Corner of Main and Central (by Nagle’s). Saturday night August 18, 2012. Click once to enlarge. Paul Goldfinger photo Blogfinger.net
Nagle’s counter 2015. Paul Goldfinger photo Blogfinger.net
Jean Bredin photo. Blogfinger.net staff.
By Paul Goldfinger MD, Editor, Blogfinger.net
BEE GEES: “Staying Alive.”
Photo of Ms Kelly Ryan is from the Tri-City-News front page, adjusted for content and quality by Blogfinger.net. 8/21/25.
In today’s Tri -City News, August 21, 2025, we learn that a Red Bank restaurateur (“Boondocks Fishery”) named Kelly Ryan is the new owner of Nagle’s on Main Avenue in beautiful downtown Ocean Grove, NJ. According to the TCN she says that she will try to keep Nagle’s as it was in the past.
This free newspaper specializes in high brow advertising and articles about Asbury Park’s “revival.” Sometimes they talk about Red Bank and Long Branch.
Now they call themselves “Monmouth’s News and Arts Weekly.” This paper is a source of gossip, high end topics, arts, local politics, and LGBT interests. They never mention Ocean Grove, even though they should since A. Park and OG sometimes share important issues.
Some years ago I asked their editor why they don’t report about Ocean Grove, after all, we are a “sister city.” He denied that they ignore us, but that fact was obvious. They also had a vendetta against the APP because the paper left town.
So why is the Tri City News so interested in Nagle’s? Well, the publisher of the TCN wants to take credit for finding a new person, a friend of his, to buy Nagle’s. In his front page article about Nagle’s, they mention Ocean Grove only three times. The piece acts as if our town isn’t part of this story about a major OG landmark which in the past had contributed mightily to the spirit and life styles of the Grove.
Anyone who would read today’s Tri City piece who was unaware of Ocean Grove would know nothing about us from that article even though the topic is about a place that most Grovers and OG fans love. They wouldn’t even know about our location or anything about what OG shares with A. Park including tourism, geography, controversies, parking, a lake, history, arts, and even views across the Wesley Mud Puddle.
In addition the piece broke all rules of decorum, decency, and journalism when the publisher disclosed sensitive information about the two prior owners’ personal health issues.
And they left out the apostrophe in Nagle’s name.
The only thing I can say about the new owner Kelly Ryan is that she says that she “loves” Ocean Grove and that her Red Bank restaurant “Boondocks Fishery” is considered to be excellent.
The article lacks important information about the future of Nagle’s , so if you read it you will find very little of substance; only the publisher of TCN ‘s. narcissistic bragging about his relationship with the new owner and the prior owners of Nagle’s. You can pick up the TCN at Franks restaurant in Asbury and some other places.
We will have to wait for the new owner to communicate details about her plans for Nagle’s. Not even the Coastericans got a piece of the information action.
Nagle’s has been missed since 2019, and people mention it all the time. We recently posted a piece about it, and we are still getting hits on a daily basis.
Here are some Blogfinger posts—others or pictures will follow: