Asbury BIERHALLE by night. This place, facing Wesley Lake and OG, was crowded on a Sunday night including patrons on the roof. It was not excessively noisy when we walked by. May 24, 2015. Paul Goldfinger photo © Click to enlarge.
We are reposting this 2015 article in 2019 because of the comments, which are of interest if you enjoy hearing the “parking blues.”
Soundtrack by the fabulous Santana (below.)
And if you would like to meet a “black magic woman,” check out our Halloween article about the “Witches of Heck Avenue.”
SANTANA: “Black Magic Woman.”
Davis – Yes I have a car. Yes I leave the Grove often (I work). Yes I am satisfied with the status quo because there is no solution and hasn’t been for the 25 yrs. I’ve lived here. And finally a “no”– No, I don’t have a fear of change and have experienced many in the Grove!
Unfortunately the group which should forcefully represent ALL of us, the OGHOA, is lacking focus and courage. That leadership should be deposed along with 4 of 5 members of the Committee (the exception is Eric Houghtaling)
I agree with some of that Doubting Thomas. However, I think the lack of a voice at Neptune is at least partly our fault. The comment from Long Time OG Lady to me represents a satisfaction with the status quo as well as a fear of change. I wonder if she leaves the Grove often or even owns a car.
I believe our lack of representation is a result of the demographics of our permanent residents. We need to find our common issues and move forward as a group.
Davis: For Ocean Grove, we have no representative government. Some of those Committee people rarely come into the Grove and almost all of them seem to not care much about us. It’s a shame that we have to be part of Neptune.
Complaining is your right. Unfortunately, apathy allows that Neptune crowd to continue ignoring us, and that includes the crew that works in Town Hall. The “cash cow” concept turns out to be accurate.
Long Time: Thanks for the thought. I work in Pennsylvania and after a long commute home it’s great to be able to park in Bradley Beach and walk to my home on Wesley Lake. Pardon me for trying to advocate change, I will just sell my home, which I love and have restored from a shambles, and move on, as you suggest.
What is Neptune, a dictatorship?
Davis – I heard the Neptune Twp. Committee say last year that “The issue of parking meters and permits in Ocean Grove will not be revisited.” Residents need to understand there is nothing that can be done to alleviate the parking problems for 3 months of crowds in town.
If we don’t like it we have the alternative to live somewhere else. The “square mile” is just not big enough for all the activities surrounding it. We still have the best location in the state!
Why don’t we close the gates on the pedestrian bridges permanently? That would make them more useful then they are now. Maybe we should also change our slogan from God’s Square Mile to America’s Unfriendliest town.
Meters and permits are inevitable, we need a level playing field.
Jack and Mr. Nonsense- FREEDOM To the barricades “Allons enfants de la Patrie………..
“Nonsense is best” – It’s good to see a sense of humor here. Enjoyed your post. Made me chuckle.
Dear Mr.Nonsense,
Then we can subdivide OG away from
Neptune Township and elect our own Town Council.
And contrary to popular belief, it can an be done !
Jack: If your idea of gating off the entire town is accepted, of course only allow Grovers in. Everyone else can park by Clancy’s where they can rent bikes, like in NYC. Exceptions will be made for those who would agree to contribute an exorbitant admission fee to park for one day in the Grove and help to pay our taxes.
Discussing parking in OG is sort of like a competitive team sport. Neptuners (scarlet fliers) can wear their usual black and red colors, while Grovers can wear pink, like the colors of our telephone poles. And any ideas about parking will be considered, after all, even Jack’s plan merits serious consideration. Once the revolution occurs and we go to the barricades, all ordinances will be abolished; they aren’t enforced anyhow.
Good observation Jack Bredin. Poignant and brilliant, as usual.
I walked in this AP Bierhall last week just to check out the menu and was “greeted” at the door by a guy who looked as if he might kill me. Really…not friendly at all, or maybe I’m just not “cool” enough.
@Doug – even if you have a “parking sticker” you would not find parking near your home after a day at work. And why should WE PAY $100 for it? I like Jack Bredin’s idea! Make it a “private community”. LOL It’s a “private” company we pay our rent to anyway. hahaha
The Homeowner’s Association, the Coaster, the Township Committee, and WAVE all report and agree that the OGCMA owns all the land in OG (I don’t agree) However, if this is true, we can gate off the entire town of OG. This would end the parking problem.
I know it has been suggest before, but why not $100 resident stickers for one side of the street and open to anyone on the other? We get a shot at a spot somewhere close to home and the Township makes $$$ on stickers and tickets! North side has the Tents (who park in the same spot for weeks on end), Auditorium and now AP! Al of these are good things, but parking is already getting tough!
I live in the North End, and it is a real problem. It’s not just the patrons. It is also the staff for all those businesses, bars and restaurants. Asbury can add a new lot but it doesn’t change the fact that people will still look to avoid the fees.
There’s also been a substantial increase in traffic all evening as more cars cruise around looking for spaces. A considerable part of the housing stock in the North End is multi-family, and it also has to absorb the influx of seasonal tenters all with vehicles. Without some sort of resident parking plan (not just homeowners since quite a few here are absentee landlords) the parking issues will not go away and will only worsen as the Summer season continues.
Oh My: This is becoming a growing problem in the North End of OG. We see groups of people get out of cars and then walk directly across the New Jersey Avenue bridge. That beer hall holds lots of patrons. I met a guy a few days ago who was admiring our garden. He is from Tinton Falls, and he freely admitted that he was parking in the Grove to save “feeding the meters.” He had an appointment on Cookman Ave. in AP.
AP has their own parking problems. They have succeeded in attracting new businesses to the Cookman Ave. corridor, especially restaurants, but now they are struggling to offer enough parking. We were there about a month ago, during the week on a cool rainy day, and it wasn’t easy to find parking.
I feel for the merchants. Who wants to struggle with parking if you just want a cup of coffee? They are currently building a new lot by Wesley lake which will accommodate 300-400 cars. In the summer, with their busy beach scene and events, it will be difficult. This past holiday weekend, the crowds at the AP boardwalk and beach were huge…..much more than OG (thank goodness)
A Grover told me a few days ago that he thought that parking was not a problem at the North End and that there is no trouble parking when it’s not the summer. There is some truth to that observation, but in season you will have trouble parking near your house. Ocean Grove is not the only shore town with parking issues in season, but not having garages and/or reserved spots for homeowners makes our situation challenging, particularly when OG continues to gain popularity.
A bunch of that crowd likes the free parking in Ocean Grove, too.