Fantastic house! It had a comfortable layout, was stylishly decorated, well-appointed and had a great location- everything you'd want in a beach house. It was a very short walk to the beach as well as to Main St. with restaurants & shops. We really did not need a car all week, except a for a few trips to the grocery/liquor stores. Ocean Grove was a charming town with lots of very well-maintained historical gingerbread Victorian homes. A great town for children and relaxed adults but very quiet at night (not a party town by any means). But Asbury Park's boardwalk had lots of restaurants/bars and was within walking distance. I'd recommend Langosta Lounge on the AP boardwalk which had a fantastic menu and Watermark for a great rooftop bar if you're looking for a trendy spot for few drinks on the weekend. But we cooked at the house daily and loved the kitchen; it really had everything we needed and good quality at that (nice pots & pans, cultery, etc). The owners didn't skimp on the amenities and you could feel the difference, not like some other vacation rentals. We also loved that the house came with beach chairs, umbrellas and plenty of towels, as well as bikes, so we didn't have to pack these things with us from home. The only drawback I can say is that the beds were hard and not very comfortable. One of the couples in our group bought an egg-crate mattress topper at the nearby Target (15 min drive) which helped. If we rented here again, I'd do the same.
The front porch and backyard were great places to hang out and relax too. The front wrap-around porch had a gate that closed shut making it a nice space for being outdoors with toddlers. Overall, it was a great house and location and I'd definitely recommend it. We will likely rent here again.
