Bradley Beach

History

Bradley Beach was named for James A. Bradley, the developer responsible for the creation of the Bradley Beach and Asbury Park. In 1871, William B. Bradner, with James A. Bradley as an investor, acquired of land north of Avon-by-the-Sea, and south of Ocean Grove. At the time the area where they had purchased their land was known informally as Ocean Park and was part of Ocean Township and later became part of Neptune Township. Citizens appealed to the New Jersey Legislature for a referendum to separate Bradley Beach from Neptune Township, and on March 13, 1893, Bradley Beach was incorporated, based on the results of a referendum held on March 6, 1893. The borough's incorporation was confirmed on March 13, 1925. The borough was the first place in the United States to charge sea bathers for beach access when it began minting its own tin badges starting in 1929. In the mid-20th century, Bradley Beach became known as "Chinatown by the Sea", in reference to the significant number of Chinese people who migrated to the borough from Chinatown, Manhattan. Sand dunes were constructed on the borough's beaches in 2000 at a cost of $10,000, using snow fences and discarded Christmas trees to build a base of wind-driven sand that rose , atop which dune grass was planted. These dunes did little to provide protection from the havoc wreaked by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. Damage in the borough to beach areas and homes near the shore was more than $3 million, while some neighboring communities that hadn't constructed such dunes also suffered similar damage. The borough had gone into decline after World War II, with growth returning around 2000 as seasonal visitors and new residents purchased properties, which borough regulations require that they must be renovated on the same…

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.63 square miles (1.64 km2), including 0.61 square miles (1.58 km2) of land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) of water (3.33%).

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  17,607
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  17,169
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  16,216
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  15,693
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  15,471
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  13,865
• American herring gull, Smithsonian Gull

  Larus smithsonianus Coues, 1862 · Aves
  13,772
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  13,122

Largest nearby schools

• Howell High School
  High · FARMINGDALE · 2,011 students · 15.1:1 ratio
• Long Branch High School
  High · LONG BRANCH · 1,548 students · 12.6:1 ratio
• Neptune High School
  High · NEPTUNE · 1,203 students · 12.7:1 ratio
• Long Branch Middle School
  Middle · LONG BRANCH · 1,108 students · 9.9:1 ratio
• Howell Township Middle School North
  Middle · FARMINGDALE · 1,030 students · 12:1 ratio
• Ocean Township High School
  High · OAKHURST · 1,021 students · 9.9:1 ratio
• Manasquan High School
  High · Manasquan · 948 students · 11.6:1 ratio
• Monmouth Regional High School
  High · TINTON FALLS · 938 students · 10.1:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.8 — 2025-08-05
  1 km N of Hillsdale, New Jersey
• M 3 — 2025-08-03
  0 km W of Little Ferry, New Jersey
• M 2.9 — 2024-05-24
  6 km E of Califon, New Jersey
• M 2.6 — 2024-05-01
  1 km NW of Gladstone, New Jersey
• M 2.9 — 2024-04-27
  7 km WSW of Gladstone, New Jersey
• M 2.6 — 2024-04-10
  5 km WSW of Gladstone, New Jersey