Beachwood

Beachwood is a small residential borough in Ocean County, set along the Toms River where it widens toward Barnegat Bay. It is known for its waterfront neighborhoods, quiet residential streets, and bay and river access rather than tourism. The main draw is the water, with a borough beach on the Toms River. It functions as a year-round bedroom community tied closely to the larger Toms River area.

History Beachwood began in the 1910s as a planned summer colony. A New York newspaper bought a large tract of Berkeley Township and gave away small lots as a premium to attract subscribers, an unusual promotion for its time. The first cottages and a clubhouse, pier, and dining hall followed, and the borough incorporated late in that decade. As rail service ended and highways reshaped the region in the mid-1900s, Beachwood shifted from a seasonal retreat to a year-round residential town.

What makes it unique What makes Beachwood unusual is its origin story: it started as a giveaway, a summer colony built to sell newspapers, not as a resort or fishing village. That history left a tight grid of small lots and a strong community tradition, including a riverfront beach and a central park named for the town's founder. Unlike the barrier-island beach towns nearby, it faces the river and bay, and it is residential first, with no boardwalk or tourist trade.