Long Beach Island: A Complete Guide

Local Knowledge. Shore Results.

LBI Isn't One Town, It's Six

People search "Long Beach Island real estate" far more often than they search any single LBI borough by name, but LBI is actually six separate municipalities strung along one 18-mile barrier island, each with a genuinely distinct character and price point. This guide rounds up all six in one place, so you can compare the island's real internal range before narrowing down to a single town's full guide.

The Six LBI Municipalities, North to South

Barnegat Light

The island's northern tip, home to Old Barney, the 172-foot lighthouse, and Viking Village's working commercial fishing fleet. Genuinely small (year-round population under 700), no house-to-house mail delivery, and some of the widest beaches on LBI. See the full Barnegat Light guide →

Harvey Cedars

Between Loveladies and North Beach, the most commercially developed part of northern LBI, anchored by the Barnegat Light Yacht Club (established 1928) and genuinely wide, replenished beaches. See the full Harvey Cedars guide →

Surf City

LBI's arts enclave, a genuine, self-sustaining cluster of working galleries along Long Beach Boulevard, central island location with real walkable commerce. See the full Surf City guide →

Ship Bottom

The island's practical gateway, sitting at the foot of the Route 72 Causeway Bridge, the first town most people set foot in when they cross onto LBI, and one of the more accessible price points on the island. See the full Ship Bottom guide →

Long Beach Township

The island's largest municipality by land, spanning nearly twenty distinct named communities across four physically separate sections, from ultra-private Loveladies to family-oriented Brant Beach to wilderness-adjacent Holgate. See the full Long Beach Township guide →

Beach Haven

LBI's "Queen City," the island's commercial and entertainment hub, home to Fantasy Island (the only amusement park on LBI), Bay Village, and the island's only historic district. See the full Beach Haven guide →

Choosing Your Section of LBI

Want maximum privacy and exclusivity? Barnegat Light or Loveladies (within Long Beach Township) offer the island's quietest, most private character.

Want a walkable, central location with real commerce? Surf City and Ship Bottom sit at the island's center, with genuine dining, galleries, and easy access both north and south.

Want boardwalk energy and entertainment? Beach Haven delivers the island's liveliest commercial and family-entertainment scene.

Want family-oriented, classic LBI summer living? Brant Beach, within Long Beach Township, is widely considered the island's clearest family-oriented section.

What to Know Before Buying on LBI

This entire island is a genuine barrier-island flood zone. Elevation, flood insurance, and rebuild-compliance status matter for every single property here, get specific, current information for any address under consideration, not general island-wide assumptions.

LBI has one road on, one road off. Route 72 and the Causeway Bridge are the only vehicle access, meaning summer traffic is a real, predictable feature of island life, not an occasional inconvenience.

As a certified zoning officer, I'd recommend confirming current flood zone maps and any elevation requirements directly with each specific municipality, these designations vary block to block even within one town, and they do get updated.

Thinking About LBI?

Six towns, six genuinely different personalities, all on the same 18-mile island. Tell me the two or three you're actually weighing against each other, and I'll give you the real tradeoffs, not the brochure version, before you pick one to tour.

Matt Quinn United Real Estate Associates (609) 709-2742 matt@mattquinnsellshomes.com