Blogfinger

Parked on Ocean Avenue: a Florida registered truck. Sign says “Hoboken.com. now leasing apartments and townhouses.” Blogfinger photo. 6/6/19  Click to enlarge.   This company is in the business of renting “affordable housing.”  Is there such a thing on Ocean Avenue in Ocean Grove?  Is this about speculation in short term housing rentals?

Paul Goldfinger, MD,  Editor@ Blogfinger.net.   Re-post with update.   2019.

Our recent discussions about lifestyles in Ocean Grove have so far failed to consider changing lifestyles.  Those who imagine that Ocean Grove could stay as it was in Victorian times are deluded.  Some wish we had Sunday closures again.

Even our “historic” houses are mostly not truly historic.  Very few “historic districts” are like Williamsburg  (Virginia)

After 1980, when Camp Meeting lifestyles were changed forever by the NJ Supreme Court, many Grovers complained that Neptune Township was failing to protect the character of the Grove through increasing parking problems, deteriorating historic buildings, and increased crime. Some wished that “Blue Laws”  could be reestablished including Sunday bans on driving, swimming, and biking.

Despite their loss of governance, for the last  nearly 40 years the CMA has maintained  a very active schedule of religious programs which sometimes clash with those residents who make the Grove their home.

In 2019  the CMA, which  is lately trying to swim upstream and make this town even more religious, will have a tough time with that.  So many of the community’s residents are secular and are largely indifferent to religious tourism.

Yet the CMA wants more year-round programming.  It’s possible  that its “mission,” which fails to recognize the secular residential community,  will eventually run into the preferences of those who pay taxes  to live here.

But  the fact is that nothing stays the same  and that will be true of how the housing markets in OG evolve  along with how the demographics evolve.    And the way that housing is used reflects changing lifestyles, mores, and beliefs.

We hear that some new home buyers are only interested in the Grove for rental reasons, and they buy homes, not to live in, but to rent out for short stays or for residents who want to live here year round.

It  is said that young adults and families now  prefer to rent rather than buy a home, so that will cause demand for rental properties—apartments and homes  to increase.

Short term rentals  (1-3 days)  are a new reality, and although homeowners and others who live in the Grove may not like it, it’s going to be interesting to see efforts which try to stop it.

Airbnb is just one of a number of Internet short term rental providers.   Some who have experience with the Airbnb renters find that they may misbehave and negatively impact our neighborhoods.  Certainly they have no interest in the town and its issues.    But there is nothing illegal about those Internet rentals.

Editor’s November  2019 update:   We interviewed a Grover who’s family owns a hotel on Ocean Avenue.   He tells us that the Airbnb phenomenon is active in the Grove and negatively impacts the businesses like hotels which are year round,  pay taxes, and create jobs.

THE SHIRELLES:

–Paul Goldfinger, editor @Blogfinger.net

*October 30, 2026:  Blogfinger tunes into a resurgence of interest in short term rentals:

The COASTER has been ignoring the Grove lately. Their indifference is without doubt. They can’t even find a Grovarian bartender to interview, but yesterday , their October 29, 2026 edition has a headline on page 8:  “Neptune Residents Continue to Raise Concerns About Short Term Rentals.”

Evidently a resident of the Shark River area complained about one property near him where loud parties by teens caused unwelcome noise according to neighbors.  He wished that the Neptune Comedy would change the Neptune regulations to be stricter and he cited some other towns in the vicinity.

The COASTER reporter also quoted Grover Joan Venezia who alleged that short term rentals are used for parties, and she specifically mentioned the Neptune 2 day minimum rentals regulations.   He reported that she said that two day party weekends could partially promote higher taxes and house prices.

The reporter identified Mrs. Venezia only by name, but she is a Grover, and she is quoted as saying,”We don’t want LLC’s buying up houses.”    He alleged that she said that “Residents have been asking to be listened to on this issue.”  Ms. Venezia did not say whom she was representing at the Committee meeting, but she is a member of the OGCA.

The Township Attorney and the Deputy Mayor said that they were only discussing possible rules changes this time.

This sounds like a “can of worms.

Here is a link about this subject dated 2017 in Blogfinger.net

Just Wondering: Are short term summer internet rentals a threat to Ocean Grove? Re-posted from August, 2017.