On Oct 16, 2006, at 5:14 PM, Hinge wrote:
<x-tad-bigger> I guess if we want "The Jewel of the Jersey Shore" to be only a</x-tad-bigger>
<x-tad-bigger> destination to live in, great.
</x-tad-bigger>
See Hinge touches upon the hypocrisy of Asbury Park. The town desperately wants to hold on to its tourist past (because it knows that places like Cookman Ave will be in trouble with only residents) while certain people in power want the town to morph into residential only.
Meanwhile, the beautiful images shown behind the Council each week are of Asbury's past and the images shown on the flag poles throughout town are of Asbury's past and the images used on the city's marketing is generally of Asbury's past.
I still believe that the majority of the people voting in the past elections thought the redevelopment plan was a mix of tourism and residential. Instead, the tourism parts get forgotten with each passing year. There will be no new hotels, no new entertainment areas... in fact, I'd be amazed if there was any entertainment in Asbury Park in ten years time. God knows, Convention Hall is the most underused facility of its type in New Jersey. How virtually every county can support several similar facilities and have them all seem to do well is beyond me. Asbury books about 2 events per month at CH.
Tommy, you know I really admire you for your love of the town which is why I want to ask you this one question. I know you are looking forwards to the day when Asbury Park is a nice, safe place to raise a family and live... So my question is:
Do you envision any of the nightclubs or bars that are currently in Asbury Park to be there when that vision is realized?
My take is that since they own the Stone Pony (and seemingly fail to realize its importance/potential) it will be gone and I'm not confident it will be moved or rebuilt elsewhere. I think Asbury Lanes will lose their fight over emminent domain. The Wonder Bar will simply thank Larry for giving them a few years in which they won over the majority of the town (a reason I believe they should be allowed to remain); and sadly, I think the Saint will be gone as well. Once the oceanfront is finished and Cookman Ave is finished, Asbury Park will try to clean up Main Street. And you've gotta know that Scott Stamper and his club have a giant bulls eye on their front door.
So, there you have it. The very places that kept the town alive for a few decades when nothing else (but drugs) brought people to town will be removed so Asbury can morph into a nice, safe place to raise a family and live... And then the people will probably move away because they'll be nothing to do.
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