More Than a Summer Escape
A former Pennsylvania couple traded the mainland for year-round life in Loveladies and discovered the island the summer crowds never meet.
Realtor Drew Guarino of Freeman & Company Real Estate in Harvey Cedars recently photographed our home on Long Beach Island. At the end of the session, knowing I’ve written eight cookbooks, he suggested I write something about life on LBI. So here it is.
As former Pennsylvania residents, we were introduced to the island in the early 1980s while on vacation. Smitten with this lovely stretch of coastline, we bought land on Barnegat Bay and built a home in Loveladies. For several years we commuted whenever we could. Then, about ten years ago, we decided to make LBI our permanent home, and we did.
Many of our friends were surprised. “How could you live there in the winter? Isn’t it just a summer escape?” I’d smile and think to myself that they simply didn’t appreciate this island gem in the Atlantic.
The Atlantic takes on a completely different character in winter. Dramatic, crisp, and wildly beautiful.
Having miles of beach nearly to ourselves for a morning walk is a luxury that never grows old. LBI offers roughly 18 miles of coastline: wide sandy beaches, surfing, swimming, fishing, and easy access to both the ocean and the bay. The island keeps a slower pace, free of boardwalks and overwhelming crowds. Life in Loveladies is quiet and residential, with biking, beach walks, and magnificent sunsets folded into every day.
That said, we do step away during the summer and rent the property for a few weeks each season. There are practical reasons: luxury comes with substantial property taxes, and the activity around the kitchen can get a little stressful, much as we love having family around. Hence the rental program, and the photo shoot.
Our home includes a dock that reaches about 200 feet into Barnegat Bay. As the photographer worked, we got to talking with Drew about it. Years ago, without quite realizing the rules, we built a sunscreen structure with benches at the end of the dock. As it turns out, such a structure isn’t permitted under New Jersey regulations. About two years ago the state ran aerial surveys of the shoreline and informed us the sunscreen would have to come down.
I explained that an osprey family had taken up residence, building a massive nest of sticks, driftwood, and seaweed atop the structure. The state was unmoved: the sunscreen had to go. So I called the county Animal Protection Agency and explained the situation. An officer came out promptly, walked halfway down the dock, looked up at the nest, turned to me, and said five words.
Do not touch that nest.
County Animal Protection officer
About an hour later, the state called back. The sunscreen, they said, would remain exactly where it was.
Every April, our osprey family comes back. They raise their young through spring and summer, then leave for wintering grounds in South America in late August. They’re fascinating to watch, and we look forward to their return each year.
Back to Notes from LBILife on LBI is a joy, and far from boring.
