My great-aunt had a beach house in Ocean City. I remember 30 or 40 relatives and “relatives” (”Hi, I’m the former roommate of your second cousin Dean from Detroit!”) there in the summer. Some of my (actual) cousins still own investment properties there.
Ever eat at Horsey’s restaurant in OC at 14th & Asbury? I spent (wasted?) a few summers as a cook there in the late 70’s. It was breakfast & dinner only, so afternoons at the beach, and nights in Somer’s Point, which was the closest place to legally get a beer (OC was dry).
There were some beautiful homes along the beach starting where the boardwalk ended around 15th or 16th, and then well south to the inlet bridge at Sea Isle City (or “Senile” City, as we called it).