Shore Things: Asbury Park

Good times can be found at places new and old in Asbury Park this summer.

Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park.
Photo Marc Steiner/Agency New Jersey.

Asbury Park Shore Things:

Asbury Lanes
Known more for its tattooed crowd and alternative music scene than for its bowling pins, Asbury Lanes has a full lineup of live entertainment, an in-house cafe (Snack World Inferno), and bowling from 8 pm to 2 am on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday (and “other days when we feel like it”). Guests must be 18 to enter. (209 Fourth Ave, 732-776-6160, asburylanes.com)

Asbury Water Park
A new children’s water park—a water-filled playground where kids wade through shallow pools and run under a giant squirting watering can—sits just off the boardwalk, in view of the ocean. Although the facility currently has no sign, it is slated to open this summer. (Boardwalk, Asbury Park)

Biggie’s Clam Bar
Attention subaqueous-oriented gastronomes (also known as seafood lovers): Biggie’s Clam Bar is the place to get battered clams, scallops, shrimp, crab cakes, shrimp cocktail, Manhattan clam chowder, clams on the half-shell, and other bounties from the sea. One of several bars and eateries inside Convention Hall, Biggie’s is an offshoot of the 53-year-old family-owned Hoboken restaurant of the same name—and it lives up to the original’s standards. (1300 Ocean Ave, 732-775-3522)

Brickwall Tavern
The Brickwall Tavern serves high-end comfort food and has an “everybody-knows-your-name” community vibe. Catch the game on one of its flat-screen televisions, grab a drink along the lengthy bar, or socialize in the lounge next door. (522 Cookman Ave, 732-774-1264)

Jersey Shore Roller Girls
Led by ladies such as Malicious Megs, AC Skater, Trigger Hippie, and Chesty McBruiser, the Jersey Shore Roller Girls call Asbury Park home. Convention Hall hosts intra-league bouts on June 20 (Anchor Assassins vs. Right Coast Rollers) and August 22 (Murder Beach Militia vs. Anchor Assassins). The intense bouts are simultaneously retro and modern—and bruisingly entertaining. (1300 Ocean Ave, jerseyshorerollergirls.net)

Langosta Lounge
The newest eatery by Jersey Shore restaurateur Marilyn Schlossbach (formerly of Market in the Middle), serves “vacation-inspired cuisine”—a mixture of Mexican dishes and seafood, with an ample sushi menu. A warm and colorful spot, it’s located at about the midpoint of the boardwalk. (1000 Ocean Ave, 732-455-3275)

Market in the Middle
Nestled amid a collection of restaurants, galleries, and shops, Market in the Middle has an eclectic menu of Mediterranean food, plus a gourmet food market and wine shop. (516 Cookman Ave, 732-776-8886)

Moonstruck
An Asbury Park mainstay—with a chef-management team that has been together for more than twenty years. The upscale Victorian restaurant serves American nouveau and Mediterranean cuisine. Guests sitting on any of the three levels of wraparound porches can enjoy views overlooking Wesley Lake and Ocean Grove. (517 Lake Ave, 732-988-0123, moonstrucknj.com)

The ShowRoom
This new 49-seat theater features weekly movie screenings with a focus on foreign films, festival winners, family fare, independent and local films, and shorts. Filmmakers Mike Sadano and Nancy Sabino opened the theater in hopes of creating a “cultural crossroads.” The ShowRoom also hosts live performances and community events. (708 Cookman Ave, 732-502-0472, theshowroomap.com)

Stephen Crane House
Most famous for The Red Badge of Courage, writer Stephen Crane is celebrated in his childhood home, which has been turned into a museum. The house is open by appointment only. (508 Fourth Ave, 732-775-5682)

The Stone Pony
Immortalized Bruce Springsteen, this grungy Asbury Park icon has been entertaining Shore visitors for 35 years, showcasing up-and-coming acts and bringing back old favorites. (913 Ocean Ave, 732-502-0600)

Tim McLoone’s Supper Club 
A cornerstone of the boardwalk redevelopment, the Supper Club features food and live entertainment Thursday through Saturday. It’s located above another McLoone eatery, the Salt Water Beach Café. Musician/restaurateur McLoone also owns the Rum Runner in Sea Bright and McLoone’s Pier House in Long Branch. (1200 Ocean Ave, 732-774-1155, timmcloonessupperclub.com)

Twisted Tree Cafe
At the Twisted Tree Cafe, guests are treated to vegetarian fare, live entertainment, a huge smoothie menu (including Two to Mango, Green Monster, and Gone Nutz), and I-can’t-believe-they’re-vegan cupcakes. (609 Cookman Ave, 732-775-2633, twistedtreecafe.com)

Watermark
This new tapas bar and music lounge features infused iced teas, sangria, and specialty cocktails. The second-floor restaurant has a spacious deck that extends over the boardwalk and beach, and live entertainment to keep it hopping. (800 Ocean Ave, 732-455-3447, watermarkap.com)

Wonder Bar
Just north of the Stone Pony stands the Wonder Bar, whose exterior features Tillie the Clown, the face on the historic Palace Amusements building from the 1950s. It is one of the Shore’s most recognizable images, and the bar is once again an active venue for catching high-energy live music. (Fifth and Ocean avenues, 732-502-8886)

When you do decide to head to the beach, consult our 2009 Summer Beach Guide for beach badge prices, parking information and exit numbers (if you don’t know them by heart). Click here to view the beach guide (PDF format)

Click on the links below to read the different categories of our 100 Shore Things Guide:

Family Fun

Entertainment

Food

Shopping

Great Outdoors

Destinations

Atlantic City’s Shore Things

Click on the links below to read more in-depth articles about Shore destinations and developments:

Will Tough Times Yield Good Deals? A Gaming Resort Tries to Look Beyond the Recession

Touching All the Bases: Lakewood’s Minor League BlueClaws Have Become A Major Hit

Wave Master: Brian Wynn Is The Go-To Guy For Custom Surfboards on the Shore

Boardwalk Into Controvesy: Wildwood’s Apparent Use of Rain-Forest Wood Irks Environmentalists

Wrecking Crew: Seeking Sunken Treasures (Or Just a Few Fish) in Jersey’s Chilly Coastal Waters

Cape May’s Sparkling Stones: Cape May "Diamonds"?

Come As You Are Bars: Flip-Flops and a Bathing Suit Are Not Problem At These Hot Spots on the Beach

Greetings From Asbury Park (Again): Amid Economic Slowdown, A Legendary Shore Town Awaits the Fruits of Redevelopment

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