While the final numbers won’t be tallied for some time, the summer of 2022 on Long Beach Island, for many, certainly looks, feels and sounds like it did pre-pandemic. That includes limited outdoor dining in some towns.

(Photos by Jack Reynolds)

“We’re back to normal,” Ship Bottom Mayor William Huelsenbeck said Monday afternoon when asked about the status of outdoor dining now that Gov. Phil Murphy has extended it at the state level for another two years. “If they like, they can apply to the land use board.”