We lived like ‘Jersey Shore’ stars for a day: Where we went and what we did for 24 hours in Seaside Heights
“Where’s the beach?”
If you know just how iconic of a line that is, chances are you are a huge fan of MTV’s enduring hit show “Jersey Shore.”
All these years later, the drama is still going strong on the rebooted “Jersey Shore Family Vacation,” and the latest season shocked viewers with the long-awaited return of Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola.
To celebrate her comeback, the all-new season and our love for all things “Jerz-day,” we — Danny Murphy and Evan Real, co-hosts of Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast — headed to Seaside Heights, NJ, to exclusively live our best “Jersey Shore” lives with the cast in tow.
And when we say cast, we really do mean almost everyone: Giancola, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Deena Cortese and Angelina Pivarnick all joined us for our new video series, “24 Hours.”
During our day of fun in the sun, we reminisced over all our favorite “Shore” memories – all while getting an expert lesson on how to hang at the boardwalk like a true member of the beloved reality TV series.
From working up a sweat with Sorrentino to playing boardwalk games with Giancola, our morning in Ocean County was busy! That’s why we, of course, had to stop for a bite (and a drink or two) with Polizzi and Farley before finishing up at the timeless Shore Store with Cortese and Pivarnick.
Lavallette Personal Fitness
501 Grand Central Ave, Lavallette, NJ 08735
Everyone knows that the only way to start a proper “Jersey Shore” day is with a bit of G.T.L. — “gym, tan and laundry.” So with our tans set and our clean fits, we headed down to Lavallette Personal Fitness to get our gym on — with none other than Sorrentino. Talk about a dream personal training situation!
Sorrentino walked us through his typical workout routine, showing us how to properly get swole enough for a day spent in Seaside. While we pumped some iron, we also got into the current season of “Family Vacation”— with the “Reality Check” author explaining why he welcomed estranged cast member Ronnie Ortiz-Margo back on the show.
Casino Pier
800 Ocean Terrace, Seaside Heights, NJ 08751
With our arms and abs still shaking from Sorrentino’s mini boot camp, we made our way over to the place where dreams come true — the Seaside Heights boardwalk. The memories from the show started playing in our heads the second we stepped foot on Casino Pier, but those moments materialized when we ran into none other than the “Sweetheart” of Seaside herself, Giancola!
We played some boardwalk games together (during which Giancola definitely let us win) and then got the scoop on her return to the franchise after more than a decade away from reality TV. Of course, we had to get her thoughts on a potential reunion with ex Magro — while also dishing about some of her past style choices, too.
Jimbo’s Bar and Grill
715 Boardwalk, Seaside Heights, NJ 08751
That was a lot of activity for our afternoon, so by this time, we definitely were in need of some food and drinks. And who better to fuel up with than Polizzi and Farley?
To eat fried pickles with this dynamic duo felt like a religious experience, and thankfully for us, they gave us a little behind-the-scenes gossip about the upcoming season as an extra treat, too.
Being in Seaside also inspired some reflections on the original run of the show, leading Polizzi to explain why she gave MTV her blessing to keep that controversial punch in the first season.
Shore Store
1209 Boardwalk, Seaside Heights, NJ 08751
All roads lead to the Shore Store. Practically a main character in the early seasons of “Jersey Shore,” this is where all cast members had to work while staying in the house (well, at least some of them actually showed up for work).
Not only did we get a chance to chat with owner Danny Merk about his experience on the show, but we also worked a “shift” with Cortese! She originally said she was one of the worst employees, but something tells us after the sweatshirt she made with us, she’ll be earning employee of the month in no time.
After we clocked out with Cortese, Pivarnick met us to dish on the latest “Jersey Shore” drama — which felt like the perfect ending to our day down the shore.
“Jersey Shore Family Vacation” airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.
