Nostalgia is generally seen as the domain of the elderly, who long for a return to the simpler, more carefree days of the 1950s — the days of Bobby socks and bobbed hair, Doo Wop music and cars with personalities.

But, as this month's Student Voices contest revealed, you are never too young to pine for the good old days. The question, "What is your favorite Shore town?" elicited responses filled with wonderful memories and, for many students, seemingly distant memories of their early days on the beaches and boardwalks.

Most of the recollections spoke to the food, the ice cream, the amusements, and the treasured times with family and friends. It was the reflections on the latter that really jumped out. The nostalgia. The longing for the past. The connections with parents and other older family members who had spent time at many of the same Shore towns as their kids today.

MORE: So lucky to be born by the Shore: Excerpts from student essays

It's remarkable how early in one's life nostalgia kicks in.

I was no different. And I've remained nostalgic about the Shore during nearly every phase of my life. As with most longtime New Jersey residents, the beach towns have been an important part of my life's narrative. My favorites changed over time, but my attraction to the water, beach and boardwalks never did.

When I was a youngster, my family split our time at Sandlass Beach in Sea Bright, where you could swim in the ocean on one side of Ocean Avenue and in the bay on the other side; Asbury Park, where we visited my aunt, who vacationed every summer at the Berkeley Carteret; and Ocean Grove, where my parents had friends who, fortuitously for me, had a freckled, red-headed daughter who was my first crush.

When I became old enough to drive, I usually headed to Sandy Hook with my high school sweetheart during the day and to Asbury Park or Seaside Heights for the rides and other amusements at night.

During my college days, most of my time was spent in Asbury Park, usually to attend concerts at the Convention Center — The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane and Mitch Ryder still provide vivid memories.

From then on, until the time I had children of my own, most of my precious vacation time was spent traveling the world — often in search of the best beaches. I found plenty of them, in the Caribbean, and central and South America: in Anguilla, Cuba, Margarita Island, Panama, British Virgin Islands, Brazil, Dominican Republic and elsewhere.

When my wife and I began our family — all three kids are teenagers now — my focus returned to the beaches of my youth. Early on, my youngest son and I spent a lot of time in Asbury Park, where the beaches and boardwalk were largely deserted and the parking was plentiful and free — even on Ocean Avenue.

Today, when we return to the city's resurrected oceanfront, it's mostly to play pinball at Silverball Museum or to ride bikes on the boardwalk stretch from Asbury Park, to Ocean Grove, to Bradley Beach, to Avon, and to Belmar early on summer mornings or late in the off-season. Sunday morning rides through the streets of Ocean Grove are particularly sublime.

Another favorite trip down memory lane is to Sandy Hook, where the kids enjoy bike riding on the trails at the former Fort Hancock. That day generally ends with dinner at a seafood restaurant in the Highlands.

As the kids grew older, their interest in go-karts, boardwalk games and junk food made us gravitate toward Point Pleasant Beach, Seaside Heights and Atlantic City. We also made an excursion to Keansburg — my first visit there in more than six decades in New Jersey.

Today, most of our trips to the Shore are to Point Pleasant Beach — mostly for the seafood restaurants and ambiance, and to Long Beach Island, which until I started patronizing it regularly in recent years, had only visited once as an adult — a fall weekend at the Engleside Inn in Beach Haven.

Today, LBI is our preferred destination. We generally visit later in summer days, after the sun has cooled down and the crowds (and badge checkers) have dispersed. We spend a couple of hours on the beach at Harvey Cedars, then head to Barnegat Light for dinner at Off the Hook, which has the best scallops on the planet, freshly loaded off the fleet of scallop boats next door at Viking Village. At least once or twice a season, we take the evening cruise on Miss Barnegat Light, which never gets stale for any of us.

When it comes to the Jersey Shore, Bruce Springsteen had it right: Everything is all right. Nostalgia is a big part of it. If you've lived here long enough, having it come full circle with your children is as good as it gets.

Randy Bergmann, a Westfield native and lifelong resident of New Jersey, has been covering the state as a reporter, editor and opinion page editor for four decades. Contact him at rbergmann@app.com or 732-643-4034.