Asbury Park , The city by the Sea

You can’t mention Asbury Park without talking about Bruce Springsteen, his early years in Asbury performing at the Stone Pony really put Asbury on the map for music lovers of all ages.  Much has changes since I moved to this area in 2004.  The boardwalk was completely empty not one store or restaurant existed then.  Now Cookman Ave and the boardwalk are thriving with Zagat rated restaurants, boutique’s, brewery’s , distillery’s, luxury hotels and multi million dollar condos.  Real estate made a big boom for Asbury attracting people who love a city by the sea.  It’s the best of both worlds that has a hip urban city vibe that just happens to be located on the Atlantic Ocean.  The beach is wide and clean with easy access to good food and drinks.  There is a NJ transit train stop for the NYC crowd to buzz down the beach for the day…either walk, Uber, scooter or Citi bike around town.  West of the Railroad tracks are pretty tree lined streets with mostly single family homes, many have rear cottages for guests or rental income.The LTGBQ community embraced the city and lovingly rejuvenated it one house at a time.  AP hosts Pride Parade and Festival in June.  There is so much history with many beautiful old historic buildings still standing…The Berkley Hotel, The Casino & Carousel building, The Paramount Theatre, Convention Hall, Asbury Lanes & the Stephen Crane House.  Much of the art and music scene draws multi-generational groups to Asbury…Sea Hear Now festival, Porch fest, Surf and Art festival, AP music and film festival, Springwood Ave summer concerts, St. Johns island fall concerts, Stone Pony summer stage, Convention Hall, Paramount Theatre.  If you looking for some fabulous dining Asbury’s got that too!  The food scene goes way beyond boardwalk pizza and Italian ice…Diverse ethnic restaurants from Mexican, French, Ethiopian, Italian, Irish and even sourdough pizza and Korean tacos to die for! Come see this Year-Round thriving city for yourself.