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Asbury Park has had a long music tradition which includes the famous Stone Pony.
Northern New Jersey has the closest beaches to where I live, and it’s easy to think that the beaches near are not as attractive as having to drive or fly further. That is what makes it fun to rediscover some beaches that maybe you have forgotten about.
Asbury Park was a nice surprise and a short walk from Ocean Grove which is a great way to get a mini Cape May fix!
The Stone Pony launched the careers of both Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi along with Southside Johnny and many others. Over the years the reputation of Asbury Park has changed since booming in the 70’s to being rundown in the 90’s and gentrified in the 2000’s.
Today Asbury Park has lots of great LGBT events and is full of restaurants, rooftop bars, cool hotels, and plenty of music.
Asbury Parks Must Visit Spots
Asbury Park has lots of murals to enjoy. Visit the Convention Hall that houses restaurants, shops, and a movie theatre.
The Wonder Bar hosts nationally known touring bands. The best part of the Wonder Bar is its friendly “Yappy Hour” outdoor bar next door, where dog lovers can let their pets run around as they drink. So that’s reason enough to have a beer and hang with your furry friends!
Another great place to stop is the Asbury Festhalle and Biergarten which is an Austro-Hungarian bar and restaurant. One-liter beers and large pretzels and bratwursts are a great draw. Check out the rooftop deck if the weather is nice and relax and enjoy the live music. This is one fun Biergarten!
Pops Garage is a good place to stop for some surfside Mexican directly on the boardwalk. Porta is great for wood-fired pizza located across from The Stone Pony outdoor stage. Breakfast or brunch at Toast will not disappoint with their fabulous menu.
The Asbury Hotel is a hip industrial hotel with a beer garden, a pool, a rec room with ping-pong and pinball machines that includes two different rooftop bars. Visit their lobby bar for a great selection of drinks and live music.
Just a short walk down the boardwalk past some beach shops is Ocean Grove. Ocean Grove is a cute Victorian town that includes its famous tent village. Its so close to Asbury Park that it is worth checking out. Leisurely enjoy their shops, admire the architecture or just lounge on the beach.
What do you think?
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