9 Things To Know Before Visiting The Wildwoods, New Jersey

1. Is it "Wildwood" or "Wildwoods"?

It's both! On the barrier island, there are three distinct neighborhoods: North Wildwood, Wildwood, and Wildwood Crest. Collectively they are known as the Wildwoods.

2. Plan Out Dinner Beforehand

Proportionally, there is more lodging than there are places to dine, leading to long wait times at sit-down restaurants. Of course, you'll want to book your hotel first — but follow that up with some restaurant research (and reservations, if possible).

3. Stock Up on Booze

Liquor licenses are a new thing for the Wildwoods, Cape May, and Stone Harbor. While there are a few liquor stores and some restaurants have a full license to serve alcohol, many are BYOB, so be sure to check before you head out the door!

4. Bring Quarters

Dig into your change bank and grab as many quarters as you can!  If you plan to drive anywhere near the boardwalk or in town, you will need quarters for metered parking. Don't assume you'll be able to break bills at your destination, as very few will have quarters on hand.

5. Don't Drive!

Don't want to mess with parking and the quarters? The preferred mode of transpiration is bicycle. Most rental properties will come with a few and there are additional rental companies in town.

6. Uber Up!

Bikes aren't for you? Take Uber — The Wildwoods do have the car service company. Download the app and enjoy a ride in comfort.

7. Free Parking

Need to park it like it's hot for the week? Our condo only had two parking spots, but we had three cars. There are a couple of lots, but if you head just over Atlantic Avenue, there is plenty of free street parking. Watch out for the yellow boxes painted on the road to signify "no parking" and be mindful of parking directly in front of someone else's house.

8. Looking for Upscale Dining?

Wildwood Island seems to be on the casual side (try Quahog's Seafood Shack), but Cape May and Stone Harbor are a little more upscale. We dined at the Peter Shields Inn, which offered a very pleasurable dining experience, great service, and locally inspired dishes prepared by an executive chef. The historic beach mansion that overlooks the water has limited seating and reservations are usually made months in advance. It did, however, live up to the hype.

9. Keep Some Cash on Hand

A lot of the mom and pop shops — as well as the bridge tolls — are cash only.

This article was originally published on SavoryExperiments.com. Be sure to also check out some of their other work below:

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