The Top Ocean City Stories Of 2023: Year In Review

OCEAN CITY, NJ — It's been a busy year in Ocean City!

From beach crackdowns to the cancelation of the Ocean Wind 1 project, there was certainly a lot going on.

Here are the five top-viewed articles from the Ocean City Patch in 2023.

5. Blood-Covered Nude NJ Man Found On Mom's Headless Body: Docs

The gruesome details in the slaying of a 74-year-old Ocean City woman were revealed. When police arrived to an apartment after receiving a call from a man claiming he had just killed his mom, they found Jeffrey Surgent naked and covered in blood on top of the headless body of his mother, according to documents obtained by Patch.

4. Seafood Spot To Open New Ocean City Location

Plenty of new businesses opened this year, but people were really excited about Ventnor's PJ Buckets opening a new location in Ocean City. The restaurant offers a variety of seafood boils, including a lobster boil, Louisiana boil and New Jersey boil. Or, you can build your own.

3. Popular Market Set To Close After Nearly 50 Years In Ocean City

While we saw new businesses open, we said goodbye to old favorites as well. One that hit Patch readers particularly hard was the closure of the 34th Street Market, which meant the loss of the garden center, bike shop and Scoop Box ice cream parlor. "Ron and his team would like to thank everyone for a great 46 years !" Owners wrote, thanking their customers for all of the great memories.

2. New Burger Spot To Open In Ocean City This Spring

This new business has already cemented itself as a favorite in Ocean City. Old School Burgers, a Pennsylvania-based family owned and operated restaurant, offers a wide variety of burgers, naturally, plus cheesesteaks, hot dogs and chicken. They also have specialty fries, covered with different toppings and sauces.

1. 2 Ocean City Donuts Are Among The Best In America

Who doesn't love a donut? Apparently, some you can get in Ocean City are among the best in the entire country. One of the confections from Nauti Donuts, named by Yelp as one of the best donut shops in the country, made the cut. That's not the only local place - Fractured Prune, which also has locations in Maryland and Delaware, had one of their creations named one of the best as well.