Asbury Park has always been a little different. That’s why you can expect an experience unlike any other when you spend the day with your special someone at this seaside town. This is a date for the young and hip…or those who are young at heart.
Your first stop in Asbury Park should be Brielle Cyclery (1200 Ocean Avenue; 732-502-0077, briellecyclery.com), at the north end of the boardwalk. Here, you can rent a couple of beach cruisers ($10 per hour) to bike your way up and down the beachfront (or further, if you’d like). Before May 30, you can ride the boardwalk all day; starting Memorial Day, boardwalk biking is permitted only until noon.
On the boardwalk, be sure to stop at the Silver Ball Museum (1000 Ocean Avenue; 732-774-4994, silverballmuseum.com) and try your luck on about 200 old-time pinball and arcade machines.
“When you’re in here, you forget about life for a while,” says Silver Ball owner Rob Ilvento of the 5,000-square-foot space, which is decked out with retro artifacts and buzzing with fun music from the 1960s to today. Admission is $10 an hour or $20 a day (on Wednesdays, there is a special Date Night two-for-one rate).
“We see a lot of couples come in here,” says managing director Fred Bobrow. “It’s just a really nice spot to get to do stuff together and interact, as opposed to sitting in silence in the movie theater.”
As the afternoon is winding down, return your bikes and head over to the Beach Bar (1300 Ocean Avenue; 732-897-6500, asburyparkbeachbar.com), a resort-like, watering hole on the boardwalk, where you can have a drink (or two) as the sun goes down. Forget Sammi and Ronnie—this is the site for real Jersey Shore romance. Take advantage of awesome daily specials or a signature cocktail, such as the Summer Affair—Cruzan Lite rum, Cruzan Raspberry, apricot brandy, pineapple juice and fresh lemons.
By this time, you will probably be starving. Asbury Park has a growing restaurant scene, so the options are abundant. You can’t beat the beach-party atmosphere, boardwalk location and Caribbean-inspired cuisine at Langosta Lounge (1000 Ocean Avenue; 732-455-3275, langostalounge.com). Prefer traditional Italian with an ocean view? Stella Marina (800 Ocean Avenue; 732-775-7776, stellamarinarestaurant.com) is just a few steps further down the boardwalk. Want something more upscale? Try Tim McLoone’s Supper Club (1200 Ocean Avenue; 732-774-1155, timmcloonessupperclub.com). Thinking Cajun? That would be Trinity and the Pope (649 Mattison Avenue; 732-807-3435, trinityandthepope.com).
If all that sounds too trendy, stick with the earlier fun-and-games theme and check out the eclectic Johnny Mac House of Spirits (208 Main Street; 732-776-6666, johnnymacbar.com) for dinner, drinks…and Skee-Ball? That’s right. Chow down on some pizza (it’s free during the daily happy hour from 2 to 7 pm) and grab a pint of one of the 16 beers on tap.
After refueling, end this day-trip date on a high note at Chico’s House of Jazz (631 Lake Avenue; 732-774-5299, chicoshouseofjazz.com), which just celebrated its first anniversary in April. Located a few blocks from the boardwalk on Wesley Lake, Chico’s offers live jazz, blues, soul and R&B in an intimate setting sure to enhance your romance.
“We’re the only jazz club between New York City, Atlantic City and Philly with the setting and ambience you’d see in the big cities,” says co-owner Chico Rouse, son of the late tenor saxophonist Charles Rouse, who played with the likes of Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington and Count Basie.
The 250-seat venue pays homage to the greats, with glossy gallery portraits of living and deceased jazz legends lining the walls. In May, you can catch top New Jersey musicians, such as the David Ginsberg Quartet of Springfield, Billy Hector of Spring Lake Heights and Alexis P. Suter of Burlington. And be sure to try the outdoor patio for a late-night cocktail.
Ready for one last stop? Head back to the boardwalk and check out Watermark (800 Ocean Avenue; 732-455-3447, watermarkap.com), perennial winner of the best cocktails category in the New Jersey Monthly poll. Watermark also has an eclectic tapas menu to satisfy your late-night hunger.