Avoid

Every town has that one road. You know the one. The road that can be completely fine at 10 a.m. and absolutely ridiculous at 4 p.m. Maybe there's construction. Maybe there's an accident. Maybe there are 400 cars trying to get to the same place. Or maybe nobody knows why traffic is stopped. We're just stopped.

Ocean County residents have become experts at finding secret routes, back roads and shortcuts.

We may not know exactly where we're going, but we know how to avoid THAT road.

The Tourists Don't Know Where They're Going

We were all new here once. But when you're trying to get somewhere and someone suddenly slows down in front of you because they're looking for a beach entrance, restaurant or turn…

You know exactly what you're thinking. "Please don't stop in the middle of the road."

Then you remember that tourists are one of the reasons so many of our favorite local businesses survive. So we take a deep breath. And go around them.

The Prices Keep Going Up

Have you noticed how expensive everything seems to be? A trip to the beach isn't always cheap. Dinner isn't cheap. Ice cream isn't what it used to cost. And don't even get me started on everything you need for a summer day. We complain about it.Then we go anyway.

Because there's something about getting an ice cream cone, walking near the water and watching the sun go down that makes us say: "Worth it."

You Can't Go Anywhere Without Running Into Someone You Know

This one can be both wonderful and slightly inconvenient. You run into someone at the grocery store. Then you see someone you know at the restaurant. Then you bump into another person at the beach.

Ocean County can feel like one giant neighborhood, I truly love this. When you need something, someone is always there to help you out.

We Complain About the Weather… Until We Don't Have It

Too hot. Too humid. Too windy. Too cold. Too much rain. Not enough rain.

And when we get a beautiful 75-degree day with a light breeze? Suddenly everyone is outside saying: "This is why I live here."

We may complain about the weather, but we get four seasons, beautiful summers and those gorgeous days when the sky seems to show off just for us.

The Bridge Traffic

If you've lived here long enough, you know there are certain times when crossing a bridge requires patience, snacks and possibly a backup plan.

You look at the traffic and wonder how it got so bad. You check the GPS. It says 38 minutes. You laugh because you know that's probably optimistic. But eventually you get across.

And you're still here.

But Here's the Truth About Ocean County

For all the complaining we do, there's something pretty special about this place.

We complain about the traffic because we have somewhere beautiful people want to visit.

We complain about the summer crowds because people want to experience our beaches and boardwalks.

We complain about parking because everyone wants to be near the water.

We complain about the prices because, well… okay, we'll continue complaining about those.

But at the end of the day, Ocean County is home. It's the beach days. It's the boardwalk nights. It's the smell of salt air. It's the local restaurants we keep going back to. It's knowing the back roads. It's seeing someone you haven't seen in 10 years at the grocery store.

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It's knowing which beach you like best and which traffic route you absolutely refuse to take. And maybe that's why we complain so much. Because we're invested. We care about where we live.

Ask an Ocean County resident if they'd like to move somewhere else.

You might hear:

"Absolutely! I'm sick of the traffic!"

Then ask where they're moving. Suddenly it's: "Well… nowhere. I like it here."

And honestly?

Same.

We can complain about Ocean County all we want.

But when it comes right down to it, we'd probably rather complain here than live anywhere else.