The Northern Agrarian

Ocean City, NJ is a relatively small Jersey shore town somewhere between Atlantic City and Cape May. It does not have the same name recognition as the Maryland town of the same name, but has plenty of its own to offer. Despite seeing serious increases in tourists and an appearance on USA Today’s top 10 family resorts list, it remains untarnished by corporate America.

Its boardwalk is its major draw, and is lined with junk-foods of all types. They are local establishments with long histories in the area. No Pizza-Huts, Domino’s, or Papa John’s; instead there is Mack and Manco’s–a New Jersey classic that not only routinely makes “Best of the Shore” lists, but best of the Northeast as well. It only has four locations total (three in Ocean City), and has a uniform recipe at each, guaranteeing that every pie, no matter the location, has tasted the same for years.

There are ice cream stands, but the Dairy Queens and Dippin’ Dots lines are always modest, while lines at Kohr Brothers frozen custard are always blocks long. Still a small franchise, they have resisted calls to grow their business out of fear of the inevitable decline in quality that comes with expansion. Mom and Pop fudge stores like Laura’s Fudge outsell the big fudge shops as well.

In terms of entertainment, family-fun remains untarnished. Two carnival-themed parks bookend the boardwalk with ferris wheels and skeeball games, and they are packed with families every night–especially on weekends–despite the terminal decline in the value of the family. Custom t-shirt shops, record stores, antique sports and movie collectible stores line the beach. No Gap or JCrew or American Eagle or Abercrombie and Fitch or FYE to be found in the whole of Ocean City. And yet prices are lower. One wonders what we sacrifice by giving into behemoth retailers at the expense of history and culture…

Finally miniature golf courses are a highlight of Ocean City, and a perfect example of how visitors to have been able to discern quality despite exterior modernity. Big companies rolled into town years ago to profit off of these attractions, but the big money courses have still been unable to beat the small Mom and Pop courses. “Congo Rapids” has spent thousands building a giant gorilla that shoots water, a crashed helicopter with singing monkeys on board, and vast caverns to house the course holes, yet despite this, more modest courses such as “Tee Time” and “Goofy Golf” still maintain loyal crowds and sell tickets at half the price of “Congo.”

I am vacationing in Ocean City with my family over the next few days, enjoying Mack and Manco’s and hopefully hitting up Tee Time soon. I hope to keep up with the NA as often as possible during this time. We were also all anticipating a visit from my grandmother, but a return to the hospital due to Lymphoma has left that visit in doubt. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.