Blogfinger

A tale of two cities. By Jean Bredin at the Giant OG Flea Market, photographing between two extremes.  6/2/18 Blogfinger staff ©

By Paul Goldfinger, MD   Editor@Blogfinger.net

A recent ad at Zillow said that the average sale price of an Ocean Grove house is $800,000- $900,000.   And there are more now that are over $1,000,000.  Do you think that the Asbury Effect is contributing to the rising prices in the Grove?

A few days ago a piece in the NY Times discussed the new 17 story tower going up on the oceanfront where the price levels will be among the highest anywhere. Here is a quote from that article:

“Today, a 17-story tower with contoured glass is nearing completion on the parcel where two previous developers had failed. But in a town that is now one of the Jersey Shore’s most popular destinations, with a refurbished boardwalk and a bounty of new restaurants and breweries, the development is still a high-stakes gamble that people will be willing to pay Hamptons-like prices of nearly $1 million to nearly $6 million for oceanfront condominiums.

“The project, called the Asbury Ocean Club, is the pinnacle of a $300 million investment by iStar, a developer that about eight years ago made a significant bet that this once-forlorn city could attract wealthy residents while still retaining the quirky, artistic character that has made it appealing to visitors.”

Asbury girls in their summer clothes. NY Times photo caption says, “Asbury Park boardwalk has been refurbished.”   Really?  Nothing refurbished about those legs.  (PG )

The Asbury story is complicated, and we have posted about that subject with special interest in how the AP story will affect Ocean Grove, particularly in terms of real estate pricing and marketing, cultural runoff, and  resident demographics.  Other issues which may be affected include the water quality in Wesley Lake, the noise levels, congestion in town, and  the parking wars.

We see Asburian nomads park near our North End home causing parking gridlock, but even more so, we see the kinds of people as they walk towards the New Jersey Avenue bridge. They are frequently young and boisterous, often with New York plates, dressed trendy—often looking sophisticated/affluent, with jackets/ties/evening dresses, animated loud talk, tattoos, all white people, prestige cars, and, as they walk through the Grove they show no apparent interest in our historic architecture.  The young women love the F word, but in the Grove it stands for “flea”—as in flea market.

I suspect that some of the new home buyers in the Grove will be like that—being here but with their sights on A.Park.    What does that mean?—a different Grove, for better or worse.

The Times article  linked below was brought to our attention by a Grover who says,  “I’ve been watching this on my bike rides, with curiosity.”  But maybe she also has been watching with concern.

Times link:   Click on the photo below.

AMY WINEHOUSE:  (From her album Back to Black)   “What kind of pluckery  is this?”  Hip town requires hip lyrics.