THE ULTIMATE LBI BUYER’S GUIDE
Everything You Need to Know About Buying a Home on Long Beach Island
Bayside Homes on LBI
Bayside homes on LBI are west of Long Beach Blvd and offer a much lower price point than their oceanside, oceanblock, and oceanfront counterparts. The walk to the beach will generally be longer than anything on the oceanside, but the bayside areas are often much quieter, with fewer people parking in the street, which can be a beneficial trade-off. It is important to note that, like the oceanside and ocean block, some parts of Long Beach Island have a bayside and a bay block. Bayblock homes will generally have a better view of the bay than a bayside home. The bayside areas of LBI are usually at a lower natural elevation and, therefore, are more prone to flooding. The cost of insurance can be higher on the bayside, but even with this, buyers will usually find a much larger and newer home on the bayside compared to the oceanside or oceanblock for the same money.
Flooding and Development with Bayside and Bayblock Homes in the LBI NJ Real Estate Market
Bayside areas are at a greater risk of flooding than their oceanside or oceanblock counterparts due to the natural lower elevation of the bayside. Contrary to popular opinion, flooding occurs on the Bayside areas first. When a storm increases water volume, also known as storm surge, it will fill the back bays and encroach on land, filling in the lower areas first. Oceanside areas, typically set at a higher elevation, will be safer in future storms. That said, since Hurricane Sandy at the end of 2012, there has been a massive rebuilding effort on the bayside, and many homes now meet or exceed current flood regulations (keeping the flood insurance cost very low). In addition, steps have been taken to limit flooding from future storms, such as increased bulkhead height and storm drain upgrades. In future storms, damage to the bayside will likely be far less than it was during Hurricane Sandy, thanks in part to these protective measures.
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Where Are Bayside and Bayblock Homes on Long Beach Island?
Homes to the West of Long Beach Blvd (also called Bay Ave and Central Ave in parts of LBI) are generally considered bayside or Bayblock homes. As with oceanside and oceanblock homes, bayside and Bayblock homes are defined by whether there is or is not a street to cross to reach the water.
The map shown here will clarify the difference between bayside and Bayblock homes in a section of Surf City. The areas shaded in blue are considered Bayblock homes since there is no street to cross to the bay. The areas shaded in red are considered bayside since one must cross Barnegat Ave to access the bay. In both cases, bayside and Bayblock homes are West of Long Beach Blvd. The area shaded in yellow is considered oceanblock since there are no streets to cross to the beach.