Parked on Ocean Avenue: a Florida registered truck. Sign says “Hoboken.com. now leasing apartments and townhouses.” Blogfinger photo. 6/6/19 Click to enlarge. This company is in the business of renting “affordable housing.” Is there such a thing on Ocean Avenue in Ocean Grove? Is this about speculation in short term housing rentals?
Paul Goldfinger, Editor@ Blogfinger.net. Re-post with update.
Our recent discussions about lifestyles in Ocean Grove have so far failed to consider changing lifestyles. Those who imagine that Ocean Grove could stay as it was in Victorian times are deluded. Some wish we had Sunday closures again.
Even our “historic” houses are mostly not truly historic. Very few “historic districts” are like Williamsburg (Virginia)
After 1980, when Camp Meeting lifestyles were changed forever by the NJ Supreme Court, many Grovers complained that Neptune Township was failing to protect the character of the Grove through increasing parking problems, deteriorating historic buildings, and increased crime. Some wished that Blue Laws could be reestablished including Sunday bans on driving, swimming, and biking.
Despite their loss of governance, for the last nearly 40 years the CMA has maintained a very active schedule of religious programs which sometimes clash with those residents who make the Grove their home.
In 2019 the CMA, which is lately trying to swim upstream and make this town even more religious, will have a tough time with that. So many of the community’s residents are secular and are largely indifferent to religious tourism.
Yet the CMA wants more year-round programming. It’s possible that its “mission,” which fails to recognize the secular residential community, will eventually run into the preferences of those who pay taxes to live here.
But the fact is that nothing stays the same and that will be true of how the housing markets in OG evolve along with how the demographics evolve. And the way that housing is used reflects changing lifestyles, mores, and beliefs.
We hear that some new home buyers are only interested in the Grove for rental reasons, and they buy homes, not to live in, but to rent out for short stays or for residents who want to live here year round.
It is said that young adults and families now prefer to rent rather than buy a home, so that will cause demand for rental properties—apartments and homes to increase.
Short term rentals (1-3 days) are a new reality, and although homeowners and others who live in the Grove may not like it, it’s going to be interesting to see efforts which try to stop it.
Airbnb is just one of a number of Internet short terental providers. Some who have experience with the Airbnb renters find that they may misbehave and negatively impact our neighborhoods. Certainly they have no interest in the town and its issues. But there is nothing illegal about those Internet rentals.
Editor’s November 2019 update: We interviewed a Grover who’s family owns a hotel on Ocean Avenue. He tells us that the Airbnb phenomenon is active in the Grove and negatively impacts the businesses like hotels which are year round, pay taxes, and create jobs.
THE SHIRELLES:
–Paul Goldfinger, editor @Blogfinger.net
