Shoobies of the Shore
What does a ‘Shoobie’ know about Margate?
And what does that title mean now?
Those who actually spend time here know it, but we’re not all the Shoobies that Wikepedia makes us out to be:
Shoobie is a New Jersey, Delaware, and Southern California slang term for a tourist who visits the seashore for a day (a daytripper) or summer-only residents.
That’s me: a lifelong summer-only resident. Hailing from Lafayette Hill, PA, I know the weekly summer drives ‘down the shore.’ I’ve braved it through Center City, Philadelphia, the summer after getting my driver’s license just to get to Margate. From my family’s rental to building a forever home, I’ve grown up on Absecon Island for over 15 summers.
Let’s keep exploring what Wikepedia has to say:
The term “shoobie” originated in the late 1800s, and it derives from daytrippers taking the train to the New Jersey beach, with their ticket price including a boxed lunch packed in a shoe box.
Later it was used to refer to anyone who brought a picnic lunch to the beach resorts.
Either way, these daytrippers deprived local businesses of the revenue the tourists would have spent on food.
I can understand tensions and the stereotypical divide between those living on the island full time vs the summer months, but to use Shoobie as an insult in 2021 is outdated and an inaccurate representation of Margate residents.
In creating this project, my nan explained the ‘new’ Shoobies cruise to their well appointed beach homes in their Range Rovers and Audis. They stay there for the summer; there’s no such thing as a day trip, and boxed picnic lunches are replaced with Amazon Prime trucks bringing food.
Shoobies are now welcomed by all merchants and most neighbors. My nan said she is “unapologetically one for 84 years and counting!”
Let’s give Shoobies a better reputation! If we get past the chaos of Memorial Day Weekend in front of Lucy the Elephant, we start to understand the traditions, culture and history of life down the shore.
For me, Margate is a place to spend time with family and friends. It’s a home away from home where I can walk to my favorite restaurants or ice cream shops. Margate is a place that I’ve escaped after day in and out of remote studies, and it’s a place that I don’t think people give enough attention to.
By introducing Shoobies of the Shore, I hope that all Margate residents, local and nonlocal, are able to explore the marvelous world of Margate. I also hope that you aren’t too quick to judge my ‘foreign’ status!
The first summers I can remember were spent in Margate. Before then, I’d spend time in Avalon with my nan. It’s my dad’s childhood shore house.
My family rented our first home in Margate on Adams around 2006. Our ‘forever home’ just broke ground on Rumson. I am certain that I’ll be in Margate for the next stage of my young adult life.
Follow along as I share what I already know about our town and explore its history that I have not yet uncovered.
Looking forward, you’ll be able to reflect on your memories of the shore, as well as learn about them in a new way.
- Ice Cream in Margate: The Inside Scoop
- Foodie Tour: how to dine down the shore
- Beach Guide: where to go and what to avoid
- Island Info: Absecon Island’s history
