Bayside Beach Basics near Cape May, NJ, USA

Perhaps you are a new fan of America's first resort, Cape May, New Jersey, USA. Or maybe you've loved Cape May for years but never ventured away from ocean-side lodging. If so, it is time to learn a little bit about bayside, which to many visitors is also the BEST side!

Cape May, New Jersey has a lot of wonderful neighborhoods where you can find lodging for your stay, many of which you can find with a single Google search. Ocean-front condos, historic bed & breakfasts, and campgrounds in the city. Maps will show your proximity to all the attractions and you can plan your stay.

But when potential guests make the decision to stay bayside during their vacation in south New Jersey, as vacation rental owners, we get a lot of questions to clarify where we are located.

If you look at a map of the southern tip of New Jersey (exit 0 off the Jersey Turnpike), the western side of the state is what we affectionately call bayside (zip codes 08204 and 08251). Going from the southernmost point and heading north, these are some of the bayside beach neighborhoods that you may see referenced as the location of some wonderful vacation rentals:

~ Cape May Point ~ West Cape May ~ Higbee Beach ~ South of the Canal ~ North of the Canal ~ North Cape May ~ Town Bank ~ Cape May Beach ~ Villas ~ Fishing Creek ~ Miami Beach ~ Del Haven ~

Each bayside neighborhood has different attractions, home styles, personalities and price points. As is typical with beach communities, the homes closest to the water (farthest west) are usually the most expensive and they get more affordable the farther you stay from the water.

In Cape May County on the bayside, the homes that are more southerly tend to have higher price points as well, making Cape May Point higher cost, but also closest to both the bay AND ocean at the same time! The farther north you travel along the bay, the homes tend to become more affordable for any budget.

The key to finding a home in an area that is appealing to you is to know the names of the neighborhoods. A search only by zip code or township name doesn't always narrow down your choices sufficiently, and most of these little neighborhoods have loose boundaries and are unincorporated or unofficial neighborhoods as part of a larger township.

We at Dreams Come True Cottage, for example, are often found with a mailing address in Villas, NJ or Lower Township, NJ. But to more clearly give guests an idea of our location on a map, we are more accurately placed in Cape May Beach, which is a little neighborhood between Town Bank and Villas. All three of these neighborhoods are in Lower Township and share the same 08251 zip code, but our little narrow neighborhood of Cape May Beach hugs up between the Chesapeake Bay and the Cape Island and Cox Hall Wildlife Management Areas. This is vacation destination perfection for many happy guests.

All-in-all, each neighborhood has something wonderful for everyone. With a bayside coastline span of fewer than eight miles the way the seagull flies (Cape May Point to Del Haven), knowing the neighborhood can be among your best tools for planning your next vacation. As always, ask your property owner for area tips and proximity - we are happy to help and want to make sure your relaxation expectations are fully met!

Relax. Refresh. Reconnect...and Safe Travels!