anyone from Jersey know about Asbury Park?

[njziggy]

I too live just a few towns away from AP and was a volunteer reading buddy for their schools for several years. I do agree that there are areas I would not go at night in AP but, there are places in Orlando that I wouldn't go at night. There are much nicer and family friendlier beaches further south down the NJ coast. However, I have to admit that I love the AP boardwalk. There is a small section that is slowly coming back- no fancy rides, no flashy lights but, great restaurants & cool places to shop. Our families favorite restaurant Langosta Lounge is there.... cool place with excellent "vacation food". The owner of Langosta Lounge is very involved with the revitalization of the area & has supported a weekly farmers market & multiple events that support the local arts & film industry and environmental causes (like Clean Ocean Action)There is an awesome place where you can blow your own glass (hot sands) and a cool pinball machine "museum" where you can play for hours.

 

[KCMiller]

"I've heard of this charming place in...uh..Asbury Park...It's..uh...Al's Motel..."

"Al's Motel...sounds like a place where you bring your own lightbulbs.."

"When a girl's taken to a place called Al's Motel, she better not count on dinner..."

I love Doris Day movies!!


KC

 

[sharonW]

Ocean City is great, very family oriented! LUV it!!
Don't know much about asbury park but by the
sounds of the reviews here you should probably
avoid it!

 

[MomofSixinSC]

If you follow the boardwalk by foot or bicylce one town over, you hit Ocean Grove. It is gorgeous here with every building being Victorian. Polar opposite of AP...great restaurants and Bed & Breakfasts.

When I was a teen, that was caled Ocean Grave because that was where all the old people summered.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

My suggestion DON'T book a hotel there. Try Spring Lake, point pleasant. You will not be happy if you book a hotel in Asbury Park.

I live in Spring Lake, we have Bed and Breakfasts here, there's also 2 hotels on Route 35 (comfort inn maybe, can't think, but its like a chain), 2 miles away from the beach. If you go to Spring Lake beach, its mostly young families with young kids and then elderly people. Very family oriented. Pt Pleasant it only 10 minutes South.
Asbury Park is getting better, would I ever get a hotel room there? NO, but maybe in another 5-10 years it will be more of a resort town again. There's a few nice restaurants on cookman ave. (its like the main ave and everything over on that street and the next street is all new) so even if you do stay in Spring Lake, or Avon you could just head over to Asbury for dinner one night, seriously these towns are so small, I think if you take 71 in Spring Lake to Asbury Park you are traveling all of 5 miles lol.
Point Pleasant is nice if you have kids, just difficult to park on the weekends.
Don't think I would do Belmar though, a lot of college kids hanging out and it could get a lil rowdy.
Good Luck!

 

[J3nn78]

Give Asbury Park a few more years and it should be good again. They really are doing so much to restore the town, but it still has a long way to go. If you go there, though, I highly recommend Moonstruck. My friends Uncle owns the restaurant-very good.

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

Just watched a movie last night called Greta, with Hillary Duff, and it talks about how horrible Asbury park is, and shows a young girl going there and getting scared, and had the police bring her back home to safety. After watching that I wouldn't consider going to AP ever! Is it really that bad?

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

Just watched a movie last night called Greta, with Hillary Duff, and it talks about how horrible Asbury park is, and shows a young girl going there and getting scared, and had the police bring her back home to safety. After watching that I wouldn't consider going to AP ever! Is it really that bad?

I think it depends on the "area", I used to jog the boardwalk at night (yes crazy) when I was in college (well my first stint at college, 8 years ago haha), and they really weren't even rebuilding at that time. There were some creeps, I remember one night I am jogging, the guy has a cigarette and starts asking me "Do you have a cigarette?" I'm jogging, do you think I smoke? LOL then tells me he'd pay for $5 for 1.....then you could have gotten a pack for $5 here in NJ. So that was a little weird. It was kind of exciting/scary though, I'd be there in March at night in the cold, no one is around and the littlest noise would make me jump hahaha. I liked going there b/c I admired the architecture and buildings, many have been torn down since, including where the carousel was, but by looking at it, it must have been a cool hang out in the early-mid 1900s. We also used to go to the Stone Pony too
But since then the boardwalk is looking much better and I wouldn't fear going there night or day, I also wouldn't fear cookman ave either, as they have some really nice restaurants there and some nice little stores too.
But the rest...yeah I wouldn't walk there night or day hahaha.