Toms River

Toms River is an old town in Ocean County on the Jersey Shore Region of New Jersey. The town is in a municipality that was once known as Dover Township, but was recently renamed Toms River Township. Toms River is in a prime location located midway between New York, Philadelphia and a short distance from Atlantic City. Toms River is not only a wonderful place to live but also an attractive place to visit

Get in

By plane: Toms River is 90 minutes from Newark Liberty International Airport and an hour from Atlantic City International Airport. Travelers wanting to travel to the nearby regions including Atlantic City itself can use the SJTA TransIT Link shuttle to travel between Atlantic City International Airport and the Pleasantville Bus Terminal. At the Bus Terminal you can catch another NJ Transit bus to Ocean County. Car rental services are available at both airports.

By train: Amtrak does not have a station in Toms River, but at stations in Point Pleasant approx. 20 miles away and in Trenton, New Brunswick, and Princeton Junction, approx. 40 miles away. New Jersey Transit trains also serve Point Pleasant, which is about 30 minutes away by car.

By bus: New Jersey Transit buses arrive approximately twice every half hour, once en route from New York to Atlantic City and once en route from Atlantic City to New York.

By car: Toms River is located off the Garden State Parkway South exit 82 A&B which leads visitors to the main commercial corridor, Rt. 37, which rides directly into the Jersey's Shore's own Seaside Heights Borough.

Get around

Having a car is a good idea when visiting Toms River and its surrounding beach areas, as buses do not serve all locations. Buses do run to the Ocean County Mall and the downtown area which is a pretty place to walk around. New Jersey Transit Bus service is located near down town Toms River. Express buses leave for the New York City every hour, and take about an hour and twenty minutes to get to NYC depending on traffic. You can also take the bus to Atlantic City. If you plan on visiting the beach area over the bridge, there are places to rent single and multi-person bikes to get around for the day.

There are a number of taxi services around and within Toms River. Fares vary depending on the service:

• Alpha Taxi, Toms River, ☎ [phone]. (updated Nov 2015)
• Exclusive Taxi and Car Service, 538 Gilford Avenue, Toms River, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 24/7. 
• Toms River Taxi, Toms River, ☎ [phone]. Open 24 hours. No website but seems to be operating. (updated Nov 2015)

Historic Stewart House

See

Walking Tour of Downtown Toms River- This half-hour walk will visit the local historical sites as well as museums and hall-of-fames dedicated to them. The walk includes visits sites such as Huddy Park, a Revolutionary War site, The Toms River Seaport Society Maritime Museum, and the 1850 courthouse. Be sure to visit the many local cafes and shops as well as the newly renovated Ocean County Library. Directions to all these locations can be found on tomsriveronline.com.

Cattus Island Park- 500 acres and many miles of trails with unspoiled views of Silver Bay. Visit the Cooper Environmental Center to learn about local animals, including the many species of snakes, fish, and turtles which the center houses. In the park, there are places to fish, crab, bike ride and BBQ. Admission and parking is free! Directions: Garden State Parkway to Exit 82 - Route 37 EAST/Seaside Heights. Take jughandle to Fischer Blvd., then approx. 3 miles to Cattus Island Blvd. Turn right at light, and left at Park entrance.

Do

In the summer months, take the Rt. 37 bridge to the seaside towns only 5 minutes away. People from Toms River frequent the beaches in Ortley, Seaside, Normandy, and Point Pleasant. Daily and weekly badges must be purchased. The beaches are beautiful and all have lifeguards. Arrive early to get a prime spot on the sand and a parking space. Seaside you have to pay for parking whether it is in a lot or a meter. Parking is free in Ortley, but gets harder to find a spot later in the day. For a more secluded beach experience, go to Island Beach State Park.

• Route 37 Water Sports, 3430 Route 37 East, ☎ [phone]. Jet Ski / Waverunner and boat rentals in Toms River NJ. Located before bridge to Seaside Heights on Route 37 
• Marquee Cinemas, 1311 Route 37 West, ☎ [phone]. Marquee Cinemas is a new and big theater featuring the latest movies and stadium seating. 
• Playdrome Lanes, 821 Conifer St, Toms Rive, ☎ [phone]. Have fun bowling with your friends and family at Playdrome Lanes. 
• Winding River Skating Center Ice Skating Rink, 1211 Whitesville Rd, ☎ [phone]. 
• Bey Lea Golf Course, 1536 N. Bay Ave, ☎ [phone]. 

Buy

You will find a few shops downtown, and some shops in the nearby beach communities. Then there is always the Ocean County Mall, a stop on some bus routes, which features a Macy's, Coach, Aldo, Victoria's Secret, JCPenny's, as well as many other shops and restaurants including a Starbuck's. Take a ride on Hooper Avenue for other shopping plazas with stores such as Target, Marshalls, and Toys R Us.

Historic A A Brant House

• 🌍 Ocean County Mall, 1201 Hooper Avenue, ☎ [phone]. 10AM-9:30PM.  

Eat

• Boston's Restaurant and Sports Bar, 1356 Fischer Boulevard, ☎ [phone]. This new restaurant and features great food as well as many different televisions to watch sporting events. 
• Caffe Italia Toms River is home to many family-owned Italian restaurants. One of the best is Caffe Italia where you can choose from traditional Italian dishes as well as pizza.

Call [phone] for directions.

• Capone's Family owned Italian restaurant
• Hana Japanese Restaurant, [phone]. This Japanese sushi and hibachi restaurant features authentic tatami tables and an array of fresh fish delivered daily.
• Lobster Shanty, [phone]. Great waterfront restaurant in the downtown area to visit in the summer months to enjoy fresh seafood and watch as the boats pull into the docks at the end of the day. It is moderately priced with a full bar.
• The Office Lounge, [phone], . This popular restaurant is busy all times of day, especially during lunch, when it is packed with workers from downtown. Also a popular bar on weekend nights.
• Shogun, 1536 North Bay Avenue (on Bey Lea golf course), ☎ [phone]. Serves fresh Japanese cuisine. They have hibachi tables which are great for birthdays and a group of people. Also has tables for sushi and other menu selections. 
• Surf Taco, 1887 Hooper Ave, ☎ [phone]. 

Drink

• The Bamboo Bar, on "the strip" in Seaside Park. A 5-minute drive over the bridge, is packed every night in the summer as it doubles as a nightclub. It offers nightly specials, especially for ladies.
• Club Karma, 401 Boulevard Seaside Heights, ☎ [phone]. Club Karma, featured on MTV's Jersey Shore, is a five minute drive over the bridge. It's one of the popular locations for the summer night life featuring drink and cover specials. 
• Hemingway's Cafe, ☎ [phone]. Hemingway's Cafe is a new restaurant and bar located in Seaside Heights. For lunch and dinner they offer a great menu including sushi. At night, Hemingway's Cafe has become one of the new hot spots. 
• Joey Harrison's Surf Club, 1900 Ocean Ave, ☎ [phone]. The Surf Club is located right on the beach. At night they have a DJ, drink specials, and sometimes live bands. 
• Mulligan's Bar & Grill, 1850 Hooper Ave, ☎ [phone]. Mulligans Pizza Bar & Grill has a great menu with something for everyone. It's a great place to hang out, drink, eat, and watch sports. 

Sleep

• Howard Johnson Hotel, 955 Hooper Avenue, ☎ [phone]. 
• Holiday Inn Toms River, ☎ [phone]. 
• Quality Inn Toms River, 815 SR 37 W., [phone].
• Ramada Toms River, 2373 Route 9, Toms River, NJ - 08755, ☎ [phone]. 

Go next

Routes through Toms River

Newark ← Lakewood ←	N  S	→ Jct W E → Somers Point → Cape May
New York City ← Lakewood ←	N  S	→ Pleasantville → Cape May