Asbury Park

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Is AP a kid-friendly spot to spend a day at the beach and along the boardwalk?

Are there enough food places on the boardwalk and any games/rides/things to do for kids in the 7 to 12 range?

Any suggestions/feedback is appreciated.
Ex: where to park closest to the beach.

 

[RC1978]

Not really kid friendly for the things you asked about. No rides, but I think they have miniature golf. Mainly higher end restaurants and a few locations with "boardwalk" food.

Beach is very nice and bars are great. Parking is pay at the pay station almost everywhere.

 

[RU205]

I think they have a little water/ sprinkler park on the boardwalk as well.

 

[PeteGiam07]

I think they have a little water/ sprinkler park on the boardwalk as well.

Yes, they do. That is more for 5 or less age range though. Not really a place to that age range.

 

[Knight Shift]

The splash park is great for kids under 7-8:

There are also numerous free playgrounds right on the beach:

Parking is paid by meter or in lots. Park off of Ocean Ave if you want cheaper parking. Or if you want free parking, park on the north end of Ocean Grove and walk through what is left of the Casino to Asbury Park.
Lots of food options. Highly recommend Mogo Korean fusion tacos for the adults. $4 for a beef, chicken or tofu soft taco. You will find everything from burgers, hot dogs and more expensive sit down options.
Another great option to get out of the sun is the Silverball Museum. I think it is $8 or $10 for an hour, and they have other price options, and a cafe inside. It is run by a guy who went to RU (I think he played football). They have a variety of pinball machines, and classic arcade games such as Galaga, Pac Man, Centipede, etc.

If you want true ride, you either need to go to Pt. Beach, Seaside Heights or Keansburg.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Thanks for the feedback so far.
AP is a free beach too?

I think we're going to try Asbury but, how about Keansburg in comparison?

We've done Pt Pleasant a few times already and want to try somewhere new in the Northern Shore area.

 

[RU205]

Don't think it's free. Not too many NJ beaches are free.

 

[Knight Shift]

If you look at reviews of the splash park, it is probably not for kids age 7-12.

Re: beach fees:
Asbury Park--
Monday – Friday: 9am to 5pm Daily badges $5 per person
Children 12 and under Free

Saturdays, Sundays & Holidays: 9am to 6pm Daily badges $7 per person
Children 12 and under Free

Have not heard great things about Keansburg beach, and it is not on the Atlantic Ocean. Read online reviews on TripAdvisor.

As mentioned, parking in Asbury is expensive. If you are going on a weekend, leave really early. Beaches have been packed on weekends for last several weeks.

Another option, which is very different is Sandy Hook, which is run by the National Park Service. You can rent bikes and ride around the park, check out Fort Hancock, and check out abandoned batteries. No rides at Sandy Hook:
http://www.nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit/thingstodosandyhook.htm

 

[RU4Real]

Asbury isn't really family entertainment anymore. Those days are, sadly, gone.

However - your first GSW is free, even if the ride to Jersey Shore Medical Center is not (EMS is provided by the Asbury Park Fire Department's First Aid squad, which is paid, so they'll bill you).

There are a lot of restaurants, some of which are actually good. Porta turns into a night club after dinner - if you're a girl you can get roofied and have your wallet and phone stolen. At least until the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office finally shuts them down for good.

Take the kids to Point Pleasant.

 

[Knight Shift]

Asbury isn't really family entertainment anymore. Those days are, sadly, gone.

However - your first GSW is free, even if the ride to Jersey Shore Medical Center is not (EMS is provided by the Asbury Park Fire Department's First Aid squad, which is paid, so they'll bill you).

There are a lot of restaurants, some of which are actually good. Porta turns into a night club after dinner - if you're a girl you can get roofied and have your wallet and phone stolen. At least until the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office finally shuts them down for good.

Take the kids to Point Pleasant.

RU4Real, what an incredibly incorrect and dumb thing to post. There has not been a shooting anywhere near the Asbury Park beach or boardwalk as long as I can remember, and I have been going to the boardwalk/Stone Pony area since 1988. There is plenty of family entertainment during the day at Asbury Park. Now that our boys are older, we go there regularly on Friday and Saturday evenings, to grab dinner, play miniature golf, and hang out and listen to music on the boardwalk if there is a live band. And this weekend, we went to Cookman Avenue for dinner, and I was blown away by the number of new and interesting restaurants and shops on and around Cookman. Got to love the misinformed suburban snobbery.

 

[RU4Real]

RU4Real, what an incredibly incorrect and dumb thing to post. There has not been a shooting anywhere near the Asbury Park beach or boardwalk as long as I can remember, and I have been going to the boardwalk/Stone Pony area since 1988. There is plenty of family entertainment during the day at Asbury Park. Now that our boys are older, we go there regularly on Friday and Saturday evenings, to grab dinner, play miniature golf, and hang out and listen to music on the boardwalk if there is a live band. And this weekend, we went to Cookman Avenue for dinner, and I was blown away by the number of new and interesting restaurants and shops on and around Cookman. Got to love the misinformed suburban snobbery.

Maybe we have different definitions of "near the... beach". Five or six blocks is, for me, close enough.

Three of my best friends are 83-21. I hear about shootings on a regular basis.

 

[Knight Shift]

Maybe we have different definitions of "near the... beach". Five or six blocks is, for me, close enough.

Three of my best friends are 83-21. I hear about shootings on a regular basis.

Fair enough. Same thing applies in Long Branch. Waterfront area OK. Parts west of Route 36 are not. But as far as Asbury Park, if you head in from the north side from Deal/Allenhurst and drive along Kingsley to the beach, no problem, and same if you come down Asbury Avenue directly to Convention Hall, or along Wesley Lake or down Cookman off of Main Street. The bad areas are west of Main Street. Never had any worries east of Main Street. In the late 1980's I did paid ambulance runs from the projects around Heck and Embury, and one of our patients would put his pistol away when we went to take him for dialysis. I don't think that area (which is Neptune) has improved at all.

 

[RUJohnny99]

The spray park is ridiculously overpriced. I think it's $10 per kid. Every other town in Monmouth County has a free spray park, but for some reason the consultants that built that thing figured people would pay for it in Asbury.

As far as kid friendly restaurants: last year my 9 year old got nachos off the "kids menu" at a restaurant on the boardwalk. The idiot who put them together cut up jalapenos & mixed them into the cheese whiz. Luckily I noticed it before the kid started eating them.

No, Asbury isn't kid friendly. You're better off going to Seven Presidents in Long Branch.

 

[CornerTavern]

Is AP a kid-friendly spot to spend a day at the beach and along the boardwalk?

Are there enough food places on the boardwalk and any games/rides/things to do for kids in the 7 to 12 range?

Any suggestions/feedback is appreciated.
Ex: where to park closest to the beach.

Asbury park is awesome for kids, depending on what age there are definitely things to do… And definitely plenty of places to eat. I highly, highly recommend it! It's not over packed with stuff, nor is it sparse and boring.

 

[T2Kplus10]

Asbury isn't really family entertainment anymore. Those days are, sadly, gone.

However - your first GSW is free, even if the ride to Jersey Shore Medical Center is not (EMS is provided by the Asbury Park Fire Department's First Aid squad, which is paid, so they'll bill you).

There are a lot of restaurants, some of which are actually good. Porta turns into a night club after dinner - if you're a girl you can get roofied and have your wallet and phone stolen. At least until the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office finally shuts them down for good.

Take the kids to Point Pleasant.

+1

AP is a bad place for little kids. Go south to Point Pleasant.

 

[OTBOTOR]

Yeah AP isn't the first beach that comes to mind when thinking kid friendly. And that's ok. For those of us without kids it can be a good thing.

There's no shore town north of PPB that offers as much for entertainment as PPB. Places like Belmar and LB will have a decent beach and a few places to eat. Most places in Monmouth County are "just a beach."

 

[R1776U]

Asbury Park is made for young/single people or couples with no kids.. not families.. want family friendly? bradley beach, 'squan, etc

 

[StyleKnight]

AP is a free beach too?

LOL[laughing]

I went to 7 presidents beach as a kid. They have a skate park. There is also some grass areas, me and my brother and our friends would play tackle football on the grass. Then when we got hot we'd go in the water. We also spent time climbing on the jetis. It was a blast.

 

[briccnerff]

Asbury Park is a great day trip. For kids or adults. Have fun.

 

[InGregITrust]

Spent all day in Asbury yesterday. Started at the Beergarden, dinner at Brickwall, walked the entire boardwalk, then Stone Pony for the Avett Brothers show. Ended with ice cream at Eddie Confetti's. EVERY SINGLE place we went had small kids hanging out. Even the beer garden. If you're into the Austin, Texas/Brooklyn vibe, you and your kids will love it. If you want a merry go round, stay far away and head elsewhere. But the kids I saw yesterday were having a blast. Tons of great food, extremely safe. To say that shooting occur within the city limits I'm sure is true but is inflammatory as it relates to the boardwalk/downtown areas... And I go often.

 

[RutgersROB]

Asbury Park is great... Very clean and safe, dont listen to the people saying otherwise, its fine and your kids that age will enjoy

 

[bac2therac]

Any place with a beach and food is a good place for kids. Don't listen to know it alls who perspectives are skewed...no tourists are shot in Asbury

 

[T2Kplus10]

Any place with a beach and food is a good place for kids. Don't listen to know it alls who perspectives are skewed...no tourists are shot in Asbury

Yeah, I guess all the murders are of residents.

Last full year of data:
6 murders
13 rapes
126 robberies
123 assults

And all of this with only a population of 16,000.

 

[Alamo Al]

A great place for young kids, but not at the shore is "Land of Make Believe" off exit 12, rt 80, in Blairstown. They have a big wading pool with a pirate ship and a 'Lazy River' where you lie in an inner tube and the current takes around. LOTS of kids rides.

 

[mal359]

Asbury Park is fine. Some people are just afraid of gay people and those with tattoos is all.

 

[derleider]

Maybe we have different definitions of "near the... beach". Five or six blocks is, for me, close enough.

Three of my best friends are 83-21. I hear about shootings on a regular basis.

6 blocks might as well be a different city, since most people arent going more than one block from the beach. Unless there are regular shootings on the beach, its more or less someone elses problem.

T2K - it could very well be that all of the murders are of residents. One would assume that a tourist being shot to death in Asbury Park would be big news. And yet google turns up nothing. Rapes as well. Assaults - aside from bar fights among tourists - probably mostly residents.

Robberies probably include some of tourists - but tourists are good targets for thieves everywhere.

 

[RU4Real]

6 blocks might as well be a different city, since most people arent going more than one block from the beach. Unless there are regular shootings on the beach, its more or less someone elses problem.

T2K - it could very well be that all of the murders are of residents. One would assume that a tourist being shot to death in Asbury Park would be big news. And yet google turns up nothing. Rapes as well. Assaults - aside from bar fights among tourists - probably mostly residents.

Robberies probably include some of tourists - but tourists are good targets for thieves everywhere.

@mal359 just said that the shooters are all gay people.

Which, of course, isn't true. He's just deflecting from the gang-bangers.

Six blocks is a comfortable distance from the beach, provided one doesn't take a wrong turn.

Although the stuff I said about Porta is absolutely true.

 

[waveslider]

Best family friendly spot is island beach state park

 

[Saint Puppy]

Asbury is not Point Pleasant, but it is definitely kid friendly. They have a food truck park now which I think is a pretty cool addition. They also always have music up and down the boardwalk, along with a magician who is there sometimes.

 

[Silvers88]

Since this thread came up I thought I would get opinions on the Empress Hotel. I have a family wedding in AP in September and they have pointed the out of towners (which quite frankly everyone is from out of town including bride and groom) to the Empress. The reception will be in the afternoon at the Watermark and then the early evening at the Silverball (groom is a big pinball fan). Really no young kids in the family but some HS kids, college kids and young adults along with the older folks. Almost all of us are straight as you could probably guess. Thoughts on the Empress for this kind of crew??

 

[irishflu92]

When I take my kids to the beach for a day, we go to Asbury Park. It's no Cape May (where we go for longer beach vacations), but it's nice for a day trip. I suggest going to the iStar Financial Summer Experience on Cookson a block from the beach. They can process your beach tags, they have hammocks if you need to rest up, and showers and lockers. It's great for people who want to spend a day at the beach, then shower and change and go out to dinner. My kids (9-15) love it. You can also rent a surrey and ride around, try some excellent food trucks or local restaurants, try the pinball museum or just stroll the boardwalk and look at some of the funky shops. It's not for everyone, but there is enough to keep a family busy and entertained.

 

[Knight Shift]

Since this thread came up I thought I would get opinions on the Empress Hotel. I have a family wedding in AP in September and they have pointed the out of towners (which quite frankly everyone is from out of town including bride and groom) to the Empress. The reception will be in the afternoon at the Watermark and then the early evening at the Silverball (groom is a big pinball fan). Really no young kids in the family but some HS kids, college kids and young adults along with the older folks. Almost all of us are straight as you could probably guess. Thoughts on the Empress for this kind of crew??

Check out the reviews on Trip Advisor.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...ews-Empress_Hotel-Asbury_Park_New_Jersey.html

Some of the reviews mention a that there is a fair amount of gay clientele. The nightclub attached to the hotel, Paradise, is a popular gay nightclub. A couple of Trip Advisor reviews say the hotel is "straight friendly," whatever that means. Your only other option near the boardwalk is the Berkley, and the reviews of that place are less than stellar.

 

[RUJohnny99]

Although the stuff I said about Porta is absolutely true.

Posts like the below show up on my Facebook feed nearly every other week. There's even a hashtag #portaproblems that glorifies the drugging of women who go there.

If you have a daughter/sister/friend who goes to Asbury Park on the weekend, PLEASE warn them not to order drinks at Porta.

 

[T2Kplus10]

Posts like the below show up on my Facebook feed nearly every other week. There's even a hashtag #portaproblems that glorifies the drugging of women who go there.

If you have a daughter/sister/friend who goes to Asbury Park on the weekend, PLEASE warn them not to order drinks at Porta.

Wow, what a family friendly place.
:rolleyes:

 

[NotInRHouse]

I have heard similar stories about Porta but is the OP going to bring his children there?

I was in Point Pleasant this weekend, and suffice to say that there plenty of family unfriendly sight as well. But most of that was late at night. I really don't think a bar is a reflection on day time for the kids, but if it is, can you tell all the tourists to please get out of my way in Times Square?

 

[bac2therac]

Yeah, I guess all the murders are of residents.

Last full year of data:
6 murders
13 rapes
126 robberies
123 assults

And all of this with only a population of 16,000.

and there are shooting and murders in Somerset and New Brunswick too and all those other things...do you avoid New Brunswick?

 

[JoeRU0304]

Wow, what a family friendly place.
:rolleyes:

...because everyone takes their elementary school-aged kids to nightclubs for drinks and dancing.


Joe P.

 

[bac2therac]

Maybe we have different definitions of "near the... beach". Five or six blocks is, for me, close enough.

Three of my best friends are 83-21. I hear about shootings on a regular basis.

are you afraid to go near Easton Ave or George Street or College Ave

 

[NotInRHouse]

and there are shooting and murders in Somerset and New Brunswick too and all those other things...do you avoid New Brunswick?

He probably does. He seems to avoid all urban areas, but never say where he is from.

 

[T2Kplus10]

and there are shooting and murders in Somerset and New Brunswick too and all those other things...do you avoid New Brunswick?

With little children? Yes.