Lavallette offers quiet oceanfront living
Halfway down the Jersey Shore’s Barnegat Peninsula, the borough of Lavallette is both a popular summer resort town and a permanent community of nearly 2,000 people. “The exclusivity of it makes it stand out,” says Liberto Santonastaso, a Realtor with Ocean Beach Sales who has sold dozens of homes in Lavallette. “People have lived in the Lavallette area for generations. They just love it, and they come back every year.” This borough takes its name from a naval hero of the War of 1812, speaking to a nautical theme that this town of two shorelines has long embraced. Whether people move here for its Atlantic-facing beachfronts or its Barnegat Bay-facing yacht club and parks, Lavallette has plenty of conveniences that keep residents here year-round.
Beachgoing and boating along the Atlantic and Barnegat Bay
Lavallette is most famous for its beaches, which are quiet by design. “The beaches are absolutely stunning,” Santonastaso says. “They stand out above and beyond a lot of the other areas, even Seaside Heights. Lavallette beaches are second to none.” Fishing and surfing are confined to specific sections of the beach, while there are no businesses along Lavallette’s boardwalk, enabling people to take in the sea air without the bustle typical of shore town waterfronts. However, these beaches are far from idle. “They do movies on the beach or the bay, and the town also does an awesome firework display,” Santonastaso says. As Lavallette sits on a barrier island, it also borders Barnegat Bay, and several public boat ramps enable the exploration of this vast body of water. “Every day, there are people out on Barnegat Bay for both fishing and recreation,” Santonastaso says. Hankins Park includes a beach playground, basketball and tennis courts and a gazebo from which many locals watch the sunset.
Lavallette is a seasonal resort town full of new and older homes
Though Lavallette was founded in 1887, it wasn’t until the 1940s and the 1950s that this borough transformed from a fishing village and minor resort into a booming seaside town with easy parkway access. “Lavallette is mostly seasonal residents; the population is about 90% seasonal and 10% year-round,” Santonastaso says. Condos built from the 1960s to the 1980s mostly sell for between $360,000 and $900,000, while cottages and beach bungalows have sold for between $250,000 and $1,700,000; those closest to the water garner the highest prices. Townhouses built from the 2010s to the 2020s sell for between $1,130,000 and $1,350,000, and ocean-block homes built since 2020 have sold for between $1,350,000 and $5,800,000. Many homes along the ocean have raised foundations to protect them from hurricanes. Lavallette also has a CAP Index Crime Score of 2 out of 10, lower than the national average of 4.
Grand Central Avenue is full of year-round and seasonal restaurants
Grand Central Avenue serves as Lavallette’s main retail thoroughfare. “The shops downtown are fantastic, from ice cream to good food in general,” Santonastaso says. “Lenny’s Pizza is a great indoor or outdoor dining venue. Donuts Plus isn’t open all year round, only during the season, but it has some fantastic donuts.” The Crabs Claw Inn, family-owned since its 1979 opening, has also established itself as a community mainstay, drawing crowds for its crab cakes, oysters and Wednesday karaoke nights. The Music Man Singing Ice Cream Shoppe offers vaudeville musical performances with every helping of ice cream since its 2003 opening. Big Ed’s Produce has sold fresh Jersey corn and tomatoes for 45 years. For more grocery options, neighboring Seaside Heights is home to the local Acme.
Students go to school in Lavallette and Point Pleasant Beach
Students can start their education at Lavallette Elementary School from kindergarten through eighth grade; this school receives a B-minus rating from Niche. The B-plus-rated Point Pleasant Beach High School brings together students from several different shore communities and has historically boasted strong athletics, including wrestling and baseball.
Nearby highways offer easy access to the rest of the Jersey Shore
Lavallette’s Central Avenue connects this borough with New Jersey Route 37, which in turn crosses the Barnegat Bay and puts Toms River’s Community Medical Center a 10-mile drive away. This road also links commuters to the Garden State Parkway, providing them with easy access to the rest of the Jersey Shore.
Written By
Jacob Adelhoch
