Quick - tell me, what's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Asbury Park?
Would you say.............
1). The beach and boardwalk
2). Salt water taffy
3). Bruce Springsteen
4). I never think of / heard of Asbury Park.
Without a doubt, the first thing that comes to my mind is Bruce Springsteen. The boardwalk, beach, and taffy quickly follow, but The Boss is Boss.......know what I mean?
As a born and bred Jersey girl, perhaps I take it for granted that people equate the seaside town of Asbury with Bruce Springsteen. To many folks, the two go together like Bogey and Bacall.......paper and pencil........wine and cheese. After all, his first album was called "Greetings From Asbury Park."
I
can't remember the last time I was in Asbury. I'm guessing that it
was sometime in high school or college......yikes, maybe even earlier
than that, when I was still in braces and pigtails! I did see Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes
in concert -- was it at Asbury's Convention Hall? Possibly. Regardless,
it's been so long that it felt like I was going for the first time.
For
many years, Asbury Park was not considered a go-to destination along
New Jersey's 130 miles of shore line because........well.......to be
blunt........it was seedy. In recent years, however, the town where
Springsteen cut his musical teeth has seen a tremendous revival, and now
regularly finds itself on many of NJ's "Best" lists. Don't be surprised if your uber-hipster friend from Brooklyn brags about the weekend she just spent in Asbury Park.
Our reason for traveling down to Asbury in late September was to attend a Melanie concert. Remember her from the 60s and 70s?
"I've got a brand new pair of roller skates.....
You've got a brand new key......."
Or how about........
"Look what they've done to my song, Ma.......
Look what they've done to my song......."
If you recall those songs, I can guarantee that you'll be humming them for the next three days. You're welcome. Or I'm sorry.........whichever is more appropriate.
This little road trip came about in a funny way. Earlier in September, we walked by a restaurant close to home, surprised to see that Melanie was performing there on that very night. We stood outside, hemming and hawing about whether to get last-minute tickets. I'm not sure if the hems or the haws won, but we didn't go in. Almost immediately, Mr. GS wished we had. He fretted; I googled. Lo and behold, Melanie was appearing a few weeks later in Asbury Park. We bought tickets, booked a hotel room, and lined up the dog sitter.
A week before the concert, I started tracking the weather. It put me in a cranky mood, as it looked like we were going to be in for a complete washout. Let's be honest, here. For Mr. GS, the priority was to see Melanie. Me? I was more interested in seeing Asbury (not that I wasn't looking forward to seeing Melanie -- I was!). But raining on my Asbury Park parade would put a real damper on our excursion.
We set off on a cloudy Thursday morning, and halfway down the Garden State Parkway, the skies brightened. By the time we arrived, the sun was shining, as was my mood. 😎
Our reservations were at The Asbury, a super-trendy
new-ish hotel. Clearly, we're not the target demographic, but simply staying there would up our "cool" factor, no?
The friendly millennial who checked us in asked what brought us to Asbury Park. "The Melanie concert." A weak smile and his unconvincing "Oh, cool!" response made me want to say, "Yeah, I'm old enough be your mother. Wanna see my AARP card? Huh? HUH?" There were some other baby-boomers milling about the lobby. They'd know who Melanie is, that's for sure. More than likely, that's why they were there.
This was not your grandma's hotel lobby.......
The hotel bartender probably cards you to make sure you're over 21 but under 40 to sit at the bar.
Kidding aside.......we felt totally welcomed and comfortable at The Asbury.
One might say the room was spare - others would call it contemporary. Bottom line is, the bed was comfy and the bathroom was spotless. The rum body wash, peppermint shampoo and cilantro hair conditioner whet my shower appetite. Yum yum. Time for lunch.
You know me, guys........I was itching to get out and explore. The beach and boardwalk were only a block away, right at the entry to the renowned Asbury Park Convention Hall.
The interior of the Convention Hall houses a theater (Springsteen's band has practiced there), as well as a bunch of cute restaurants and shops. My first order of business was to buy a box of the Jersey shore's world-famous salt-water taffy.
Carla Gizzi At The Beach is a fabulous store inside Convention Hall, stuffed to the gills with interesting items. I knew I wasn't going to leave without buying one of the plaques with Bruce's song lyrics. Trouble was, I couldn't make up my mind, because every one of them has been a part of my being for decades. Ultimately, I decided on 'Cause Tramps Like Us, Baby We Were Born To Run, a line from my favorite Springsteen album. Ten seconds after leaving the store, I was sure I made a mistake. Should I have gotten When They Said Sit Down, I Stood Up? Or, Talk About A Dream, Try to Make It Real? Maybe I'll order another one. Or two. I still can't decide.
It was an unexpected treat to have lunch outside at Langosta Lounge on the boardwalk, considering that just yesterday, I thought I'd be sloshing around in my Hunter rain boots.
The
day was so unexpectedly lovely and mild, that we regretted not packing
our beach chairs. The boardwalk's benches would do very nicely, though.
Ah, the ocean! Just to look at it does us a world of good!
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive."
As we strolled the boardwalk, I could feel Bruce Springsteen's presence everywhere.
"Did you hear the cops finally busted Madam Marie
for tellin' fortunes better than they do...."
Even with its revitalization, echos of the past were loud and clear. The dilapidated Asbury Casino marks a ghostly end to the main section of the boardwalk.
"The boys from the casino dance with their shirts open
like Latin lovers on the shore."
The painted ponies have long been gone from the carousel house.
Just a block off the boardwalk is an area called The
Circuit. Back in the day, it was known for hot rodders and motorcycles, but when we were there, it was pretty quiet.
"The Circuit's lined and jammed with chrome invaders."
Some of Asbury Park's most iconic landmarks can be found along the circuit.......
The Wonder Bar, a popular nightclub and restaurant, has hosted musical legends like Bon Jovi, Clarence Clemmons, and of course, Bruce Springsteen. Had we brought Sadie, we could have taken her to Yappy Hour, where she could hang out with other pups in the large, outdoor fenced-in area. I wonder if she'd like a strawberry "dogquiri?"
Just around the corner is Asbury Lanes. It ain't just bowling balls......it's also a concert venue, and has a pretty cool diner, too. I regret not going inside to take a peek. Hungry? Order a pork roll waffle sandwich, and then engage in New Jersey's ultimate debate -- do you call it pork roll or taylor ham (this NJ native goes with the latter).
The most famous landmark of all is The Stone Pony, where Bruce Springsteen got his start. It's been said that he still shows up there every now and then. Can you IMAGINE? I'd faint on the spot. Bon Jovi, the other Jersey boy, has played there, too.
With my mind filled with Springsteen lyrics, I almost forgot the reason we came! It was time for Melanie, and my brain switched gears as I got dressed to go.
Tim McCloone's Supper Club is an intimate venue, holding just a few hundred people. Melanie walked right by us, as she made her way to the stage.
The
best part of the concert was when she talked about her experience
playing at Woodstock. She later wrote a song about the famed music festival, which became one of her biggest hits.
Lay down, lay down, lay it all down,
Let your white birds birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown.
Forgive the terrible photo quality, but this picture is, in fact, the reason we were in Asbury to begin with.
In the morning, the weather was gloomy. We headed into the business district about a mile down the road, and had a cozy breakfast at Toast, before heading home.
I know I say this about pretty much everywhere I go, but I felt such a strong connection with Asbury Park. I can't say that it would affect everyone in this way, but I felt Asbury. Maybe
it's the Jersey girl in me; maybe it's some latent childhood memories
that struggled to find their way to the surface of my brain; maybe it's
Springsteen's lyrical references to Asbury that I know so well. I dunno.
All I can tell you is that something about Asbury Park tugged at my soul. It felt like home. Is that weird?
Although one can feel the ghosts of its former days, I'm pretty sure Asbury Park's glory days lie ahead.
RESOURCES
The Asbury (Hotel)
Langosta Lounge (restaurant)
Carla Gizzi At The Beach (shop)
Tim McCloone's Supper Club (restaurant and concert venue)
Toast (restaurant)
LINKING WITH:
