And in Kitty Hawk, the canals crisscrossing the village make for excellent kayak adventures. Aviation geeks should check out the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, then lope up the 90-foot hill where the Brothers Wright conducted their glider tests.

Jennette's Pier is among the best spots to people-watch in this laid-back slice of the Atlantic, where fresh seafood from old-school family restaurants is unparalleled. A haven for East Coast surfers, Nags Head proper stretches for 11 miles of beach and sound, which includes the tallest sand dune on the East Coast at Jockey’s Ridge State Park (before it sets, scramble up to the top and catch the sun sinking beneath the horizon).

Nags Head has become the de-facto name for a power trio of beach towns in the Outer Banks: Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, and Kitty Hawk. It's a perfect (macro?) dose of AP's art community, and ideal beachside Instagram fodder. Asbury Park has one of the most low-key yet top-notch pizzerias in the country at Talula's, and Pop's Garage is a cheap-as-hell beachside favorite, slinging two-for-$6 tacos and $3 happy hour beers.ĭon't leave without: Perusing-and posing in front of-the many murals of Sunset Pavilion.

Must eat/drink: For a solid middle ground between fancy and beachy-casual, check out Moonstruck for a Mediterranean menu in a classic Jersey shore Victorian home. A bustling art scene, a longstanding LGBTQ community, and (obviously) a beautiful beach make Asbury Park worth fully greeting again, boss. Wanna try out vintage pinball? The Silverball Museum Arcade has more than 600 machines. Want to drink? Asbury Festhalle and Biergarten is on point for al fresco imbibing, holding rank alongside the always-lively Johnny Mac's and the delightfully divey Bond Street Bar atop the list of the 50-plus bars in town. AP's iconic boardwalk vibes have now made way for a ' Brooklyn on the beach' feel, an energy that extends into the city's legendary (and recently returned!) music scene. In the not-so-distant past, Asbury Park was best known as a dated Springsteen reference-a once-great tourist destination turned as stale as months-old saltwater taffy.

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