The best visitors to OG ride into town on bikes. June, 2017. Paul Goldfinger photo on Ocean Pathway. Lifeguards pub crawl stop in the Grove for a quiet moment and some photos. ©
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net
Too many groups in Ocean Grove never have anything to say about civic matters such as condo’s, parking, giant events, residents’ concerns, or over-development (a la the North End Plan.) One such group is the Chamber of Commerce which is responsible for many of the giant events held in town.
Here is a recent conversation with a Main Avenue merchant.
Scene: inside a Main Avenue shop.
M. (for merchant): I got out of town early yesterday evening because of the huge crowds. (It was the Choir Festival last Sunday.)
BF: Sometimes these big events make it hard on the residents.
M. So, what do you expect?–It’s a beach town.
BF: The parking was impossible.
M: Suck it up…it’s no different here than it is in Point Pleasant Beach or Red Bank. All the Jersey Shore towns have problems with crowds and parking.
BF (not wanting an argument) thinking : “Are you serious?—this town is much different than Pt. Pleasant or Red Bank. What do you say about Spring Lake, Highlands, Allenhurst, Deal, etc—all classy shore towns. This merchant seems hostile towards our issues. ”
M: Makes change and smiles “Have a nice day”
COASTERS:
Bethany B : While what you are saying is true the situation has gotten much worse . Many more tourists . Asbury visitors parking in OG . Bigger vehicles . More cars per household. These newer factors did not come into play until last 10 years or so .
” We just deal with it ” is apathetic and not pro-active . The issue is NOT being dealt with by Neptune , Don’t ” We ” OG residents who pay very high taxes deserve a resolve to the issue ?
I know this goes against the grain, but I agree with the merchant. I am a long time resident (60 years). Parking has always been a problem. We just deal with it.
Most of the pub crawlers in the photo are from OG. They do this every year around the 4th and gather in that same spot before they head off to AP.