Asbury Park, in Monmouth County, is the shore town that reinvented itself. The boardwalk, the Stone Pony, and a downtown along Cookman Avenue packed with restaurants and shops have turned it into a year-round, walkable beach city with an arts-and-music identity all its own. It draws a different buyer than the quiet family islands — people who want the beach and a real downtown at the same time.
The housing reflects that mix. There are beachfront and near-beach condos, restored Victorians in the historic districts west of the tracks, and multi-family homes throughout. Prices have climbed steadily with the town's revival, but it can still be a more attainable way to own near the beach in Monmouth County than the quieter towns nearby, depending on what you buy.
Asbury Park is also one of the more genuinely year-round shore towns, with a strong LGBTQ community and a calendar that doesn't stop after Labor Day. A local agent can help you weigh a walkable-downtown condo against a Victorian a few blocks back.
