Asbury Park, NJ Directory of Restaurants, Businesses and Events

Greetings from Asbury Park:

So, the "summer teaser' weather continues and continues to attract many visitors to our boardwalk. The amount of construction that is taking place on the beachfront is an attraction in itself. Madison Marquette is in overdrive! I'm down there everyday just to make sure all is right. It's a tough part of my job but I do it very well. I'm working at a feverish pace to make sure all the new businesses sign up for the city's APUEZ program. No doubt, this is going to be one great summer in the city! Stay tuned!

The Saint, one of the city's great assets, stages another installment of their "Work in Progress" series hosted by Rick Barry on Thursday night, May 8th at 8 PM. For this series, the songwriters are asked to play only new material. Featured artists for this show include Ken Shane, Keith McCarthy, Divine Sign, maybe Pete and Readymade Breakup. Previous shows have been great and this promises to continue the run. Be there!

This weekend:

Saturday, May 10th: United Community Clean-Up. The Asbury Park community will team up with Neptune Township to spruce up Springwood Avenue. Volunteers should meet at the corner of Memorial Drive and Springwood Avenue at 9:30 AM. The clean -up will be followed by an event wrap-up and BBQ for all volunteers at the MURC Information Center in Neptune. Contact Councilman Ed Johnson for info at 732.776.9890.

Also on Saturday: 2008 Tribute to Women, Pre-Mother's Day Luncheon at First United Methodist Church, 906 Grand Avenue. Food by Giamano's Ristorante and music by The Isis' Tribe and Uhuru Drummers. Call 732.988 0711 for info.

"Back to the Garden" Asbury Park Antique & Art show takes place Saturday from 10 AM to 7 PM and on Sunday from 11 AM until 6 PM in Convention Hall and the Grand Arcade. The event will feature a display of carousel horses used in the Broadway musical "Carousel." This is a show that mixes European and American antiques with bargain finds. In celebration of Mother's Day, the first 100 mothers who arrive on Sunday morning will receive a special gift. The force behind this show is Kathleen Banks, a partner in Trillium Antiques on Cookman Avenue. She is also opening Corazza 20th Century in the renovated First Avenue Pavilion on the boardwalk this summer. A preview party to benefit ArtsCAP will be held Friday, May 9th at 8 PM. Call 732.897.6500 to reserve.

This is a must!

City management recently completed a two-day visioning workshop under the direction of our new marketing company, Knockout Graphics. The purpose of the session was to create a common vision for the city to use as the basis to begin branding the city. One of the gifts of this effort is "Endless Summer." This was the brain child of Councilman Jim Keady to create an initiative to maintain a year-long listing of events that take place in the city so that strategically something is planned for every weekend. It was aptly named "Endless Summer." Here's a preview of upcoming events as we begin to create the city calendar.

Quite impressive for a work in progress. Stay tuned!

So, it's Mother's Day weekend. Here's a very simple suggestion: Bring your Mom to Asbury Park! More than likely, your Mother has/had a connection with this wonderful city. So, shop our great stores and buy her a unique gift that she can't get anywhere else(check out the designer chocolates at Wish You Were Here), take her to brunch/lunch, dinner, cocktails or just bring her for a walk on the boards. She may have fallen in love in Asbury Park, driven the circuit, caught Bruce at the Pony, danced at the Orchid Lounge, redeemed S&H Green Stamps for that plaid beach cooler, brought you to Steinbach's for your girl or boy scouts uniform, or rewarded your good behavior with a wonderful day full of boardwalk rides. It will be a very special Mother's Day in the most special place on the Jersey Shore. Give your Mom the gift she can't get anywhere else. Our moms, Florence and Gig, join Patti and me in wishing you and yours the very best Mother's Day ever!

Tom Gilmour
Director of Commerce and Good Times