4/13/19. “White Whale”. #4 Boardwalk. Ocean Grove NJ North End. Burned to the ground. Rear view from the beach. News photo just before roof caved in.
4/22/19. Paul Goldfinger photo. Blogfinger.net. OG boardwalk.
We have learned that a NJ developer “TFE Properties” bought “#4 Boardwalk” last month at the North End of the OG boardwalk, with plans to build a “pavilion” at the location which is currently empty and has housed foxes in the last few years.
This comes as a surprise because that location is on the beach and is not on an official street. Have these people obtained proper approvals for their plans?
This is from their web site: “TFE Properties planned 40,000-square-foot pavilion aims to reestablish the property as a vibrant destination for residents and visitors, while honoring the site’s historic role within the community.” They also are bragging about their proximity to Asbury Park.
And what do the OGNED crowd think of this? #4 was originally part of the North End Redevelopment Plan.
If you have any information please share with Blogfinger via email. Blogfinger@verizon.net. Requests for anonymity will be honored. So talk to me.
The fire site is quiet this morning. All fire fighting equipment is gone, and two Camp Meeting observers are looking around before leaving in their truck. There is no police presence now.
We did speak to those CMA workers, and they told Blogfinger that the CMA was conferring with the building’s owner, Bob Dweck, to come up with a short term plan. The owner is officially known as “Maplewood Ocean Grove Associates, Inc.” Neptune Township is not part of the management team currently planning the next steps.
It reminds me of the post Sandy situation when the Township would not send any help east of Ocean Avenue because it is private property.
It brings back the uncomfortable private vs. public issues that were raised in conjunction with FEMA funding. Undoubtedly the building is insured. The CMA “owns” the land, and that lot is part of the North End Revelopment Plan.
The short term prognosis is that no one is being allowed at the site for now. All the rubble will be removed, and then a path will be created to enable pedestrians to go back and forth through the Casino. Despite early reports of “collapse” of the boardwalk at the site, we are told this morning that the boardwalk is fine.
But if, for some reason, the boardwalk cannot be used back and forth, then a path will be created through the open lot just west of the boardwalk, ie the “North End Area in Need of Redevelopment.”
It is remarkable how quickly the site was transformed into what you see in the image above. Those who were responsible for that cleanup should be commended for turning that depressing burned wreck into a safe place for hope.
In a way it seems like the dawning of a new day, because that stretch of beach will be open–a visual delight for all to enjoy, as the sun rises and sets over OG ‘s North End—pending subsequent plans, of course.
2016 update: We heard that the lot had been sold and that there are plans of development, but that sounds shocking since the property is on the beach. If you have any information, please contact me by email: blogfinger@verizon.net. If you want to be anonymous, we will honor that request.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: “Land of Hope and Dreams.” (live)
“Leave behind your sorrows
Let this day be the last
Tomorrow there’ll be sunshine
And all this darkness past
Big wheels roll through fields
Where sunlight streams
Meet me in a land of hope and dreams”
On January 24, local historian and advocate Kevin Chambers made a provocative comment while discussing the Aurora. He said,
“Does the Aurora have any real history to it than the style in which it was built? No, it doesn’t, and since there are many other houses of the same style in OG, the loss of the Aurora would not effect the community than if it was truly unique to OG.”
Surely some of you saw his comment and would like him to explain it. It seems to me that he is saying that we have two standards of “historic” regarding OG architecture: a truly historic structure and an old building that “doesn’t have any real history to it.” The subtext is that it would even be OK to demolish the Aurora.
I can recall attending the 2013 hearing for demolition of the 134 year old Whitfield Hotel when a strong case was made that the old building was of no significance in terms of its architecture or its history in the Grove. Historians and other experts spoke and concluded that it had “no style” and was a “useless mess.” Citizens present agreed as did the HPC, so that old building was torn down to give way to four “reproductions” on crowded undersized lots .
Although we can’t exactly compare the Aurora to the Whitfield, clearly there are times when old structures should not be saved.
So is Kevin correct about the Aurora? Should the new owner be permitted to demolish it and put up condominiums? We already have heard about the idea of remodeling the Aurora and converting the building to 4 modern, luxury condo’s. And then there is the idea to demolish and put up single family homes.
Wouldn’t it be great if one of those public servants who are on the Historic Preservation Commission had the courage to comment here and help educate the public about this subject, but don’t hold your breath.
So maybe some of you Grovers who are knowledgeable about historic preservation in our town would comment.
Jack Bredin did in 2016 when he wrote a letter to BF and said, “A few months ago, at the public portion of a Committee Meeting, an attorney advised the Committee that ‘A historic district is a detriment to development.’ ”
Editor’s note: April 09. 2016. The Aurora was eventually converted to 4 condos.
2020. Paul Goldfinger photo. Aurora was sold as 4 condos; make believe that this conversion is historic. You can read more Aurora posts by doing a Blogfinger.net search. PG
April 08, 2016: In the last 7 days we have had 2,700 hits to Blogfinger.net. This is above usual. Among the hits are visits from 32 countries around the globe.
Did you know that there is an Ocean Grove in Australia? Do a Blogfinger search for more info.
Memories:
Nurses strike in 2023 at Robert Wood Johnson Medical.l. New Brunswick. 2023 Eileen Goldfinger photo.
Nurses strike 2023 RWJ. Paul Goldfinger , MD, photo. Blogfinger.net. Nurses need safe staffing.
Ft. Myers, Fla. farmers market. Gypsy fashion. Paul Goldfinger photo. December 2020. Blogfinger.net. Click once to enlarge.
By Paul Goldfinger, MD. Editor Blogfinger.net
The dark-hued Gypsy music is often described as romantic. It may be a coincidence, but Gypsies are often called Romas. Their music has its origins in eastern Europe and borrows from a number of ethnic musical styles.
The Glenn Miller classic “I Know Why and So Do You” references Gypsy violins: This version is with the Glenn Miller Orchestra and vocalist Paula Kelly as seen in the movie The Shape of Water.
"When you smile at me I hear the Gypsy violins,
When you dance with me, I'm in heaven when the music begins."
Casino. May 1, 2004 By Virginia Smith , FOB. (* Friend of Blogfinger.)
Virginia Smith of Ocean Grove was out this morning after a torrential rain last night. She found that the casino was flooded. But she also said that it “was not quiet on the eastern front.”
There were workers busy with the new Middle Beach boardwalk. Their work had been delayed by some FEMA static, but that is evidently over.
Thanks Virginia—-Citizen Reporter for Blogfinger—dramatic image. Click it to see more.
Tea time at Nagle’s. Open the bag and read the leaves, like Jack. Paul Goldfinger photo . Undated.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor, Blogfinger.net. 2017
Jack Bredin, Ocean Grove activist, sat quietly at the August 28th Neptune Township Committee Meeting while waiting for the boring endless session to begin. He knew that permit parking was not on the agenda, but that a stalemate had been reached and something needed to be done. Surely there must be a road map which would take this important matter in a productive direction.
He wrote into his legal pad: “5th time over the years…”
Former Committeemen Randy Bishop used to recall that the subject of a parking solution had come up seriously that many times in the past with no resolution, even though the matter had been studied by the Township, the HOA Parking Committee, the Parking Task Force from 2016 and, now again, it had arisen like some sort of recurrent crabgrass infestation.
Although there had been no past agreement on a solution, the idea of a permit plan was popular, and most all Grovers who weighed in felt that something should be done, especially now at the North End near Asbury.
Two weeks ago, the CMA crazily and irresponsibly announced a possible law suit over permit parking. Do they really have the standing to push the Committee around like that?
The Committee now seems to have no way to turn. The situation has run out of options—–the quest for parking relief for Ocean Grove had reached the end of the line.
Jack studied his pad and decided that the key to advancing the controversy is for the Committee to send the matter to the Planning Board.
Looking back, the matter never reached fruition because the HOA is not the Planning Board and does not have the resources to be one. They should have pushed the Committee to make a proper referral instead of futzing around with it themselves.
The Township is also not the Planning Board, so it just dithers around the problem and doesn’t refer the matter.
The Planning Board established a Master Plan for the town, but it pays no attention to it, and although it has resources to pursue parking, such as planners and lawyers, it has not done so. It doesn’t even do any planning. It has become a place where dubious site plans are approved.
So, after sitting through the agenda, the public portion arrived, and about 20 Grovers went to the microphone to tell their parking horror stories. They had been encouraged to do so by the cowardly lions at the HOA, who sees it as some sort of strategy: send emails so that sad Grovers can whine to committeemen.
The Mayor seemed sympathetic but promised no further progress.
Then Jack got up to say what he had been composing on his yellow pad. He suggested that the Township refer the matter to the Planning Board where proper experts can study the matter and then to hold hearings in Ocean Grove.
Stalling, snoring, dithering, tabling, thinking, looking into it, or just ignoring it are all moribund strategies.
At least Jack is pointing in a hopeful direction.
BEVERLY KENNEY Tea leaves for two. From her album This vintage now
Milton Edelman, Jersey Shore photographer in 1960 Ocean Grove. Note the North End setting.
Paul Goldfinger, MD. Editor Blogfinger.net
There are a few female Grovers who have been outspoken and don’t like our “Girls in Their Summer Clothes” series in the Grove, especially at the beachfront.
We took the idea from Bruce Springsteen who wrote a song with that name. He won a Grammy for it in 2007.
But for those of you who grew up in the ’50’s and ’60’s, you may recall the Police Gazette (at the barber shop) and other magazines that showed “bathing beauties.” That was long before Playboy.
It was OK back then and it was OK when premier Jersey Shore photographer Milt Edelman was photographing in Long Branch, Asbury Park and Ocean Grove. The photograph above was loaned to us by a Grover whose family goes way back in town. He came to our curbside sale and brought me this image and others which we will share.
In August 2025 the Asbury Park Press posted 50 photographs taken on the OG beach, and there were no holds barred in featuring young women in marvelous bikinis.
And then there’s the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition each year.
Some of today’s critics seem to be worried about photographing tiny women’s bathing suits at the beach, but that’s the style now, so what’s the problem? Even our female lifeguards wear bikinis in the Grove., and their dress code is controlled why the Camp Meeting Association.
And a hundred years from today, some artists will be photographing beautiful women on the OG beach.
“Ovation” in the Ocean Grove Great Auditorium. A beautiful moment in our town. Paul Goldfinger photo 2015. Click once to see what I mean. PG
Simon is a frequent contributor to Blogfinger. He has commented on the Warrington situation and today regarding parking. Here is the second part of his two part comment posted today in reference to parking on the North End. But it is his sense of helplessness as a citizen that was poignantly expressed below:
“For the amount of taxes we all pay, give one parking spot for every home. This has also been said many times before with no results. We all state our opinion, go to all kinds of meeting, talk to everyone that is anyone, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY IT JUST SEEMS HOPELESS.”
Paul Goldfinger, Editor 2015. Blogfinger replies:
Simon. You have hit on a problem which has concerned me with respect to Blogfinger. We can complain all we want, for example about the North End, but if our elected officials pay no attention to our concerns, then how is our democracy to work?
Their department heads at the Neptune Twp. fortress may refuse to talk to a citizen, which has happened to me on more than one occasion including once with the Mayor. (2025)
Their Committee meetings are carefully choreographed to discourage interaction with citizens, and if you get up to speak at a meeting, they barely respond, if at all, to what you say, and they may actually get a cop to force you to sit down (ask Jack Bredin about that incident.)
There used to be a New Jersey ombudsmen, but no more. What to do? First do not stop complainingand exercising your right to free speech. A free press and free speech are essential to our American freedoms, and even if our voices are unheard by those in charge, we must keep on speaking.
Second, vote for somebody else at the next election and come out in force for important meetings. And if you feel that there is something amiss in local government, contact the State Attorney General’s Office. Make sure that you monitor the Township Committee for possible clues to corruption and signs of double standards.
But also we need a citizen organization in town with courage and forcefulness and which speaks for all of us in Ocean Grove. Note that not everyone in town is a homeowner. The OG Homeowners Association is an enabler for the Camp Meeting Association and for Neptune Township. They should have insisted that the entire NERP (North End Redevelopment Plan) be junked, instead of providing assistance in getting it done.
Who appointed the Ocean Grove Homegroaners Association to represent all the people of Ocean Grove? And when did their board poll their membership to get permission to make recommendations regarding the North End, and how many voted? After all, they only get a small percent of the membership to attend their meetings.
And Simon: It is not “hopeless.”
—-Paul @Blogfinger
GEORGE HEARN FROM LA CAGE AU FOLLES: “The Best of Times”
The sign on the left is for the Fun House. On the right it is for the Merry Go-Round.
The bottom sign says “Any person conducting himself in a manner not consistent with Palace Amusements will be decapitated.”
So it seems that Asbury Park didn’t tolerate having fun in the fun house back in the day. And as far as feeling merry on the merry-go-round, well who can be merry if they’re going round and round.
Milton Edelman was a photographer who liked to record life styles in Long Branch, A. Park, and Ocean Grove, and he loved to take pictures of girls in their summer clothes–ie bathing suits. I wonder if Uncle Milty would photograph the girls on the OG beach these days.
Here’s a link from our article earlier this month regarding Uncle Milty photographing girls at the OG North End.
