Further Reading

Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook 2

Atlantic Highlands
Atlantic Highlands 2

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All Destinations
NE Destinations

• Maine
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• Peconic Bay
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• Sandy Hook and Atlantic Highlands
• New Jersey Shore
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Cruising Itineraries
Gunkholes
Challenging Cruising in the NE

 

Atlantic Highlands, NJ – a charming destination where people care

Welcome sign just inside the breakwater. The anchorage is just behind and stretches to shore from the breakwater.

Restaurants abound in this quaint village.

Where to go?

Just a few blocks long, the town of Atlantic Highlands is very sweet.  The harborfront has a lovely walk with benches lining the boat ramp section for entertainment, a 9/11 Memorial on the main section, and gazebos with benches where the senior citizens congregate to spend a pleasant afternoon.  In fact, the town overall seems very senior friendly, with discounts for fishing, boating, meals, and all kinds of things.  The only drawback is that a town ordinance encourages fishermen to discard fish parts back into the water so the waterfront is littered with floating fish carcasses. 

Dinghy Sticker Shock

When searching for the Dinghy docks as usual, we found ourselves in a dilemma that led to sticker shock.  We stopped at the “yacht club” to learn they didn’t really have a dinghy dock but could offer launch service to the anchorage at $25 per day.  The dockmaster thought there were two dinghy docks but couldn’t tell us where they might be.  So we went in search of dinghy tie ups.  Far inside the harbor, there was no dinghy dock.  So we systematically tried every subsequent dock.  Each one had a dinghy dock inside, the first restricted to dinghys with red stickers, the second with green stickers, the third with yellow stickers, and the fourth with blue stickers.  As this was our first visit, we had no stickers.  So we chose the transient dock where docking was permitted only for 10 minutes for pick up and drop off.  We tied up inside the dock where shallow water would have prevented anyone else from tying up and hoped that we’d be ignored, and we were. We later walked the entire dock and found no unrestricted dinghy access.  This is one of my pet peeves about waterfront communities.  There is no access for visiting yachtsmen which feels so unwelcoming.  Yet the town couldn’t have been more welcoming from that point on. 

The Harbormaster's Office. Has showers but no one was in evidence on Memorial Day when we stopped in.

What to do?

When was the last time someone you never met before told you to send them a check for dinner when you were short of cash and they didn’t accept credit cards? It happened in Atlantic Highlands.

When was the last time people actually sent you from one store to another when they didn’t have what you needed – and the other was a competitor?  Then cheered for you when you found it and helped you with your repairs?  It happened in Atlantic Highlands.

Movie Theater offers 5 choices and air conditioning.

When was the last time you took a picture of a dog on a boat and the owner turned out to be someone you knew?  Yep, it happened in Atlantic Highlands.  There are many restaurants to choose from, a movie theatre, a playhouse, antique stores, boutiques, a hardware store or two, and a very pleasant atmosphere overall.  There aren’t many pubs to choose from, but the restaurants make up for it.  The closest to the harbor is Zios, a waterfront casual eatery with outdoor seating for a view of the action up close. The main street hosts everything from a modern sports bar and burger joint, to an upscale upmarket restaurant in a converted old building with lots of character, to a chicken and ribs joint that will have you swearing you’ve just been transported to Dixie and eaten the best ribs in your life.

There was once a nautical shop in town but it was shut down and looked quite empty.  The hardware store has your basic tools and supplies, and there’s a Nappa marine and auto parts store a bit further up the street.  Provisioning is also possible.  

The Blue Bay Inn is an upscale boutique hotel - the only one on the Jersey Shore.

Hardware store in the middle of town. The Nappa store is a couple of blocks up the street.

Where to eat?

Memphis Pig Out has the best ribs! Casual eatery with plenty of pet pigs and the nicest folks you are likely to meet.

Useful Resources
Marinas	Leonardo State Marina Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club Harbormaster 732-291-1670 or VHF 09
Restaurants	Zios on the Water Harborside Grille Bobo's 33 Memphis Pig Out Bella's Raw Bar Julia's Sapo Verde Indulgence Cafe
Theaters	Playhouse Atlantic Cinemas Fiveplex
Inns	Blue Bay Inn
Links	Visit AHYC Borough of AH Chamber of Commerce Historical Society