Brigantine Beach was lucky to get two, not one, visits from the Army Corps of Engineers over the past few months. Their job was to pump our beaches with tons of fresh, new sand. Click to see pics from June 2013.

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Brigantine Beach is just one of the many seashore themes featured at the art gallery / coastal gift shop of Donna Elias. This jam-packed collection of seashore art, hand-made crafts, gifts and beachy treasures is just 5 minutes over the Brigantine bridge in Gardners Basin, Atlantic City. Click to see pics.

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Open Friday & Saturdays, 10 am to 7 pm. Sunday through Tuesday, 10 am to 6 pm. Closed Wed & Thurs. Located at Historic Gardner’s Basin Maritime Park, 800 North New Hampshire Avenue, Atlantic City. 609-266-5826

If you haven’t been to Historic Gardner’s Basin, you’re missing out on the “other” Atlantic City. Located on the back bay, where Gardner’s Basin, Clam Creek and Absecon Inlet all come together. In addition to Donna Elias’ Bayside Gallery, there are scenic boat tours, Para-sailing, half and full day fishing trips, eight unique shops and waterfront restaurants, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner….plus beautiful views of the back bay, commercial fishing fleet and a wonderful sunset.

There’s even the Atlantic City aquarium. Plenty of FREE, safe, on-site parking.

Before his free beach concert in Atlantic City on Saturday afternoon, Jimmy Buffett just had to check out the surf of Brigantine Beach. According to reports, Mr. Buffett quietly parked his vehicle on 10th Street, near the Root Beer Barrel surf shop. His car had 2 boards strapped to the top.

After his visit, the man behind the all new Margaritaville; in front of Resorts Casino, stopped into the Root Beer Barrel for a little shopping. One of the items Buffett purchased was a Rootbeer Barrel t-shirt. He wore that fine piece of fashion on-stage a few hours later, in front of 50,000 fans on the Atlantic City beach.

While in Brigantine, Jimmy Buffett took the time to talk to local fans, and take some pics with the owners of the popular Brigantine surf shop.

The Brigantine Beach and Atlantic City region is excellent for those who love to play golf and be close to the sun & surf. In March 2009, Atlantic City was ranked among the “Top 10 Golf Cities in America” by Forbes. All local courses ranked among Golf Digest’s “best places to play.” In addition to “The Links”, try these excellent places to play…

• ATLANTIC CITY COUNTRY CLUB   900 Shore Rd. Northfield, NJ 08225
  609-236-4400 http://www.accountryclub.com/ Atlantic City’s oldest, most prestigious country club. Open to public play. Rated #1 public/daily fee course in NJ. Top 100 US classic golf courses.

• BALLAMOR GOLF CLUB  6071 English Creek Ave. Egg Harbor Twp., NJ 08234
  609-601-6220 http://www.ballamor.com/ Named 4th best public course in NJ by Golf Magazine. Traditional architecture with modern touches capture beauty course. Open to public year-round for daily fee play and group outings. Located just off the AC Expressway Exit 9. 15 minutes from Brigantine Beach.

• BLUE HERON PINES GOLF CLUB 550 W. Country Club Drive  Cologne, NJ 08213
  609-965-1800 http://blueheronpines.com/home/ Golf Magazine “top 100″ Daily fee 36-hole championship golf course specializing in golf outings, meetings, weddings. 15 minutes from Brigantine Beach.

• HAMILTON TRAILS GOLF CLUB 620 Harbor Ave. Mays Landing, NJ 08330
  609-641-6824 http://www.hamiltontrails.com/ A great value among South Jersey golf courses at a great price. Regulation-length, 9-hole course for novice and seasoned player. Enjoy 9 holes in about 2 1/2 hours. You can play a second round of 9 at attractive replay rate.

Gotta love taking pics & video of Brigantine Beach. Somebody’s gotta share our awesomeness with the world. So much beachy goodness to point the camera at.

We really like to ACCURATELY document the amazing growth of our island community. Brigantine Beaches are big, beefy and beautiful. Just thought you’d like to see for yourself….Click to watch these videos we shot on June 1, 2013.

Some call WordPress a ‘Local Newspaper Killer’. We call it a secret weapon behind the fast growth of BrigantineNOW.com. This easy to use, online publishing platform just turned 10…and it keeps getting better with age. WordPress levels the playing field for those who create, share and serve. Traditional media (TV & Newspaper) is not a big fan of this content publishing system – it disrupts the media monopoly that’s been a profit machine & bully pulpit for a privileged few for quite some time.

Will WordPress really kill local Newspaper? Not exactly. But it certainly hurts Newspaper’s dominance and readership. It keeps picking off more and more of their local advertisers too.

Learning WordPress was the most valuable skill we picked up over the past 10 years. By becoming a WordPress expert, we create, develop, experiment, teach, train and do just about anything we can think of….real fast, real cheap and real good. The best part? We don’t have to beg a techie geek to help us build a thing. Imagine if each time you wanted to eat, you had to hire a chef?

In August of 2011, WordPress came in real handy for us. We decided to create a WP powered, hyper-local news site for our seashore resort town of Brigantine Beach.

BrigantineNow.com was originally developed to be an experimental news & tourism site. We used it for training local Newspaper, TV & Radio executives. Since we vacationed in Brigantine for the past 15 years, we knew the island like the back of our hand. We also knew that Brigantine had a pretty bad web presence. They really needed some help with marketing the island. For too long, the municipal & business chamber websites featured outdated info & pictures that gave online readers the absolute wrong impression of this jewel by the sea.

So we would kill two birds with one stone.

#1. Build a bad-ass, hyper local website using WordPress & low-cost digital tools.

#2. Provide a far more accurate, online description of Brigantine via pictures, video and search-optimized online stories.

BrigantineNOW.com would show off digital tools, sales & revenue concepts, and content tactics on a live, news oriented website. Instead of verbally describing the benefits of a particular online sales idea or editorial tool, we would just quickly install it and show it off….in action…. on BrigantineNow.com. It was great way to clearly show local media execs how an online sales idea or story would look, how to implement it, how to tweak it, etc.

The understanding and retention from our Newspaper & Broadcast clients dramatically increased.

Jump ahead to November 2012 and Hurricane Sandy’s visit to the Jersey coast. Local media storm coverage of Brigantine was spotty at best. Local Newspaper sites in Brigantine had minimal / no Sandy updates. The Brigantine city website was comatose for 3 days. A local TV site crashed.

We saw the massive need for a website totally devoted to how Brigantine was being affected by Hurricane Sandy. It all took off from there.

Local Newspaper Killer?

We decided to convert BrigantineNow.com from a training/beta site…to a full-service, hyper-local news & info site about the storm….and eventually move it towards news & tourism.

Facebook fans grew from 300 to over 2,800. Page-views spiked from 500 per day to over 50,000 page-views a day right after the storm. Double opt-in email subscribers jumped from 100 to over 1,100.

Revenue? We still avoid over reliance on banner ads. Instead, we leverage the passionate site readership into database opportunities and lead generation. Readers love it. So do the sponsors.

Small business is our # 1 customer. Without small business support, we couldn’t pay the bills that allow us to maintain our fast growing and loyal readership.

BrigantineNOW delivers on what small business demands. It’s not rocket science. Small business wants leads. They want video & pics of their business. They want a great looking website that’s easy to update & in-expensive. They want to be easily found in a Google search.

BrigantineNOW.com mixes this understanding with our readership needs…..the readers who have come to trust BrigantineNOW.com as the GO TO destination for all things Brigantine. Lots of pictures, video and relevant info.

Thank you WordPress. Oh, and happy 10th birthday you handsome devil you.

Need WordPress training? Want a “BrigantineNOW” in your town? Want to use WordPress for small business & SALES & MARKETING projects?

Contact us. We live & breath WordPress….and oh….we LOVE Brigantine Beach too!

Brigantine homeowners & local business operators were not pleased by a recent ‘Patriot News’ interview with a Brigantine Real Estate agent. Was the agent sucker punched inside another negative story about Brigantine? The Patriot News is a part of PennLive.com; the largest website in central PA. Read the online version of the article here: Luck Sours for Jersey Shore Town near Atlantic City, and Sandy has little to do with it.

The reporter quotes agent; Arno Apel from Ashore Realty, as saying some pretty dismal things about the Brigantine economy. The owner of the agency; Dennis Allen, says the interview and eventual Newspaper story was inaccurate & taken out of context.

Here’s one such angry email from a Brigantine homeowner, sent to the reporter / writer of this article :

Dear John Luciew,

The article you published in The Patriot News ( and online at Central PA website: http://www.PennLive.com ) is very disturbing. I don’t know the actual basis for Mr. Apel’s take on Brigantine and Atlantic City. I have multiple luxury rental properties in the $6000/week category and I’m almost fully booked. I did reduce my rates a bit this year, due to a sluggish start and more properties available as rentals.

The main reason that rentals are down or a bit late this year? There is no marketing of our beautiful island, stating that we’re back to normal. 

Shops, restaurants, most homes and our beaches are back to gorgeous, with two completed beach replenishments.

You see, Brigantine is the best kept secret with beautifully groomed beaches, gorgeous properties in every price range, safe quiet streets, happy smiling faces, a golf course, a miniature golf course, the normal tee shirt/souvenir shops, ice cream/ pizza/ bakery shops, full size Acme market, restaurants, no traffic, no parking meters or parking issues….. I can go on and on.

Brigantine is the best kept secret because those with power just plain want to keep it to themselves.

Although the Governor is now leading an ad campaign through television ads, it was late in getting onto the airways. It really should have started in March, as we were up and running here in Brigantine almost right away. Are the New Jersey shore ads running in your markets?

Mr. Apel was correct in his thoughts that the economy has affected the rental market here but not because our guests are not willing to use their money to enjoy our town for a week in the summer. Part of the reason for slower rental bookings is an economy effect, BUT that effect is not a lack of vacationers coming to our town.

Our inventory has increased due to the fact that many more homeowners that did not previously rent out their 2nd homes are now doing so because of the financial burdens of their personal assets. So renting out 2nd homes helps to bring in some rental money to off-set 2nd home hardships. This theory has been validated through the Brigantine Fire Marshall’s office that has the duty of inspecting seasonal rental properties. They have had a marked increase in the number of summer rental properties of the last few years, as our economy tanked.

As for Atlantic City, Mr Apel’s take on Atlantic City is confusing to me. Although the numbers are down for the casinos, that does not negate the fact that the casinos are an asset to the Brigantine community and the State of New Jersey,as a whole.

The mainland of AC is just over the bridge to our Island and is home to many 4 star dining experiences. The shows, acts and entertainers brought into the casinos are top rate. The nightclubs are first rate too. The casinos are located in two districts, the Borgata (very high end), Harrah’s beautiful high end casino and the Golden Nugget (recently renovated throughout) and home of a large marina with multi-million dollar yachts, right over the bridge from Brigantine. They are beautiful casinos and they are a part of our Brigantine Beach skyline.

The other AC casinos line the boardwalk. One casino after another with “Boardwalk type” shops and restaurants placed in between… all with ocean views, many with wonderful beach bars.

Yes, Atlantic City has “seedy” areas. Doesn’t every city of this type? But you don’t go to them, you don’t even have to drive through them anymore. So Mr. Apel’s take may reflect a poor travel route on his part.

Further, on the casinos…. the casinos in the neighboring states do not compare with the Atlantic City casinos in size of gaming, restaurants, entertainment, glitz, glamour, room appointments, and more. New Jersey casinos are far superior in every way.

Many of my Brigantine vacation rental guests come from the central PA area that your Newspaper covers. I believe the interview given by Mr. Apel was full of mis-information and incorrect conjecture on his part.

Please counter your previous article with the information I just provided. Brigantine is an island jewel waiting for happy Pennsylvanians to enjoy and experience the wonderful island of Brigantine.

Thank You

We need fair & balanced media coverage of Brigantine Beach. Our jewel of an Island gets better and more beautiful by the day. You didn’t know that if you only read the Philadelphia Inquirer, Press of AC, or viewed the Brigantine Chamber of Commerce website. You see, pictures are worth a thousand words. The Inquirer & AC Press seem to only cover our struggles, and the Chamber & City websites are devoid of photos depicting Brigantine’s amazing comeback. This makes us wonder who’s really in charge of communications: attracting tourism, business and investment to our town.

Why is the City of Brigantine paying a well-compensated public employee to build a business directory?…..something the Brigantine Chamber should be doing with their own money….not taxpayer’s money.

Recent Philly.com Photo of Brigantine

One simple photo can do more good (or harm) than a million dollars in TV, Radio & Newspaper advertising. A recent article on Philly.com was called: Months after Sandy, Brigantine Still Far From Normal.

Another article featured an ill-advised interview and quotes potentially taken out of context from a local Brigantine Realtor in a story called: Luck sours for Jersey Shore town near Atlantic City. The local Real Estate agent made the critical mistake of talking to a reporter potentially looking for ‘bad’ news along the Jersey shore.

Why did this Brigantine Real Estate office allow a newbie agent to talk to a reporter from the biggest website in central PA? No matter if the reporter was 100% accurate or not about the quotes, the willing participant (agent) and the Real Estate office must take full responsibility for this unfortunate mistake…..apologize….and move forward. Mistakes like this hurt everyone in Brigantine.

While some are still hurting and need help, we also need to be telling beach lovers why they should buy, rent and visit Brigantine Beach… since tourism, Real Estate & home services are key drivers of our Brigantine economy.

We liked the “Stronger than the Storm” marketing campaign for NJ. Yet most people still want to see the current Jersey shore with their own eyes. When driving here is not possible, photos & video can really help. That’s why BrigantineNOW.com takes a TON of photos and shoots a TON of Brigantine Video. We want the world to know the REAL value and current status of Brigantine Beach, not just the one-sided coverage they see in the local papers or on TV.

EXAMPLE of why many Brigantine homeowners /business owners are angry: The Brigantine Chamber of Commerce website has no relevant/current vacation-oriented photos, but it does feature a ‘who got arrested’ section via the Police Department blotter.

Rogue Employee FB Page? Click to Enlarge.

Another example of why Brigantine homeowners / business owners are angry: (we hope it’s not true)…a Brigantine public employee allegedly runs a Brigantine Facebook page, pushes their own private business interests, and keeps posting Hurricane Sandy photos as we approach the Summer tourism season. CLICK photo to left to enlarge.

This obvious and hurtful activity has to stop.

To the outside world, many are still skeptical about vacationing or buying a home on Brigantine Beach. It shouldn’t be that way. The post-Sandy media coverage of Brigantine Beach was extra heavy due to the Obama visit. To be sure, a substantial amount of homes located in low-lying parts of Brigantine Island were hurt. This was and still is newsworthy, but it needs to be balanced with showing off the amazing beauty, excellence and rebound of our entire coastal island.

Business angry at Brigantine Chamber. Click to ENLARGE

If a rogue public employee & our local business chamber drop the ball with tourism & marketing efforts, all Brigantiners get hurt. All Brigantine homeowners & business owners depend on visitors, buyers & renters for their livelihood and/or home valuations. See 2012 Brigantine Chamber of Commerce Financial Report here.

Photos, video, email, Facebook and YouTube are some of the tools we use to communicate with those interested in Brigantine Beach.

We use these digital tools to combat the one-sided/in-accurate info about Brigantine….we also use these tools to amplify & share all that is good about our seaside community.

We want fair & balanced coverage of Brigantine Beach. That’s a big part of the mission of BrigantineNOW.com.

BrigantineNOW.com is now the #1 source of news & info about Brigantine Beach. Local newspapers are ok, but they reach a very, very small handful of the total potential audience for all things Brigantine.

Click below for some AWESOME pics of Brigantine Beach.

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Seth Grossman ran against Governor Christie in the NJ primary.

Seth called into BrigantineNOW Radio. The well-known local attorney talks about Obama & Christie, Brigantine voters rights, home values along the shore, Hurricane Sandy, city unions, Brigantine tax hikes, ‘pay to play’ and more… Here’s audio from the interview we did on June 2, 2013.

Brigantine Teacher Salary Info

Brigantine Public Employee Info

Click to listen.

Brigantine Beach is getting some well deserved road construction for safety. Click for pics. It’s all happening in front of the old Jack’s Pharmacy. ( aka: same area as Mad Dog Morgan’s )

Many have asked us where the Jack’s Pharmacy used to be. The local newspapers still make reference to Brigantine landmarks (like Jack’s) that haven’t been here in ages. As you know, Brigantine Beach is now filled with a majority of 2nd home owners, almost 70%…..many are new to this island… over past 10 years.

The road work is going on where multiple traffic flows meets at this triangle. It’s been treacherous there for a while. Should be done before the 4th of July.

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Brigantine Beach gets more famous by the day. The Lifetime TV network debuted ‘Extreme Moms’ last night. It featured Adelina Presta, the wife of the owner of the very popular; L’Aragosta Restaurant. Who knew that she had a germ obsession? Click to watch short clip.

Mr’s Presta’s family tries to get mom to change. The kids document “a day in the life” of their family and confronts their mama. Next, they’ll put Momma Adelina to the test, taking her to public events where she must try to put their extreme ways behind them.

I know one thing for sure…. I’m gonna wipe my feet real good… the next time I walk into this awesome Italian restaurant here on Brigantine Beach!