No Love for the Jersey Shore from Dr. Beach

Famous best beach listmaker disses the Jersey Shore

Despite the recent exposure of the Jersey Shore on this year’s popular MTV show, Dr. Beach has left the Garden State coastline off his annual Top 10 Beaches of the U.S. list.
 
The list, which includes beaches in Hawaii, Florida, Massachusetts, named Coopers Beach in Southampton, N.Y. as the best beach in the country.
 
Coopers Beach and Main Beach, both of which made the top 10 list, are located in the Hamptons.  For a price of $40, the fine white sands of Coopers Beach can be yours -- for a day.
 
Dr. Beach, otherwise known as Dr. Stephen Leatherman, director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research, has produced this Top 10 list for over 20 years.
 
The 50 attributes which Dr. Beach analyzes include sand texture and color, surrounding development patterns, precipitation patterns, water temperature and color, pollution levels, and presence of seaweed and jellyfish.
 
On his website, Dr. Beach dishes out various criticisms of the Jersey Shore.  He considers New Jersey’s northern coastline a destination for “noisy crowds who devour fried food, pizza and funnel cakes washed down with ample portions of beer." 
 
Dr. Beach also mentions what he views as the wild nightlife scene, replete with bars and wet T-shirt contests.  He points out that smart travelers should simply avoid the area.
 
Dr. Beach does redeem himself by praising Long Beach Island as particularly good spot on the Jersey Shore.  After all, Dr. Beach says, “It is hard to believe that there is peace and quiet in New Jersey”.
 
He also recommends Cape May, N.J. as a good beach for vacation-goers.
 
Other criticisms from Dr. Beach include the erosion problems faced by the Jersey Shore and the estimated $1 billion cost of combating sand loss through engineering projects in the next 50 years.
 
But hey, the Jersey Shore has received some recognition for various unique assets.  North Wildwood Beach has earned the title of Best Sports Beach of the Northeast, and Atlantic City is the Top Novelty Beach of the Northeast. 
 
It is also the home of Seaside Heights, the primary filming location for MTV’s popular reality series Jersey Shore.
 
With all this good publicity, how could Dr. Beach have forgotten the Jersey shore?
 

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