Asbury Park, New Jersey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Asbury Park is a City in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 16,930.
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[edit] Geography
Asbury Park is located at (40.222399, -74.012098)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.1 km² (1.6 mi²). 3.7 km² (1.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (10.62%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 16,930 people, 6,754 households, and 3,586 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,571.1/km² (11,842.0/mi²). There were 7,744 housing units at an average density of 2,090.9/km² (5,416.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 24.77% White, 62.11% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 6.49% from other races, and 5.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.58% of the population.
There were 6,754 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 20.2% were married couples living together, 26.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.9% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.36.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,081, and the median income for a family was $26,370. Males had a median income of $27,081 versus $24,666 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,516. About 29.3% of families and 30.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.5% of those under age 18 and 27.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] History
A seaside resort town, Asbury Park once flourished. From the late 1800s until the 1960s, it was known as the "Jewel of the Jersey Shore." In the 1970s, Asbury Park (along with many other New Jersey cities) became a victim of race riots due to segregation and lack of opportunity for the city's large black community. This caused many residents to move out of the town. In the years to follow, businesses moved out and large parts of the city lay abandoned, so much so that a city manager called it 'Sarajevo-by-the-sea'.
In the past few years, there has been a resurgence in the Asbury Park real estate market as the town center has gradually become more gentrified as developers have begun various large redevelopment projects in different areas of the city.
From 2002 onward, Asbury Park has been in the midst of a cultural, political and economic revival led by a burgeoning industry of local and national artists. Its dilapidated downtown district has been revitalized, and the vacated beach front is undergoing a massive revitalization project. In 2005, the Casino's walkway re-opened, as did most of the boardwalk pavilions.
The redevelopment plans have come with controversy to many residents and supporters of Asbury Park because they call for the destruction of some historic sites, such as the Palace Amusements complex which featured the famous face of Tillie, a symbol of the Jersey Shore.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
The City of Asbury Park is governed under the 1923 Municipal Manager Law.
The Asbury Park City Council consists of Mayor Kevin G. Sanders, Deputy Mayor James Bruno, Ed Johnson, James Keady and John Loffredo.[1]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Asbury Park is in the Sixth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 11th Legislative District.[2]
New Jersey's Sixth Congressional District, covering portions of Middlesex County and Monmouth County, is represented by Frank Pallone (D). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Hoboken).
The 11th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Joseph A. Palaia (R, Deal) and in the Assembly by Steve Corodemus (R, Atlantic Highlands) and Sean T. Kean (R, Wall Township). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).
Monmouth County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Monmouth County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director William C. Barham, Freeholder Deputy Director Robert D. Clifton, Lillian G. Burry, Anna C. Little and Theodore J. Narozanick.
[edit] Culture
Asbury Park is considered to be a mecca for musicians, particularly for a subgenre of rock and roll known as the Jersey Shore sound. It is home to The Stone Pony, founded in 1974 and a starting point for many musical artists.
In particular, Asbury Park became famous after Bruce Springsteen released his debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. in 1973. On his follow-up album, The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle, one of the songs is entitled "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)".
In the movie Dogma by Kevin Smith, God took the form of an old man so that he/she could play skeeball in Asbury Park. This is in reference to Smith's earlier feature Chasing Amy, wherein the characters played by Ben Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams played the same game in what could be Asbury, but is more likely to be either Keansburg, Point Pleasant, or Seaside Heights, all of which have a large number of arcades with this game and a larger tourist draw than Asbury.
The city is also a hub of New Jersey gay culture and is a popular resort destination for gay men and lesbians throughout the Northeast. Highlights of the summer season include the Jersey Gay Pride festival and parade in June and the Roadtrip Weekend in August, along with a number of bars, nightclubs, and gay-owned or gay-friendly shops and restaurants open year round.
Professional wrestler, Bam Bam Bigelow who was born in Asbury Park, named his finishing maneuver after a Bruce Springsteen song in tribute to his home town. The finisher was an over the shoulder reverse piledriver, or as Bigelow called it, "Greetings from Asbury Park."
[edit] Nightlife
Asbury Park's nightlife is primarily, but not all, rock oriented. The Stone Pony, the bar frequented by Bruce Springsteen, is still serving the rockers of the Jersey Shore. Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, before going on to international fame, was the house band at the Stone Pony in the mid-seventies. On main street is the Saint, a small club with some of the best local acts. It has also bands such as Ben Folds, Jewel, Cake in the past. The Fast Lane, the club where Bon Jovi got his start, is still rocking too. Directly next door is Asbury Lanes, a bowling alley in which the shadowy lighting and vintage movies harbors the local hipster scene. On the other side is the Baronet, a vintage movie theater which dates back to Buster Keaton.
Popular with numerous Asbury Park residents and visitors is the monthly First Saturday event. On the first Saturday of every month, Asbury Park's downtown art galleries, home design studios, restaurants, antique shops, and clothing boutiques remain open throughout the evening, serving hors d'overs and offering entertainment, to showcase the city's residential and commercial resurgence.
[edit] Hotels
There were, at one time, several hotels in the city. Many were demolished after years of sitting vacant, but some still exist.
Abandoned or Demolished:
- The Metropolitan Hotel & motel (vacant)
- The Ambassador Hotel (demolished)
- The Albion Hotel (demolished)
Currently Open:
- Berkeley-Carteret Hotel
- The Empress Hotel
[edit] Education
Asbury Park's public schools are operated by Asbury Park Public Schools. The school district is an Abbott District.
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Asbury Park include:
- Bud Abbott, straight-man for legendary comedy team Abbott and Costello was born in Asbury Park.
- Stephen Crane, author of The Red Badge of Courage.[3]
- Arthur Pryor, famous bandleader
- Bam Bam Bigelow, former professional wrestler.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Mayor and Council, accessed August 31, 2006
- ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 54, accessed August 30, 2006
- ^ Stephen Crane at the The Literary Encyclopedia, accessed December 10, 2006
- ^ SmackDown Countdown 2006: Bam Bam Bigelow - The Beast from the East comes out of retirement, November 6, 2006
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: |
- City of Asbury Park website
- Asbury Park Public Schools
- Asbury Park Public Schools's 2004-2005 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- National Center for Education Statistics data for the Asbury Park Public Schools
- Asbury Park Public Library
- asburyboardwalk.com Stories, Photos and Trinkets of the Boardwalk's past, present and future.
- asburymusic.com: News, information and photos from Asbury Park and its music scene.
- Asbury Park - Beauty, Character and Decay. A photo essay!
- Historic postcards and current photos of Asbury Park- including the inside of the Casino and Palace Amusements
- asburypark.net: News and information about Asbury Park.
- News and information for gay and lesbian residents and visitors of Asbury Park.
- thecoaster.net: Printed and online weekly newspaper located in Asbury Park
- Movies of the annual baby parade, 1904
- Details of the struggle to save historic Asbury Park landmarks and reclaim the town.
- The Asbury Park Waterfront Redevelopment Plan.
- 'Asbury Park' feature in Weird NJ.
- 'Asbury Park' Decay
- Asbury Park Community Directory - businesses, arts and music, restaurant reviews and more.
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
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