Asbury Park New Jersey |
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Asbury Park is a symbol of a once world class beach resort falling into hard times and now coming back with such energy and dreams that soon it will be become a must see destination for Jersey Shore fans. This is a city in the midst of a cultural, political, and economic revival, that is drawing interest from local and national artists, developers, and of course visitors. Once the regarded as the "Queen of the Jersey Shore", or the "City by the Sea" during it's heyday in the early half of the 20th century. Asbury Park's importance to the North Jersey Shore was unchallenged until the late sixties when the the Garden State Parkway came into prominence and provided easy access to the expanding shore towns that lie south as fun seekers looking for day trips, weekend getaways, and vacations, set out to explore alternative shore towns with plenty of amenities. |
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And now the city is almost back and has become a must visit destination of Jersey Shore towns. This resurgence can be largely credited with the gay community discovering all the potential, glamour, and excitement that this city has to offer. They have bought old homes and rebuilt them with charm, opened restaurants, and soon this was immediately noticed by the land and building developers as the newest and most exciting shore resort in New Jersey. In the 1960's, Convention Hall was the North Jersey shores only auditorium and world class performers like the Rolling Stones, the Dave Clark Five, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, and Doors performed there. Asbury Park is now regarded as the birthplace of Jersey shore music with performers like Bruce Spingsteen, South Side Johnny and the Amboy Dukes, and many more, making their appearance there. By the time Bruce Springsteen became an international rock n' roll star in the late 1970's, Asbury Park was considered a rock mecca along with Memphis, Detroit, and Liverpool. Home to the one-time Palace Amusement Center and Tillie the Clown, the city's pop-culture icon that will soon resurface and the city's ambitious redevelopment effort comes to completion. Today Cookman Avenue is the hub of activity away from the boardwalk with development of new lofts & apartments that house specialty shops and restaurants. The boardwalk has undergone an excessive makeover with new clubs, restaurants, and amusements taking hold. And of course, when visiting in the warmer summer months, check out the beach, it is clean and safe.
If you are one of the hardy, you can always join in on the Sons of Ireland, Polar Bear Plunge, on New Year's Day meeting at the Asbury Park Convention Center, 1 pm to benefit charities.
Bruce Springsteen and "Glory Days" on Asbury Park |
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