A seaside community, Asbury Park is located on New Jersey's central coast. First developed in 1871, in the early years it was a resort town with more than 600,000 people a year vacationing there during the summer season, riding the New York and Long Branch Railroad from New York City and Philadelphia to enjoy the mile-and-a-quarter stretch of oceanfront.
The city is mainly residential, with an attractive boardwalk, is also surrounded by scenic lakes on three sides. Housing options are diverse and attractive, from well-kept older homes in quiet neighborhoods to newer construction that includes apartments, condominiums, and developments for seniors. Vintage Victorians occasionally appear on the market.
Picturesque areas include--Asbury Park Convention Hall, Main Street, Cookman Ave, Tillie mural, Old Heating Plant, and Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel.
Recreational options are well developed and included oceanfront ... More
A seaside community, Asbury Park is located on New Jersey's central coast. First developed in 1871, in the early years it was a resort town with more than 600,000 people a year vacationing there during the summer season, riding the New York and Long Branch Railroad from New York City and Philadelphia to enjoy the mile-and-a-quarter stretch of oceanfront.
The city is mainly residential, with an attractive boardwalk, is also surrounded by scenic lakes on three sides. Housing options are diverse and attractive, from well-kept older homes in quiet neighborhoods to newer construction that includes apartments, condominiums, and developments for seniors. Vintage Victorians occasionally appear on the market.
Picturesque areas include--Asbury Park Convention Hall, Main Street, Cookman Ave, Tillie mural, Old Heating Plant, and Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel.
Recreational options are well developed and included oceanfront water sports, boating, an active YMCA, and a range of parks, state parkland, playgrounds, athletic fields, league sports, swimming pools, and recreation programs for all age groups.
From 2002 onward, Asbury Park has been in the midst of a cultural, political, and economic revival, led by a burgeoning industry of local and national artists. Its downtown has ongoing revitalization and too the beach and boardwalk areas, the Casino's walkway reopened and many of the boardwalk pavilions.
The downtown resurgence included the grand reopening of the historic Steinbach department store building, as well as the rehabilitation of Convention Hall and the Fifth Avenue Pavilion; also the purchase of the historic Berkeley-Carteret Hotel, which is to be restored to four-star resort status; the first residents moving into the newly constructed condominiums known as North Beach, the rehabilitation of Ocean Avenue. Asbury Park looks to regain its reputation as the cultural and amusement capital of the Jersey Shore.
Asbury Park is considered a destination for musicians, particularly a sub-genre of rock and roll known as the Jersey Shore sound, which is infused with R&B. It is home to The Stone Pony, founded in 1974, a starting point for many performers. The Asbury Lanes, the Saint, Chico's House of Jazz, and the Wonder Bar are smaller venues that continue the tradition of offering original, live music to the Jersey Shore. Asbury Park Convention Hall holds larger events.
Popular with numerous Asbury Park residents and visitors is the monthly First Saturday event. On the first Saturday of every month, Asbury Park's downtown art galleries, home design studios, restaurants, antique shops, and clothing boutiques remain open throughout the evening, serving food and entertainment.
Portions of Asbury Park are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone, where in addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3½% sales tax rate (versus the 7% rate charged statewide).
There were at one time many hotels along the beachfront. Hotels like the Berkeley and Oceanic Inn have operated concurrently for decades, while The Empress Hotel, Hotel Tides, and Sixth Avenue House Bed & Breakfast Hotel (formerly Berea Manor) were recently restored.
Asbury Park's public schools are operated by Asbury Park Public Schools. The district is one of 31 Abbott Districts statewide. Schools in the district are Bradley Elementary School and Thurgood Marshall Elementary School for grades K-5; Asbury Park Middle School and Asbury Park Alternative Middle School for grades 6–8; and Asbury Park High School for grades 9–12.
Students from Asbury Park in grades 9-12 may also attend Academy Charter High School, located in Lake Como, which also serves residents of Allenhurst, Avon-by-the-Sea, Belmar, Bradley Beach, Deal, Interlaken and Lake Como, and accepts students on a lottery basis.
Asbury Park (NJT station), the New Jersey Transit station that connects Asbury Park to New York City, Bay Head and Newark Airport.
The Golden T-Bird Awards were established in 1993 to recognize and support significant contributions and achievements of local and regional participants in the music industry was renamed to the Asbury Music Awards in 1995 to honor the city's contribution. The award ceremony is held in November of each year, most recently at the Stone Pony. The New Jersey Music Hall of Fame was founded in Asbury Park in 2005.
In 2006, the Wave Gathering Music Festival was established. The festival is held during the summer. Businesses across Asbury Park offer food, drink, art, music, crafts, and their stages for performances. The event takes place over several days. In January 2011, it was announced that All Tomorrow's Parties would move their annual east coast United States festival to Asbury Park for fall 2011.
Asbury Park's nightlife includes The Stone Pony, a bar frequented by Bruce Springsteen as well as Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. On Main Street is The Saint, (formerly the Clover Club), a small club that showcases local acts as well as established performers. Across town, on Fourth Avenue, is Asbury Lanes, a functioning vintage bowling alley and bar with live performance shows. A number of new restaurants, lounges and bars have opened up city wide: Tim McLoone's Supper Club, which features live entertainment, Langosta Lounge, The Annex, Stella Marina, the Watermark Lounge, Chico's House of Jazz, the Bond Street Bar, and Johnny Mac's House of Spirits.
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