Families across Montgomery County and the entire region are opting to forgo Jersey Shore vacations this summer, in some cases breaking decades-old traditions, due to skyrocketing rental costs, writes Erin McCarthy for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

José Casalina, of Glenside, started wondering whether his family was getting its money’s worth after a pandemic trip to the Shore that cost around $2,500.

He realized that the prices of everything had gone up significantly, including rentals, pizza, and beach chairs.

“It was so expensive, and it gets really crowded down there, so you don’t really get the bang for your buck,” said Casalina. “The whole idea of going on vacation is to relax, and the Jersey Shore was the completely opposite of relaxing.”

Meanwhile, Nancy Rothwell, of Cheltenham, said that rental prices as well as availability have drastically changed over the last two years. The only rentals she could find for her family were between $5,000 and $10,000 for a week, which made continuing the family’s 30-year tradition of vacationing in Ocean City unfeasible.

“It is sad,” said Rothwell, “but we had to lose it because of the cost.”

Read more about the rising rental costs in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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