They call Ocean City America’s Greatest Family Resort. Scrubbed clean and full of healthy fun. Also, dry as a bone.

Call us grinches, but after a long day of wholesome family bonding, we like nothing better than a glass of wine with dinner at a nice restaurant. So when we heard that eleven new restaurants had opened in Ocean City, we wondered: why???

Now, we know.

Asbury Avenue shopping. Just one block in the heart of OC’s downtown shopping district tells you what the big deal is.

Start at funky colorful Collete Boutique, corner of 9th and Asbury (609-525-0911). It’s Betsey Johnson (www.betseyjohnson.com) and clones—we bet you’ll walk away with a colorful summer tunic for under $60, or a party dress from their great selection.

For what lies beneath, pop into Pretty Woman (www.prettywomanintimates.com). The intimates are so revealing you’ll forget this is a G-rated town.

The arts community is thriving on this block. Drop by the Ocean County Fine Arts League (943 Asbury Ave., 609-814-0308), where local artists’ works are on display. Or try the Accent Gallery (www.accentgallery.com).

Follow the signs to the Glass Frog Studios (920 Asbury Ave., in rear, 609-398-7510), where Lynda Mitchell-Marino is making lovely customized stained glass windows for luxury houses up and down the shore. Click above to see a video of this painstaking process.

Break for lunch at Scully’s (955 Asbury Ave. 609-391-1111), one of the brand new eateries. Admire the beautiful dishes, scooped up from a nearby casino—and you’ll like the food too.

Top it off with coffee from Java Jakes, a home-grown college grad’s new Internet café complete with computers, cable TV and retro furniture. It’s so new, there’s no phone number or website— but you’ll find him next store to Denovum, (910 Asbury Ave. 609-814-9084) the funky furniture store with the deco fascade.

You can have wine with dinner anywhere—well almost anywhere. But we guarantee you won’t find a block like this one anywhere else. Stay dry!