Shore Town Rides Latest Rebuilding Wave
Posted on: 05/10/2009
Asbury Park's long-awaited revival still has a long way to go, but there are continuing signs of promise. It was founded as a warm-weather resort in 1871, and New York and Philadelphia's beach-going masses made it a popular getaway at the turn of the last century. Well-to-do vacationers chose the seaside town to build their summer homes, and grand hotels followed. Asbury Park ultimately became a shopping and cultural destination, flourishing through the 1920s. Asbury's fortunes waxed and waned over the decades until the town lost its economic legs and fell on hard times in the 1970s. By the 1990s, Asbury Park was a faded relic that had seen a number of revitalization false starts. However, in recent years, led by an ambitious redevelopment plan and entrepreneurial activity, the shore town has begun staging a comeback, of sorts. It still has more than its share of eyesores, including nearly vacant streets overlooking the beach and boardwalk, but there's also a brighter side: rehabbed and repurposed landmarks, a spruced-up main drag (Ocean Avenue), a lively downtown with an assortment of shops and restaurants, and greatly improved Boardwalk. "Asbury Park used to be a very depressing place. It almost felt like it was completely abandoned. You could drive into certain areas and see absolutely no one at all on the streets," said Gary Curry, who has been visiting relatives in the city for 30 years. "But things are changing for the better now." Curry had long considered purchasing a second home in the area. Having rented a house a block from the ocean in nearby Bradley Beach for years, he first looked there, then in other places along the Jersey Shore but shifted his focus to Asbury Park when he realized that, its uphill battle notwithstanding, he wanted to be a part of the rebirth. He is in the process of deciding between buying a town home in the luxurious Wesley Grove development (wesleygroveasbury.com) and a condo in North Beach (northbeachasbury.com), an elegant new beachfront complex with prices starting in the $300,000s. The current economic slump has brought major parts of the revitalization movement to a virtual standstill, as developers struggle to get a handle on their debt anjd^ attract more investors. While upne. think the city is headed for yet another unfulfilled renaissance, despite setbacks caused by the recession, Curry is confident the town is poised for an actual turnaround once the economy improves. Others share his optimism, pointing to the fact that tourists are arriving again, evidenced by a marked increase in the number of daily beach-access badges being sold. "It may have a long way to go before it can liken itself to. some QJther shore towjjs, but the city is redefining itself and changing right before our eyes," said Curry. "If you've never been to Asbury Park or if its seedy reputation has kept you away, you don't know what you're missing. Either way, you will be pleasantly surprised with what you see happening here."
By SHANNON ROXBOROUGH SPECIAL TO THE RECORD - May 10, 2009
