Time To Rent Down The Shore

Ocean City, NJ - If you haven't firmed up your summer vacation plans, you're not alone. The troubled economy has many families uneasy about spending big bucks, and that's a big concern for tourist towns along the Jersey shore.

Shore towns like Ocean City are feeling the effects of the recession. While properties here are still being rented, they're not going as fast as they normally do.

In Ocean City, you'll find plenty of "For Rent" signs. It's an economic indicator of how the summer tourist season will be.

"So far vacation rentals are not quite as good as last year, but they're almost there and we see that as a very good sign for Ocean City," said Michele Gillian with the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce.

Realtors are trying to put a positive spin on it, pointing to the end of July and beginning of August, which are pretty solidly booked.

"I think that people were reluctant to book early on not knowing what their circumstance would be this summer, but at this point most people know what their circumstances are, so we're seeing more people calling and getting onto our websites," said Midge Grunstra, President-elect of the Ocean City Board of Realtors.

To lure vacationers, hotels are offering discount packages, which you can find on their website, OceanCityVaction.com and the Chamber of Commerce is trying to convince travelers that Ocean City is an affordable alternative to Disney.

"We have two major amusement parks and also a water park so we rival with Disney in everything that Disney has to offer, yet we have that unique shore experience for the family to have,” said Gillian.

Many travelers are planning mini-vacations that are three or four days long and like the fact they can get to the Jersey Shore on less than a tank of gas.

Kathy Young of Franklinville said, "It's not long drive to get down here." "And that's a big plus?" "Yes."

Surveys show most families still plan on taking a vacation, although many are looking for ways to cut costs, and that gives Ocean City an advantage over Disney World because it's within driving distance.