Casino Gallery #3. Asbury Park. Paul Goldfinger © Blogfinger.net
BØRNS “Past Lives.” from the album Dopamine”
Archive for the ‘Asbury connection with Ocean Grove’ Category
Casino Gallery #3
Posted in Art, Asbury connection with Ocean Grove, Asbury Park, Asbury Park Connection Photo Gallery, Casino Gallery. Asbury Park on June 6, 2019|
Pathfinders at the OG North End…
Posted in Asbury connection with Ocean Grove, Ocean Grove beachfront, Ocean Grove fire April 2019, Ocean Grove fires, tagged Ocean Grove fire 2019 on April 22, 2019| 1 Comment »
Paul Goldfinger ©. April 22, 2019. OG North End. Pathfinders. Click to enlarge.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor@Blogfinger.net
The walking path has now been opened, following the boardwalk north past the two piles of rubble and other signs of the great fire. A truck from the Neptune Office of Emergency Management has arrived, but their role in the cleanup is unknown to us.
You could stand on your head, but no one from the Mother Ship would offer some information on Blogfinger. The last time that happened was with Committeewoman Mary Beth Jahn, when she opposed the North End Plan, and she later got dumped by the Township Comedy.
The two rubble piles remain. Safety fence along the boardwalk.
Some boardwalk damage was evident. Paul Goldfinger. © 4/22/19.
Bikers, joggers, walkers, and tricky kids have returned this morning, the day after Easter Sunday.
I even saw a young woman walking with her friend, chattering back and forth as they swung their arms. They both wore black leggings (girls in their spring clothes) and one wore a shirt that said, “Á La Mode.”
That made my day, trying to understand her messaging. Lately we see a lot more T shirts with messages other than “Marquette University” which also showed up this morning. You can’t blame her for not wanting to be in Wisconsin in April.
North End wreckage at the north side of the damage. April 22, 2019. Paul Goldfinger © Click to enlarge.
This jury rigged path will allow life to resume as access to Asbury Park returns, and the merchants over there breathe a sigh of relief. Now all that remains is to wait for the Asburians to begin the beguine.
JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH RUBEN BLADES AND WYNTON MARSALIS:
A new skyline at Asbury Park: The 16 story Ocean Club Surfside Resort and Residences at 1101 Ocean Avenue.
Posted in Asbury Connection, Asbury connection with Ocean Grove, Blogfinger Presents, tagged Asbury Park skyline, New condos in Asbury Park, Tall building in Asbury on September 21, 2018| 5 Comments »
Long view from Ocean Grove of the new A. Park skyline. September 21, 2018 © Blogfinger.net. Click to enlarge.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net.
The development of this site began in 1989 and was a failure. Then the Esperanza project began and was lost in the Great Recession (2009) leaving a steel skeleton.
Here is a Blogfinger post reflecting on the Esperanza:
But now a 16 story mixed-use building will soon be finished. It will have 130 condominiums starting at $1 million each, a parking garage for 411 cars, and a 54 room boutique hotel. There will be thousands of feet of retail space—the prospective occupants have not been revealed.
Some skeptics are doubting that this project will attract buyers for all those multi-million dollar condominiums. We have also wondered if Asbury has enough juice to be special all year round. Last winter, the city seemed pretty dreary in the off season, although the restaurant and bar scene should be able to hold on for a few months.
iStar is the developer, and some of us at Blogfinger speculate that iStar has its eyes on our North End and may have met the Grovarian movers and shakers.
From Ocean Grove, the altered skyline is readily apparent. The low slung A. Park silhouette now looks like it is on the way to become Long Branch, a once great resort trashed in the interest of money. As you drive by on Ocean Avenue in LB, you rarely get to see the Ocean. Tall buildings block the views.
But, in contrast, at Ocean Grove, if we can retain our unique look, there will be no trouble seeing the differences, and the Grove will be even more of a welcoming place; unless the view south from Asbury Park begins to look like the view inside Asbury Park.
iStar has built the Monroe Condos—another skyline altering building seen from the Grove—this one viewed from Wesley Lake. We wrote about the Monroe two years ago:
It will be interesting to see the impact of this new building on the entire area.
KATHY BRIER with The NIghthawks: from Boardwalk Empire
The Asbury Effect in O. Grove….
Posted in Asbury connection with Ocean Grove, Asbury Park lifestyles, tagged Asbury Park affluence on June 4, 2018| 1 Comment »
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.
“Tonight will be fine….”
Posted in Asbury connection with Ocean Grove, Photographic Gallery, Black and White, Photography Nights in Ocean Grove, Photography nocturnal Asbury Park, tagged Leonard Cohen on Blogfinger on January 30, 2018|
Paul Goldfinger ©. Asbury Park as seen from Ocean Grove. 2015. Click to enlarge the night.
TEDDY THOMPSON (From the soundtrack of Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man)
“Tonight Will Be Fine.” Composed by Leonard Cohen.
“But I know from your eyes
And I know from your smile
That tonight will be fine
Will be fine, will be fine, will be fine
For a while…”
Is it any wonder that they call A. Park a city?”
Posted in Asbury connection with Ocean Grove, Blogfinger Presents on December 1, 2017|
View of AP from Founders’ Park in Ocean Grove. Note the crumbling wall lining Wesley Lake at this location. AP is all concrete over there. No trees, no green. No warmth. No wind chimes. No church bells. Click to enlarge. Paul Goldfinger © 12/1/17
THE PEARLFISHERS. “Is It Any Wonder?” A waltz from their album Across the Milky Way
Color schemes in A. Park: art among the people.
Posted in Art, Asbury connection with Ocean Grove, Asbury Park, Asbury Park Connection Photo Gallery, Blogfinger Presents on November 4, 2017| 4 Comments »
Paul Goldfinger © Bond Street. A. Park. October, 2017.
There seems to be a fondness for spontaneous art appearing throughout the hip city of Asbury Park. You can see it on walls in the Casino, on the boardwalk and around the artsy neighborhood of Cookman Avenue and its side-streets–even painted on windows and doorways. Art is especially beautiful when it is part of the everyday life of the people.
It reminds me of the work of Seward Johnson, the sculptor of ordinary folks, whose work is often found in public places:
Carl Hoffman of Ocean Grove helping this Princeton student prepare for SAT’s in Palmer Square. The boy is by Seward Johnson. Blogfinger photo © 2015
Ocean Grove can use some public art to liven up the place. The town has no significant outdoors art displays for the public to enjoy. It is wonderful when one can walk down a street and come across an art show of some sort, and Asbury seems committed to bringing their city to life with art.
Paul Goldfinger ©. The Casino belongs to A. Park.
AP Boardwalk 2016
Indie 184 2015. Asbury Boardwalk. Blogfinger photo.
Here’s a link to our article last year about Seward Johnson’s work in Spring Lake:
Seward Johnson in Spring Lake, 2016.
BRUNO MARS:
Halloween in da hood. October 31, 2017
Posted in Asbury connection with Ocean Grove, Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove events, tagged Asbury Park Halloween, Halloween 2017 Ocean Grove on October 31, 2017|
Al Venezia on Mt. Hermon Way in OG greets trick and treaters who come to his porch. Grrrrrrr! Paul Goldfinger photo. 10/31/17 ©
Click on one image and then follow the large sideways arrows. Little X to come back here.
-
- Jesse (L) of OG and Tara of Pennsylvania at the Brick Wall in A. Park
-
- Cookman Avenue window. © Paul Goldfinger. Not dead yet.
-
- TAKA on Halloween night. A. Park. Paul Goldfinger photo.©
-
- She’ll escort you to a special table. Brick Wall. A. Park. Paul Goldfinger photo.
MONK’S CHANT FROM MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT—-“He’s Not Yet Dead.”