GLBT Travelers - Anyone been to Asbury Park recently

Has anyone been to Asbury park in the past couple year?

I have to be in Newark in early July for a couple days, and usually just meet up with a friend that lives in NJ and spend the weekend in NYC and fly home that Sunday.

Five or six years ago, my friend and I stayed at the Empress at Asbury Park and I had a lot of fun. Pool was relaxing and was great being right across the street from the beach.

I was considering going to Asbury Park instead of in Manhattan but my friend said that he heard Empress is no longer gay, but the one night club there was still gay and the pool wasn't much fun anymore.

I figured this would be the best place to find out for sure:)

I probably head down there 2-3 times a year to get away from the city. It's a bizarre little town, but it has continued to grow and get better and better. The gay scene there is still very much alive and kicking.

As you mentioned, the Empress is still the hub. You could stay there, or stay at The Berkeley on the other end of the Boardwalk, which usually has nicer rooms at a cheaper price. However, the Empress is convenient and staying there also gives you free access to the club at night and to the pool during the day. The club at the Empress (Paradise) is still very busy on Friday and Saturday nights. I tend to go down for the day and hang at the pool, however...just grab a chair and hang there most of the day. It gets packed by early afternoon. On Sundays, the afternoon Tea Dance is very busy.

One of the largest outdoor gay events in the NYC area takes place there every July - Sanblast. This year is on July 23/24. Due to AP's central location, it attracts thousands of guys from Philly to NYC and beyond.

There are some other bars, but they are not as popular and I don't frequent them, so can't give you more info. There are tons of good restaurants in AP, the better of which are just a few mins off the boardwalk. The beach itself is now very busy, clean and attracts a wide variety of people (mostly NOT gay), although the end near the Convention Center is still where you'll find the gaggles of homos on a weekend.

I probably head down there 2-3 times a year to get away from the city. It's a bizarre little town, but it has continued to grow and get better and better. The gay scene there is still very much alive and kicking.

As you mentioned, the Empress is still the hub. You could stay there, or stay at The Berkeley on the other end of the Boardwalk, which usually has nicer rooms at a cheaper price. However, the Empress is convenient and staying there also gives you free access to the club at night and to the pool during the day. The club at the Empress (Paradise) is still very busy on Friday and Saturday nights. I tend to go down for the day and hang at the pool, however...just grab a chair and hang there most of the day. It gets packed by early afternoon. On Sundays, the afternoon Tea Dance is very busy.

One of the largest outdoor gay events in the NYC area takes place there every July - Sanblast. This year is on July 23/24. Due to AP's central location, it attracts thousands of guys from Philly to NYC and beyond.

There are some other bars, but they are not as popular and I don't frequent them, so can't give you more info. There are tons of good restaurants in AP, the better of which are just a few mins off the boardwalk. The beach itself is now very busy, clean and attracts a wide variety of people (mostly NOT gay), although the end near the Convention Center is still where you'll find the gaggles of homos on a weekend.

Thanks for the info. I may have to see if I can delay the trip to Newark by a couple weeks to be there during Sanblast:)

If you are considering going to Sandblast, you should book your hotel now, as they sell out every year (might be sold out now...). Also, it's best to buy the tickets ahead of time. Checkout the website for full details:

http://www.sandblastonline.com/Home.html

Has anyone been there this summer? Is it worth going to from NYC. Any suggestions for a day trip, beach, bars, etc.

I am in Asbury Park right now, relaxing at a friend's house. Very nice little town. Has kept improving since the last time I was here about 3 years ago. Very suburban feel, nice houses for sale if that's your thing but also very nice downtown area with restaurants and shop and the tacky boardwalk (that one not very gay, but fun and lively).

As an update to my original post, I have been there two weekends this summer and had a blast both times. It's good to get out of the city sometimes and my friends from NYC who have never been there always wind up having a good time.

It's not the type of place I could go to 10 times a summer, but it's a good alternative to being in Manhattan or making the trek out to FI.

I agree with chrisjur. Ap is a great way to get out of the city. It is an odd place and I say that with sadness as I grew up in that area and remember it as being a great place. But you have to go back 40 years for that.

AP is all about having your expectations properly set. This is a town that died in the 70's and is still trying to stand upright. But that are trying. progress takes time. It amazes me that this a town with is real estate on the ocean with a direct train link to Manhattan and it trouble standing up but....

Nonetheless, a great option on the train...cab to the beach, cocktails at beach bar or acqua and even some nice restaurants right on the boardwalk.

I agree with chrisjur. Ap is a great way to get out of the city. It is an odd place and I say that with sadness as I grew up in that area and remember it as being a great place. But you have to go back 40 years for that.

AP is all about having your expectations properly set. This is a town that died in the 70's and is still trying to stand upright. But that are trying. progress takes time. It amazes me that this a town with is real estate on the ocean with a direct train link to Manhattan and it trouble standing up but....

Nonetheless, a great option on the train...cab to the beach, cocktails at beach bar or acqua and even some nice restaurants right on the boardwalk.

I have had fun the few times I have been there. First time was when I was in NYC and a friend that lives in NYC took me there on a Saturday night and we had a lot of fun. I did a couple weekend trips at Empress when I had business in the summer in the NYC area during the week. Great place if you want to avoid NYC and just relax.

I like to go to the boardwalk on Saturday and Sunday mornings for a nice walk and lunch and spend saturday afternoon at the pool and Friday and Saturday nights at the club. I find a good age range of people at the empress's club and everyone is pretty friendly