
Trinity Church. Asbury Park, January 17, 2016. Paul Goldfinger photo. © Click once to further illuminate.
LOUDON WAINRIGHT III (From HBO’s Boardwalk Empire) “Carrickfergus”
Posted in Asbury Connection, Asbury Park Connection Photo Gallery, Photography at The Jersey Shore, Photography by Paul Goldfinger, Photography in America, Photography in Asbury Park, Photography: Jersey Shore Gallery, Photography: The Other Side of Asbury, tagged Trinity Church Asbury Park on January 4, 2026|
Posted in Asbury Connection, Asbury Park, Ocean GRove parking issues, Ocean Grove parking problems, tagged A true conversation, ASbury Park parking in Ocean Grove, Parking problems in Ocean Grove on November 26, 2025| 1 Comment »

The siren call of the Asburian night life.. Paul Goldfinger photo of the AP skyline across Wesley Lake. © 2019. Click once to enlarge.
By Eileen and Paul Goldfinger, Editors at Blogfinger.net
Scene: It is a stifling peak-season sunny July Saturday afternoon. The Grove is crowded and there is nary a parking space except for one across from where we are standing.
Eileen and I are gardening on the Delaware Ave. side of our house. A car pulls into that sole remaining space, and a young man emerges. He looks around and then walks over to us.
He: Can I park here?
We: Yes, but be sure you are close to the curb.
He: Checking his tires. “I work at the Brick Wall in Asbury, and someone told me that I can park in Ocean Grove for free.”
We: It’s not only the workers who park here, but your customers as well, and we’re not happy with the idea.
He: Oh….I’m sorry.
We: No need to apologize. It is legal for you to park here.
He: I’ve been paying over $100.00 week to park for work.
We: Wow. (We felt bad for him….he obviously is a “working stiff.”)
He: Well, thank you.
We: It’s OK. Bye.
He: Smiles and heads towards the New Jersey Avenue Bridge across Wesley Lake to A. Park.
We: We agree that A. Park is exploiting their workers by neither providing parking or paying for parking. $100.00 is a lot for this worker. We should feel compassion for these young people, but this is Asbury’s problem to solve, and it is a reasonable concern for Grovers.
The AP City Council refused a plea from Neptune to help us with this parking situation which is their fault, and now they demand that we open our bridge-gates.
That is chutzpah!
BILLY ECKSTINE:
Posted in Asbury Connection, Asbury Park Connection Photo Gallery, Blogfinger Presents, Girls in summer clothes Jersey shore, Photograph by Paul Goldfinger, Photography: Jersey Shore Gallery, tagged Lovely day in Asbury Park on August 25, 2025|
BEVERLY KENNY
Posted in Asbury Connection, Ocean Grove photographs, tagged Asbury Park, The night life at the Jersey Shore, Wesley Lake on August 3, 2025| 4 Comments »
WILLIE NELSON. “The Night Life”
Posted in Asbury Connection, Asbury Park, Jersey Shore gallery, tagged July 4 Springsteen, Wesley Lake historic on August 2, 2025| 2 Comments »

Asbury Park, New Jersey. c.1965. Seen from Ocean Grove across Wesley Lake. Paul Goldfinger photo © Click once for full view.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN. 4th of July (Sandy)
“And the boys from the casino dance with their shirts open like Latin lovers on the shore
Chasing all them silly New York virgins by the score
“And Sandy, the aurora is rising behind us
This pier lights our carnival life forever
Oh, love me tonight, for I may never see you again
Hey, Sandy girl
My, my, baby…”
Posted in Asbury Connection, Jersey Shore gallery, Music: The Power to Enchant, tagged ASbury Park in the morning on July 13, 2025|
BUDDY HOLLY “True Love Ways.”
Posted in Asbury Connection, Asbury Park Connection Photo Gallery, tagged 3 caballeros in Asbury Park on July 12, 2025| 2 Comments »
Posted in Asbury Connection, Asbury Park Connection Photo Gallery, Blogfinger Presents, Classical Music on Blogfinger, Photograph by Paul Goldfinger, Photography Asbury Park lifestyles, Photography the other side of Asbury Park, tagged Joshua Bell on Blogfinger, Library Park, Teh other side of Asbury on July 2, 2025| 3 Comments »

Grand Avenue at First Avenue in Asbury Park across from the library which was built in 1881. Paul Goldfinger photo© Click once to enlarge. 2015. Blogfinger.net
Got nine minutes for Joshua Bell and Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor, opus 64. II, Andante? It is with Neville Mariner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (London)
Posted in Asbury Connection, Asbury Park Connection Photo Gallery, Photographic Gallery: New Jersey, Photography Asbury Park lifestyles, Photography at The Jersey Shore, tagged Casino wedding party on May 11, 2025|
LANG LANG “Romance in E Minor” by Franz Liszt
Posted in Asbury Connection, Asbury Park Connection Photo Gallery, Photograph by Paul Goldfinger, tagged Tattoos in Asbury Park on April 3, 2025| 2 Comments »
Posted in Art, Asbury Connection, Asbury Park, Asbury Park Connection Photo Gallery, Photography by Moe Demby, tagged Easter Parade on Blogfinger on April 1, 2025| 4 Comments »
Posted in Asbury Connection, Ocean Grove photographs, tagged Gay friendly Ocean Grove, Ocean Grove more LGBT friendly than Asbury Park on March 19, 2025| 5 Comments »

Photo from the Asbury Park Sun: “A crowd dances on the beach during a “Sandblast” weekend event, a collection of parties and events held in Asbury Park geared toward the LGBT community.” 2013
Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
In an article from the Asbury Park Sun, Jill Bartlett reports the result of rankings by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) which surveys cities across the country. OG came in second along with New Brunswick. Jersey City was first out of the eight cities that were ranked in New Jersey.
Asbury Park ranked low.
To see the details, click on this link: APS link
Ocean Grove has a substantial gay population, and many of them live full time in the Grove. Some of them own businesses here. Except for a few notable clashes with the Camp Meeting Association, most gays in town like living here. Some of them are active and have leadership positions in local organizations. Ocean Grove United has participated in town meetings with the OGCMA and other groups to form a united front in seeking aid for our demolished boardwalk.
I recently asked a gay Grover what the difference is between the gays in the Grove and those who live in Asbury Park. His reply was, “In Asbury they’re younger and have better parties.” But he didn’t say that he wanted to live there.
The OG gay community and Ocean Grove received some national publicity in relation to the Pavilion controversy in 2007. Last week the subject came up in a national magazine regarding FEMA’s denial of OG for disaster funds.
It’s good now to get some positive publicity about a relationship that is positive in a town that takes pride in its diversity.
AL JOLSON:
Posted in Asbury Connection, Asbury Park Connection Photo Gallery, Photograph by Paul Goldfinger, tagged Photo shoot in the casino on March 5, 2025| 2 Comments »