Asbury Park's diverse array of landmarks creates an unforgettable impression of this legendary seaside city. They tell the story of its past, present and even future. The elegant, Art Deco-inspired Convention Hall captures the resort's glittering heyday in the 1920s and '30s, while structures like the Upstage seem to echo with the voices of aspiring musicians like Bruce Springsteen when they played at intimate venues, defining Asbury's world-renowned music scene. As the city forges ahead with ambitious redevelopment plans, many neglected buildings have been rehabilitated, but others continue to deteriorate, despite a groundswell of public opposition. From opulent movie houses to down-and-dirty rock-and-roll clubs, these landmarks trace the evolution of Asbury Park from a tiny nineteenth-century resort town to the world-famous playground of today.
Joseph G. Bilby is the author or editor of more than 300 articles and fourteen books on New Jersey and military history. He is a trustee of the New Jersey Civil War Heritage Association, publications editor for its 150th Anniversary Committee and assistant curator of the National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey. Harry Ziegler worked for many years at the Asbury Park Press, New Jersey's second largest newspaper, rising from reporter to bureau chief, editor and managing editor of the paper. He is currently associate principal of Bishop George Ahr High School, Edison, New Jersey.