Brigantine is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, set on a barrier island immediately north of Atlantic City along the Atlantic Ocean. Known to residents simply as "The Island," it is connected to the mainland and to Atlantic City by bridge and has long functioned as a quieter, primarily residential counterpoint to its famous neighbor. The city is part of the Atlantic City-Hammonton metropolitan area, within the broader Philadelphia region. The community's history traces through a series of names and re-incorporations since its origins as Brigantine Beach Borough. For much of its early life it was a small, seasonal settlement, its fortunes tied to the sea and, increasingly, to the growth of Atlantic City just to the south. Through the twentieth century it grew into a year-round residential city, with its development deliberately kept low-rise and residential under a 1992 master plan and state oversight of barrier-island construction. By 2000 the year-round population had reached about 12,600, and as of the 2020 census it stood at roughly 7,700, with a median age around 52 that reflects a substantial population of retirees and long-time homeowners alongside a seasonal vacation-home presence. The island's wide ocean beaches, its golf course, and its quiet streets define its character. The Brigantine Public Schools serve students through eighth grade, and high school students attend Atlantic City High School through a send-receive relationship. For homebuyers, Brigantine offers oceanfront and bayfront living, golf, and a genuine small-island community, with Atlantic City's casinos, boardwalk, and entertainment just across the bridge. It is a place that has held onto a slower, beach-centered way of life even as the region has grown around it.