Around the July 4 holiday we remember the old Aurora with its giant American flag. The owner was a patriot. Historians loved the Aurora, but the Neptune Board of Adjustment allowed the condo conversion.
It doesn’t provide hope for historic preservation in our “historic” town. where over 300 condo conversions have already been allowed.
Now the fate of the North End is in the hands of the HPC.
The Aurora Goddess of the Dawn (2018) by Jack Bredin, OG artist–a historic theme. Notice the foreground compared to the background. What will we get at the North End.? The HPC is busy with it (2021.) High hopes?
The Aurora when it was a single family house and a famous Victorian structure. Photo by Joe and Maggie Thornton of Ocean Grove. 2018
THE BROWNS:
Some of the old hotel structures were not really viable as hotels any longer with such joys as a bathroom “down the hall.” I once stayed at a hotel where the ceiling was the underside of the floorboards above. Every footstep would wake me. This place was greatly renovated and likely far nicer today. The conversion to residences was probably helpful in the Aurora’s preservation. People may have noticed all of the intricate wooden ornamental panels being removed for repair during the work. There was concern over this, but it now looks better than ever.
The North End was always a commercial area from day one except for a section of tents that vanished a century ago. I never cared for structures that extended over the beach as they are unsightly. The proposed single-family house area will likely continue the Victorian style ambiance. The hotel, in justice, is not all so different from those that once stood on Ocean Ave. The townhouses are not part of traditional OG. As I get on in years, I appreciate non-creaky hotels with elevators. A number of visitors do arrive by train.
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