Avalon

Avalon — The Cool Cape May County Resort

Avalon occupies the northern portion of Seven Mile Beach and has cultivated an upscale, quiet character — the self-described "Cooler by a Mile" resort. The 1920 aerial shows Avalon's grid of streets behind a wide beach and natural dunes, with relatively modest development compared to what would come later. By 1933, the community had grown substantially and the summer hurricane had narrowed the beach. The 1944 aerial shows storm damage to the dune system. By 1962, Avalon was a well-established resort community, and the Ash Wednesday Storm caused major beach erosion and bay flooding — the 1962 aerial shows the storm's mark on the oceanfront compared to the generous beach of 1920.