WHY Jay Fiondella has passed on, but his eponymous beach shack remains an oasis in a sea of gentrification, complete with a peanut-shell ‘carpet.’

WHAT This tiny shack festooned with Christmas lights is the only unchanged element amid the upscale hotels and overpriced restaurants that now dominate this strip of Ocean Avenue. Chez Jay still packs ‘em nightly with old-school food that’ll fill you up just fine. It’s also an inviting place to hit for a drink after dinner, when the red leatherette booths start to empty out.

WHO Locals and tourists who can’t resist the midcentury appeal and celebrity-dive cachet (Warren Beatty and Sean Penn were regulars for years).