The Role Homosexuals Have Played in Asbury Park

        In the 80’s the gay community started to flourish in Asbury Park.   With the Gay Pride Parade held every year, gay people have started to play a bigger role in the Asbury Park culture.  The first Gay Pride Parade was in New York on June 28, 1970, but came to Asbury Park in June of 1992.  The parade is held every June, in honor of Gay Pride month.  Many people from the community attend the Gay Pride Parade, including gay people, and their straight allies. People come from around the state to watch the parade.  Also in Asbury Park, there are many gay organizations like the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of New Jersey and various support groups for homosexuals. Gay individuals have and still are impacting Asbury Park in many ways.

School System in Asbury Park

According to the New York Times, Asbury Park only has about 2,600 students in the entire district and is spending over $20,000 per student.  Asbury Park being one of the poorest communities in the state of New Jersey should not be spending so much money on each student because it is a waste.  Schools in other parts of New Jersey who have 3,000 plus students just in the high school are spending only $14,000 on each student.  Asbury Park has wasteful spending in the school system and with spending that much money, they should have the highest test scores but they don’t.  Also, the school hasn’t had a lot of progress, according to NJDOE, only 28.2% of the students plan to attend a four year college, they only have an 85% graduation rate, and their average SAT score is a 340.  Many people are not happy with the Asbury Park school system and if they are spending that much money, the schools should be making progress or they should use the money to better the community.

The Stone Pony

     The Stone Pony is known for being the venue of Bruce Springsteen, Blondie and Elvis Costello—artists who have made it to be nationally known. For that reason, it used to be a very popular music venue, and people would flock from across the world to go to shows there.  Now, the Stone Pony is still hosting to bands, and once in a while celebrities still grace the stage, but it isn’t the same as it was in the 70’s and 80’s when it was the place to be. It saddens many that the legendary Stone Pony is no longer what it used to be, but it will live down in history as one of the best clubs ever. 

Current Attitudes That Exist About Asbury Park

Asbury Park, New Jersey is not the nicest part of the state, but it is starting to evolve.  Many people in New Jersey think that Asbury Park isn't safe because there’s a high crime rate. According to the Asbury Park Press, the overall crime rate increased by 3%. Also, the schools aren't great and the community is not happy about that. It used to be a very popular place where people would go hang out but Asbury Park has gone downhill.  Developers are working to change the minds of skeptics by planning to build new condominiums and other attractions. Current Asbury Park residents believe that these new developments will erase many of the historic elements of Asbury Park.   So the town is caught in the middle—either satisfy its current residents by preserving its current state, or attract new residents and tourists with fancy condos and other attractions. If history follows in this case, the developers will probably win. With the success of Pier Village and the new community and development in Long Branch, there is no reason not to bring in new condos and develop Asbury Park. It will bring in tax revenue, and may allow for more diversity in the community and schools.