Ocean County’s Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse

Preparation is essential!  These are some of the best bets for surviving the zombie invasion.

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Townsquare Tower - Our home in downtown Toms River.

PRO: Only two points of ingress, both of which should be easily barricaded...downtown centralized location makes for easy scavenging...we do have a generator to keep us on-air during inclement weather, and that would certainly help...if we can keep the electricity going, we have the power of communication (to alert the authorities, or to pull a "Terminus" (not that we would do that))...thick walls & heavy doors used to soundproof studios can hold back zombies...as one of the tallest buildings in the immediate area, our rooftop access gives us a good vantage point to see where zombies or survivors are...four stories means we have lots of room for survivors...we can disable our elevator, since most zombies aren't dexterous enough to navigate stairs.

CON: The downtown location means there are fewer places to hide and the city could easily be overrun. The Walking Dead group bailed on Atlanta for a reason.

Long Beach Island - Hop in the car, head down Route 72, and blow up the bridge behind you. I've never seen a zombie swim.

PRO: The isolated location would be its own form of geographical protection...there are enough houses to hide out in and plenty of restaurants to scavenge for food...the ocean provides a great food source, just raid one of the beach stores for a fishing pole or a net.

CON: Obviously taking out the bridge is more complex than I made it sound...if the island is infected from the beginning, it's not even worth taking the trip...if the infection somehow reaches the survivors, it could wipe us out easily...if the apocalypse starts during the off-season many of the houses would be empty and food-less...if it happens during tourist season, you're stuck on the island with New Yorkers.

Any marina - This has long been a plan of mine. As soon as things start to go haywire, grab as much food as I can carry, speed to any random marina, hop in a boat and just watch from the ocean.

PRO: Again, zombies don't swim as far as I know...the boat can be used to find an island, or even hang within view of the coast in order to survey the damages.

CON: The only thing really preventing me from doing this is a complete lack of boat knowledge. I have no clue how to sail, so sailboats are out. A small boat with an outboard motor is insufficient, because my ghostly white Irish skin needs to stay out of the sun. A fancy yacht would be too big, but a nice mid-size boat with a below-deck area would be best. I would also run out of food and water eventually and have to make my way back to land.

Costco

PRO: Thick concrete walls, metal garage doors, tons of food, and a pharmacy.

CON: "If you got something good, that just means that someone wants to take it." - Morgan Jones

Walmart

PRO: Same as Costco, plus they sell guns and ammo!

CON: Same as Costco.

Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst

PRO: duh.

CON: (a) EVERYONE will have this idea and the base won't be able to house that many people and (b) thanks to "28 Days Later", we all know we can't trust soldiers (KIDDING PLEASE DON'T SHOOT ME).

Ocean County Jail - an obvious reference to The Walking Dead, but still a good place to secure yourself.

PRO: prisons are designed to keep people in, which logically keeps other people out. Zombies aren't going to get through concrete walls or razor wire or metal bars.

CON: The Governor comes and blows everything up (spoiler alert).

First Energy Park - This one may seem out of leftfield (wakka wakka!)

PRO: the entire structure is fairly secluded...the parking area is massive with clean lines of sight, the outfield opens up to a major intersection so you'd only have to clear some trees...it would be very difficult for anyone to sneak up on you...the outer walls are brick, the gates are tall and strong...getting up to the roof would provide good range for lookouts.

CON: The outfield is totally open, aside from a chain-link fence. the clubhouses and luxury boxes could provide some comfort, but the lower level is totally open and exposed.

ALTERNATE IDEA: The park might actually be better served as a zombie trap. Set out some bait, use loud noises or bright lights to attract zombies down to the field, and have people positioned in the upper levels just wipe them out.