Location: Asbury Park
Top Things to do in Asbury Park
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5 Free Things to do in Asbury Park That You Shouldn't Miss
Asbury Park is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, located on the Jersey Shore and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 16,116, reflecting a decline of 814 (−4.8%) from the 16,930 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 131 (+0.8%) from the 16,799 counted in the 1990 Census.
Restaurants in Asbury Park
1. Parlor Gallery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 13 reviews
2. 8th Ave Jetty
3. Asbury Park Distilling
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 12 reviews
Reviewed By robbI658AT - Cincinnati, United States
Stopped here to purchase some of their bourbon and sampled there barrel aged gin at it was also fantastic. Purchased a cocktail and straight up drinks. The bar tender and owners are quite friendly and proud of their products and rightfully so. Definitely worth a stop an purchase.
4. Antique Emporium of Asbury Park
5. Asbury Park Boardwalk
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 973 reviews
Reviewed By kbtorr - Cape Town Central, South Africa
Disclaimer: I’m English, and I LOVE SEASIDE towns, so declaring my bias is important, as Asbury Park was an EASY sell, transporting me to a simpler and less complicated time. I grew up on a diet of frequent trips to the English East coast. Every summer we would spend two weeks in the same scruffy little bungalow at the seaside, close to the ‘Kiss-me-Quick ’ resort of Hunstanton, land of penny arcades and funfairs. Popcorn, candyfloss and toffee apples make up my DNA, and the thrill of a carousel and the Tunnel of Love never pale. Autumn and winter at the shore have always been a favourite of mine. The closed, ‘packed up for the meantime’, limited openings and short seasonal hours speak to me-all reminiscent of viewing a room through the keyhole- a narrower lens, yet somehow more intriguing and magical. I had no idea what to expect when we were asked to join old friends in Asbury Park, and found myself in a 24-hour-dream-like odyssey. My relationship with Bruce is more complicated. I first listened to him at Wembley Arena in London, 1992, and remember becoming confused and distressed at the constant rude booing from the audience. My soon-to-be husband patiently pointed out they were shouting ‘Bruuuuuce,’ and not ‘Booooooo...’(Blush.) Anyone familiar with Asbury Park will understand why I mention Bruce, and those who are uncertain, this should be your incentive for adventuring. It is a fabulous, confusing, delightful, bracing, hilarious, festive, decadent, fascinating and complex place. …I am 18 again...drinking cheap rosé and eating lobster roll, crawling under the boardwalk to kiss my ‘wannabe’ rock star boyfriend, while he quotes bad lyrics in my untrained ear...half wanting his poetry to be good, but knowing if it was, he won’t be around for another season…we doze briefly in one another’s arms and then wander over to the little art-house cinema where we sit in the back row for the 4 pm screening, watching the movie through half-closed eyes and my rock stars’ embrace. When dusk arrives, we run to the Carousel, where we choose horses with names like Kate, Margaret & Polly, never sensing that 40 years from now, the horses would be replaced- the Victorian style grandeur has taken on its own faded and jaded beauty: arguably more intriguing now than in its glory moment. The Verdi Gris treasure of the facade belies the Rondavel interior, currently housing of a pop up Steam Punk and Zombie Art exhibition. We had an energetic gallop around the Stone Pony, wistfully hoping to find the Rock Star himself, yet meeting the owner of the Danny Clinch gallery gratifyingly made up for it, as she generously diverted us with her first-hand experiences. The one degree of separation is always more elegant to me, as I tend to seize up or babble in the presence of greatness and fame (!) The urbane and understated Asbury Hotel, home of Instagram moments delighted us, a visual cornucopia- each nook and mezzanine inviting us to nest and snuggle- a Hygge fan’s instant gratification. The tour of the Ocean Beach Club transported us to a deck of an ocean liner, or a sunset venue on the southernmost edge of the African continent...whispers of Cape Town echoed. A breathtaking 360 degrees of sun, sky, sea. The Pinball Museum where four of us, giggling, crammed into the photo booth and marvelled at the fact we could now pay by credit card. The ubiquitous four-photo-strip delighting and amusing us: in this era of instant gratification, we still had to wait impatiently for the dubious results. Strangely alluring and incredibly beautiful at night, the Boardwalk is punctuated by the formally abandoned 1929 Casino. The art of HotTea, 6000 hanging threads, kelp-like, rainbow lit, exposed to the nuances and whims of the sea breeze, delicately emotive and frangible. The weekend we visited, the annual Zombie Walk was taking place. Store owners were nervously anticipating a rumoured 34,000 celebrants of the macabre, yet the supposed influx didn’t impact our stay-the few we came across felt strangely middle-aged, weirdly sad and maudlin, rather than terrifying. Over the bridge into strictly ‘dry’ Ocean Grove, a different world awaits. The whimsical gingerbread houses laced with floral climbing vines, craft stalls selling tchotchkes, the ice cream parlours, teashops, and the police station reminiscent of a lost 1940’s world were in strict relief to the brisk and jaunty energy of Asbury Park. Ocean Grove is famous for a yearly summer tented camp, where the Methodist faithful gather each summer. The bowed, wooden canoe-like ceiling of the church conjures glorious eternal journeys, the central auditorium holding 7000 of the great and the good. Worlds collide deliciously. Visit for your own Odyssey.
