Renowned for its beachfront boardwalk, Asbury Park is a laid-back seaside city on the Atlantic coast of New Jersey. Its beach is regularly voted as one of the best in the United States and is backed by an abundance of restaurants and family-friendly attractions, including a nostalgic pinball arcade.
Things to do in Asbury Park
Stretching the length of Asbury Park is a golden expanse of sand, which provides an idyllic setting for swimming, sunbathing and surfing. It is backed by the Renaissance-style Asbury Park Convention Hall, which was built in the 1920s, and a legendary boardwalk lined with souvenir stores and dining establishments. Kids will love cooling off at the Asbury Splash Park or playing a round at the Asbury Eighteen Mini-Golf.
Also located on the Asbury Boardwalk is the Silverball Retro Arcade, which is packed with classic pinball machines and arcade games dating back to the 1930s. It boasts around 600 games in total, with the arcade continually rotating it’s offerings so there is always something new to play. All of the machines are well-maintained while the on-site bar serves drinks and snacks.
Along Asbury Park’s northern border is the 64-hectare Deal Lake, which is one of the largest lakes in New Jersey. Once an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, it was altered in the late 19th century to manage stormwater and flooding. You can slowly kayak along its shores to admire the local birdlife or cast a fishing line to lure blueback herring and shads.
Getting around Asbury Park
Asbury Park is around an hour's drive from Newark and 1.5 hours from New York. Newark Liberty International Airport is about one hour away and has flights to destinations across the globe. Regular trains connect to the Asbury Park railway station and buses travel throughout the city.