Hey everyone I'm here in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. It lies just south of Asbury Park.
Takes about two hours by train from NYC's Penn Station. It was founded by Methodist as a summer
retreat and most the town is historically protected. Very few modern buildings are here
so it's like stepping back into a time machine. It really is quite stunning. In fact,
apparently it has one of the largest collections of Victorian architecture
in the country and walking through it I can see why. The homes are beautiful!
So richly ornate with all these balconies. And just like a lot of New Jersey towns,
it went through a long economic decline in the 70s just like Asbury Park. And then
it rebounded partially because of its location by the beach, but also because they kept a lot
of their buildings intact as it was historically protected as a landmark they couldn't touch it.
And it really is quite unique. And now it attracts all kinds of new
residents and vacationers as a result.
I'm excited. Let's do this!
Ocean Grove was founded by Methodist in 1869 as a camp meeting site.
Camp meetings are a type of religious service by Protestant evangelicals that provides worship,
preaching, and communion services to both their followers and curious spectators.
Historically these meetings were held in the American frontier in areas that did not have
any churches or ordained ministers providing opportunities for gaining new converts. Most
of these sites were temporary with only tents or quickly built wooden pavilions being constructed.
Travelers would often have to set up camps nearby due to the lack of adequate transportation and
lodging thus creating entire tent communities. Ocean Grove became one of the first permanent camp
meeting settlements as facilities were created for seasonal visitors. In the 1870s the New York
and Long Branch Railroad opened and thousands of people from both NYC and Philadelphia came here.
In 1877 alone, over 700,000 train tickets were sold for the Ocean Grove-Asbury Park
Train Station. The town built the current Great Auditorium in 1894 to accommodate all the crowds.
By the early 20th century the area was called "Queen of Religious Resorts" as millions of
people, tourists, and pilgrims made a trip here every summer. However, the social disillusionment
that started after World War I caused a decline in interest in camp related meetings and its
economy suffered. As a result, very little new construction in town occurred afterwards,
which allowed Ocean Grove to retain nearly all of its late 19th and early 20th century architecture.
In 1975 Ocean Grove was designated a national historic district due to its having one of
the most extensive collections of Victorian architecture in America. Starting in the 1990s
the town experienced a rebirth as people started a vacation here again as older homes and hotels were
renovated. Main avenue, the commercial heart of the area, started to cater to the tourists
as new cafes and restaurants opened. Ocean Grove remains a quaint town that draws big crowds during
the summer months from worshippers and tourists looking for a quiet summer seaside destination.
It's still run primarily by Methodists who keep it a dry town with sales of all alcoholic
beverages prohibited and the beaches are closed on Sunday mornings for worship and open at noon.
Behind me is the Great Auditorium built in 1894. It's the biggest most important landmark in town.
You can't really miss it. It's smack in the middle. Leading you up to the beach you have
this grassy boulevard right here. Often described as the grandest wooden structure
in the state. It fits around six thousand people, but originally it fit around ten thousand.
On the weekends they have concerts on Saturdays
and then on Thursday nights they have classical musicians that come. And then on Sundays it is
a church so they have Sunday service. The building remains mostly unchanged
since its construction. Its excellent acoustics resulting from its barrel vaulted wooden ceiling
have been widely acclaimed with some comparing it to Carnegie Hall.
The memorial cross that's illuminated at night was placed on the auditorium's front facade at
the end of World War II in 1946 to honor those service men who died. The building continues to
be the center of cultural life in Ocean Grove and has nightly events throughout the summer season.
So one interesting feature of this town are these tents. They're everywhere. Apparently,
there's about 114 of these things dating back to the 1800s. And there used to be
around 600 and they preserve the rest here and they circle the great auditorium.
And apparently, there just wasn't enough hotels and so they built these simple structures.
Most of them have one room, one bathroom and then between May and September they put tents
over the front creating a living room space.
Starting in 1869 these tent structures were built around the auditorium forming a mini
tent city. Tents were erected over front wooden platforms transforming them into living spaces
with furniture. Living in these during the summer months isn't cheap with pricing ranging from 4,000
to 6,000 for the season. You don't have to be a part of the Methodist congregation to rent them,
but you do have to support their spiritual mission and go through an interview process.
Located at the southern end of the park is a place I strongly recommend visiting
that has great food with tons of character. Day's Ice Cream is the oldest continuously
run business in town dating back to 1876. Most of the 19th century features remain intact with its
original ornate decor chairs and walnut tables. A restaurant called the Starving Artists opened
here in 1999 that serves breakfast and lunch with garden facing patio seating.
Founders Park is another great resting place that's full of benches
with a beautiful ornate fountain in the middle. It lies just south of Wesley Lake,
which separates Ocean Grove from the town of Asbury Park. There is a walking path that runs
along it and some arch bridges you can walk over that provide a nice scenic view of both towns.
One of Ocean Grove's most popular attractions is this boardwalk.
Large mansions and grand hotels still line the waterfront providing visitors with a
sense of what life was like during the town's golden age in the Victorian era.
The beach itself isn't too crowded and it's a nice alternative to Asbury Park.
Hope you guys enjoyed today's trip to Ocean Grove, New Jersey. This town is beautiful! Every home,
every business in this high Victorian style. It has this old school charm to it,
untouched by development. It's not very big. There's one small main street.
Super old school. I love the vibe here. It's like going back in time in a time capsule.
Now it is a dry town so you're going to have to do all your drinking in Asbury Park,
which again is not that far from here. Most of the businesses are antique stores,
some restaurants, ice cream parlors. So if you're looking for a nice quiet, relaxing place to kind
of unwind. You can avoid the crowds. This is definitely a place you guys should come and see.
I mean perfectly preserved. I have not seen one modern building since I've gotten here.
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