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Asbury Park Information
Asbury Park is a City in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of
the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 16,930. A seaside resort
town, Asbury Park once flourished. From the late 1800s until the 1960s, it was
known as the "Jewel of the Jersey Shore." In the 1970s, Asbury Park (along with
many other New Jersey cities) became a victim of race riots due to segregation
and lack of opportunity for the city's large black community. This caused many
residents to move out of the town. In the years to follow, businesses moved out
and large parts of the city lay abandoned, so much so that a city manager called
it 'Sarajevo-by-the-sea'.
In the past few years, there has been a resurgence in the Asbury Park real
estate market as the town center has gradually become more gentrified as
developers have begun various large redevelopment projects in different areas of
the city.
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
dilapidated downtown district has been revitalized, and the vacated beach front
is undergoing a massive revitalization project. In 2005, the Casino's walkway
re-opened, as did most of the boardwalk pavilions.
The redevelopment plans have come with controversy to many residents and
supporters of Asbury Park because they call for the destruction of some historic
sites, such as the Palace Amusements complex which featured the famous face of
Tillie, a symbol of the Jersey Shore.
Asbury Park is considered to be a mecca for musicians, particularly for a
subgenre of rock and roll known as the Jersey Shore sound. It is home to The
Stone Pony, founded in 1974 and a starting point for many musical artists.
In particular, Asbury Park became famous after Bruce Springsteen released his
debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. in 1973. On his follow-up album,
The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle, one of the songs is entitled
"4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)".
In the movie Dogma by Kevin Smith, God took the form of an old man so that
he/she could play skeeball in Asbury Park. This is in reference to Smith's
earlier feature Chasing Amy, wherein the characters played by Ben Affleck and
Joey Lauren Adams played the same game in what could be Asbury, but is more
likely to be either Keansburg, Point Pleasant, or Seaside Heights, all of which
have a large number of arcades with this game and a larger tourist draw than
Asbury.
The city is also a hub of New Jersey gay culture and is a popular resort
destination for gay men and lesbians throughout the Northeast. Highlights of the
summer season include the Jersey Gay Pride festival and parade in June and the
Roadtrip Weekend in August, along with a number of bars, nightclubs, and
gay-owned or gay-friendly shops and restaurants open year round.
Professional wrestler, Bam Bam Bigelow who was born in Asbury Park, named his
finishing maneuver after a Bruce Springsteen song in tribute to his home town.
The finisher was an over the shoulder reverse piledriver, or as Bigelow called
it, "Greetings from Asbury Park."
Asbury Park's nightlife is primarily, but not all, rock oriented. The Stone
Pony, the bar frequented by Bruce Springsteen, is still serving the rockers of
the Jersey Shore. Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, before going on to
international fame, was the house band at the Stone Pony in the mid-seventies.
The Fast Lane, the club where Bon Jovi got his start, is still rocking too.
Directly next door is Asbury Lanes, a bowling alley in which the shadowy
lighting and vintage movies harbors the local hipster scene. On the other side
is the Baronet, a vintage movie theater which dates back to Buster Keaton.
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 hors d'overs and offering
entertainment, to showcase the city's residential and commercial resurgence.
Asbury Park's public schools are operated by Asbury Park Public Schools. The
school district is an Abbott District.