Three Main Avenue shops in OG: (left to right) OG Hardware, Gingerbreads and Organic Style. Photos by P. Goldfinger on Wednesday, December 14, 2011
By Eileen and Paul Goldfinger. Dec. 2011.
We went exploring to check out the shopping scene on Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park versus the shops on Main Avenue in Ocean Grove. We discovered that many of the businesses in Asbury Park are closed during the week. In addition, the selection of stores along Cookman Avenue was surprisingly limited as far as shopping is concerned. They have galleries, antique shops, home furnishings stores, exercise equipment and some personal accessory stores, but they have nothing to compare to most of the unique shops in the Grove.
The diversity of shopping choices on Main Avenue is much more compelling for the average shopper looking for clothes, gifts, flowers/plants, Victoriana and costume jewelry.
In addition, on a sunny Wednesday morning in December, 2011, the atmosphere and charm of old-fashioned Ocean Grove is far and away a more enjoyable experience. Ocean Grove feels like a small town, while AP seems more urban and trendy. Although there aren’t a lot of people in the Grove at 11 a.m, there is enough pleasant hustle and bustle to make a visitor feel at home: you see folks walking, shopping, having snacks at cafes, stopping to chat, people watching, and doing their activities of daily living — such as going to the post office, the banks, the dentist, the baker, or even the lawyer.
Cookman Avenue feels depressing on the same winter morning. It barely seems to have a pulse. You don’t get the idea that it is a place where people actually live. Undoubtedly things pick up there on the weekends, especially in nice weather, but we are focusing on Christmas shopping in December.
However, as far as restaurants are concerned, the “Asbury connection” is becoming “the destination place” for fine dining. They have a wide array of serious restaurants and a wine shop. OG cannot compete in that arena, although we do have some noteworthy casual eateries, restaurants and food stores.
Also, Cookman Avenue will soon have a new movie theater, and they continue to add new shops. You can, even now, have a dinner/movie experience there (The Showplace on Cookman is a fine art-house cinema). And they have a quality pizza place (Asbury Pie) that stays open until 2-3 a.m. on weekends, and they deliver to Ocean Grove, even late at night. Asbury Pie also sells by the slice and they offer big Italian hot dogs with peppers, onions and potatoes. (Hey Ma, grab the Pepcid!)
AP restaurants, 3 in a row on Cookman: (r to l) Brick Wall Tavern, Toast, and Ivan & Andy’s Steak House
So, after checking out both scenes, we conclude that what we have are two distinct districts — an apples and oranges situation; but please note that you can’t get apples or oranges on either Cookman or Main. We really need a good food store in Ocean Grove.
(r) Site of new movie house on Cookman. To the left are new shops and condos.
Shopping at the OG Flower and Gift Shop
MUSIC. Now here’s something you can actually do in the Grove on a wintry December Wednesday morning (from the Broadway musical “The Most Happy Fella” 1956) :