Deal and Asbury Park, NJ

price varies 

Optimum Seasons:  All Year Round

Ocean Place Resort

The Asbury Hotel

Gallery

Where do I start? This was truly one of my favorite road trips of all time. Here's a list of reasons why:

1)  The Asbury Hotel was just magnificent in every way.  1)  It has outdoor movies offered every night on the 5th floor rooftop.  I was told by a friend that they also have yoga every morning (ask the front desk).  The pool had the same vibe as a Miami boutique hotel.  The hotel itself was like a posh Brooklyn hotel with a great rooftop!  The Asbury is only one block away from the Asbury Park boardwalk and beach.  The hotel has valet parking which costs $20 per day.  I found a deal on tripadvisor.com for midweek and it was too amazing to pass on.  The neighboring and better priced Berkeley Hotel, which while renovated, is no where close to as charming as The Asbury.  The Berkeley is a half block closer to the beach, must cheaper, and is great bang for your buck.  If you don't find a good deal for The Asbury, just book the Berkeley instead.  

2)  Unfortunately, you have to pay to go to the beach before 4pm every day. The hotel doesn't offer free passes.  The front desk allege that it costs about $7 per person but I didn't inquire further when I got on the boardwalk.  The weather was too chilly to go swimming anyway.  We were able to enjoy the beach after 4pm though.  Tip:  bring sweaters!  This is a coastal town.  Figure it is ten degrees colder here than the forecast in your own inland town, and at night it gets pretty chilly (unless there is a heat wave that day).

3) The Asbury Park Boardwalk is absolutely adorable!!!!  You must try the fried oreos and the cannoli at the Ice Cream and Waffle Place located at the southern tip of the Asbury Park portion of the boardwalk.  From my hotel to that point was about a twenty minute walk with great restaurants at every corner.  And there are Fourth of July fireworks to boot!

4)  If you are bringing children, there are sprinklers and mini golf along the Asbury Park portion of the boardwalk. No need to just go to the beach. There is also a playground on the beach towards the southern end of the boardwalk! There are also murals all along the boardwalk, kind of like Wynwood neighborhood in Miami. Very cute for photo ops with or without the kids!

5)  You must experience the boardwalk at night!  And for an added bonus, dine at a restaurant here during sunset!  Have ipads for your children!  

6)  Walk through the Asbury Park Convention Hall on the boardwalk.  I don't know what this really is but it's frieken adorable.  Wikipedia "Asbury Park" for more details.  There's a lot of history here!

7)  Keep walking south on the Asbury Park boardwalk until you reach the Ocean Grove boardwalk (which according to wikipedia, parts were demolished during Hurricane Sandy).  This is just the most delicious beach town.  The homes are all Victorian.  Ten times more charming than any of the Hamptons, if you ask me!  Drive through this area and try to go through as many streets as you can.  It is just a 5 minute drive south of the Asbury Hotel. But you should walk the Boardwalk too.  There is also a great indoor restaurant on the northern most portion of the Ocean Grove boardwalk.  I believe it's called Dunes Cafe and it has panoramic views of the ocean (on the east side of the boardwalk and very close to the water.  Check the video below for an idea).  They serve ice cream, pizza, smoothies and much more. Google it for more info.  We ended up not dining here.  We were full on fried oreos.

8)  Drive through every street of Deal and Allenhurst, NJ.  Asbury Park is sandwiched between Deal and Allenhurst to the north and Ocean Grove to the south.  As I mentioned above, Ocean Grove is a Victorian and adorable town.  Deal is more affluent and the homes are on huge lots.  Kind of like the Hamptons meet Savannah, GA.  Nothing quite like the homes here. Allenhurst homes are similar but are on smaller plots of land.  It's actually more practical to go walking in this town so you see more homes.  The Deal homes are sometimes hidden behind long driveways.  Both are worth driving or taking a morning stroll through!  Allenhurst is sandwiched between Deal and Asbury Park.  This whole area is a grid along the beach.  There is no way to get lost. Ocean Avenue runs North and South and is a great street to drive on to get a good feel!

9)  Some Glatt kosher restaurants in the area:  Crispy Grill, Dougies, A Chinese/Japanese place (not so great) right next to Crispy Grill, Butcher's Cut, and Slices. There is also a Bravo pizza which is fantastic.

10)  Ocean Place Resort in Long Branch is just north of Deal. It is a fantastic hotel on the actual boardwalk with both an indoor and outdoor pool. It is a great option for road trips in colder months as it is significantly cheaper! Also, this is preferred to The Asbury hotel because it is both on the beach and access to the beach is free and lounge chairs are included. Also, the neighboring Pier Village and its shops and arcade are wonderful. There is a carousel on this boardwalk and the newly constructed boutique Wave Hotel which has an outdoor pool and is definitely worth booking if it’s comparable in price to Ocean Place Resort.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the video below of Dunes Cafe in Ocean Grove, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!