Bradley Beach, NJ

Bradley Beach is a small Monmouth County borough on the Jersey Shore, between Ocean Grove and Avon-by-the-Sea. It was named for James A. Bradley, the same developer associated with nearby Asbury Park, and residents later pushed to separate the community through the New Jersey Legislature. Today Bradley Beach has a compact grid, beach blocks, a boardwalk, restaurants, and a year-round residential base behind the summer crowds. It feels more modest and neighborhood-scaled than some flashier shore towns.