Crowd at Convention Hall
CBS.com photo
Tuesday, May 28. We were out and about and decided to return home at around 1:30 pm today. We knew that there would be security around Asbury Park and on Route 71, but we never imagined that Ocean Grove would be inaccessible. We came off Rt. 18 somewhere north of here and tried to use back roads to get over to Route 33 and then travel east down to Broadway, but there were no left turns onto 33. Route 71 in Asbury and Ocean Grove was totally inaccessible, and we didn’t even try to go into downtown Asbury Park.
At Convention Hall. Internet photo
At one point we tried to maneuver through the no-mans lands west of downtown Asbury Park, but it was no go there also. Trying to get to Ocean Ave and sneak into the Grove via the shore road was insanity. We could rent a plane and drop onto Mt. Hermon Way by parachute, but what would we do with our car? We considered hiring a Sherpa guide and walking home, but the Sherpa’s yak was off today, so we couldn’t use him.
Then we cleverly made our way south through the back streets of Neptune in hopes of ending up on Route 71 in Bradley Beach. Then we would take a left and take 71 south to Broadway, but, sigh, all those east-west roads to Main Street in Bradley were closed—blocked by saw horses and police cars . I never saw such horses, and there were flashing lights and cops everywhere. If Patton’s 3rd Army itself had showed up in full force, they would not have gotten through.
After that we came to Rt 35 in Bradley and headed north. What to do? We would have to kill about 90 minutes until the Pres and the Gov got back on their copter and went someplace else. Eileen said, “Let’s go to the movies at the Monmouth Mall.” She whipped out her iPhone and checked the listings (Have any of you found that women are much more involved with their smartphones than men? ….just wondering). The only thing we found for 2 :00 pm was “Hangover Part II .” Luckily I had seen a review of the flick, and you could only watch that movie if you had been drinking, so the movies were out.
Finally we wound up at Wegmans cafe, having coffee. Eileen bought some dark red peonies, the Jersey Shore edition of NJ Monthly magazine, and a book “The Light Between the Oceans.” The book is about a couple who move to an isolated lighthouse island in Australia. Evidently a live baby washes up on the shore….yadda yadda. I had a bagel, baked extra long to make it dark brown and crunchy. I read the Times and found my next car: Porsche has a hybrid which has over 800 horsepower and sells for about $1,000 per horse. You can save money if you buy this car because it can get up to 71 m.p.g.
Something not to miss in Ocean Grove: Main Avenue district. PG photo
The good news was that the NJ Monthly magazine’s writeup about OG was quite excellent. Their “Back to the Beach” survey looked at 38 Shore beaches. They did not focus on our Boardwalk issues, but instead they encouraged tourists to come and “don’t miss” the Great Auditorium, “Tent City,” Bridgefest Beach Festival, Boogie board races and the sand sculpture contest. Ok, so they forgot a few “don’t miss” items, but at least they were kind.
At around 3:30 pm we headed back to the Grove and discovered that magic had occurred—-every hint of the big visit was gone. The Tale of the Gov and the Pres had come to a happy ending. It was all back to normal in Asbury Park—–but that’s another story.
—Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
LOUDON WAINRIGHT III with something from the movie “The Aviator”:
I was one of the throng who braved the long line and hot sun on Sunday to get a ticket and then the long line and drizzle on Tuesday to see the President. We had been told it would be inside the Convention Hall, but after all those hours of discomfort, all the non-VIPs were directed to stand on the wet beach where we waited in the rain — umbrellas were not allowed — for two more hours. When he finally appeared, our view was completely blocked by a huge amplifier/speaker.
By craning my neck I was able to catch a glimpse of his arm for a brief moment—lucky me. The crowd was too dense to permit us to move at that point, so those around me stood without a view for the entire speech. Mercifully, it was short.
Frankly, this was terribly organized. We had to stand for hours, although I spotted racks and racks of chairs sitting unused up on the boardwalk. Someone who knew where the President would be positioned could have told the folks waiting on the beach where to stand in order to see. Three guys near me left after an hour to go to a bar where they’d have a better view, and I heard one person say it should have been held inside in the Auditorium instead of outside. But obviously, they selected the site for the visual effect, not for the comfort of the folks who came.
Yes, it was a great honor that Obama came to visit, but they should have limited the tickets to the number of people who could actually be accommodated comfortably and safely.
Yesterday was a mess. I didn’t know any of the roads south of Ocean Grove would be closed. I was trying to drive my husband to work in Wall, on the corner of Rt. 35 and Sea Girt Ave., but we were trapped in Sea Girt on the east side of the tracks, so he had to walk a mile in the rain to get there. I was half an hour late for my job in Tinton Falls. I like Obama but they should have informed us about these road closures so we could have left earlier. All we got was an automated call from Neptune Twp. around noon saying “Because of the president’s visit, there may be some delays.” !!
Looks like pedestrians and public transportation users also had their “issues” yesterday. I walked over to the Bradley Beach train station to get a view of the motorcade. Not so easy crossing 71 on foot. Must have been all those angry, inconvenienced drivers who didn’t want to stop for a pedestrian
At the station, several people were milling about, including a woman who asked me about the train to Bay Head. “Good luck” I offered, to which she went into a tirade–in heavily accented English–calling the president a name that I wouldn’t repeat and wouldn’t pass the Blogfinger censor! My hope is that she got to Bay Head and appreciates the benefit of living in a free society where everyone can opine.
Thank you Paul for another funny article. The Porsche sounds like a good deal 🙂
Paul, Thank you for all of your wonderful updates.
He really should have come here because we are the one community that was denied boardwalk help by his FEMA agency.
What? You went to the A & P instead of Tom Bailey’s on 3rd Avenue where they have the best veal chops around? Did you know that Spring Lake has two mens shops that sell Bill’s Khaki’s? It sounds like you missed a great opportunity over there at the “Irish Riviera.” By the way,their boardwalk is not finished either.
Traffic was an real inconvenience, yes. I had to go to the A & P in Spring Lake to shop and could not turn west til St.Clair St. Access was cut off everywhere.
So what? How often does the President visit? This would have been a great time to show him the OG boardwalk and why it deserves FEMA money. Wouldn’t the Great Auditorium make a great photo op for him?
If only the Camp Meeting could have made an effort to get him here. They may not agree with the liberal black Democrat’s politics, but there was good reason to get him here and it should have happened.
Was hoping as a member of the press you would have gotten close enough to buddy up to O and talk money.