Longport

     Thursday, August 26, 2021: I felt like I entered a different world when I arrived in Longport (Atlantic County), New Jersey. When I saw the mostly lavish homes along Atlantic Avenue, I was stunned! If a certain stretch of Ventnor Avenue in Margate was the “Beverly Hills” of Absecon Island, then Longport must be the “Bel Air” of this island—except that this town, unlike Bel Air, California, isn’t gated. I’m glad because I stopped into the Longport Public Library, 2305 Atlantic Avenue (609-487-7403). Here, I noticed a few showcases displaying old pictures of Longport, and I saw other old pictures of Longport along the walls. On the back wall I looked at a gallery showcasing the works of a local artist. When I was there, I saw photos that photographer Chris Adams took of her travels. Next door, Longport also had a larger museum, the Longport Historical Society Museum, housed in an old Coast Guard Station, but the hours were tight, and it wasn’t opened when I was there. (Nevertheless, I did see all of its eight rooms online.) Behind both buildings, I glanced at some lovely parkland, containing many colorful flowers and a gazebo, which led to a fishing area. Afterward, we drove to the end of Absecon Island in Longport where the Atlantic Ocean met the Great Egg Harbor Inlet, called “the Point.” When I was there, several people were either fishing or just hanging out at the beach.