Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

By Jeremy Schneider and Bobby Olivier | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

What's the best part of going to the beach? Plenty will say lying in the sand or jumping in the ocean, and that's great and all. But there's nothing more New Jersey than a trip to one of our many iconic boardwalks.

Arcade games. Rides. Boardwalk snacks like fries, lemonade and, of course, soft-serve ice cream, all on a gorgeous wooden walkway with scenic views of the ocean. Boardwalks are quintessential to the Jersey Shore experience.

New Jersey has big boardwalks and small boardwalks. Bustling boardwalks and sleepy ones. Probably more than you realize. And they're all great in different ways ... but which is the best? We've ranked the beaches, and now we're ranking the 18 New Jersey oceanfront boardwalks — taking general quality, parking availability, food and drink accessibility, and crowd into consideration.

Check out where your favorite boardwalk landed below. And let us know what we got wrong in the comment section.

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18. Allenhurst

Just some planks and a few lamps overlooking the small beach in Allenhurst, barely 1,000 feet long. Serves little more purpose than keeping people from walking off the rocky cliffs that separate the town from the sand 20 feet down.

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MaryAnn Spoto | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

17. Ortley Beach

Ortley Beach's boardwalk was rebuilt after being destroyed in Hurricane Sandy. It's nice and new, offering a great place for a walk by the beach or a nice sit to take in the scene. Unfortunately, there's nothing on the boardwalk to do or eat.

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Ed Curry/NJNP

16. Ventnor City

If you walk far enough down the bustling Atlantic City boardwalk, you'll find yourself on its much more chill little sister, Ventnor City. While A.C. is bursting at the seams with things to do, Ventnor City is the exact opposite — there's almost nothing. A nice wide boardwalk, perfect for jogging, and a path to downtown Atlantic City. If that's what you're looking for in a boardwalk, you'll be very pleased.

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15. North Wildwood

If you want some of the amenities of Wildwood without all the craziness, this boardwalk is just right. Surfside Pier and Ed's Funcade give you the classic boardwalk feel but won't have you feeling overwhelmed. Having Fractured Prune Doughnuts doesn't hurt, either.

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14. Seaside Park

Just south of iconic Seaside Heights, it's a bit more family-friendly and laid back than the place made famous by MTV's "Jersey Shore." Nicely sized, making it less crowded and still loaded with arcade games and food kiosks.

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13. Sea Girt

A fine little stretch in Monmouth County, with well-manicured lawns to the west and a pretty pristine beach to the east. There isn’t much to it, though. Just a pavilion on the northern end serving some wraps and finger foods. Unless you’re looking to party, avoid the area near the Parker House restaurant and bar on Fridays.

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John O'Boyle | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

12. Spring Lake

If you begin on Spring Lake’s sleepy boards, which border the affluent Monmouth County town, you can walk/jog/run all the way to the top of Asbury Park — that’s six beach towns and almost seven miles of nearly continuous boardwalk! Spring Lake itself is fine, not much to do, good for collecting your thoughts.

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11. Avon-By-The-Sea

Great atmosphere on the Avon boardwalk; not too crowded and not too quiet, surrounded by beautiful homes, the boards are lined with old-fashioned, globular lamps. And the Avon Pavilion is a local sit-down favorite for lunch with an unbeatable view. Also, Columns just off the boardwalk draws a ton of quality cover bands — so many Springsteen tributes.

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Russ DeSantis | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

10. Ocean Grove

Ocean Grove recently stepped up its boardwalk game, replacing some of its weathered old planks for some nicely polished new pieces that are much more pleasant to ride your bike on (before 10 a.m., that is). The boardwalk is small, but the Victorian homes and expansive Great Auditorium add to the lost-in-time atmosphere. Good luck parking, though.

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9. Bradley Beach

OK, OK, the Bradley Beach boardwalk you’re stepping on is technically stone pavers, but everything else in this great beach town is authentic. There are a few little stands to get a bite to eat, it’s a wide and well-kept walk, and there’s a quality mini-golf course near Ocean Park Avenue. Gotta love Bradley.

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Jeff Granit | For NJ Advance Media

8. Belmar

On the Belmar boardwalk, you take the good with the bad (and the bros). There's plenty to eat and see on Ocean Avenue — Playa Bowls is perpetually jammed with acai cravers — and the walk itself is expansive and well-kept, but it's slammed in the summertime. Get there early or around sunset for the best experience.

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Rob Spahr | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

7. Long Branch

Two words: Pier Village. You have some good shops, some good food, some good times at the Jersey Shore. There’s plenty of parking if you’re willing to walk. It’s a decent mix of people. There’s an arcade, and Simply Greek is a tasty spot if you associate beachtime with spanakopita. And if you really want to go full-on Jersey summer visit, the original WindMill hot dog stand, built like a real windmill in 1963, isn’t far at all.

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6. Atlantic City

It's touristy. It's a little trashy. It's big. It has casinos. Yep, it's Atlantic City. This boardwalk is exactly what you'd expect from New Jersey's version of Las Vegas. Tons and tons of attractions (or tourist traps, depending on your perspective), including classic boardwalk food, as well as booze. It gets crazy at night, but doesn't everywhere in A.C.?

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Andy Mills | For NJ Advance Media

5. Point Pleasant Beach

The most family-friendly boardwalk, bar none. Jenkinson's Boardwalk is jam-packed with arcade games, rides, batting cages, frozen custard and more. Jenkinson's Aquarium for the kids, Martell's Tiki Bar for the adults. A nice broad boardwalk that is well-kept, but wildly overrun on just about any nice summer day. Walk down toward the Manasquan Inlet for a respite.

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Jeremy Schneider | NJ Advance Media For NJ.com

4. Seaside Heights

Iconic. A classic venue for post-prom beach weeks and summer vacations. Where else can you find a rollercoaster, a Ferris wheel, creamsicle soft serve, a ski lift and an arcade? MTV's "Jersey Shore" gave this place a bad name, but as far as boardwalks go, it's hard to beat the sheer amount of attractions. There will be a crowd, but that's part of the charm.

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Bobby Olivier | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

3. Asbury Park

So trendy it hurts, but still, the Asbury Park boardwalk and many of its surrounding businesses have been through the ringer over the decades. Now it’s a great mix of young (Mogo, APYC, new restaurants coming to the northern end) and old (Madam Marie’s, Convention Hall and Paramount Theatre). The nightlife is vibrant, there’s an award-winning pinball museum, and on nights when the Stone Pony Summer Stage is booked, you can listen to the music for free from the boards. Springsteen might have been onto something.

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Michael Mancuso | For NJ Advance Media

2. Wildwood

The beach that came in last in our beach rankings a few weeks ago is nearly No. 1 in our boardwalk rankings. Go figure. We said back then that if you were there for the boardwalk, you had come to the right place. Wildwood's boardwalk is as big and bustling as any you will find in New Jersey. They don't have a rollercoaster, they basically have a theme park. And a water park. And go-karts. And enough boardwalk food to make you sick. A quintessential boardwalk, big enough to get lost on.

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1. Ocean City

The perfect balance of old-school and touristy. Big, but not overwhelming. Crowded, but not overrun. Gillian's Wonderland Pier, Playland's Castaway Cove and OC Waterpark are excellent attractions, while there is an abundance of classic food options, including Kohr Brothers Frozen Custard. And the boardwalk itself, what you're walking on, was replaced as part of a five-year restoration project and is in great shape. In the land of Jersey boardwalks, Ocean City simply can't be beat!

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Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Schneider. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier and Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.