Geography
Margate City is located on 8.1-mile
long Absecon Island, along with
Atlantic City and Ventnor City to
the northeast, and Longport on the
southwest. The city stretches ap-
proximately eight blocks from the
Atlantic Ocean to the bay at most
points in town. Margate is a popu-
lar Jersey Shore destination, espe-
cially during the summer. Marven
Gardens, of Monopoly board game
fame, is also located there, except
it is spelled differently on the Mo-
nopoly board.
According to the United States
Census Bureau, the city has a total
area of 1.6 square miles, of which,
1.4 square miles of it is land and 0.2
square miles of it (11.39%) is water.
Margate, Margate, Margate by the Sea...
Summers
Along with other spots on the Jersey
Shore, Margate becomes a popular
destination in the summer months.
Many houses in Margate are second
homes used during the summer, and
a considerable number are owned
by year-round residents. Unlike in
other places, such as Cape May
or Ocean City, where many visi-
tors spend a few nights in a hotel,
Margate has no hotel, so most of
the people who choose this town
are regulars. Also unlike other area
towns weekly house/condominium
rentals are almost non-existent in
Margate. However, perhaps due to
the recent rise in gas prices and the
slow pace of the real estate market,
weekly rentals have increased over
the past several years.
Beaches
Margate beaches attract surfers,
kayaking and hobie cat sailing. Some
beaches provide rest rooms for
beachgoers. The Margate beaches
are narrower than beaches at many
other places at the Jersey Shore.
There are a few dunes and those
that do exist are artificial. They were
created to protect beaches from
nor’easters and hurricanes.
Margate City Beach Patrol operates
lifeguard stands and beach patrol
operations for the Margate beaches.
Lifeguards are on duty during sum-
mer months from 10 am to 6 pm,
with more limited hours in the late
spring and early autumn months.
Popular culture
Margate is referenced as the home-
town of the male lead character in
the 2009 film (500) Days of Summer.
Scott Neustadter, one of the two
co-writers of its screenplay, was born
and raised in Margate. Character
Tom Hansen, played by actor Joseph
Gordon-Levitt, is declared as the
native New Jerseyan from Margate
toward the beginning of the film.
Attractions
There are two small commercial/
business districts in Margate. One
located at the north end of town,
and the other located further to the
south. Local business’s include:
• Casel’s supermarket,
• Aversa’s Bakery
• Marielena,
• Knit Wit
• Janeen clothing stores
• Margate AAA Bike bicycle
• Two Cents Plain
• Margate Dairy Bar ice cream
• Rita’s Water Ice
• Wawa
• Shear Sensations
• Body Elements gym & fitness
• South End Pizza
• Dino’s Subs
• Maynard’s Cafe
• Robert’s Place
• Captain Andy’s
• Tomatoes Restaurant
• Steve and Cookie’s
Welcome
to
Margate!
Lucy the Elephant
Margate is the home of Lucy the
Elephant, the “largest elephant in
the world” and is also the oldest
remaining example of zoomorphic
architecture left in the United States.
Over 124 years old, she has been
painstakingly restored and is toured
by thousands of fans each year.
Over the years, Lucy had served as
a restaurant, business office, cot-
tage, and tavern (the last closed by
Prohibition). A popular story is that
Lucy once housed a hotel, but this is
untrue. Lucy had fallen into disrepair
by the 1960s and was scheduled for
demolition. She was moved and re-
furbished as a result of a “Save Lucy”
campaign in 1970 and received
designation as a National Historic
Landmark in 1976.
Welcome to Margate!
Margate City, often just referred
to as “Margate”, is a city in Atlan-
tic County, New Jersey. As of the
United States 2000 Census, the
city population was 8,193.
Margate City was originally incor-
porated as the borough of South
Atlantic City by an Act of the New
Jersey Legislature on September
7, 1885, from portions of Egg
Harbor Township, based on the
results of a referendum held on
August 1, 1885. South Atlantic
City was reincorporated as a city
on April 23, 1897, and then rein-
corporated with the name Mar-
gate City April 20, 1909.
Margate is a charming island com-
munity in Atlantic County, New
Jersey. With a bay to one side, a
beach to the other, and Atlantic
City just 5.3 miles away, Margate
offers residents and visitors ample
opportunities for world class din-
ing, entertainment and outdoor
adventures. The town’s historic
charm and uniqueness, combined
with its ideal location, quality
schools and strong community
spirit, make Margate an attractive
place to both visit and live.