By Paul Goldfinger, editor, Blogfinger. net:
a. Relaxing on Main. Hungry?
Relaxing on Main Avenue. Paul Goldfinger photo 4/17/24. Alley shop offers sandwiches on that black board.
Ocean Grove desperately needs a gourmet sandwich shop which is located in the downtown shopping area. The Pathway Market is hopelessly useless. They had a professional cook making good take-out, but not now. We have been hearing reports of great sandwiches at the Odyssey coffee shop in town, but they are sourced from the Downstairs Kitchen which advertises itself as being in Bradley Beach at the “Perfect Perk.”
This sandwich is by the Downstairs Kitchen: roasted eggplant, sautéed greens, mozzarella , roasted peppers, balsamic glaze. (Facebook).b. Bar scene in A. Park:
Bar in Asbury Park. When will the anti-alcohol blue law be trashed in Ocean Grove ? Paul Goldfinger photo. 4/14/24. Blogfinger.netNeptune has bars and liquor stores. It is ridiculous that Ocean Grove remains off limits. It has been over 40 years since Neptune took over governance in OG. Bars will bring more people into town. It would add life to the downtown unlike the mobs who come for flea markets and other tourist oxygen- sucking events. Maybe it would attract some small restaurants.
c. At the northern OG border:
The place where Ocean Grove becomes Asbury Park. Paul Goldfinger photo. 4/17/24.I bet that those who are behind the Asbury Park South section of Ocean Grove have never considered how the soon-to-be enacted North End Plan will be interacting with the Asburian area in the photo in the future.
On the other side of the Casino is proposed a massive rock and roll venue for concerts all season long; and likely there will be a hotel and condos. Are the Neptuners and OG speculators going to share this concern with prospective condo and house buyers? And what will they do with the steam tower?
d. Rare sighting in Wesley Lake:
This swan pair were in Fletcher Lake last week and then in Wesley Lake a few days ago. Our reporter said that the male can be quite vicious if provoked. When some Canada geese approached, he stretched out his neck and assumed a threatening position. The geese got the message and paddled away.
Some years ago, around 2006, a local resident placed a pair of black swans in Sunset Lake to chase the geese away, but for some reason that didn’t work out. Visiting photographer Ralph Brandi got the shot below.
Wesley Lake April 15, 2024. Stephen Goldfinger photo. Blogfinger.net
Black swans. Ralph Brandi 2006. Sunset Lake. AP
e. The OG Area Chamber of Commercials has a new headquarters in town at 39 Pilgrim Pathway. They say that it will allow them to bring even more events into town. In the Coaster, this news is accompanied by some new language from the organization:
They say that they are “working on some community based events.” When did they discover the word “community?”
And besides bringing even more tourists into town, they need to define the word “community” for we-the-people.
They did mention an art walk in July and a farmers’ market. Ho-hum. How about getting rid of those non- community mega-events like those that smother weekend life at the Pathway and fill the town with blocked streets and over-parked cars during Grovarian Saturdays. Step into their new headquarters and ask them what they do with all that money.
And ask them for some outdoor dancing and sing-a-longs; We need some free fun for the locals.
Bring back Sousa’s music: He’s still hanging around the Historical Society of OG.
Sousa’s portrait still in the Grove. How about something like Sousa did many years ago in the Grove when his orchestra performed in OG and AP.
RAY WATERS AND HIS ORCHESTRA.
Regarding the Downstairs Kitchen, I am told that they work out of St. Paul’s kitchen and that all profits go to the Jersey Shore Mission in Asbury. They have just started selling their goods out of Bradley. I got the latter info from their own Facebook site. PG
Maybe I didn’t pick the correct “right” from the Bill of Rights, but this is a reference to the fact that no bars or restaurant sales of alcoholic beverages are permitted in the Ocean Grove section of Neptune Township whereas other parts of Neptune have different rules in this regard.
How is that justified except on the basis of religious influence (“blue laws”) by the CMA? That discrimination seems to be wrong, and “equal justice for all” is a principle which should be applied to the entire town.
If alcohol were banned throughout Neptune, then the “dry designation” might be justified, because different municipalities can have their own alcohol rules according to NJ law. The laws about alcohol can get to be pretty complicated such as liquor licenses from town to town.
There are about 30 towns in NJ which are “dry towns” but how many apply the “dry” designation according to what part of town one lives in? Of course having rules that, for example, no alcohol can be sold near a school, is OK.
Huh ? “a question of free speech” ? What does selling alcohol, having bars and the “sport” of bar hopping in OG have to do with free speech ?
Please send us the wording of a “homeowners lease agreement in which alcohol is prohibited.”
But regardless, if Neptune wanted to make the sale of alcohol legal in the Grove, I suspect that it could be done. It’s a question of free speech. The CMA shouldn’t be able to control that any more—it was legally over in 1980, but Neptune folded under pressure from the CMA.
RE: Your(Blogfinger) reply :
Grovers can indeed easily go to West Grove liquor store and to bars in Asbury. OG is not the right town for such a business . Would ruin vibe and character of OG.
OG restaurants already allow BYOB.
Bar hopping is indeed a popular “sport” in Asbury. I would not want to see such a “sport” in OG.
The many churches in Asbury are far away from the Asbury Park bars & liquor stores so not really affected by them.
Clearly in every OG homeowners lease agreement alcohol is prohibited. This is a binding lease agreement and has nothing to do with Neptune, segregation, or prohibition.
Grovers can visit the liquor store in the West Grove shopping strip or they can walk into Asbury or go to Bradley to buy. It’s the same for bars. But if someone wants to have such a business in the Grove, why not?
OG restaurants should be able to serve alcoholic drinks.
As for drinking in bars ruining this town, we have heard no complaints from Asbury Park. In fact Asbury is growing culturally with music and the arts. And bar hopping is a popular sport over there.
There are over 40 churches in Asbury; only one here. Any complaints from any of them?
And how to justify allowing it all in Neptune, but not in the Grove? There should be no blue laws in OG now. Could this segregation stand up in court if someone were to bring a suit? Religious beliefs would not be a defense now. During prohibition, there was more drinking after alcohol was banned.
You want bars and liquor stores in OG ? There are already drunks wandering back from drinking in Asbury to their cars in OG . Do you want drunks on Main Avenue and all over town ?
I moved from Jersey City to OG to avoid the too many bars and liquor stores there.
OG is a nice mellow family orientated town. That atmosphere would be ruined by bars and liquor stores.
OG would end up being like all the other shore towns.
Note that Ocean City which is also a dry town years ago voted on whether to allow bars and liquor stores there. They wisely voted against doing so.