The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
New Jersey gets a new lease of life
The shoreline made infamous by reality television is now benefitting from a wave of stylish openings, says Jo Fernandez
For many, the mere mention of Jersey Shore conjures up the boozy antics of the cast of the MTV reality show of the same name. For others, “the Shore”, as locals affectionately call it, is a nostalgic place of salt-sprayed, sun-kissed holidays. The 141-mile stretch of the Atlantic coastline, in New Jersey, spans multiple towns with distinct personalities, many dramatically transformed over the years.
If you want a Hamptons-style break outside of New York, on a more modest budget, a new wave of hotels, restaurants and culture make the Jersey Shore a more affordable – and arguably more interesting – alternative, complete with timeless dunes and celebrated beaches.
Smaller towns towards the northern tip such as Ocean Grove feature well-preserved clapboard homes reminiscent of the Long Island suburbs, rubbing shoulders with Bradley Beach, where author Philip Roth spent summers in the 1930s. The opening of the James Bradley last year upped the ante; a 17-room 19th-century boutique hotel with lime-washed walls, Eames chairs and eclectic pieces.
A half-hour walk along the coast, neighbouring Asbury Park’s fortunes have ebbed and flowed as much as the tide that froths at its sands. Once a funfilled Victorian resort, by the 1950s the city folk who’d holidayed here had flown elsewhere. As the town declined, the rockers and hippies moved in, boosting the music scene, although race riots in the 1970s left their scars on the city, as did Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Parts of the town, such as the once-popular casino, are crumbling, but for Jen Hampton, “public art is a form of historical preservation”. This local gallery owner dedicates herself to state-funded community arts project Wooden Walls, enlisting local artists to splash murals across boarded-up shopfronts by the once-battered boardwalk and the Carousel Art House. The carousel is long gone, sold to Myrtle Beach, but Jen breathes life into the atmospheric space with regular exhibitions and workshops.
Aside from hardy locals, the LGBTQ+ community is largely credited for the town’s latest revival, drawn by the laidback vibe and low property prices; a large rainbow mural is painted across Asbury Avenue. Nearby, the unassuming yet legendary Stone Pony music venue, where local Bruce Springsteen – celebrating the 50th anniversary of his Greetings from Asbury Park album this year – started out amid the dark interior.
These days, the Sea, Here, Now surf and music festival swells the population each September. The line-up mixes newcomers alongside acts such as Stevie Nicks, who recently stayed at the swish new glass-fronted Asbury Park Ocean Club Hotel, where residential penthouse apartments retail at $3million. Guests are welcomed with a shot of syrupy lavender lemonade before basking in accommodations such as the dreamy Dune Terrace Loft Suite, overlooking a beach grass garden, with high ceilings and Scandi-style chairs. Breakfast on a green velvet chair overlooking the pool feels as luxurious as the slate of warm pastries and fruit.
Five minutes away, sister hotel the Asbury has a younger vibe, with a social lobby where talented staff are as likely to take to the decks as serve you an oat milk latte. A heady events schedule features the likes of full-moon yoga by the outside pool, while the adjoining Asbury Lanes bowling and music venue comes complete with a mini diner.
A few blocks from here, the St Laurent Social Club – the original name when the property first opened in 1886 – is a collection of 20 revamped rooms with surfboards, Murphy beds (some turn into tables) and bright bathrooms. The garden, which could easily be in Miami or the South of France, includes a saltwater pool and cinema. No reception means digital check-in and more space for a clubby lounge bar leading to a light-filled kitchen-cum-restaurant, where the young, dynamic team cooks up the likes of milky burrata with blueberries and figs, seasoned lamb chops with drunken goat cheese arancini and cornbread dessert.
An hour further south, Atlantic City has a similar story. As tourism director Heather Colache explains: “Atlantic City is like Cher: we reinvent ourselves every five years.” It was once famed for its boardwalk, gaming scene and nightlife – spots such as Club Harlem, a showA case for black talent, drew acts from Cab Calloway and Sammy Davis Jr to James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight and the Pips, while Frank Sinatra would swing by for impromptu sets. By the 1970s, casino culture was firmly embedded before economic hardship hit. But ruin turned into renaissance.
The latest changes include a Nobu restaurant, which opened in Caesars Atlantic City Hotel & Casino last year. Here, diners can enjoy the signature miso black cod (or aubergine) overlooking the beach – a change from the usual dark interiors the brand favours. Its hotel will open this winter.
little of the pink-pound stardust that transformed Asbury Park is already working its magic here with the recent opening of the Hook, a heady mix of risqué, camp and acrobatics in the refurbished Warner Theatre, as part of a $400 million renovation of Caesars. The casino-hotel’s spruced-up suites now deliver deco-style luxury with tasteful nods to the namesake Roman emperor.
There’s also art with meaning. The African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey began as a personal collection by founder Ralph E Hunter Sr and evolved into a diverse body of exhibits detailing the black experience in the US.
You’ll also find New Jersey’s tallest lighthouse, the Absecon. Climb the 228 steps and you can see across to nearby Ventnor, now home to Jersey Shore’s first natural wine shop, Wahine Wine Co and Longport, a Hamptons-esque settlement of grand clapboard mansions by a bay.
Outside of high season, you’ll avoid crowds and inflated prices (everywhere mentioned here is open yearround), meaning that next spring would be the perfect time to soak up the Shore’s multi-layered charms for longer.