A vibrant past and a brilliant future

ABOUT ASBURY PARK NOW

Once called the ‘Jewel of the Jersey Shore,’ Asbury Park has been re-discovered and re-invigorated. A sparkling mix of the city and the sand, this gem is enticing to both locals and city dwellers looking for new prospects now more than ever.

2022

WELCOME TO THE NEXT WAVE

That Asbury Park life is more in-demand than ever. Future locals looking for homes will soon have an exceptional new array of options, as iStar announces a fresh wave of Waterfront restoration and redevelopment, complete with 220 new residences by Somerset, Toll Brothers and K. Hovnanian.

2021

THE GOOD KEEPS GROWING

It’s the little things that make a town a lovely place to live. LIke the 6,000 sqft public “pocket park” donated by iStar to give all residents a little more green space to savor in this city by the sea.

2020

CALL IT A COMEBACK

Thanks to the North End Boardwalk Improvement project, the beach isn’t just back--it’s better than ever with healthy new sand dunes and beach grasses, a storm water filtration system, better beach access and, best of all, a new boardwalk.

2019

HELLO ASBURY OCEAN CLUB

It’s the official arrival of the most highly anticipated residential waterfront project on the East Coast. With the most spectacular views on the shoreline and amenities that bring a new level of luxury to the timeless pleasure of a surfside escape, Asbury Ocean Club embodies the revival of Asbury Park’s long-ago glamor.

The Asbury Ocean Club

2018

THE LANES RISE
TO ROCK AGAIN

An Asbury Park icon returns. When the doors finally open after 3 years of intensive renovations, locals and out-of-towners alike are delighted to find this beloved bowling and music venue revived, refreshed and ready to rock with two full-service bars, state-of-the-art bowling lanes, a powerhouse performance stage—and reinvented retro-style diner serving some of the best bites in town.

2016

OLD SCHOOL GETS NEW COOL

The Asbury mashes up Asbury Park's Victorian-era history, rock-n-roll present, and shiny future into a new kind of social hub. Inside The Asbury, our lobby is the action-filled center of the hotel with everything designed for perpetual motion.

The Asbury Hotel

2014-2016

STREETSCAPE OF ASBURY PARK WATERFRONT

From beautiful dune grasses to bright lights on the boardwalk and streets: iStar added $3 million of infrastructure to the waterfront to welcome Asbury Park beachgoers.

2013

ON SOLID GROUND

iStar adds infrastructure, laying the groundwork for waterfront development. Vive, the first residential offering, sells out in one day.

2007

A GEM IS RESTORED

Extensive renovation saves boardwalk landmarks, including the Paramount Theatre and Convention Hall, and the waterfront revitalization begins in earnest.

the Paramount Theatre

1973

THE BOSS
TAKES OVER ASBURY

Rock-and-roll legend Bruce Springsteen debuts his first album, Greetings from Asbury Park.

Bruce Springsteen
on Lake Avenue

1961

STRIKE A CHORD

Asbury Lanes, the iconic music venue and classic bowling alley, opens.

the pool at the Empress Hotel

1947

ASBURY FINDS A VOICE

WJLK, broadcasting out of the Press Building on Mattison Avenue, becomes the first FCC-licensed New Jersey station and one of 75 FM stations nationwide.

the Asbury Park Press building

1934

TRAGEDY BECOMES
A TREASURE

Cruise ship SS Morro Castle catches fire and beaches itself just yards from the Asbury Park Convention Hall, becoming a popular attraction unto itself.

Cruise Ship SS Morro Castle

1912

A FASHIONABLE PLACE

Steinbach opens on the corner of Cookman and Mattison Avenues to become the largest department store in any resort.

Steinbach department store

1903

LADY LUCK
FINDS TREASURE

The Casino, deisgned by city architect William Cottrell, is built at Lake and Asbury Avenues.

the casino on the water

1897

A JEWEL IS DISCOVERED

Asbury becomes a city. More than 600,000 ride the New York and Long Branch railroads to vacation in oceanfront Asbury Park in the summertime.

1888

A PALACE IS BUILT
ON A LAKE

Ernest Schnitzler builds the Palace Merry-Go-Round on Lake Avenue and Kingsley, beginning what will become Palace Amusements.

Palace Amusements

1871

A BISHOP
FINDS TREASURE

James A. Bradley, a New York brush manufacturer, buys a 500-acre tract of woodland for $90,000. He names it after Bishop Francis Asbury.

Bishop Francis Asbury