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Please Visit
Links To Other The SAVE TILLIE Site: The I LOVE TILLIE Site: http://www.ilovetillie.com The Asbury
Park Site: Side O'Lamb
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Everything about the
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ASBURY PARK, NEW JERSEY 1800's 1960's 1970's 1980's 1990's Early 2000's Today Once a thriving boardwalk and beach along the great Atlantic Ocean, Asbury Park has fallen on hard times over the past 10 to 15 years - very hard times. Yet literally footsteps away, Ocean Grove, a vibrant seaside community thrives. Asbury Park once served as the vacation destination of many from northern New Jersey and New York City. My mother remembers visiting this charming coastal resort in the late 40's and 50's. As a child myself in the 1970's, I remember Mom & Dad taking my sister and I on shopping trips to Steinbach's Department Store in Downtown Asbury Park. In those days, there was no Ocean County Mall in Toms River. Sadly, Steinbach's has long since closed. Another institution in Downtown Asbury Park was the Asbury Park Press. My father worked many years for the press before being "strongly encouraged" into early retirement in the late 1980's. In the 1980's, when the going got bad in Downtown, the Asbury Park Press closed up and moved out of town - abandoning the city for which they were named. Ironically, this same newspaper did several special reports on "the fall" of Asbury Park in 1998. Although I did not personally read each article, I am told that the paper made no mention of their part in "the fall" of Asbury Park. Though it stood vacant for at least a decade, the building once occupied by the Asbury Park Press is now almost full with tenants. This information courtesy the people at: http://asburypark.net/index.html. The boardwalk is deserted and in decay. Many beaches are closed and unsafe for bathers. The buildings still standing are boarded up or falling down. With few exceptions, the city is truly a ghost-town. Though closed through most of the 1980's, the Berkeley-Carteret Hotel still stands and continues to operate as a first-class hotel in what appears to be a war-torn third-class country. No one can understand the incredible heart-breaking demise of what was such a vibrant seaside resort. In July 1999, my parents and I visited Ocean Grove and the Great Auditorium. We also drove through Downtown Asbury Park and along the boardwalk. My parents, long-time residents of New Jersey were grief stricken to see the decay. The Late 1800's
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The assessed valuation of Asbury Park climbed from $15,000 in 1869 to $1,500,000 in 1883. In 1883, 600,000 visitors arrived and departed by rail during July, August & September. In it's earliest years, the boardwalk was a narrow makeshift affair laid in portable sections and taken up during the winter months. In 1917, Asbury Park, like many resort areas, lost 4 blocks (about 50 buildings) to a great fire. Many hotels, homes and even sections of the boardwalk were destroyed. But the city would prosper in the 1920's with new growth and building. By the middle 1900's, Asbury Park claimed to have "the finest boardwalk in the world". We have collected several images from Asbury Parks past and present. These include images taken during our visit in 1997. The others are from postcards and an Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce guide (much of which our history is taken). Unfortunately, we do not know exactly what year the guide was produced, but we think it was 1976. This is based on an advertisement for Monmouth Park Racetrack that reads "...the racing season extends from June 11 through November 13 during this Bicentennial year." According to the guide, Ray Kramer was the mayor and Thomas Smith was the Police Chief. Other events and highlights in the guide include:
Here now is a more recent timeline (to the best of my knowledge). As more is learned from the archives of history and from so many who have written with their personal stories, this page will be updated. A visitor to this site took time to share her memories and experiences relating to the decline of Asbury Park. While a few hotels remain today (most boarded up or closed), many were demolished or burned down in the 1960's. Some were replaced with garden apartments which are now either closed, slums or used for low-income housing and welfare recipients. Certainly the loss of beautiful hotels in Asbury Park may have been a contributing factor to people vacationing in other New Jersey Shore towns.1970's
(Top of Page) If the decline began in the late 70's, it certainly continued into the 80's (and obviously the 90's). At some point in the very early 80's, both Steinbach's Department store (which opened in 1912) and the Asbury Park Press, also on Cookman Ave (opposite Steinbach's) closed up business in Asbury Park. The Press moved to another location. Steinbach's closed their doors in Downtown Asbury Park after opening another store at the nearby (and modern) Seaview Square Mall. I believe they have now gone completely out of business. Without the "anchor" store Steinbach's, smaller merchants and Mom & Pop stores that experienced vibrancy and prosperity for years closed their doors. This began a trend that Asbury Park could not recover from. In addition to the loss of shopping, the Garden State Parkway provided a quick means for travelers to reach other shore resorts, Long Beach Island, Seaside Heights and Atlantic City. Coincidentally, as Asbury Park declined, Atlantic City was on the rise as gambling became legal in the late 1970's with the first Casino-Hotel opening in 1978. A "gamble" in one city would certainly "gamble" the future of other New Jersey cities including Asbury Park. Corruption and greed from city officials played a part in the fall. Bad (or improper) business decisions have resulted in the "Ghost-Town" one might see today in 2000.
Late 1980's
(Top of Page) It was my understanding that during the 80's, there were many a bad deal from investors trying to save the town. There is a newer, unfinished and abandoned structure near to the Berkeley Carteret Hotel. It was part of the recovery that never came. The icing on the cake was in 1989 when the Palace Amusements, home of "Tillie" closed.
The 1990's (Top of Page)A big real estate scandal in 1997 resulted in indictments to mortgage companies, appraisers and real estate investment companies. This was due to shady "flipping" of distressed properties and inflated real estate prices. The decline continued bringing Asbury Park to it's present day. In July, 1999, I visited with my parents. We drove through town and shopped a bit in Ocean Grove. We then ate at the Ocean Pavilion restaurant on the North End of the Ocean Grove boardwalk - it is the LAST section of businesses before you cross into Asbury Park. It's as if an imaginary line exists from which no good may cross. While dining, we asked our server what she knew about the restaurant. It apparently opened years ago as a Perkins Restaurant. Cover-ups and scandals in government have likely plagued the city. Why if so many with so much money have offered to restore Asbury Park has it NOT happened?
Like in many troubled cities, the gay and lesbian community have tried to embrace and restore Asbury Park. One nightclub, Down The Street, has been serving the community in Asbury for over a decade! PRIDE New Jersey is held annually every June in Asbury Park. The image to the left is from the celebration held "on the boardwalk" in 1999. Just as in The Castro neighborhood of San Francisco and many southern Florida towns, the gay and lesbian community have tried to keep Asbury Park alive before it truly reaches extinction. Sadly, "Down The Street" closed in 1999 after a new nightclub "Paradise" opened.
Early 2000's (Top of Page) Businesses do exist in Asbury Park! Slowly, life is breathing its' way back into the city. It will take time, perseverance and most importantly support - support of the people to visit these businesses and to spread the word. A new owner of the Berkeley Carteret Hotel has plans to renovate, open the restaurant on more then just weekends and enclose the pool for year-round enjoyment. Efforts are underway to try and save, preserve or rebuild the Palace Amusements. In early 2000, efforts underway to reopen the Albion Hotel failed and the hotel was demolished in late 2001 or early 2002. The Empress Hotel survived and is currently being renovated. The motel section is slated to open in late summer 2004. Redevelopment begins in Asbury Park. I visit the city every summer and watch the (slow) progress. As part of the redevelopment, many historical structures are demolished, most to make way for condo's. The Empress Motel, home to Paradise Nightclub, which opened in 1999 thrives and has been completely remodeled. The hotel section opened partially in 2004 as renovations continued. 2006 (Top of Page) As of August 2006, it is virtually the only thriving business near the boardwalk section. Many other clubs and bars open in the vicinity. The boardwalk remains relatively void of business, a few vendors do operate. The boards of the once famous boardwalk are replaced, new sand is added, and sections of the ocean side beach are opened between the old, closed (still) decaying Casino building and the open Convention Hall. On Cookman Avenue in the downtown section, one of the first areas to see new life, the Antique Emporium and several art shops, and restaurants operate. Indeed this is the best section of town, but has a long way to go. The once vacant Steinbach building continues to be renovated. As you drive from downtown towards to ocean and boardwalk, you will see brand new luxury condo's being erected on your right, and boarded up buildings (probably slated for demolition) to your left (see images below).
And what about the famed Howard Johnson Restaurant? It still stands, and was open in August 2006, but the famous blue and orange lettered sign is gone. I believe the fate of this operation is still in jeopardy. Image below of the Howard Johnson's Restaurant (on the boardwalk) photographed by Chris in 1997. I am told that as of January 2000, the restaurant remains OPEN for business on a part-time basis! This was also so in April 2002.
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