Music is Alive in Asbury Park

Asbury Park's Convention Hall and Paramount Theatre will continue to excite fans over the next few weeks and into the winter.

Take a look at who's coming to the New Jersey Shore Entertainement Center in October and November...

10/9 - Dickey Betts
10/11- Alison Moyet
10/19 - Aussie Pink Floyd
10/30 - Hanson
10/31 - Roots, Gym Class
11/1 - Light of Day
11/15 - Staind
11/15 - YES

Get Tickets --> visit http://www.asburyboardwalk.com/events.htm for tickets.

We could expect more and more events coming to these two great venues and the rest of Asbury Park over the next several months.

Come to Asbury Park and see for yourself what all the excitement is about.

Guinness Oyster Festival is Back, Bigger and Better than Ever...

The event is scheduled for September 14th, 12-6pm, in Downtown Asbury Park on Cookman Avenue and vicinity.
It will be a huge food and music festival. This Huge Street Festival showcases Asbury Park's excellent restaurants as well as entertain thousands with a mix of Irish music, jazz and rock and roll.

It will also be a family friendly event with entertainment for kids as well. Headlining is the famous IRISH ROCK BAND BLACK 47. Musical entertainment for the younger set will be provided by SIX FLAGS!

Other fantastic bands include Joe Hurley and the Gents, Deni Bonet, deSoL, Mayors Players and the Monmouth County Police & Fire Pipes & Drums.

Entry is free Food and drink tickets can be purchased for pints of Guinness and to partake in over 72 succulent specialties created by 18 of Asbury Park's most popular restaurants. Participating restaurants will be serving festival style from tented areas throughout downtown Asbury. In addition to freshly shucked oysters there will be all types of delicious food!

Come to Asbury Park. It's new. It's exciting. Come see why.....

See what else is happening in Asbury Park at http://www.asburyboardalk.com/events.htm

Asbury Park Parking Meters / Pay Stations

I probably should of written about Asbury Park's new Parking Meters that have been installed. They are not actually parking meters - but central "pay stations". They're actaully quite simple, once you realize you have to pay to park in the areas near the boardwalk.

If you park in a numbered space - jot it down or memorize it. Then as you walk toward the boardwalk or along Kinglsey Ave , you'll see the PAY STATIONS.

You can pay by credit card, bills or coins. Just enter in your space number, and press the button to increment how long you plan on parking there, then either swipe a credit card or insert your money. Press the GREEN Button to get a receipt which you should retain. It has your space number (make sure its correct) and the time you have before you have to replenish or move on.

What's really nice is that you can replenish from ANY pay station - not just the one you originally used.

More importantly - to go along with one of the CHEAPEST seasonal beach badges, the parking is about as cheap as you'll find in any resort town. As of today (September 9, 2008), the rate is .50 per hour. Not bad. I think it should be $1.00 hour. That's still cheap for a resort area and if you're willing to walk 2 blocks, you can probably find FREE street parking.

You can also drive around a bit. The redeveloper has several nice paved lots that are, for now, free. But that will change.

So don't forget to pay when you park in a numbered space.

Book Launch Party at Wonder Bar - Local Heroes: The Asbury Park Music Scene

Wednesday Night - July 30 there will be a book launch party for "Local Heroes: The Asbury Park Music Scene".

Doors open at 5 pm. Tickets are $15.00 at the door. The schedule:
- 7 pm introduction by the authors
- 7:30 pm the music begins with:
- Lance Larson, Matt O'Reef Band, Days Awake, Vini Lopez and the Steel Mill Band, Sonny Kenn.

As the night rolls on, there will be jam session with all the musicians and whomever else jumps in. This will no doubt be an interesting night at the Wonder Bar and in Asbury Park.

Don't miss it.

Jersey Shore Roller Girls - July 12

Asbury Park -

The Jersey Shore Roller Girls will offer up some roller derby mayhem in a full-length bout Saturday July 12 at Asbury Park's Convention Hall.

Two of the league's teams will battle, as local women from the Right Coast Rollers defend their undefeated status against the Anchor Assasins, a team making its incredible, can't-miss roller derby debut skating that evening.

In addition to a night of fierce jams and blocks, the event features a performance by the band Wicker Hollow.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased in advance at www.jerseyshoreroll ergirls.net for $15, as well as at the door for $20. Children under 12 get in free.

Adults 21 and over to drink.

Doors open at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 12, with the whistle blowing at 8 p.m.

For more information, please visit www.jerseyshorerollergirls.net

PHOTO EXHIBITION - John Cavanaugh announces Rocktography

July 2, 2008 - NEW PHOTO EXHIBITION IN ASBURY PARK!
Concert photographer John Cavanaugh announces Rocktography, a new photo exhibition featuring a vast sampling of Cavanaugh’s concert photography from the past 18 years accompanied by The Asbury Park Music Storytellers Series highlighting some of the community's most prominent independent singer/songwriters.

Named for Cavanaugh’s online gallery, Rocktography.info, the exhibition will run from July 3rd through September 2008 on the Asbury Park Boardwalk at Asbury Galleria, 1000 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park, New Jersey.

Rocktography Photo Exhibit Asbury Galleria, 1000 Ocean Ave.Asbury Park Boardwalk
Grand Opening July 3, 2008 - 10am until close.

Southside Johnny to appear July 3 at 3 pm.

Madam Marie Dies.

July 1, 2008 - (as reported in the Asbury Park Press along with our own memories) - It was one line from a Bruce Springsteen song that made the boardwalk fortune teller world famous.

And now, "Madam Marie'' has passed away.

Marie Castello, who had told fortunes since the 1930s and became famous for her presence and predictions on the Asbury Park boardwalk, died Friday, her great-granddaughter, Sally Castello said today.

Family members were attending morning services today, Castello said.

The psychic reader and advisor was 93. She became known worldwide from Bruce Springsteen's homage to her in his music."Did you hear the cops finally busted Madam Marie,'' Springsteen sang in his 1973 song, "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)'' "for tellin' fortunes better than they do."

"That was just the Boss,'' said Asbury Park Deputy Mayor Jim Bruno. "She was never arrested. But Springsteen turned her into an icon.''Bruno remembers his own run-in with the psychic."I was a 12-year-old kid,'' he said. "And I don't remember what I was doing, but I remember her chasing me away from her shack.

Her death is a real loss.''It was also somewhat unexpected.''She really wasn't sick. She just wasn't feeling well,'' Castello said. ""She was very, very strong until the day she died.''Madam Marie bragged that she had told the fortunes of everyone from Judy Garland to Springsteen himself. Legend has it that she told Springsteen he was going to be a success. Springsteen later joked that she told all the musicians that.

And Springsteen never forgot Madam Marie."He always comes by to say hello," she told Press columnist Bill Handleman in May. "He knows where he came from."

Marie Castello closed down her regular operations on the boardwalk in the mid-1990s after a dropoff in business. She continued telling fortunes in Ocean Township.

But Sally Castello is one of the family members who still does readings at the Madam Marie booth not far from Convention Hall on the boardwalk."The booth will always be there," Marie Castello said in May. "The Temple of Knowledge, that's a landmark, that's nostalgia, they'll never tear it down."
-----------------

Back in the late 70's, we could never get her picture. We tried. Her daughter or grandkids would come over for the TAB w/lemon. If there was no one on the boardwalk then, it would be us.

A true boardwalk classic.

"The Temple of Knowledge, that's a landmark, that's nostalgia, they'll never tear it down."

Let's hope that this prediction holds true,

Summer 2008 on the Asbury Park Boardwalk

Wow.

I just got done telling someone I was around 3 when my parents first took me down to the Asbury Park Boardwalk. That was 1964.

In less then two weeks, my daughter graduates high school. It seems like yesterday that I asked her to write her opinions of what was then a lost Cookman Ave and Boardwalk. We'd park around the Palace or she'd go explore the old Howard Johnson's ramps. I'd tell her and my son ghost stories.

But that was the summer of 2002.

As each summer passed, I would tell them to just wait and see. Each summer passed with bits of progress here on there. Then one day, we were all eating dinner at Bistro Ole. Then the original Harry's Roadhouse. Then The Brickwall.

I sent a friend of mine who couldn't find a dress for her dance recital to Allen and Suzi on Cookman. She found two dresses and wound up winning around 13 ribbons in her competition.

So here comes summer of 2008. Madison Marquette, as the new partner in the redevelopment, presented plans a few short months ago to rehab the pavilions along the boardwalk. A new July 4 target date look like a reality as work continues.

A host of new shops and events will be here. The boardwalk will look and feel new. New streets, parking lots and much more. A new mini-golf course.

It's new. It's exciting. It's the new Asbury Park Boardwalk.

Take a drive. Spend a day or a summer.

Now you can.

Keb' Mo' at the Paramount, Asbury Park

Singer-songwriter guitarist Keb' Mo' comes to the Paramount Theatre on August 25,2008. Mo's blues is a post-modern expression of the artistic and cultural journey that has transformed the blues, and his own point of view, over time.

Come to the renovated Paramount Theatre and Asbury Park Boardwalk on August 28, 2008 and listen to Keb' Mo' and his music. It will be a great evening.


Tickets are $31-$48 plus Ticketmaster service fees. Click here to Purchase Tickets or cut and paste the url: http://www.asburyboardwalk.com/events.htm.

Josh Ritter April 24 at the Stone Pony

Josh Ritter will be performing April 24, 2008 at the Stone Pony.

The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter catches the Idaho musician in the midst of a radical transformation. While last year’s The Animal Years had Ritter thinking about the state of the nation, his latest offering finds him pining for Joan of Arc, Calamity Jane and Florence Nightingale, all of whom seem to be stuck together in the belly of a whale, a la Jonah. He also manages to squeeze in a few admiring words about ladies’ underwear—and that’s well before Ritter, backed by drums, bass and organ and cacophony, arrives at a rollicking chorus you might be able sing along with if you’re quick enough to get all the words.

Ritter is clearly having fun—and you will, too—but there is a method to his madness. Those legendary heroines he name-checks were each responding to an inner voice that pushed them toward some extraordinary mission, one both noble and a little foolhardy. “Those voices can be pretty confusing,” he says, “but there is no doubt that if you follow your two a.m. voices you’ll end up someplace fairly extraordinary.”

And Ritter did follow those late night voices. While The Animal Years was a meticulously crafted and stately paean, for Conquests the artist radically revamped his working methods and his sound. “I needed to be somebody different,” the singer says. “The air of gravitas around me was getting oppressive. For some reason it seemed like there was a premium being placed on earnestness and that can be pretty stifling. There was a lot of talk about true love and righteous indignation. I wanted to write about gunslingers and missile silos.”

But it didn’t start like that. “I was tired of writing with the guitar,” says Ritter, who began writing The Historical Conquests by committing to tape wordless tunes and melodic fragments, certain that the lyrics and thematic ideas, whatever shape they might take, would soon follow. Setting aside the guitar, he began writing on an upright piano some family friends had given him—an instrument, he admits, he didn’t actually know how to play.

The result is an often raucous, occasionally dizzying affair, with pounding keyboards, strings, horns, and his new producer and long-time collaborator Sam Kassirer, leading the charge. About the recording conditions in the Maine farmhouse where the record was made, Ritter enthuses, “You should have seen it up there. It was January and twenty below. We had horns in the attic, we had strings in the barn, we had a gaggle of people shooting targets with bb guns in the woods. It was a full house and everyone was there to throw themselves at the music. There was no holding back.”
As he says in the drum and Steinway-driven “Rumors,”

My orchestra is gigantic.
This thing could sink the Titanic
And the string section’s screaming
Like horses in a barn burning up.

Giving the project a literal go-for-broke feel was the fact that his then-label, V2 America, had just fired the entire staff. “They went under the night we performed on Letterman!,” laughs the songwriter. “It seemed me and my band were pretty much storming the heights of irony that day.” The situation emboldened the self-reliant artist; after all, Ritter had launched his career DIY-fashion with his self-titled 1999 debut and released its 2001 follow-up, The Golden Age of Radio, on his own, before finally signing with an indie label. When he rushed back into the studio in early ’07, after another year of worldwide touring, it was on his own timetable. “One thing I’ve realized is that at the end of the day, you’re on your own. There isn’t a song, a record or a record label that can teach you how to swim or how to keep your head above water,” Ritter says. “You have to be the one getting out of the boat and taking your chances every day. In what you write and in how you play. If not…”

The artistic leaps Josh Ritter displays on Conquests are not without their stepping-stones, however. On a conceptual level, Paul McCartney’s Ram served as an ever-present reminder to enjoy the process of writing. Ritter was attracted to the free-spirited quality of the solo album McCartney made at his own farmhouse—amidst the Beatles’ tumultuous breakup: “It sounded like he had something to prove, but also like he didn’t really care. In terms of my favorite records, Ram is more about the philosophy. If this guy can do this after what he came through, then, okay, maybe I could try something like this too. It really loosened me up.”

Stepping farther back, he sites Buddy Holly’s apocryphal The Apartment Tapes as a major influence. “A friend passed me Buddy Holly’s Apartment Tapes. The tapes are plain and genius. Buddy sang ‘Learning the Game’ and ‘That’s What they Say’ in his apartment in New York City and you can hear his wife bumping around in the kitchen and the whole thing feels clear but not simple. Those recordings feel like a Raymond Carver story. I listen to him and remember that it doesn’t have to be all nine-minute songs. That guy can get more across in a couplet than some people are lucky to learn in their whole life.”

With a new approach, a new producer and a new location, Ritter got underway in earnest. “I shaped the songs and recorded a basic shell with Sam and then asked my bassist Zack Hickman and my new drummer Liam Hurley to come on up.” Skeleton tracks in hand, Ritter collaborated further with his band mates and a group of assorted musician friends he dubbed The Great North Sound Society Orchestra, who were clearly up for trying anything.

The results speak for themselves. The upbeat, vintage “Right Moves,” the Liberty Valance standoff “Mind’s Eye,” the pre-(and possibly post-) apocalyptic love song “The Temptation of Adam” and the Robert Altman era “Next to the Last” combine to hold a kind of punk-meets-Peckinpah fiesta.

Says Ritter in summary, “On my last disc, The Animal Years, I went pretty deep inside the gears of what I do. I knew where the words fit and how the songs dovetailed with each other.” He adds, however, “If I hadn’t approached the writing that record on such a clockmaker’s level, I may not have decided to step back and try shooting the clock to pieces on Historical Conquests. I’m glad we did though,” he adds. “I wanted to blow something up.”

Given the new lyrical and musical trails that he is blazing, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter proves that one can still cross any number of Rubicons all the while not taking themselves too seriously. Historic indeed.

April 24, 2008 7:30 pm doors. Go to http://www.asburyboardwalk.com/events.htm for tickets.

Red Carpet Charity Event April 3

The Garden State Film Festival (GSFF) will host Starline Films' theatrical documentary, "4CHOSEN" at a special red carpet premiere screening on Thursday, April 3rd in the Paramount Theater, 1300 Ocean Ave. Asbury Park, NJ.

The event kicks off at at 6:30 pm with celebrity red carpet arrivals including: Danny Aiello (Do The Right Thing), Montel Williams (4CHOSEN), Vinny Pastore (Sopranos), Randy Jones (The Village People/The Gentleman), Chuck Zito (HBO's OZ), Kwame Jackson (The Apprentice), Jon Doscher (REMEDY/The Gentleman), The Cast of The Gentleman, and many more! Come and see a bit of Hollywood here in Asbury Park. The red carpet hosts for this event are Valentine Leone and Shannon Leroux.

The following items will be displayed at the after party for you to bid on.
All proceeds will benefit the Montel Williams MS Foundation

• Derek Jeter Hand-Signed "The Dive" 16x20 Photograph
• Jerry Koosman/Nolan Ryan/Tom Seaver Triple Hand-Signed 16x20 Photograph
• Henrik Lundqvist Hand-Signed 16x20 Photograph
• Brian Leetch Hand-Signed "Jersey Number Retirement" 16x20 Photograph
• Jerry Kramer Hand-Signed "With Vince Lombardi" 16x20 Photograph Feat. Quote Inscribed
• Joba Chamberlain Hand-Signed "Joba Time" 16x20 Photograph
• Martin Brodeur Hand-Signed "Versus Sidney Crosby" 16x20 Photograph
• Phil Rizzuto Hand-Signed 8x10 Photograph
• Evel Knievel Hand-Signed 16x20 Photograph (Deceased Daredevil)
• Goose Gossage Hand-Signed "With Thurman Munson" 8x10 Photograph
• Alex Rodriguez Hand-Signed Official Big Stick Bat
• David Wright Hand-Signed "Barehanded Catch" 16x20 Photograph
• 1968-1969 New York Jets Team Hand-Signed Official Full Size Helmet (Super Bowl III Champs)
• Lou Holtz Hand-Signed "Play Like A Champion Today" 20x24 Photograph
• The Sack Exchange Hand-Signed "Stock Exchange" 20x24 Photograph
• Joe Frazier Hand-Signed "Staring Past Muhammad Ali" 16x20 Photograph
• Walt Frazier Hand-Signed "Graffiti Schoolyard" 16x20 Photograph
• Joe Namath Hand-Signed "Walking Off Field" 16x20 Photograph
• Tony Hawk Hand-Signed Official Skateboard Deck
• James Gandolfini Hand-Signed "Meet Tony Soprano" 16x20 Photograph
• Tedy Bruschi Hand-Signed "Snow Bowl" 16x20 Photograph
• 2007 New York Giants Team Hand-Signed "Huddle" 20x32 Photograph
• Michael Strahan Hand-Signed "Over Tom Brady" 16x20 Photograph
• Osi Umenyiora Hand-Signed "Sacking Tom Brady" 8x10 Photograph
• Eli Manning & Tom Coughlin Dual Hand-Signed 16x20 Photograph
• David Tyree Hand-Signed "The Catch" 16x20 Photograph
• Eli Manning Hand-Signed Official Super Bowl XLII Commemorative Full Size Helmet
• Brandon Jacobs Hand-Signed 8x10 Photograph
• Robinson Cano Hand-Signed 8x10 Photograph
• Bernie Williams Hand-Signed Rawlings Glove
• Whitey Ford Hand-Signed "With Yogi Berra" 8x10 Photograph
• Kevin Boss Hand-Signed 8x10 Photograph
• 1986 New York Giants Team Hand-Signed Official Full Size Helmet
• Mark Bavaro & Phil McConkey Dual Hand-Signed "Celebration" 16x20 Photograph
• The Rat Pack Limited Edition Masterpiece Feat. Actual Vegas Casino Chips & Cards
• History of the Masters: Limited Edition Champions Masterpiece Collage
• Star Wars' Carrie Fisher & Dave Prowse Dual Hand-Signed Original Movie Poster
• Willie Mays Hand-Signed "The Catch" 16x20 Photograph
• High School Musical Limited Edition Movie Masterpiece Collage
• Miley Cyrus Limited Edition "Hannah Montana" Masterpiece Collage
• 1980 US Hockey Miracle on Ice Multi-Signed 16x20 Photograph
• Abbott & Costello's "Who's On First?" Limited Edition Masterpiece Collage
• Beauty and the Beast Limited Edition Lithograph Feat. Actual Film Strip Cel
• Jackie Gleason/Arnold Palmer Vintage "And Away We Go" 11x14 Photograph
• Johnny Pesky Hand-Signed 8x10 Photograph
• Edgar Prado Hand-Signed "Riding Barbaro in the Kentucky Derby" 8x10 Photograph
• Seinfeld's "Soup Nazi" Larry Thomas Signed 8x10 Photograph
• Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy & William Shatner Dual Hand-Signed 8x10 Photograph
• Yogi Berra Hand-Signed "With Babe Ruth" 8x10 Photograph
• Dr. J Julius Erving Hand-Signed Official ABA Basketball
• Larry Bird Hand-Signed 16x20 Photograph
• Bernard King Hand-Signed & Game Used Circa 1980s New York Knicks Converse Sneaker
• Montel Williams hand signed book
  

Red Carpet Event - April 3rd "4Chosen"

The Garden State Film Festival (GSFF) will host Starline Films' theatrical documentary, "4CHOSEN" at a special red carpet premiere screening on Thursday, April 3rd in the Paramount Theater, 1300 Ocean Ave. Asbury Park, NJ.

The event kicks off at at 6:30 pm with celebrity red carpet arrivals including: Danny Aiello (Do The Right Thing), Montel Williams (4CHOSEN), Vinny Pastore (Sopranos), Randy Jones (The Village People/The Gentleman), Chuck Zito (HBO's OZ), Kwame Jackson (The Apprentice), Jon Doscher (REMEDY/The Gentleman), The Cast of The Gentleman, and many more! Come and see a bit of Hollywood here in Asbury Park. The red carpet hosts for this event are Valentine Leone and Shannon Leroux.

The screening begins at 7:30pm and the VIP reception follows with the shore band Brian Kirk and the Jirks. Limited # of tickets are available for $25 and can be purchased at http://www.starlinefilms.com. Proceeds will benefit the Montel Williams MS Foundation and support the 6th Annual Garden State Film Festival.

"4CHOSEN" tells the story of four young minority basketball players from New York City who were traveling to North Carolina for a college basketball showcase when they were profiled by two NJ State Troopers and shot 13 times. A powerful team of attorneys led by Johnnie Cochran assist them as they rebuild their lives and influence major law changes. April 23, 2008 marks the 10 Year Anniversary of this incident.

This documentary, produced and directed by actor Jon Doscher and narrated by Montel Williams, features interviews with Reverend Al Sharpton, Peter Neufeld, Barry Schek, and Wynton Marsalis.

Starline Films is a motion picture production/distribution company currently working on several films including the major motion pictures 4CHOSEN and Anyone's Son, in which Academy Award Nominated Actor Danny Aiello will be making his directorial debut.

More information is available here on asburyboardwalk.com

4CHOSEN at the Garden State Film Festival

The Garden State Film Festival (GSFF) will host Starline Films' theatrical documentary, "4CHOSEN" at a special red carpet premiere screening on Thursday, April 3rd at the famed Paramount Theater, 1300 Ocean Ave. Asbury Park, NJ.

The event kicks off at at 6:30 pm with celebrity red carpet arrivals. The screening begins at 7:30pm and the VIP reception follows with the shore band Brian Kirk and the Jirks.

Limited # of tickets available. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at http://www.starlinefilms.com. Proceeds will benefit the Montel Williams MS Foundation and support the 6th Annual Garden State Film Festival.

Celebrities scheduled so far include: Danny Aiello (Do The Right Thing), Montel Williams (4CHOSEN), Vinny Pastore (Sopranos), Randy Jones (The Village People/The Gentleman), Chuck Zito (HBO's OZ), Kwame Jackson (The Apprentice), Jon Doscher (REMEDY/The Gentleman), The Cast of The Gentleman, and many more! Come and see a bit of Hollywood here in Asbury Park.

"4CHOSEN" tells the story of four young minority basketball players from New York City who were traveling to North Carolina for a college basketball showcase when they were profiled by two NJ State Troopers and shot 13 times. A powerful team of attorneys led by Johnnie Cochran assist them as they rebuild their lives and influence major law changes. April 23, 2008 marks the 10 Year Anniversary of this incident. This documentary, produced and directed by actor Jon Doscher and narrated by Montel Williams, features interviews with Reverend Al Sharpton, Peter Neufeld, Barry Schek, and Wynton Marsalis.

According to Raver, "We are thrilled to welcome Montel Williams to host this special benefit that will raise money for Mr. William's very worthwhile Foundation."

Tickets for the Special screening and Reception are $25 and can be purchased at the event; or on the GSFF web site (http://www.gsff.org/) and at http://www.starline.com/. A portion of ticket sales will benefit the Montel Williams MS Foundation (http://www.montelms.org/) and support the 6th Annual Garden State Film Festival.

Starline Films is a motion picture production/distribution company currently working on several films including the major motion pictures 4CHOSEN and Anyone's Son, in which Academy Award Nominated Actor Danny Aiello will be making his directorial debut. Both films will be produced in association with Insomnia Media Group at Universal Pictures. Letnom Productions, Montel Williams Production Company, will also be co-producing the feature film 4CHOSEN.

The artistic philosophy of the Garden State Film Festival is rooted in the celebration of the independent film genre and the creation of a forum where local and other independent filmmakers can exhibit their work. The event provides novice and aspiring filmmakers, actors, and others interested in a career in the film business, the opportunity to meet and network with industry professionals in an atmosphere that is conducive to learning and mentoring. GSFF is an all volunteer non-profit organization.

More information is available here on asburyboardwalk.com

dd/3/26/2008

A New Look for the Asbury Park Boardwalk

Madison Marquette is leading the renovations to the Asbury Park Boardwalk for a second year now. The boardwalk pavillions are have been completly gutted and are bring prepared to for new and returning operators.

Madison Marquette and the City of Asbury Park are working side-by-side to have these major renovations completed by Memorial Day Weekend.

Madison Marquette taken over as the managing partner for the boardwalk operations and since that time, have completed cleaning up the casino complex, installed a new roof and have plans to bring the casino back to life over the next two years.

Madison Marquette also is continuing work restoring Convention Hall and Paramount Theatre and creating a unique market atomshphere in the Convention Hall Arcade. Palsn for this summer also include a wading pool/glamour and small cabana deck along the boardwalk.

The summer of 2008 will be an exciting one in the new Asbury Park.

Come and find out why.

Springsteen Rehearsing in Asbury Park

All those Roadshow trailers parked around Convention Hall these past couple days aren't here for the upcoming Cat Show this weekend, but are here for Bruce Sprinsteen's rehersal sessions for the upcoming tour which kicks off on 2/28 in Hartford - goes oversees then comes back to Giants Stadium in July.

Come donw to Asbury Park and take a look around. The summer of 2008 in Asbury Park will be all new.

It's amazing. It's Asbury Park.

For all the excitement, see asburyboardwalk.com

Levon Helm to Perform at The Paramount Theatre

Levon Helm comes to The Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park on February 16, 2008.

Levon Helm has been in the business of making music for over forty years and if the walls of “The Barn” could talk, what stories they would tell! Music legends galore have played, jammed and recorded there and he is happily continuing that tradition.

Read more about Levon Helms and The Band at their website.

For tickets to see Levon Helm please go to our events page.

Madison Marquette - Asbury Park Plans Continue to Develop

The press release follows. What this shows is that Madison Marquette and Asbury Partners are committed to the City of Asbury Park as whole. Combined, these two companies have the capability to pull off of the largest redevelopment projects in one of the most challenging towns.

In addition to rebuilding the boardwalk and those properties in the redevelopment zone, Madison would like to create one united marketing effort for the city.

For what it's worth, I like the idea based on what we heard today. Hopefully, Madison Marquette, The City and Asbury Partners can work together to bring this phase of developing Asbury Park to a reality.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MADISON MARQUETTE AND ASBURY PARTNERS
OUTLINE UNIFIED VISION FOR RESTORING ASBURY PARK
Private Initiatives to Include Support
for Education, Public Safety and Waterfront Redevelopment

ASBURY PARK, N.J., Jan. 14, 2008 -- The much-anticipated revitalization of the Asbury Park Waterfront is about to take a giant leap forward according to Gary Mottola, president of Madison Marquette Investments and the managing partner of Experience Asbury, the joint venture between Madison Marquette and Asbury Partners that is responsible for the City's Boardwalk redevelopment efforts.

"We've been working for the last six months on a comprehensive plan for dramatically improving and transforming the entire Waterfront Redevelopment Area, and we're thrilled to announce that the pieces have come together and we're ready to go," said Mottola.

Mottola and Hugh Lamle, president of MD Sass and the managing partner of Asbury Partners, the Waterfront's Master Redeveloper, detailed their plans in an announcement at the newly renovated Paramount Theatre, which is part of Asbury Park's renowned Convention Hall.

"Hugh and I agree on two critical aspects of the redevelopment," said Mottola. "First, that the Waterfront redevelopment effort needs a single unified and coordinated vision; and second, that the efforts to revitalize the Waterfront will never be truly successful without the involvement of the entire community. In Asbury Park, the components of a successful redevelopment are heavily interdependent. The revitalization of the Boardwalk and the Waterfront, no matter how well executed, cannot be truly successful if the off-Boardwalk areas are dilapidated and unfinished; if Downtown is not thriving as well; if visitors to the City are concerned about their safety; if the schools are unable to provide a solid education; or if any segment of the community is struggling."

To address this need for a comprehensive community-wide effort, Mottola announced that Madison Marquette and Asbury Partners would sponsor the Asbury Park Initiative, a 5 part plan intended both to advance the Waterfront revitalization and to provide for a significant increase in support from private enterprise for the Asbury Park community.

The Initiative includes: 1) an extensive renovation of all of the Boardwalk facilities from the Convention Hall to the Casino Building; 2) major improvements to the off-Boardwalk portion of the Waterfront Redevelopment Area; 3) the creation of a Boardwalk-Downtown coalition to improve the coordination of marketing and public events and to realize upon the synergies of a coordinated merchandising effort; 4) a commitment for a substantial increase in private support for Asbury Park's schools and the City's community at large; and 5) increased private support for the City's continuing efforts to improve public safety. Implementation of the Initiative is expected to begin immediately upon City approval and to be substantially completed by next summer.

The Initiative

Madison Marquette and Asbury Partners have created a five-part program, to be implemented immediately upon City approval, and with a goal for substantial completion by summer of 2008.

Part I: The Boardwalk Renovation

Improvements to the Boardwalk for summer 2008 will be extensive, and will dramatically transform the entire Boardwalk experience. The architectural design for the improvements will be provided by David Mexico of the Rockwell Group. The Rockwell Group has earned an international reputation as arguably the most dynamic and creative architectural firm in the design of exciting new entertainment venues. The improvements will include:

1. Completing the upgrade of Convention Hall. The Paramount Theatre was restored last summer. Remaining Convention Hall renovations will include all new exterior windows, improvements to all interior and exterior storefronts, substantial upgrades to the Grand Arcade, new heating and air conditioning for the entire building, an entirely new roofing system, fire and life safety upgrades including stairways to the beach to accommodate exiting, interior beautification, and the rehabilitation of exterior and interior historic elements. Also scheduled are upgrades to the infrastructure of Convention Hall to accommodate major national promotions, including new bathroom and concession facilities and new sound and lighting systems.
2. Extensive re-imaging of the Boardwalk. New pedestrian-level lighting, a comprehensive graphics and banner program, a well-conceived Boardwalk vending program and a more pleasing, carefully controlled program for extending merchants onto their adjoining Boardwalk spaces will enhance visitors' perception and experience.

3. Renovation and re-tenanting of the Fifth Avenue Pavilion, completing plans already approved by City Council.

4. Renovation and re-tenanting of the Third Avenue Pavilion.

5. Renovation and re-tenanting of the First Avenue Pavilion.

6. The construction of an exciting public beach club on the site of the Second Avenue Pavilion.

7. Complete stabilization of the Carousel portion of the Casino building and reactivation of the Carousel space for public use in summer 2008.

8. Surface coating and beautification of the plaza adjoining the Casino building and First Avenue Pavilion so it can be used effectively for public purposes.

9. Restoration and beautification of all green spaces along the Boardwalk including well-designed recreational components, providing an exciting and dynamic experience for visitors strolling from Convention Hall to the Casino.

10. A comprehensive and extensive year-round marketing and public events program for the Boardwalk, with special emphasis on the summer season. Already planned are dozens of unique and traditional events, including a major triathlon in July, the return of the volleyball, road racing, and lifeguard competitions and other sports tournaments; kite festivals, fireworks displays, an enhanced Garden State Film Festival, premier showings of feature films as well as other film-themed programs, and ongoing music programming. An extensive effort will be made to attract additional filmmaking and music recording to Asbury Park.

11. Removal of all trailers along the Boardwalk, and replacing them with improved public restroom facilities adjacent to the First Avenue Pavilion and in the Convention Hall.

The Boardwalk will feature a spectacular array of new and newly-expanded tenants, including:
Tim McLoone's Supper Club, an exciting new restaurant and entertainment venue operated by Jersey Shore legend Tim McLoone
An extraordinary new Italian eatery by Joe and Mike Cetrulo, operators of Scalini Fideli, Sirena and other top Italian restaurants in New York City and New Jersey
A cutting edge Trek Bicycle concept store owned and operated by Kathy Pena of Brielle Cyclery
An all-American diner operated by Taka, Asbury Park's current master of Japanese cuisine
An amazingly hip lounge and club created by Russell Lewis (owner of the widely acclaimed Baker Boys Bakery) and his partner Paul Connolly. Russell will also be opening a new Baker Boys shop on the Boardwalk
An eclectic combination of a new-style Mexican restaurant, authentic surf shop, and creative art gallery to be concocted by surfer, restaurateur and philanthropist supreme Marilyn Schlossbach
An expanded panini and Italian delicacy shop operated by Kathy Mongiello, the Boardwalk's newly-famous Panini Lady
The reopening of Lance and Debbie's Wonder Bar, with a newly-designed exterior terrace and volleyball court along Ocean Avenue
Part II: Off-Boardwalk Waterfront Area

A series of new improvements will significantly upgrade and beautify the off-Boardwalk Waterfront area, creating an instant impression of progress in the redevelopment and providing a safer and more user-friendly environment. Five hundred new surface parking spaces, which will be paved, well-lighted and secured, will be created. Other improvements will include:

1. Removing and burying the overhead power lines on Ocean Avenue.
2. Adding lighting to the unlit west side of Ocean Avenue and the numbered avenues to provide a safer and more user-friendly environment.

3. Completion of the Wesley Lake bulkhead restoration and parking spaces.

4. Paving, securing, lighting and providing parking on the Block adjacent to the Casino, the block between Second and Third Avenue and the block between Fourth and Fifth Avenue.

5. Cleaning up and landscaping many of the currently vacant areas in the Waterfront Redevelopment Area.

6. Donating funds to the City for the restoration and landscaping Bradley Park.

7. Grading and beautification of the triangle block along Cookman to provide a more dramatic entrance from Downtown to the Boardwalk.

8. Topcoat paving of and increased lighting along Kingsley and the several of the numbered avenues, and the addition of curbing, to provide for a neater, safer environment and more orderly parking.

9. A coordinated program of graphics and signage to reinforce a strong perception of progress in the revitalization.

10. The complete reconfiguration of Cookman Avenue east of Kingsley and Ocean Avenue from the Casino to the Convention Hall to provide the pedestrian- and merchandising-friendly environment contemplated by the WRP.

Other major developments in the off-Boardwalk area include the recently-announced acquisition by Madison Marquette of the Kushner properties along Cookman Avenue and the plans by Paramount Homes to proceed with the next phase of its residential development in North Beach. "We will be submitting our application for formal approval of the Kushner acquisition to the City this week, and we intend to proceed with the next phase of the residential development there by next summer," said Mottola of Madison Marquette.
"We're excited about expanding our commitment to Asbury Park to include a well-designed residential component." Jeffrey Fernbach, president of Paramount Homes, added: "I'm pleased to confirm that Paramount Homes will be proceeding with its next phase of development. We have already received the approval of the Technical Review Committee for our 120 unit project and will be moving forward with the remaining approvals and the start of construction."

Part III: Cookman Avenue and Downtown District

Madison Marquette and Asbury Partners will sponsor a Downtown-Boardwalk Coalition to coordinate marketing efforts and to create a genuine synergy between the Downtown merchants and the Boardwalk venues. Initial members of the coalition will include Dan DiBenedetto, president of the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce; two prominent Cookman Avenue merchants, Steven Troy of Robert Legere Homes and Marilyn Schlossbach of Market in the Middle; and Rob Ranuro of RDR Development, a prominent Asbury Park developer. Initiatives which may be undertaken by the Coalition include implementing a trolley service between Downtown and the Boardwalk (a service that already has been provided by Experience Asbury on many special dates over the past six months.)

Part IV: Schools and Communities

Recognizing that a comprehensive redevelopment initiative for Asbury Park must address the needs of the community overall, Madison Marquette and Asbury Partners, working closely with City officials and community groups, will expand their efforts in funding and sponsoring community programs and initiatives and will coordinate and encourage the involvement of other private businesses in these efforts. This will include:

Working with Tyler Blackmore, the principal of Asbury Park High School, to sponsor and support the newly-created Arts and Humanities Academy at the high school.
Creating a program that gives priority for employment to residents of Asbury Park and provides City residents with the opportunity to participate in the Waterfront revitalization. Specifically, any Asbury Park residents who may have lost their employment as a result of the recent halting of construction at the Esperanza will be given top priority for employment on Waterfront projects.
Part V: Public Safety

The Asbury Park Police Department, working with the New Jersey State Police and the Monmouth County Prosecutor, has mounted a strong campaign to improve public safety in Asbury Park. Although we recognize that public safety will always remain a government function, Madison Marquette and Asbury Partners will, both directly and in coordination with other private interests, offer to support this effort under the guidance of the Police Department and other enforcement agencies. One area where we can be of assistance is in the implementation of a video surveillance system in the City. Video surveillance has been shown to be a very effective tool in increasing public safety. Madison Marquette and Asbury Partners are willing to fund the gap needed to allow the immediate installation and operation of a video surveillance system in Asbury Park. Other areas of support will include:

Continuing the private security patrols in the Waterfront Development Area which are being funded by Asbury Partners and Madison Marquette, and coordinating these security efforts with the Asbury Park Police Department.
Continuing to fund an additional police presence in critical redevelopment locations.
In closing, Gary Mottola stated: "Asbury Park is a truly special place, a place with an emotional connection to virtually everyone in New Jersey. We're proud to be a part of what's happening here, and confident that this City will move forward to once again become a premiere resort and entertainment destination of the East Coast." However, Mottola was careful to point out the challenges facing the Initiative. "While we are confident that Asbury Park's Waterfront revitalization effort can succeed, we believe that success will be dependent on two critical factors: first, an immediate, unified development effort on a major scale; and second, the extensive involvement of the community in the revitalization, and the expansive support of the community by private enterprise."


Thank you.
David Dorfman
asburyboardwalk.com

Madison Marquette to the Rescue....

Asbury Park, New Jersey January 4, 2008 - Madison Marquette, a national developer of retail and residential real estate, announced today they have purchased redevelopment project which was started by The Kushner Companies.

The stalled project, known as Wesley Grove has 22 of 91 units sold and 2 other blocks slated for residential development, empty. A total of 750 units were planned by Kushner. Those that were built, known as the St. James - was considered by many as dull and did little to beautify the area.

According to an article on the ASbury Park Press January 4, Mottola said, "We think we can accelerate the whole process there,", "Since Kushner Cos. did a business strategy of exiting New Jersey, they didn't have the same level of excitement about Asbury Park as we have and which we can bring to this project."

"We're going to completely finish all the units, improve the overall look," Mottola
said. "The whole area will be cleaned up and beautified." Thank god. It needs to be cleaned up.

Madison Marquette's investment last spring in the city gave a boost to the boardwalk as new restaurants opened and the city's historic icons, Paramount Theatre, Convention Hall and the Casino, underwent renovation and restoration.

This announcement came a few weeks after Hoboken developer Dean Geibel and Metro Homes shut down its oceanfront Esperanza condominium site, citing a "national mortgage crisis" that had caused a setback for the company.

While there is a national slowdown in residential real estate, there is a string demand to create DESTINATIONS, especially since Asbury Park WAS a destination, IS a destination and will ALWAYS be a destination.

It takes vision, dedication, money, work and city that is able to communicate and work with developers.

The OCEAN and SAND are waiting.

Congratulations Madison Marquette.

Don't let anyone down. So far, you have a big fan club.

Esperanza At Asbury Park Offering Refunds

On December 28, I noted that as of that date, there was no word from Metro Homes LLC and those who had deposits on units at The Esperanza at Asbury Park.

However, while this writer has not heard from Metro (not that they have to tell me...), they have communicated with several of those who asked about the status of their deposits.

There is GOOD news. Metro Homes LLC has offered to return deposits to those that request it regardless. That is, Metro is still looking to complete this project and arrange financing to do so. They are still considering this a "temporary" work stoppage - and therefore not legally obligated to return those deposits. This is what I have heard from several of those who placed deposits and were real concerned that their deposit money would disappear.

We're awaiting some official word on what will happen with The Esperanza at Asbury Park. There is lots of talk on how it will be completed - and by whom.

Stay tuned.


After All, THIS is Asbury Park.

Join the fun, the excitement and challenge of this City by the Sea.

So Far NO Refunds for The Esperanza Buyers

As of December 28, 2007, those who have placed a deposit on The Esperanza in Asbury Park do not know the fate of the those deposits.

On December 9, 2007, Dean Geibel, President of Metro Homes LLC, the developer closed the sales office and stopped construction on the two-building complex of 224 units. Citing market conditions, he called it a "temporary" situation.

According to published reports, up to 70 contracts were placed on units. What disturbs some is that a day or two before the announcement, Mr. Geibel announced "the largest sale or a single family residence in Asbury Park...$2.6 million..". Prior to that announcement, he announced that musician John Oates purchased a unit for over $600,000. The musical team of Hall & Oates were so happy, they even snuck in a concert at the partially restored (thanks to Madison Marquette) Paramount Theatre on December 7, 2007. Then, jsut TWO days later - the sudden shift.

So there you have it, contractors, sales staff, the city and those who believe in the the new Asbury Park - were all left wondering - now what?

As for those who put down around 10% deposit for their unit, Mr. Geibel was kind enough to make this statement, "Geibel said the money people put down on their units is being held in escrow. "It's too early to decide how they'll be impacted," he said.

Now, what the &)$% does that mean? Is the Esperanza going to be built - 2008, 2009, 2010? Will Metro Homes be the builder? Have some of these "deposits" been spent (one attorney noted that their (Metro) contracts permitted this - smart attorneys protected their client's deposits - to some degree.

Mr. Geibel delivered a wonderful dream to the City of Asbury Park and to, according to Mr. Geibel, "almost 70.." buyers. Now the City has asked him for further details on the stalled project.

Those with deposits on the units are asking as well. Metro Homes LLC did not, as of this date, communicate with any of those with deposits.

Asbury Park has seen it all. Asbury Park will continue on with or without The Esperanza, Metro Homes or Mr. Geibel.

The City of Asbury Park is filled with opportunities - single family homes, lots of existing and new condos, apartments, businesses and good people who were here BEFORE the Esperanza was announced.

The Berkeley Hotel has been renovated and is open. Madison Marquette took over cleaning up the boardwalk buildings. And more importantly - lots of "little" people have done the rest.

Mr. Geibel, return those deposits to those that have asked for it back. These people have a vision as well - and that vision is their spot in Asbury Park.

You have moved on. Let those with deposits move in.

In Asbury Park.

By David Dorfman
Licensced NJ Real Estate Agent
email:apboardwalk@yahoo.com
See asburyboardwalk.com/asburyparkrealestate.htm for more info on Real Estate in Asbury Park.

Publisher of asburyboardwalk.com
*no affiliation with the City of Asbury Park nor Asbury Partners