I Live in Ocean Grove on the Jersey Shore

Ocean Grove is one the finest year-round family seashore resorts, with a square mile of natural beauty and has welcomed vacationers, including US Presidents, for over a century. In 1869 a group of spiritual lay leaders assembled as The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association to form and incorporate the town of Ocean Grove. On tree-lined streets is the largest assemblage of authentic Victorian architecture in the nation and in 1976, the town was honored with being entered in the National Register of Historic Places and in 1977, the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places.

There are so many things to do in Ocean Grove. We have the beach and boardwalk, arts and craft shows, annual Giant Flea Markets in June and September. There are auctions and Antique shows, Memorial Day and 4th of July parades, fireworks and  concerts in the Great Auditorium including Destination: Opera Festival of New Jersey State Opera Company and  much more and that’s just the summer.

Personally, even though we enjoy the summer activities, the off-season is beautiful here and we find the quiet very relaxing. Living here for 36 years, we have seen alot of changes from “Ocean Grave” to the beautiful town it is today.

In 1973, we bought the “Melita” and ran it as a guest house for 7 years. It was  stuck in the 1930’s (including the wallpaper) and needed so much work when we bought it in June  to be ready to open for July, we literally ran our selves ragged. With a lot of help from Priscilla ( Deb was too young and having fun) over 4 weekends non-stop we were ready to rent the second floor,  the third floor not quite finished. There are many stories to tell, too numerous to list here. One story that I will always remember was when I was pregnant with my second child, my daughter Ivy. Bill took me in the night  of  July 17th to the hospital after walking the boardwalk with contractions and asked one of our guests to watch the house. That was Mrs. Herr. She kept watched until Bill came home the next day, July 18th, when Ivy was born. There were so many nice people that stayed with us and when we came home from the hospital on that particularly hot day in July, they were all so helpful. We have many stories to tell, good and bad, maybe someday we should write a book.

Judy

(Just in case someone out there does not think we get much snow 1/2 block from the ocean)