2012 endings: What we'll miss most California has "the beach," New Jersey has "the shore." The haunts of Springsteen and the Sopranos and the denizens of "Boardwalk Empire" were devastated by Superstorm Sandy, which was an equal-opportunity disaster, everything from homes to the man-made attractions of roller coasters, boardwalks and seaside hangouts. And of course the Miss America pageant, long since migrated south, began in Atlantic City as a boardwalk tourist attraction in 1920. Above: An American flag blows in the breeze in front of one of the largest piles of storm debris along the Jersey shore on Nov. 15.