Greetings from Asbury Park, New Jersey (2009 Edition--Happy Mother's Day!)
After a trip to Asbury Park in July 2006, I wrote that if New Jersey got its act together, there were signs that it could soon be great again. (Feel free to take a look here: http://herb-lehman.livejournal.com/59868.html#cutid1).
Apparently, this blog does have some readers, because I went back to Asbury yesterday and saw a quantum leap of progress has been made in the past three years. The place has been transformed from a wasteland ghost-town to a still gritty, but hip, art-oriented beachfront that definitely plays upon its heritage of being the birthplace (career-wise) of Bruce Springsteen. It reminded me of a slightly more upscale Coney Island relocated in New Jersey.
In 2006, most of the Asbury Park beach looked like this:
That huge, abandoned building is still extant (these photos were taken yesterday), but walk a little further down the boardwalk, and you'll see this:
Quirky clothing stores and shops with knick-knacks...
...and a clam bar and bakery inside the formerly empty Convention Hall building.
The Asbury Park Convention Hall, a huge, Roaring Twenties-era concert hall, has been restored to its former grandeur over the past decade or so.
The Convention Hall's pretty nifty facade.
With the Convention Hall, the Stone Pony and the Wonder Bar in town, Asbury Park has a nice musical tradition. The folks behind Asbury Park's revival have played upon that in a big way.
Asbury isn't drawing top-flight performers, but they occasionally draw some very interesting ones. Look carefully along the top row of posters on the Convention Hall wall. Apparently, the Damned is coming! (Yes, that's the "Neat Neat Neat" Damned).
The Wonder Bar, whose mascot looks much like the face of Coney Island.
And you know a town is back in business when you see...
RALPH'S! Mmmm...
Make no mistake, the town that looked like a bomb hit it three years ago still has quite a ways to go.
But even among the receding air of emptiness is a rapidly growing artistic presence.
This is the marquee of an abandoned movie theater...
...and this is the side of the building. Pretty cool.
In 2006, I was absolutely amazed by an empty, crumbling casino along the boardwalk. That casino is still standing, and still empty...
...but check out the inside walls of this place.
Awesome.
Not everything was so dazzling. As there was no placard to explain it, I have no idea what this piece of art, a bit further down the boardwalk, was supposed to be:
Okay, I give up.
But no beach town, quirky shops, cool artwork, and Damned concerts or not, can be a good beach town without a good beach. Fortunately, they did a great job cleaning up the Asbury Park beach, too.
So pardon me while I catch some sun and crank up some Springsteen.
Apparently, this blog does have some readers, because I went back to Asbury yesterday and saw a quantum leap of progress has been made in the past three years. The place has been transformed from a wasteland ghost-town to a still gritty, but hip, art-oriented beachfront that definitely plays upon its heritage of being the birthplace (career-wise) of Bruce Springsteen. It reminded me of a slightly more upscale Coney Island relocated in New Jersey.
In 2006, most of the Asbury Park beach looked like this:
That huge, abandoned building is still extant (these photos were taken yesterday), but walk a little further down the boardwalk, and you'll see this:
Quirky clothing stores and shops with knick-knacks...
...and a clam bar and bakery inside the formerly empty Convention Hall building.
The Asbury Park Convention Hall, a huge, Roaring Twenties-era concert hall, has been restored to its former grandeur over the past decade or so.
The Convention Hall's pretty nifty facade.
With the Convention Hall, the Stone Pony and the Wonder Bar in town, Asbury Park has a nice musical tradition. The folks behind Asbury Park's revival have played upon that in a big way.
Asbury isn't drawing top-flight performers, but they occasionally draw some very interesting ones. Look carefully along the top row of posters on the Convention Hall wall. Apparently, the Damned is coming! (Yes, that's the "Neat Neat Neat" Damned).
The Wonder Bar, whose mascot looks much like the face of Coney Island.
And you know a town is back in business when you see...
RALPH'S! Mmmm...
Make no mistake, the town that looked like a bomb hit it three years ago still has quite a ways to go.
But even among the receding air of emptiness is a rapidly growing artistic presence.
This is the marquee of an abandoned movie theater...
...and this is the side of the building. Pretty cool.
In 2006, I was absolutely amazed by an empty, crumbling casino along the boardwalk. That casino is still standing, and still empty...
...but check out the inside walls of this place.
Awesome.
Not everything was so dazzling. As there was no placard to explain it, I have no idea what this piece of art, a bit further down the boardwalk, was supposed to be:
Okay, I give up.
But no beach town, quirky shops, cool artwork, and Damned concerts or not, can be a good beach town without a good beach. Fortunately, they did a great job cleaning up the Asbury Park beach, too.
So pardon me while I catch some sun and crank up some Springsteen.