After living in Long Branch for about four years, I have watched Asbury Park morph from a worndown unsafe location into a flourishing treasure chest of prime day and night-time entertainment. The improvements that have been made to Asbury Park has made it an ‘it’ spot for young adults.
Whether it is live music, dining, or a fabulous bar scene, Asbury Park has it all. There are endless options for a night on the town, making it one of the most valuable outlets of entertainment available to students who live close to the University.
Asbury Park may be most wellknown for The Stone Pony located on Ocean Avenue. It is a smaller bar that has decent size stages with platforms slightly off the dance floor. Signed Fenders, Gibsons, and other guitars line the walls.
The Stone Pony has held many performances by all kinds of different musicians, including the great Bruce Springsteen. It has been a spot for rising musicians for years.
Ever since my freshman year of college, a night at The Stone Pony was something looked forward to. A concert at The Stone Pony is like watching a band play at a party, except it could possibly be one of your favorite bands playing.
For example, the Pony recently hosted a sold out Citizen Cope show. This past week, students flocked to The Pony to rave at the Barstool Blackout Party.
The list of big events that come through the Pony is long and impressive. Not to mention that tickets purchased directly from The Stone Pony are significantly cheaper than the tickets offered on Ticketmaster (another perk of living local).
After expressing my love for The Stone Pony to my friends, it was brought to my attention that many of my fellow seniors at the University have yet to go to The Stone Pony. How could it be possible to never experience the Stone Pony after four years of living only 4.5 miles away? How could you not take advantage of such a gold mine of entertainment? The Stone Pony is not the only spot in Asbury to see music. Other bars such as The Saint and The Press Room offer live music and reasonable drink prices (a huge plus). But as students and locals to the area, it should be a requirement to pay your Rock n’ Roll respects to the Stone Pony at least once before graduating!
Maybe seeing awesome live performances isn’t your thing? That’s fine! Asbury’s bar crawling scene is plentiful and a refreshing change from the typical Jack’s or Draft House night. Bars such as Porta and the Watermark are a good time waiting to happen. Luckily for those who live close to campus, cabs are super cheap and accessible (and not to mention totally necessary).
If drinking is also not your style, there is no need to fret! Asbury has plenty of dining options that will please even the pickiest eaters. Specifically, Asbury Pies on Cookman Avenue is a pizza shop that is cheap and to die for (I suggest trying the stuffed garlic knots).
Wonder Bar, which neighbors the Stone Pony, has one of the tastiest burgers I have tasted in my life. Food-wise, the choices of restaurants in Asbury Park are endless.
As the summer nears, Asbury Park will become progressively more crowded and even more eventful. I implore people who have yet to experience Asbury Park to do so as soon as possible.
Because of the variety of possibilities for a fun day or night out, Asbury Park is my most cherished source of fun that I have had while attending our lovely University.
PHOTO COURTESY of uptake.com
