Seaside Park's housing stock reflects its history as a late-19th-century resort that gradually filled in as a residential shore town. The borough is largely built out on a narrow barrier island, so lot sizes are compact and the streetscape is dense but low-rise. The mix ranges from older bungalows and cottages dating to the early and mid-20th century to newer, raised homes built to modern coastal construction standards, many positioned to capture ocean or bay views. Oceanfront and bayside properties sit at a premium, while interior blocks offer more modest single-family homes. Because of the island setting, many residences function as second homes or seasonal rentals, and flood-zone and elevation considerations are a routine part of ownership here.

Seaside Park is small enough that it reads more as a single coastal community than a collection of distinct neighborhoods, but its geography still divides it into recognizable zones. The oceanfront blocks east of Route 35 face the beach and dunes and hold many of the borough's most prominent homes. The northern end, near the Seaside Heights boundary, is the most activity-oriented, anchored by the boardwalk, amusement pier, and food and game operators. The central and southern sections are more residential and quieter, running toward the open space of Island Beach State Park. On the western side, the bayfront streets overlook Barnegat Bay and its docks and marinas, appealing to boaters who want direct water access.

Life in Seaside Park is shaped by the ocean. Summers bring a beach-town rhythm of early swims, boardwalk strolls, and evening walks along the bay, while the shoulder seasons are notably quieter and appeal to residents who value the shore without the peak crowds. The borough's boardwalk is more modest than the neighboring Seaside Heights promenade, concentrated at the north end with games, food vendors, and the Funtown Pier amusements, which keeps much of the community calm and residential by comparison. Fishing, boating, and crabbing on Barnegat Bay are woven into the local culture, and the population includes a substantial share of seasonal homeowners who return each summer.

Public school students in Seaside Park are served through a regional arrangement. Students in grades 7 through 12 attend the Central Regional School District, which serves Seaside Park along with Berkeley Township, Island Heights, Ocean Gate, and Seaside Heights, drawing its middle and high school populations from these Barnegat Peninsula communities. The borough historically operated its own Seaside Park School District for kindergarten through sixth grade, and the district's administrative presence remains in town on South West Central Avenue. Families also have access to a range of private and parochial school options in the broader Ocean County area for elementary-age students.

Route 35 is the spine of transportation on the Barnegat Peninsula, running north-south through Seaside Park and connecting it to Seaside Heights, Point Pleasant Beach, and the rest of the Jersey Shore. NJ Transit bus service, including the 137 route, links the borough to mainland destinations and the wider transit network, providing access to New York and the northern New Jersey corridor. The borough maintains a compact roadway network of roughly 17 miles, with additional mileage maintained by Ocean County and the New Jersey Department of Transportation. For air travel, the major airports serving the region lie to the north in the New York and Newark area, reached by car or connecting transit.

The nearly two-mile oceanfront beach is the centerpiece of recreation in Seaside Park, backed by dunes and offering swimming, surfing, and sunbathing along a shoreline that is less commercial than its neighbors to the north. The borough's compact boardwalk hosts games, food operators, and the Funtown Pier amusements, while gazebos and benches provide places to gather. Barnegat Bay on the western edge supports boating, kayaking, fishing, and crabbing, with marinas and launch points close at hand. To the south, Island Beach State Park extends for miles of undeveloped barrier-island habitat, adding hiking, birding, and four-wheel-drive beach access within minutes of the borough.