Park at Will on Tuesday — Meters Go Live on Wednesday

The city will activate parking meters throughout the town on Wednesday, May 1.

After seven months of free parking, Ocean City residents and visitors will start their seasonal search for quarters starting on Wednesday, May 1. Parking is big business in Ocean City. The city expects to collect more than $2.4 million in parking fees from meters and city-owned lots between now and Oct. 1, when the meters go dormant again for the off-season. This year, about 800 new meters near the beach and boardwalk will accept credit cards. In March, City Council approved an ordinance that raises fees for the convenience. The fees for the new credit-card meters change from 25 cents per 15 minutes to 25 cents per 10 minutes (or $1.50 per hour).  But they're not available yet — the competitive contract was not awarded in time to make the …

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Ocean City's 59th Night in Venice Will Invite Motorless Boats for First Time

The annual boat parade is set for July 20 this year.

  The annual Night in Venice boat parade will go forward for the 59th time in Ocean City on Saturday, July 20. The optional theme this year will be “The Good Old Summer Time.” The colorful boat parade and decorated home celebration was initiated to commemorate the city’s Diamond Jubilee, or 75th anniversary, in 1954. It was organized by former Public Relations Director Art Watkins and Ocean City Beach Patrol Captain Jack Jernee. Watkins, who was a boat tour director, prior to settling in Ocean City, witnessed a semi-religious celebration in Venice, Italy during which residents sailed to a nearby island and had a sociable evening. Night In Venice has remained one of Ocean City’s most popular events. Local historian Fred Miller learned that …

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Beach Tags for Summer 2013 Are On Sale Now

Seasonal tags will be available at a $5 discount through May 31.

Beach tags for the summer 2013 season are on sale now online and at four locations in Ocean City. A $5 discount on seasonal tags is good through May 31. Information from the City of Ocean City's beach tag page is as follows: 2013 OFFICIAL BEACH TAG INFORMATION The online beach tag store is now open 24 hours a day*. To enter online store, click HERE. 2013 Seasonal Beach tags are $20.00 now through May 31st. Beginning June 1st, Seasonal Beach Tags are $25.00. Beach Tags are required for all beachgoers age 12 & up and are in effect from June 8, 2013 thru September 2, 2013 2013 Pre-Season beach tags are on sale at the following locations: Aquatic & Fitness Center, 1735 Simpson Avenue  Monday thru Friday 9:00am to 9:00pm,  Saturday 9:00am to 6:…

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Boardwalk Trolley Route Starts June 30; Downtown Service Cancelled

Ocean City's public transportation route travels the length of the island on the beach blocks.

Seasonal trolley service in Ocean City will resume this summer on Saturday, June 30 — just as the island's population begins to swell with visitors streaming into town for the holiday week (July 4 falls on the following Wednesday). But Ocean City visitors will have a choice of only one route this summer: along the roads nearest to the beach and boardwalk. A second route that provided service to Ocean City's downtown shopping district for the past four years will not be offered this year. The service is run by the private Great American Trolley Co. but is subsidized by the Ocean City Tourism Development Commission as a way to offer public transportation at a time of year when streets are gridlocked and parking spaces filled. The Tourism …

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Where to Buy 2012 Beach Tags

Check locations and prices for beach tag sales.

Discounted seasonal beach tags are on sale now — online and at four locations in Ocean City. The 2012 seasonal tags cost $25. Online orders include a $5 shipping cost. Beachgoers can save that fee by purchasing tags at the following locations:  Beach tags are required for children ages 12 and older and will be required June 9 to Sept. 3 this year.  Beach tags will also be available for purchase from beach tag inspectors during the season. Weekly beach tags are $10, and daily beach tags cost $5. For more information on the beach tag program, visit the Ocean City NJ Beach Tag Store or go straight to the Ocean City NJ online beach tag order form.

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Douglas Bergen

8:38 am on Monday, May 28, 2012

There are 13 beaches guarded now, and it will take another three or four weeks before all 43 protected beaches in O.C. are staffed. It usually coincides with the end of the public school year (many lifeguards are teachers or students). Everything should be in place by June 23.   more ›

Ocean City Guide: Memorial Day Weekend

Ocean City residents and visitors celebrate the start of another summer season.

For seasoned lovers of summer — the ones who count down the days through winter, then rue each passing day of summer — this week is a glorious one. All the good times and good food and good company are still ahead. Not a day of summer has expired yet. Astronomers and meteorologists continue to maintain that summer starts on June 20 this year. But everybody in Ocean City knows that it starts on the Saturday before the last Monday in May — otherwise known as the start of Memorial Day Weekend. And of all the weekend attractions that Ocean City has to offer, there's really only one that ever really matters: the weather. You can't predict the weather—least of all on the barrier islands (though the early forecasts look pretty spectacular). But …

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The Myth of Ocean City's Five-Mile Boardwalk

The legendary 2.5-mile Boardwalk is really only 2.45 miles long.

  Runners love the Ocean City Boardwalk not only for the spectacular oceanfront views but because it helps them fly. Many report personal-best times for the five-mile round trip or five-mile training runs that always seem to be a little quicker with the same amount of effort. There's something mysterious in the spring of the boards ... or the fresh air ... or the inspiring scenery. But the GPS isn't quite as awed. There's a reason why a five-mile run at an 8:00 per mile pace comes in well under 40 minutes—it's because the round trip is really only 4.9 miles. The Boardwalk is 2.45 miles long. It's common knowledge and a well-advertised fact that the legendary Ocean City Boardwalk is 2.5 miles long—and to anybody but a runner and a …

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What Restaurants Are Open for a Winter Dinner?

Finding a place to sit and eat can be a challenge in the off-season.

This email came from "Carol" this week: There should be a printed list of what IS OPEN off-season for those coming to town. We could go to Somers Point but it would be nice to have a list to refer to instead of making 5 or 6 phone calls. Thanks. Ocean City Patch has had a handful of similar requests this fall—as the days get shorter and the list of seasonal restaurant closings gets longer. So we decided to take one for the team and spend an early Friday evening in November on the phone trying to figure out what is and isn't open for dinner. Here are the results of our highly unscientific work after more than 50 calls. Please add omissions or corrections in the comments box below.

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Ocean City Guide

Rainy Day Guide: Things to Do With the Kids

Here are some ideas for fun activities off the beach and Boardwalk.

Usually, on about the third day in a rainy week, parents run out of ideas for kid-centric activities. After the obvious ideas are exhausted – going to the movies or playing indoor miniature golf – parents could use some help in keeping the kids occupied. The same goes for when the mercury rises and there’s no relief from the heat predicted: Everyone could use a break from the outdoors and can appreciate a diversion indoors. Here’s an alphabetical list that might come in handy:   Butterfly Boutique, 943 Asbury Ave., 609-391-0812 Walk-in arts and crafts are available every day -- from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Story time with a …

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Ocean City Guide

Survival Guide to Ocean City's Crosswalks

A new law enacted in 2010 makes driving and walking a challenge on Ocean City's busy summer streets.

Back in the Dark Ages (of say, like, 2005), the law of momentum ruled at street corners. Small and fragile things (humans) yielded to heavy and fast-moving things (cars). The rule was simple for pedestrians: Look both ways before crossing the road. But now that we have a modern new crosswalk law to protect pedestrians, chaos often reigns. Emboldened by the new measure, many pedestrians show blind faith and cross in front of cars. Ignorant of the new law, many drivers fail to yield to pedestrians. "A pedestrian has a lot of obligations," Ocean City Police Capt. Steven Ang said. "A lot of people just walk without looking up. That's not the letter of the law. Eye contact is really important. Pedestrians often take more liberties than they …

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