The Jersey Shore may get a bad rap, but it’s not all clubs and partying. Located just an hour and a half from New York City, Asbury Park is quickly becoming one of the coolest destinations on the eastern coast, where the music and art scene have just as much allure as the beach does. The boardwalk, nearly destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, has bounced back to life and is more bustling and unique than ever.
To get to Asbury Park, you can take the two-ish hour trip on New Jersey Transit from NYC or rent a car; the drive is under two hours. Though Asbury is very walkable, local local taxis can get you everywhere you need to go; if you don’t see one to hail, try Surf Taxi at 732-774-5500.
Where to Stay in Asbury Park: A Hotel With a Rooftop Faux-Drive-In Theater, or Airbnb It
The brand-new Asbury Hotel is a 110-room hotel just a few blocks from the shore. If the beautiful rooms don’t sell it for you, the gorgeous pool, two rooftop restaurants and beer garden surely will. Six nights a week, visitors are welcome to Baronet, a rooftop space blanketed in artificial lawn and scattered with beanbags and other casual seating. Guests are invited to lounge here during the day, but at night, the space turns into an outdoor cinema, showing classic and cult films projected onto a movie wall. Think carless drive-in. Lodging options range from king suites to quad rooms, where you can shack up with four of your best friends in bunk beds.
Another option is to book a stay through Airbnb, which has no shortage of cute beach bungalows, carriage houses and rooms. guestWe stayed at Mikell’s Big House, which was well designed, quiet, and very comfortable. The location is walkable to everything. Owner Mikell is an fashion-turned-interior designer, with a huge art and design collection. Her place, like many, gets pretty packed after July 4th weekend though, so book soon or visit during September after the tourists have all gone home. We stayed in the back part of the property, called the White Party. The room is $150 a night, but it’s actually more like a one bedroom apartment, equipped with a kitchen and sun room.
What to do in Asbury Park: The Beach, its Boardwalk, and Beyond
Of course, the big draw in Asbury Park is the beach! Like many beaches, it’s good for surfing, swimming, laying around–you know, beach stuff. After you’ve had your fill, mosey up to the Asbury Park Boardwalk to check out more shopping, or Silverball, a vintage game and pinball museum. Before 5 pm, unlimited play is 15 bucks; after that, it’s only 10. (Insiders tip: you can’t buy a drink here, but there is a bar next door!) To burn a rainy day, stop by the Showroom, an indie film theater, or check out the great shopping in the area. Red Moon, Glide Surf Co., The Market at Asbury Park, and Storehouse are our local favorites.
Also, it’d be remiss to talk about Asbury Park without mentioning Bruce Springsteen. New Jersey’s native son Bruce Springsteen’s debut album was named “Greetings from Asbury Park,” an homage to the Jersey shore after playing in a handful of different bands there. Though it wasn’t very well received at the time, it went on to become considered one of the best rock albums in American history. The cover, which featured a vintage postcard from Asbury Park, became iconic of the city and can be seen everywhere from souvenirs, to giant murals, to giant crocheted art pieces. On any given night, music can be heard blaring out of Asbury’s bars and venues that line the boardwalk, keeping the musical tradition alive. To get a taste for the music scene, check out The Stone Pony, music venue made famous by Bruce Springsteen’s album Live from Asbury Park. Other venues of note are Wonderbar, which is fun to visit during the dog-friendly “yappy” hour; or Asbury Lanes, a divey bowling alley/music venue. The visual arts scene is alive and well here, too– check out Parlor Gallery, Art 629, and Palette Gallery who are committed to the city’s burgeoning art scene.
Where to Eat & Drink in Asbury Park: A Surf-Themed Coffee Shop, Lunch on the Boardwalk, and a Wood-Fired Pizza Joint
For a casual breakfast, check out Cafe Volan on Bangs Ave. The beautiful punk-rock inspired coffee shop is accented surf boards and skate boards, Asbury Park style. For a sit-down, mom-and-pop style breakfast, Toast is pretty good–it has a huge menu and is almost always packed on weekends. No brunchy-boozy options though. If you should find yourself at the beach in need of coffee, pop into High Voltage, a new cafe/gallery/vintage retailer, located right on the boardwalk.
For lunch or easy dinner, the Korean tacos at Mogo are awesome; and if you forego the location on Cookmare, there’s another on the boardwalk. We also enjoyed an enormous salad at Speakeatery, whose musical accompaniment du jour was Slayer. If you’re spending the day at the beach, skip the greasy fry stands and opt for fresh tacos at Asbury Park Yacht Club, a divey boardwalk bar serving food from it’s neighbor, Pop’s Garage. And though there’s no shortage of dinner options in the area, we never quite made it past Talula’s, where we stuffed our faces with their delicious wood-fired pizza three nights in a row. Serving brunch, lunch, dinner, and the best damn cocktails in town (try the gin & jam!) it’s hard to go anywhere else. Eat here at least once–but preferably 3 times.
Last, there’s a lively bar scene in Asbury at night. Sucked in by the name (throwback to the Lower East Side, 15 years ago)–The Annex has a pretty great beer selection with a big menu. It’s connected to another larger bar, called The Brickwall Tavern. The music venues (Stone Pony, Wonderbar, Asbury Lanes) listed above are fun for drinks too; they make a good bar-culture-crawl on a rainy (or hot, or perfectly beautiful) day. Our favorite dive is Bond Street Bar, which serves up a good selection of beer in mason jars, with shots in baby mason jars. The actual bar is made with laminated old punk and playboy-type magazines from the 70’s and 80’s; it also has a shuffle board and a small back yard. New Yorkers will feel right at home at Johnny Mac’s: though you won’t recognize the name, you’ll recognize the gimmick. Free pizza with every beer. The outdoor space and antique decor make this a better alternative to NYC’s Alligator or Crocodile Lounge. Big plus: it’s right by the train station, so it’s perfect for catching a beer and a quick (free) meal before heading back to the city.
