Editing Ocean City, New Jersey (section)

==Economy==
===Beach===
[[File:Ocean City NJ beach looking north at 12th Street.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.2|Ocean City beach at 12th Street, August 2020]]
The concept of beach tags at the Jersey Shore was introduced in the late 1920s, but Ocean City did not establish them until 1976. [[Beach tag]]s are a major source of revenue for the city, with the $4.1 million in revenue generated in the 2016 season, the most of any municipality in the state.<ref>Hoover, Amanda. [http://www.nj.com/cape-may-county/index.ssf/2017/09/heres_how_much_money_shore_towns_raked_in_last_yea.html "Here's how much money Shore towns raked in off beach badges last summer"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124005928/http://www.nj.com/cape-may-county/index.ssf/2017/09/heres_how_much_money_shore_towns_raked_in_last_yea.html |date=January 24, 2018 }}, NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], September 2, 2017. Accessed January 23, 2018. "Ocean City - Revenue: $4.12 million; Price: Daily-$5; Weekly-$10; Seasonal-$25."</ref> In the 2017 budget, the projected $4.1 million in fees for beach tags and $3 million for parking were two of the city's biggest revenue sources, accounting for almost 9% of the city's annual budget of almost $80 million,<ref>Wittkowski, Donald. [http://ocnjdaily.com/ocean-citys-proposed-2017-municipal-budget-emphasizes-capital-projects/ "Ocean City's Proposed 2017 Municipal Budget Emphasizes Capital Projects"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124011130/http://ocnjdaily.com/ocean-citys-proposed-2017-municipal-budget-emphasizes-capital-projects/ |date=January 24, 2018 }}, ''OCNJ Daily'', March 15, 2017. Accessed January 23, 2018. "Ocean City's proposed $79.7 million operating budget reflects a healthy real estate market and should satisfy Wall Street credit-rating agencies, but will require local property owners to pay more in taxes this year, according to the city's chief financial officer.... Ocean City has the ability to tap different sources of revenue – in addition to local property taxes – to finance the operating budget. Beach tag sales and parking operations are two of the biggest revenue generators. The budget forecasts $4.1 million in beach tag sales and $3 million in parking revenue for 2017."</ref> and increased fees, including a doubling of the fee for daily tags, were part of an effort to bring the total up to $5&nbsp;million for the 2023 season.<ref>Conklin, Eric. [https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/ocean-city-approves-increasing-beach-tag-fees-for-2023/article_2e37f7e2-5152-11ed-ad6c-933867fa6593.html "Ocean City approves increasing beach tag fees for 2023; Moves comes after fees have gone decades without an increase"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', October 21, 2022. Accessed February 12, 2023. "The city expected to bring in $4 million in beach tag revenue in 2022, according to its budget. In 2021, the city collected more than $4.2 million in revenue. With the increase, it is estimated the city will collect more than $5 million in tag sales next year."</ref>

From early June through Labor Day, Ocean City requires individuals age 12 and up to purchase a beach tag to access its beaches.<ref>[https://www.ocnj.us/beach-faqs Guide to Ocean City Beaches], Ocean City, New Jersey. Accessed February 12, 2023.</ref> For the 2023 season (from the first weekend in June through Labor Day), a one-day pass will cost $10, a weekly pass was $20, and a seasonal pass for the full summer season will be $25. Additionally, there are free seasonal beach tags made available to military personnel. Beach tag revenue is used by the city to cover the costs of maintaining and cleaning the beaches. It is also used to hire and pay lifeguards and other members of the beach patrol for the city.<ref>[https://www.ocnj.us/beachtags/ Beach Fees], Ocean City, New Jersey. Accessed February 12, 2023.</ref>

===Boardwalk===
[[File:Ocean City NJ Boardwalk.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Ocean City Boardwalk with Music Pier in the background]]
Adjacent to the beach is a {{convert|2.45|mi|adj=on}} long [[boardwalk (entertainment district)|boardwalk]] that which runs north from 23rd Street to St. James Place.<ref>Bergen, Douglas. [http://patch.com/new-jersey/oceancity/the-myth-of-ocean-city-s-five-mile-boardwalk "The Myth of Ocean City's Five-Mile Boardwalk; The legendary 2.5-mile Boardwalk is really only 2.45 miles long."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160227135027/http://patch.com/new-jersey/oceancity/the-myth-of-ocean-city-s-five-mile-boardwalk |date=February 27, 2016 }}, Ocean City Patch, January 8, 2012. Accessed September 13, 2015. "It's common knowledge and a well-advertised fact that the legendary Ocean City Boardwalk is 2.5 miles long—and to anybody but a runner and a mathematician interested in multiple decimal places, it is. But the reality is that the 2.5 miles is rounded up from 2.45."</ref> The boardwalk was first built in 1880 from the Second Street [[wharf]] to Fourth Street and West Avenue. In 1885, plans to extend the boardwalk along the entire beach were made as the city's first amusement house, a pavilion on the beach at 11th street called "The Excursion" opened. A second amusement park, the "I.G. Adams pavilion", at Ninth Street and the boardwalk, opened soon after but was destroyed by fire in 1893. Following a second catastrophic fire in 1927, the boardwalk and its businesses were rebuilt {{convert|300|ft|m}} closer to the ocean on concrete pilings, with parking created for cars in the space where the buildings and boardwalk once stood.<ref>Bruno, Karen. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130728034744/http://newspapers.oceancitylibrary.org/data/2000-2009/OceanCitySentinel/2004/10-07-2004.pdf "Great October fire of 1927 destroyed the Boardwalk"], copy of article from ''Ocean City Sentinel'' at the Ocean County Library, October 7, 2004. Accessed January 19, 2012.</ref> The Ocean City Music Pier partially opened one year later, with work completed in time for the 1929 season.<ref>Pritchard, Michael. [http://www.atlanticcityweekly.com/news_and_views/ocean-city-s-music-pier-a-giant-among-piers/article_f94eb289-b816-5512-aa9a-61016b94d2e1.html "Ocean City's Music Pier: A Giant Among Piers; Ocean City's Music Pier is the center of the city's Boardwalk and the home of summer concerts."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625142049/http://www.atlanticcityweekly.com/news_and_views/ocean-city-s-music-pier-a-giant-among-piers/article_f94eb289-b816-5512-aa9a-61016b94d2e1.html |date=June 25, 2016 }}, ''Atlantic City Weekly'', July 6, 2011. Accessed September 13, 2015. "'The pier was built in 1928, but it really wasn't ready for the summer that year, so it opened in the summer of 1929,' says Fred Miller, Ocean City historian and the author of seven books on the city's history. 'It was built after the great fire of 1927 that destroyed the Boardwalk. But there actually had been a music pavilion there since 1905. It did survive the fire, but they moved it and built the pier.'"</ref>

In 2007, controversy emerged over the city's proposed use of [[Tabebuia|ipê]], a type of wood, to re-deck parts of the boardwalk. [[Environmental activists]] protested against the city's use of the wood, but the plan went ahead.<ref>Gilfillian, Trudi. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/article_650a8552-905c-11de-8cb2-001cc4c002e0.html "Southern New Jersey boardwalk officials search for the right wood (or plastic)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125031755/http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/article_650a8552-905c-11de-8cb2-001cc4c002e0.html |date=January 25, 2012 }}, ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', August 24, 2009. Accessed January 19, 2012. "But hardwoods such as ipe have their own downside, namely the controversy that can arise over their use. In Ocean City, officials opted this year to use pine to replace a block of Boardwalk after an order of tropical hardwood was delivered months late.... The city's initial decision to use tropical hardwood prompted public protests on the Boardwalk and outside City Hall. The Mayor's Office was flooded with messages from protesters."</ref> In Fall 2013, the city began a $10&nbsp;million project to rebuild the 85&nbsp;year old boardwalk from 5th to 12th Streets. This replaced the concrete substructure from 1928 with wooden supports and pine decking, and included the removal of {{convert|12000|cuyd}} of sand. Originally intended to be a seven-year project, the work finished two years ahead of schedule in March 2018.<ref>via [[Associated Press]]. [https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-jersey/articles/2017-12-10/historic-boardwalk-being-replaced-in-ocean-city "Historic Boardwalk Being Replaced in Ocean City For nearly a century, Ocean City's boardwalk helped define the image and identity of the family-friendly southern New Jersey shore resort."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124005743/https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-jersey/articles/2017-12-10/historic-boardwalk-being-replaced-in-ocean-city |date=January 24, 2018 }}, ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'', December 10, 2017. Accessed October 27, 2019.</ref><ref>Hawk, Tim. [https://www.nj.com/cape-may-county/2017/12/ocean_city_boardwalk_replacement.html "See what it takes to replace 90-year-old boardwalk in Ocean City"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028052600/https://www.nj.com/cape-may-county/2017/12/ocean_city_boardwalk_replacement.html |date=October 28, 2019 }}, NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], December 12, 2017, updated January 16, 2019. Accessed October 28, 2019.</ref><ref>Vitale, Maddie. [https://ocnjdaily.com/ocean-city-boardwalk-project-completed-ready-for-tourist-season/ "Ocean City Boardwalk Project Completed: Ready for Tourist Season"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028052457/https://ocnjdaily.com/ocean-city-boardwalk-project-completed-ready-for-tourist-season/ |date=October 28, 2019 }}, ''OCNJ Daily'', March 10, 2018. Accessed October 28, 2019.</ref>

====Attractions====
[[File:Ocean City NJ boardwalk looking north at 9th Street.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.2|Ocean City boardwalk looking north at 9th Street]]
In 1965, the Wonderland Amusement Park opened on the boardwalk at 6th Street, which is now known as [[Gillians Wonderland Pier|Gillian's Wonderland Pier]]. Runaway Train, a steel twister, operated as the park's sole major roller coaster until its removal in 2018.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}} The theme park is set to permanently close at the end of the 2024 season.<ref>via [[Associated Press]]. [https://www.voanews.com/a/historic-jersey-shore-amusement-park-closes-after-generations-of-family-thrills-/7821517.html "Historic Jersey Shore amusement park closes after generations of family thrills"], [[Voice of America]], October 14, 2024. Accessed October 14, 2024. "And in the heart of it was Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, an amusement park that was the latest in nearly a century-long line of family-friendly amusement attractions operated by the family of Ocean City’s mayor."</ref>

Playland's Castaway Cove is located on the boardwalk at 10th Street. Two major roller coasters operated there, which were the Python, a looping coaster, and the Flitzer, a wild mouse coaster. A new major shuttle coaster at Castaway Cove, Storm, was planned to be finished in summer 2013.<ref>Bellano, Anthony. [http://patch.com/new-jersey/oceancity/125-foot-roller-coaster-coming-ocean-city "125-Foot Roller Coaster Coming to Ocean City; GaleForce is set to open next year at Playland's Castaway Cove."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910090447/http://patch.com/new-jersey/oceancity/125-foot-roller-coaster-coming-ocean-city |date=September 10, 2015 }}, Ocean City Patch, August 5, 2015. Accessed September 13, 2015. "A 125-foot roller coaster is coming to Playland's Castaway Cove in Ocean City next year. Nicknamed 'GaleForce,' the roller coaster will feature a 64 mph launch and a drop of beyond 90 degrees.... GaleForce and another roller coaster to be named soon will replace Playland's looping Python and Flitzer at 10th Street, according to the Ocean City Gazette."</ref> The two older coasters were removed and for the 2016 summer season, a new ride called GaleForce was being built, which is a high thrill roller coaster with three linear synchronous motor launches reaching speeds of {{convert|64|mph}} and a {{convert|125|ft|adj=on}} beyond vertical drop. GaleForce opened to the public on May 26, 2017. The new Wild Waves ride is a family-oriented coaster, with a height of {{convert|50|ft}}, that wraps around the GaleForce coaster. The new Whirlwind ride is a figure eight kiddie coaster with spinning cars.<ref>Staff. [http://ocnjdaily.com/construction-progresses-on-new-roller-coasters-at-castaway-cove/ "Construction Progresses on New Roller Coasters at Castaway Cove"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817101219/http://ocnjdaily.com/construction-progresses-on-new-roller-coasters-at-castaway-cove/ |date=August 17, 2016 }}, OCNJ Daily, May 14, 2016. Accessed July 21, 2016.</ref>

There is also a water park located on the boardwalk called OC Waterpark, open during the summer months.<ref>[http://www.visitnj.org/nj-amusement-water-parks/oc-waterpark OC Waterpark] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919025141/http://www.visitnj.org/nj-amusement-water-parks/oc-waterpark |date=September 19, 2015 }}, Visit NJ. Accessed September 13, 2015.</ref>
  
There are several mini golf courses on the Boardwalk in Ocean City.

===Media===
Media publications in Ocean City include its newspaper, ''The Ocean City Sentinel''<ref>[http://www.ocsentinel.com/site/about.html About Us] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170615095121/http://www.ocsentinel.com/site/about.html |date=June 15, 2017 }}, ''Ocean City Sentinel''. Accessed September 29, 2015. "Founded in 1879 the Ocean City Sentinel is the oldest business in Ocean City, NJ, 'America's Greatest Family Resort.' The Ocean City Sentinel's history dates back to 1880 and the newspaper has been published continually since 1881."</ref> Ocean City also has a seasonal publication, ''The Ocean City Sure Guide'', and a lifestyle magazine known as ''Ocean City Magazine''.<ref>[http://ocnjmagazine.com/ Home Page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001110922/http://ocnjmagazine.com/ |date=October 1, 2015 }}, Ocean City magazine. Accessed September 29, 2015.</ref> The city also has a daily blog that has update on the city as a whole, called ''OCNJDaily'' <ref>{{cite web |url=https://ocnjdaily.com/ |title=Home |website=ocnjdaily.com}}</ref>