A Vibrant Past and a Brilliant Future
THE LEGACY OF ASBURY PARK
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.
2025
SURFHOUSE DEBUTS & LIDO RISES
SURFHOUSE Asbury Park opens and begins leasing. LIDO begins construction.
2024
BREAKING NEW GROUND
SURFHOUSE Asbury Park breaks ground. K. Hovnanian completes Baltic and Aegean condominium projects.
2023
STARFIELD COMPANIES IS CREATED
Starfield Companies was formed in 2023 to carry forward the long-term redevelopment of the Asbury Park Waterfront. Building on years of prior investment and planning, the firm was created to complete key projects and help shape a vibrant, mixed-use coastal district for the city’s future.
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 sq ft 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 glamour.
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.
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.
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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
Bruce Springsteen on Lake Avenue
1973
THE BOSS TAKES OVER ASBURY
Rock-and-roll legend Bruce Springsteen debuts his first album, Greetings from Asbury Park.
1961
STRIKE A CHORD
Asbury Lanes, the iconic music venue and classic bowling alley, opens.
The Asbury Park Press Building
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.
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
Steinbach Department Store
1912
A FASHIONABLE PLACE
Steinbach opens on the corner of Cookman and Mattison Avenues to become the largest department store in any resort.
1903
LADY LUCK FINDS TREASURE
The Casino, designed 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.
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
James A. Bradley
