So glad I found this site. I spent every summer in Ocean Grove until I was 12 years old. It was the fifties and sixties. I have wonderful memories of staying there with my parents at Edna Wright's house on Embury Ave. Those were great times and it was a lovely little town. Glad to hear it's still a place people want to visit. Mom and I moved to Florida 30 years ago because we loved the beach so much.
I have not been to OG since 1968. I lived there for several years and attended OG Middle School and went on to Neptune HS before movning to SC. Sure would like some info on OG and would love to come back for a week to see the many changes that have taken place.
Ocean Grove was the first experience I ever had with the ocean back in 1974. Luther College (once a college in Teaneck, NJ) took students there for a weekend. I not only experienced my first ocean experience but I decided that I was in love with Fred, my husband of 27 years this August. I wish I could remember where we stayed. The Bath House sounds familiar and looks familiar but it sounds too luxurious now. Maybe, it is the same place but it is more elaborate now.
Hope to come back someday with my husband.
Danielle Schoch
If I would have a car, and if I would have the money---I would move back there in a heart beat!! I lived there back in 1972--yes--unbelievably 30 yrs ago when I was only 19, and working at the old Homestead Restaurant on the Boardwalk. But even so----I would give just about anything to live back in Ocean Grove again. To me, it's fantastic!!!!
I spent some of the most wonderful summers of my youth in Ocean Grove with my grandmother, Esther Ellison, in her tent. Now that I live closer, I plan on visiting as often as possible.
I spent many summers of my childhood visiting my grandparents, John and Evelyn Gerner, and playing endless games of skee-ball in the casino. (I still have all those tickets I was saving for that One Great Prize.) My Grandpa gave me my first-ever ice cream soda on the porch of 130 Clark Avenue where he moved after he finally gave up his tent right outside the Auditorium. We still own "The Cottage" today and hope it'll be in the family for many generations to come. Talking about Ocean Grove always brings back such peaceful times... If you've never been, GO! Sadly, the casino in Asbury Park is something gone the way of yesteryear... I'd love to see it restored... Come on, Bruce Springsteen! Throw some money toward your "Old Home Town!"
No Comment
Dear Web site Developer for the Great Auditorium:
I understand that one of my favorite singers, Al Martino, is scheduled to appear on August 3rd. This information appeared on Martino's own web site, but NOT on your NJ web site. How can I get tickets? Thank you.
We love coming to Ocean Grove! Thank you for this nice site. Well done.
looks great
I'll be coming up there next week for the InTouch rally at the Great Auditorium on the 21st. Heard LOTS fo good things. Cant wait to see them for myself.
love Ocean Grove,visited in may.Will return soon.
I love Ocean Grove.
Throughly enjoy your main streets and especially events in and around the Great Auditorim. Looking forward to attend some Saturday concerts and the bell concert and choir concert. Thanks for the opportunity to express my appreciation
I grew up in Ocean Grove during the times when there were blue laws and a chain across the gate on Sundays. I spent every summer weekend working at The Sampler and changing (sometimes) the bed linens at the Dardanelle. Unfortunately when I was growing up I didn't realize just how good Ocean Grove really was. I couldn't have been more fortunate than to grow up in a place where the year round citizens all new you, actually care about you to a great degree, and had a terrific sense of values. I recently went back to Ocean Grove for the first time in many many years and was shocked to see the restaurants, shops and New Yorkers strolling along Main on Sunday. As I walked up to the boardwalk pavillion, I was almost relieved to see the signs for all the hokey events that make Ocean Grove what it is ~ God's Square Mile. I hope the New Yorkers who thinks it's so "cute" and all the yuppies that have moved into what was my $19,000 victorian beach home a few decades ago remember that it is still a town of principles and don't try to change that.
I LIVE IN BENSONEHURST TILL 1977.I LOVE IT, BKLYN.WAS A GREAT PLACE TO GROW UP IN THE EARLY 1940S.I HAD A GOOD CHILDHOOD THERE AND WILL NEVER FORGET IT. I HAVE BEEN BACK 3 TIMES TO SEE MY OLD BIRTH PLACE,STILL THERE LOOKING GOOD. I LIVED AT 31 HIGHLAWN AVE AND LATER 1795 WEST 10TH STREET ANYONE KNOW ME? E-MAIL IF YOU DO. THANKS........
Everything is great, except your VERY high Beach Fees. We love the fact that it is a nice, quiet town with out the run down effect of Fast Foods, Loud tasteless music and very tasteless "T" shirts, that we would be ashamed to show our Grandchildren. The Chriatian Atmosphere is wonderful-please keep it that way
I grew up in Bradley Beach and use to love to walk over to Ocean Grove. My sister and I would ride our bikes up the boardwalk and I remember on Sundays having to walk them from Bradley Beach to Asbery Park. On weekends, my greatgrand parents would take us to eat at the cafiteria in town. It was a beautiful place to spend time walking the main street or the beach.
Please update the live cams. It is my only lonk to the shore. I lived in Spring Lake. Dad is the chaplin at the homes. Would like to web cam them sometime or just get a picture of The Manor and the Home via the email. Thanks Barbara Crowther Kent
I love going to Ocean Grove for a swim. Great waves and great shops!!!
I love going to Ocean Grove for a swim. Great waves and great shops!!!
Seems to be a great place, your Ocean Grove, special greetings to the "Blue House" :)
I have attended Big Splash for so many years, I have a great time with the fellowship and the kindness you are greeted with by the residents. It is a very pleasant atmosphere to visit. I'm sure it's even better to live in. Where the spirit of the Lord dwells there peace.
alright...okay
For many years I came to your Choir Festival with my brother who lived in Asbury Park. I always looked forward to it every year. Then my brother was tragically killed and I haven't been to a festival since 1997. I don't see the festival on your schedual. Have you discontinued it? I surely hope not as I would love to come to it again this year. Please let me know if it will indeed be held this year and when. Thank you for a wonderful community and a great place to visit. Ms Mary Naumoff 121 Pike St Dunkirk NY 14048-1417 716 366-6366 naumoff1@netsync.net
For many years I came to your Choir Festival with my brother who lived in Asbury Park. I always looked forward to it every year. Then my brother was tragically killed and I haven't been to a festival since 1979. I don't see the festival on your schedual. Have you discontinued it? I surely hope not as I would love to come to it again this year. Please let me know if it will indeed be held this year and when. Thank you for a wonderful community and a great place to visit. Ms Mary Naumoff 121 Pike St Dunkirk NY 14048-1417 716 366-6366 naumoff1@netsync.net
this place is gay
I would love to see the summer schedule of the Great Auditorium on this web site. How do I find out this information? Thanks!
A great place for help:
http://www.deltabravo.net/custody/
We have always loved Ocean Grove and are interested in renting a cottage or condo for a week in August. Who would we contact? Leah Slivko
I love the jersey shore.
http://geocities.com/piscdance Piscataway New Jersey Dance
I think I would like to visit Ocean Grove -- It reminds me of the Old South.
I spent many great summer vacations as a child when they removed cars on Sunday. Those were the good 'ol days! It still is "God's Square Mile".
/very nice quiet town, Please keep it that way. Don't let fast foods, or loud music into this nice quiet town. Very nice place to visit with your young children
I wwwwwwwould like to visit which accomondations are wheelchair acessaable
I enjoy visiting Ocean Grove very much. As a singer-songwriter, I also enjoyed performing there. I have a new CD entitled: Innocent Waters. To purchase a copy, you can visit my site : keyword :John Padovano at Yahoo. Or go to amazon.com. If any coffeehouse in Ocean Grove is interested in having me perform there, please contact me. Thank you.
I have enjoyed this web site. This is my second time going through it. It can only get better. One thing that I would mention is this: the map that is provided is a little fuzzy and too small to get a good look at the layout of the streets. I came to your lovely town in the late 90's for the Big Splash festival. God willing, I will return this year to stay a couple of days. I enjoyed you town very much. Thank you.
Please remove my name from your guestbook. I am getting so much unwanted email because of it. Thank you.
Please remove my name from your guestbook. I am getting so much unwanted email because of it. Thank you.
Please remove my name from your guestbook. I am getting so much unwanted email because of it. Thank you.
I enjoy your town very much. Very clean, people very friendly. I try to get into town 2x per year.
I live 1 1/2 hours each way.
Vivian
I love the website on OG. The puzzles are great. I hope I come back to the Jersey shore again so I can visit the town of Ocean Grove. Thanks.
I was a third generation tenter and spent my summers at the beach, involved in the youth programs and general fun. I don't get back often since I live in Seattle but made sure I brought my first born for a visit. I look forward to more visits, my heart is always there and full of great memories.
I am very disappointed that my name, along with my address has shown up in google.com. If I thought this information was to be made public I would never have signed your guest book. Please remove my name from it. Thank you.
Our family has been to OG at least 4 times now over the past 4-5 years. It's a great place for everyone...especially the beach and boardwalk. We hope to stay there over the summer this year.
Our family has been to OG at least 4 times now over the past 4-5 years. It's a great place for everyone...especially the beach and boardwalk. We hope to stay there over the summer this year.
We love the town of Ocean Grove and have been visiting for many years. I can not find the Schedule of Events for 2002. I would like to know the date of the Spring Flea Market so I can make hotel reservations. Thank you.
I stayed in Ocean Grove a week during the summer of 1975. Our youth group was on a mission trip. I don't remember the name of the place we stayed. But I loved the beach and the boardwalk! I plan to visit again some day!
Hi, I visit your town sometimes a few times a year, skipping a year or two once in a while. I like your town. It's comfortable and the ocean is sooo close. Please keep it nice. Thank you. I like your houses and I like the church. And I like the singing in the big round church (forget its name). Thank you.
just read about OG in national geographic; looks and sounds like a beatifull place, visually and spiritually- any AA meetings in your town?
I love Ocean Grove! My family has been visiting Ocean Grove for many years. Infact my dad is a trustee there. It is the perfect little town and the beach and surfing are great. Church at the Great Auditioruim is always moving.
I thought the town was great in 1957 & 1958 when I lived there. I am planning a return visit sometime this year. Judging from the comments I have read here I'am not sure I will still like it. Does anyone know the where abouts of Bill Franklin? He owned and operated the Sunoco service right outside the Ocean Grove gate. I was in the Army and worked for Bill at the station part time for a year or so. Some of you older folks may even remember me.
I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!
i think it is great! i wish i lived there. i love shopping in ocean's grove as well as beach and boardwalk.
I enjoy the shopping in Ocean Grove, as well as the beach and boardwalk. The craft shows and flea markets are "the best". Please post the 2002 schedule.
We lived at 17 Abbott Ave. from approx. July 1957 until Mar. 1959. Our landlords were Jack and Betty Mulligan, They had three children named Johnny,Ronnie,and Karen. We lost contact and would like to know if anyone knows this family. Any info. would be appreciated.
We lived at 17 Abbott Ave. from approx. July 1957 until Mar. 1959. Our landlords were Jack and Betty Mulligan, They had three children named Johnny,Ronnie,and Karen. We lost contact and would like to know if anyone knows this family. Any info. would be appreciated.
I was in the Grove for several summers -- my grandparents were the Eddowes...anybody remember? Drop me a line.
Howard
I can't begin to describe how serene a feeling I get when I visit Ocean Grove. I would sure love to settle there eventually.
ocean grove is my refuge. I enjoy the peace and quite. A laid back town.
Wow, how time flies. My parents owned The Queen Hotel on Ocean Pathway and Ocean Ave. in the 50's and early 60's. I loved living in Ocean Grove and have wonderful memories of the summer dances. It was a real blast from the past to come across this website.I always dreamed of someday going back and buying The Queen but heard that it was destroyed in a storm. How sad. It's great to hear that the town is still such a special place.
It has been a few years since we lived on Broadway in Ocean Grove, matter of fact it was in the days of "no driving on Sundays". We have visisted a few times since and are now looking for someone who rents their place for weekends, or weeks. We are caregivers and need to get away a few weekends throughout the year. If you know of someone who rents out a home in Ocean Grove, please give them out email. Thanks.
It has been a few years since we lived on Broadway in Ocean Grove, matter of fact it was in the days of "no driving on Sundays". We have visisted a few times since and are now looking for someone who rents their place for weekends, or weeks. We are caregivers and need to get away a few weekends throughout the year. If you know of someone who rents out a home in Ocean Grove, please give them out email. Thanks.
It has been a few years since we lived on Broadway in Ocean Grove, matter of fact it was in the days of "no driving on Sundays". We have visisted a few times since and are now looking for someone who rents their place for weekends, or weeks. We are caregivers and need to get away a few weekends throughout the year. If you know of someone who rents out a home in Ocean Grove, please give them out email. Thanks.
hi I live in scranton pa I used to live in N.Y.C then we moved here a few years ago I like scranton because I madelots of new friends and there is not as much crime and the weather is cool I'm still in school and the schools are better and its nice to be able to walk places . the cost of living is more reasonable also .
Scranton pa. no matter where life has taken me I still return to scranton with its corrupt politics and high taxes . the beauty of the pocono mts. makes even the most unbearible seems not quite that bad true you ve got a friend in pa. but we like to keep our home a secret many pass over our towns I was born in the 60's and watched it grow Ive lived in virginia Italy chicago and this is the place I chose to call home it is the best for countless reasons and instead of brag I choose to protect now you on the other hand if wise will discover explore pennsylvania pride and find out why your lucky that you've got a friend in pennsylvania its the old country and the new city all in one vist the electric city steamtown or the city of brotherly love and find out why.
Interesting comments from your readers.
It is great to read about Ocean Grove and how it has survived and been revived. It was my pleasure to serve on the Ocean Grove Police Department in 1969 and 1970. I had the North End beat with the Movie Theatre, the North End Hotel, the Homestead, and all of the other merchants. I had a great time in the Grove and look back fondly at that time. What a great place to live.
BTW, later I moved to Pacific Grove, the sister city of Ocean Grove. Also, when I went back to OG a couple years ago, I was shocked at how much the investment groups consisting of lawyers and doctors and couples without children had destroyed the real charm and honor of the town. To a great degree, gone was the "we are family" and "all are welcome" thoughts and dominant were the "screw the mooches" attitudes. A young family like ours was could no longer even consider starting out there. We lived there. We did not ever feel that we could not afford the life there. Movies were 50 cents and a busboy job on weekends at the homestead went a long way then. The boardwalk was color, hucksters and noise. It was clean and the brass ring was always there next door for the free ride. The autotorium was vibrant with life and sounds. Soldiers from Fort Monmouth found it a low cost, clean and friendly place to live while they went to school. Now it is much taken over by those who would most likely sneer at what we and they were. They would not welcome us as our ways would be at odds with their high prices and snooty yuppy lifes. It happened long ago in Pacific Grove, too. Taking the chain down on Sunday was to be the beginning of the end. The "progressives" argued that we and our parents were "fools" and "living in the past". Those who argued against keeping the town one that was truly a cross section of America have long gone and taken their profits. Funny how those who move in last are the first to tell us how to live.
So do visit Ocean Grove. It is worth the trip. But do not think that what you are seeing is Ocean Grove of yesterday. The paint is someone's Yuppie idea of what it should have been. The food is not what we ate. The prices are not what we were charged and the families were just that and not squatters looking to make an early retirement out of those of us who visit them. It is now a high priced theme park that purports to show you a world they know nothing about. It is a place welcome to you because you have the bucks and the willingness to rapidly part with them. You will not see those who lived Ocean Grove. You will see those who bought it for profit.
But, if you get up early some Sunday morning and walk the streets in the dawn. You will see what was once there. For even in the week, few cars clogged the streets and all walked. Listen hard to the wind and you will hear the music. The air will carry the scents from a hundred of kitchens. And you can pretend you know all you meet.
Oh, to you Yuppies there. The chain was up on Sunday so that we could walk the streets, visit the sick, share lunch and dinner and picnics and get to know each other better. Too bad you missed it.
Wonderful site. I loved living there in Ocean Grove in the sixties. The best years of my life were there. How could you not love this town? Seems strange though to see cars on Sunday!
I really think that the two "bozos", (Charius and Catface)should go elsewhere and find something else to complain about. If they don't like Ocean Grove or its web-page, that's their problem. Isn't there some way by which he web-page organisers could erase rude, offensive comments?
I have spent many wonderful days in Ocean Grove and loved every minute of it.
Jim Nugent
you guys are simply stupid. ok?
I love Ocean Grove. This is where I spent many great summers with my grandparents. My sister and I collect the Ocean grove Cat's Meow village!
What a wonderful place. I grew up in New Jersey only ten miles from Ocean Grove but didn't discover it's charm and natural beauty thee until I read the National Geographic August 2001 article. Thanks for keeping Ocean Grove as it is amidst the hustle and bustle of the the Jersey shore.
I love Ocean Grove! Do you allow tea cup dogs that are well behaved? I would never leave her alone in the room. Great website! Nancy
i think you people are so stupid and that you should get a new life come one our guest book?oh and your music sucks!!!
i think you people are so stupid and that you should get a new life come one our guest book?oh and your music sucks!!!
i think you people are so stupid and that you should get a new life come one our guest book?oh and your music sucks!!!
i think your junk stincks and that i don't know what i'm talking about becuz i am stupid in the head and that i suck badly!!!
I miss the wonderful summer days at Ocean Grove. Nice ocean tides, clean beach, great antique shops, friendly people and those wonderful inexpensive rooming houses. Barbara at the Bellevue-Stratford treats me like family. I am already counting the days until Memorial day 2002. See you then.
We are looking to move from East Brunswick, in the range of 100,000. to 275,00. 2 bathrooms 2or 3 bed rooms..small yard..schools...
I love OG!Nah not really...but its pretty nice...
The Pine Tree Inn at 10 main Avenue, will soon become a private residence and no longer exist as a bed and breakfast. Karen Mason has been the innkeeper of the Pine Tree Inn for the past 15 years. Karen has a unique gift of being able to make people feel warm and welcome. Whenever you stayed at The Pine Tree Inn, you always felt just as comfortable as though you were in your own home. She's a natural with people and she's always willing to help out and give. The spirit and charm of Karen Mason and her Pine Tree Inn are unmatched. And, although The Pine Tree Inn will no longer exist as we know it, the spirit of love and caring that Karen created will go on forever in the lives of each one of her many friends who have stayed there. THANK YOU KAREN...YOU'RE THE BEST!!!
I was told that where I live at on East Ettwein Street was a grave yard where my sits on. If so I would like to have more Information If I could. Thanks, Sincerly yours, Joe.
I love OG. I have a little one & we have been out to OG for long weekends for the past two summers. We love it & look forward to coming again. It is a great spot for family time together.
Excellent site. Thanks
http://pictures_simpsons.tripod.com
I have lived in Arizona for 19 years, but spent most of my life in NJ. The shore is probably the one thing I miss most about NJ. Spent so much time in Ocean Grove. I just wish the neighboring town of Asbury Park had stayed the same. We had so many wonderful meals at the Homestead Restaurant. I love your website. I still know people who live there.
Hi! I was born and raised in Middletown, N.J., and am moving back to Jersey around 11/01. I will be looking to get a place to stay in your lovely town, for about a month, when I arrive. I will be looking for a 1-bedroom apartment while staying at Ocean Grove. I stayed for a two week period before in October 1987. The kite flying was great. Ken
NIKKI!!! Where are you? It's been a long time. Yes, O.G. was beautiful, hope it still is.E-Mail me, please.My dad is getting old, and I may have to move in with him to help.I am NOT trying to "get back together". True, I still have feelings for you.But we have both moved on with our lives, and I just want to talk to someone who used to be my BEST friend.Hope you are well,and happy.{Sorry about Luke,butwhen I tried to call back I couldn't get you}Take care.Bye.
will be coming down there this sunday hope to have fun
I spent many wonderful summers in Ocean Grove in the Fifties. My grandparents were Walter and Josephine Eddowes, I played the piano in the morning Youth meetings in the old wooden building (that's since burned down)...the beach at South End...so many unforgettable memories...anybody who might remember, please email me...Howard
Although I've lived in New Jersey all of my life, I just recently discovered the quaint town of Ocean Grove . . . it's just beautiful!
Myself and three of my mates stayed at the Henry Richard Inn for two nights in your beautiful little town. It was a bit of a shock to find we couldn't get a beer there but our host Hank gave us a ride in his truck to a near town to quench our thirsts. Jane and Hank made us most welcome and can only be described as the perfect hosts.
Condolences to any people affected by the tragedy at the WTC but I am sure the people who lost their lives will not be forgotten.
As we say across here keep your peckers up and good will prevail.
Thanks for a wonderful time Jane and Hank and hopefully we might see you again.
Terry Mercy.
My grandma introduced me and my mom & sister to Ocean Grove when I was a young teenager. I'll always remember the waiters at The Grand Atlantic who carried up to 4 trays to your table for a dime each. I'm looking forward to this weekend to relax at it's beautiful beach & broadwalk as well as remembering some fine memories.
i would like to know about the people that is renting my home just advised me of a boarder in my house should i charge him rent too a reply would be greately appriciated. thank you evelyne
i would like to know about the people that is renting my home just advised me of a boarder in my house should i charge him rent too a reply would be greately appriciated. thank you evelyne
Ocean Grove is truly a treasure! I am originally from the midwest, but I lived in south Jersey for ten years and I tried to make it to Ocean Grove as often as possible while living in Jersey. I came to Ocean Grove often to relax and just enjoy all the peace and quiet in the beautiful Victorian surroundings. I am really impressed by the renaissance that has gone on with the Main Street and all the nice new restaurants and shops.
What has happened to your Shawmont webcam? The image is not as clear as it used to be. I enjoy checking on the beach conditions during the year, but the picture lately does not represent OG well.
My husband and enjoy coming down every chance we have with our bikes and just ride up and down the streets looking at all the beautiful homes. we've been doing this for about 4yrs. now. I'm looking into staying at Tent City.
This Labor Day weekend was the first time I ever visited Ocean Grove. I have to tell you, it was breathtaking! I can assure you that I will be back to visit every year!
I wanted to state that I did not receive any pamphlets that I had asked for when signing up for other things in Ocean Grove. I was wanting to obtain all the possible literature that I could about Ocean Grove---if possible. **My name is also listed in this guestbook already. Thank you so much for your time and patience. I LOVE YOU OCEAN GROVE !!
pls visit this audio bible site it is great
http://www.narrobible.com/cgi-bin/readbible.pl?book=Joel
What a great website! How about adding some pictures of some of the important people of the OGCMA?
Loved our visit to your charming town. The shops are lovely. There are many places to dine. The beach is wonderful. However, I believe the fee, for daily entrance, is high. The ocean should be free, to all. I can understand, parking, but not entry to the water. I grew up on Long Island, Montauk Point. Here too, is a beach community. We never had to pay, to enter the beachwaters. I believe, in Jersey we pay enough taxes, to make all beaches, free of charge. This also, applies to the tolls. But thats, another problem. However, the town is lovely. Diane DelPrete.
i recently spent a week in ocean grove with a friend. I can honestly say that this town has to be the most relaxing and beautiful town ive seen. We rented bicicles from the local hardware store and toured the town on two wheels druing our stay. I am looking forward to revisiting in September. This was my first trip out of the state of Texas, and it was a great experience, i cant wait to get back!!!
i recently spent a week in ocean grove with a friend. I can honestly say that this town has to be the most relaxing and beautiful town ive seen. We rented bicicles from the local hardware store and toured the town on two wheels druing our stay. I am looking forward to revisiting in September. This was my first trip out of the state of Texas, and it was a great experience, i cant wait to get back!!!
Just love Ocean Grove. What a charming Main Street. Now I need to discover Pilgrim Pathway. During the month of August (its not over yet) I've been enjoying Nagle's ice cream every Tuesday night. Queen Kathleen
During the 50's my grandmother brought me here for 2 wks. many summers. We stayed in hotels @ one sumer in the tents with cousins. We bought fish from the fishermen on the dock which my grandmother cleaned @ cooked. She sent me to Bradly Beach Sun. mornings for the newspapers. We attended the Auditorium Services almost every day, I was allowed to feed the squirrels on the way. A man trid to get me to sing in the choir up front but I was shy @ hid behind my grandmother. I swam in the surf while she relaxed in the shade @ taught me to dry @ get warm fast by drying arms first. We ate swordfish in a boardwalk restaurant @ occasionally went to Asbury Park for the merry-go-round (free ride for the brass ring) but she was uneasy about the sideshows from which I was to stay away but peeked anyway. I can still see my reflection in the car window on the way to the summer we spent in the tent house @ I want to bring my nearly grown chldren there for the intent that must be stil the same.
During the 50's my grandmother brought me here for 2 wks. many summers. We stayed in hotels @ one sumer in the tents with cousins. We bought fish from the fishermen on the dock which my grandmother cleaned @ cooked. She sent me to Bradly Beach Sun. mornings for the newspapers. We attended the Auditorium Services almost every day, I was allowed to feed the squirrels on the way. A man trid to get me to sing in the choir up front but I was shy @ hid behind my grandmother. I swam in the surf while she relaxed in the shade @ taught me to dry @ get warm fast by drying arms first. We ate swordfish in a boardwalk restaurant @ occasionally went to Asbury Park for the merry-go-round (free ride for the brass ring) but she was uneasy about the sideshows from which I was to stay away but peeked anyway. I can still see my reflection in the car window on the way to the summer we spent in the tent house @ I want to bring my nearly grown chldren there for the intent that must be stil the same.
Will be visiting in September. Looks very relaxing!
I grew up in Ocean Grove and studied theatre under Dexter Davidson my entire youth in Ocean Grove before He passed away. I should never have left there is no place more beautiful and full ogf love and god's love than Ocean Grove. Someday I will come back to stay. I am presently writing a book on saving the environment and Animal Rights here in California. Ocean Grove gave me the values that I stand up for today and my respect and love towards God. I would also not want to raise children anywhere else. Keep up the plays in the summer thay give things to children and teenagers that is priceless. Please write soon I'm very homesick and didn't even know this site existed. This year marks my 25 years being away from my home. You can take the girl out of the east coast and Ocean Grove but you can't take ocean grove and the east coast out of the girl and you can quote me on that Alice Schoessow.
I lived and was a hotel / motel manager in this small town. I love it being able to remain the old fashioned way but the codes or standards in electrical and plumbing do need to be updated. I love what the town stand for and would love to see it remain as one of the most historical towns i have ever seen. Compare it to the neighboring Asbury park difference of night and day. I vist the area often and will be coming down the end of this month also. Looking for a possible friend there to talk with and possibly to lunch / dinner love to bring back memories Bill in Watkins Glen N.Y email me bcccoins@aol.com
well i have some thing a little diff hi my moms name is wendy schlegel and how do u say schlegel my dads name is troy schlegel but my name is brittani blaha and i always fell left out because i have a little sister named kersten schlegel and my last name is diff i am fixing to get it changed to brittani schlegel so plesae give me some hints so i wont fell left out buh bye nice talking to u
Please put me on your 2002 list to send a calendar of events. Karen Brooks 11 Bay Point Harbour Point Pleasant, NJ 08742
jeremy i would like to know somthing about you PLEASE e mail me back thank you vary vary much and i would like to know your e mail address thank you.
Jeremy send me a email i would like to know somthing
about you PLEASE e mail me back thank you vary vary much
Wonderful enjoyable town.
<p align="center"><b><font size="4" color="#FF0000">Ocean Grove, </font></b></p> <p align="center"><b><u><font color="#FF0000">The endangered species</font></u></b></p>
I read the sentimental notes and memories of how Ocean Grove has touched so many lives and now, it seems, that so few see that the town of their childhood, summers and for some, our year-round lives, is eroding and fading into a "Bought by the highest bidder" emporium. Just outside our gates a mini mall with a laundry, bank, and possibly a fast-food restaraunt is being developed. Off to the right, 100 feet from out "Welcome to Historic Ocean Grove" sign, a "Stewarts Rootbeer" burger joint is going up. In town, houses are being sold to weekend retreaters from Manhatten and Points afar at prices previously seen only on plots of multiple acres and expansive dwellings. Sadder still, many of these new buyers are childless couples with no previous ties to the town or UMC, but, because they dump tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars, the realtors and Camp Meeting association clamber up to them like salivating dogs at the leftovers bowl. I know I sound "Resentful" but, I sound so with reason. The house I live in, rent, is being sold for almost $300,000.00 (about 4.5 times its tax assessed value) regardless of the fact that the plumbing is covered in asbestos in the basement (Typical for the area) and about $75,000.00 in minimally necessary structural repairs. Because it is being sold, we will most likely be forced to move and, given the fraudulantly (Opinion) inflated market, we couldn't afford to remain in town whether we buy as planned or continue to rent for a short period in the interim. I have lived here off and on for the past 30+ years and my family for decades more but, as fate would have it, we are being forced out, ending the "Grove" lineage of my family. I remember when, not more than 5 to 10 years ago, most of the people buying here wouldn't have spit on it to save it from fire, but now, since the New York Times and most recently, National Geographic, have blessed it with there seal of approval, the same people who laughed and derided "The Grave" can't spend enough to get in town. And the church, that owns and a stewards this place for families, can't sell it out fast enough to people who could care less about the church and it's history here. Someday, very soon, Ocean Grove will become the thing that it was supposed to stand most stout against, a tourist community with no sense of permanence in family and the values of family. Welcome to the new Cape May, New Hope, Hamptons-Without-Acreage tourist destination on the east coast. Rest assured, the waterslides are coming, as is the rest of the negative package that accompanies tourist hot spots.
I read the sentimental notes and memories of how Ocean Grove has touched so many lives and now, it seems, that so few see that the town of their childhood, summers and for some, our year-round lives, is eroding and fading into a "Bought by the highest bidder" emporium. Just outside our gates a mini mall with a laundry, bank, and possibly a fast-food restaraunt is being developed. Off to the right, 100 feet from out "Welcome to Historic Ocean Grove" sign, a "Stewarts Rootbeer" burger joint is going up. In town, houses are being sold to weekend retreaters from Manhatten and Points afar at prices previously seen only on plots of multiple acres and expansive dwellings. Sadder still, many of these new buyers are childless couples with no previous ties to the town or UMC, but, because they dump tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars, the realtors and Camp Meeting association clamber up to them like salivating dogs at the leftovers bowl. I know I sound "Resentful" but, I sound so with reason. The house I live in, rent, is being sold for almost $300,000.00 (about 4.5 times its tax assessed value) regardless of the fact that the plumbing is covered in asbestos in the basement (Typical for the area) and about $75,000.00 in minimally necessary structural repairs. Because it is being sold, we will most likely be forced to move and, given the fraudulantly (Opinion) inflated market, we couldn't afford to remain in town whether we buy as planned or continue to rent for a short period in the interim. I have lived here off and on for the past 30+ years and my family for decades more but, as fate would have it, we are being forced out, ending the "Grove" lineage of my family. I remember when, not more than 5 to 10 years ago, most of the people buying here wouldn't have spit on it to save it from fire, but now, since the New York Times and most recently, National Geographic, have blessed it with there seal of approval, the same people who laughed and derided "The Grave" can't spend enough to get in town. And the church, that owns and a stewards this place for families, can't sell it out fast enough to people who could care less about the church and it's history here. Someday, very soon, Ocean Grove will become the thing that it was supposed to stand most stout against, a tourist community with no sense of permanence in family and the values of family. Welcome to the new Cape May, New Hope, Hamptons-Without-Acreage tourist destination on the east coast. Rest assured, the waterslides are coming, as is the rest of the negative package that accompanies tourist hot spots.
Dear Ocean Grove: I spent many summers at Ocean Grove as my Grandparents Joseph & Ethel Cetrulo had a tent by the auditorium and were active in the Auditorium. My Grandmother was in the choir and many activities and my Grandfather was head of the ushers. I wrote a few years ago about getting on the waiting list for a tent but I never received a response. I would like to receive some information about how to get on a waiting list for these tents. Our family was also friends with the Stokes who owned Stokes Hall. Any and all information would be appreciated. Phyllis Norton 8962 South Hollybrook Boulevard #34-106 Pembroke Pines, FL 33025 (800) 554-5414 Thank you very much for your help.
A friend just advised me of this site and it brought back wonderful chilhood memories of growing up in Asbury Park. I graduated from Asbury Park High School in 1950. As a youngster in the 30's I spent many happy days on the boardwalks in Asbury Park and Ocean Grove. Riding the Merry Go Rounds, swiming in the beautiful clean ocean, riding the Swan on Wesley Lake, surf fishing with my Dad, and riding my bicycle across the bridges from Asbury Park to Ocean Grove (except on Sundays).
I married a man whose Grandfather founded the Asbury Park and Ocean Grove Bank. His Father, H Harold Winsor, was with the bank for many years into the 1960's and was beloved by many residents. My husband,Bill, spent more time in Ocean Grove as a child than I. He also has many fond memories of your beautiful, quaint little town.
My sister recently retired as the Principal of Neptune High School, 2000, and I had the pleasure of watching a couple of her senior classes graduate from the Great Auditorium. I was always inspired being in the Auditorium, whether to hear Dr Norman Vincent Peale, a concert, or witness a graduation.
My husband and I attended or 50th reunion of Asbury Park High School last August, which was held at the Berkley Carteret Hotel. We were all saddened by the Asbury Park beachfront, and the accounts of crime and violence. I hope and Pray that this will someday be turned around, and that Ocean Grove will be protected from any bad elements that may surround this charming little town from the past.
I look forward to visiting Neptune, Ocean Grove, and Asbury Park again in the fall of 2001. I am hopeful that things will only get better, because people do care.
Just saw the short write-up in National Geographic and it brought back memories of visiting Ocean Grove when I lived in New Jersey. I always loved the serene atmosphere and the beautiful Victorian homes. Glad to know nothing has changed!
As a child I can remember July 4th vacations in Ocean Grove and Asbury Park. My parents would stay at the North End Hotel and I can remember my Dad telling the bell hop at the North End to move his car into Asbury Park on a Saturday night as we had to leave Sunday morning. Cars were not permitted on streets on Sunday in Ocean Grove so if you didn't move your car you couldn't leave.
From the North End Hotel there was a walk way to the famous Homestead Restaurant. I can recall having dinner there and the waiters and waitress would have to carry these heavy trays of food to your table. You can pick from many delicious appetizers that came with your dinner. They would use these "cricket clickers" which would make these clicking sounds to alert other servers to the amount of guests for a table.
Near the North End Hotel there was a movie theatre and I can remember the movie showing in the mid 70's which was "Mary Queen Of Scotts". I also heard that there was a public pool near the North End Hotel.
Most of my childhood vacation days at the Jersey Shore would be in Asbury Park as they had this wonderful boardwalk with many rides and attractions. Knors Ice Cream Frozen Custards was a treat as well as fudge and taffy from Jonothan's. I also remember a rock concert at Convention Hall in Asbury Park...it was Jay Giels Band performaning. Mrs. Jays garden was also a great lunch place for families.
My best summer at Ocean Grove/Asbury Park was with my parents and my cousin Jeff. We walked all over Asbury Park and Ocean Grove that week of July 4th. I can remember going to White's Galleries for used books which was on the boarder of Ocean Grove.
I moved to Toms River, NJ in 1993 which is 30 minutes or so South of Ocean Grove. I enjoy the Monmouth County Beaches like Sandy Hook and on my way home to Toms River I usually like to make a stop at Ocean Grove. Hopefully one day I will be able to buy a home in this wonderful town. Ocean Grove gives me a great feeling of tranquility and well being. Just hope that the town continues to be a great place to vacation as well as to live.
During a recent visit to your town, I notice there has been a good deal of renovation going on and also several new businesses have been established. It's a shame with all of this "renewal" that something hasn't been done about the deplorable condition of the boardwalk. Almost the entire length of the boardwalk in Ocean Grove consists of old wooden boards. The majority of them are severely splintered, broken, and many are warped from age with dangerous pieces sticking up. It looks like a lawsuit just waiting to happen when someone inevitably trips over one of those jagged boards and gets hurt as a result. You would think with the absurd rising beach admission fees that something would be done about this? It's an insulting disgrace!
As a little girl from Brooklyn, going to Ocean Grove in the summers meant everything to me. My mother, grandmother and I spent every summer from 1966 to 1993 in Ocean Grove. My mother died in 1994 from cancer. She died on August 22, and we'd had reservations for Ocean Grove on August 15, which we had to cancel because she was so sick. My grandmother and I made two more trips to Ocean Grove together, in 1995 and 1996. She was very sick and frail, and her memory was fading, but she remembered Ocean Grove! Of course, without my mother, it was harder to visit the place that had meant so much to all of us.
My mother, grandmother, and I used to love so many things about OG when I was growing up. I have memories of the North End, and of the Homestead and those delicious hot biscuits. Does anyone remember the movie theater under the North End, or the bookstore that was there?
I, too, remember the "no cars on Sunday" rule, which was wonderful. Although we usually only came for two weeks at a time, and I wasn't able to participate in the youth program or the summer show, I truly felt as though Ocean Grove was my spiritual home. It was the place where I became the person I am today. It's where the values I uphold--kindness, compassion, sincerity, honesty--were formed.
Does anyone remember the strawberry shortcake, or the pot roast, at Days? Or how wonderful the shell shop was to a child? The Bible shop (as my mother called the Auditorium book store) was a place where we could spend so much time browsing, shopping, and sharing.
My mother and grandmother made a ritual of buying dresses at the Village Dress Shoppe. I considered it a rite of passage when my grandmother bought me my first outfit there.
Then, of course, there's The Loft. My mother collected Department 56 Christmas houses in her later years, and she loved nothing more than to shop there and add to her ever-growing collection. She's gone now, and I proudly carry on the tradition.
Another thing we loved to do was to sit in the park outside the Auditorium and feed the squirrels and birds. My mother, especially, loved that.
After my grandmother died in 1997, it was too hard for me to go back to Ocean Grove. Despite the fact that she'd made me promise, on her last visit there in 1996, that after she was gone, I would continue to bring my son to Ocean Grove. She told me that it was too important a tradition in our family, and that I should share it with my child, just as she and my mother had shared it with me. We were sitting in rocking chairs on the porch of the Manchester, and I was crying. But I promised.
It took me until the summer of 2000 to go back. It was too hard for me before that, to face those familiar streets without the hands of my mother and grandmother to hold. But every summer that I was away, my heart ached with longing. I yearned for the simple beauty and the infinite peace that is Ocean Grove.
And so, last summer, we took my little boy back to the beach where his mother was a girl. He saw Bill Cosby at the Auditorium. He ate ice cream at Days. He got a hermit crab on Main Street to bring home. He spent HOURS digging a huge hole on the beach. He dug so far that he found two perfect, pristine sand dollars--the prize of his shell collection.
I don't think I've mentioned that we live in the Hamptons--the place that some consider the ultimate summer destination. Last year, when we were on the beach in Ocean Grove, we met a woman who asked us where we lived. When I told her, she asked, "Why would you come here if you live in the Hamptons?"
The answer was simple. "We come here," I told her, "because it's where I want to make memories for my son. Ocean Grove is home."
And so, when I read in the guestbook about Ocean Grove becoming a target for monied investors who want to buy property and commercialize one of God's true treasures, I feel a mixture of emotions. I feel sad, because I wish Ocean Grove could exist, timeless, as a place of worship and peace. But, then, I'm also happy that because of those who've shown an interest in Ocean Grove, it won't fade away into merely a memory. There was a time, in the late 80s, when many of the hotels had fallen into rather dire straits. They were struggling for survival and now, it seems as though OG is experiencing a revival of sorts.
Of course, it's up to those of us who know what Ocean Grove really stands for to shout it from the rooftops, and make sure that the almighty dollar doesn't take the place of the Almighty.
Worship and serenity are the touchstones that have kept Ocean Grove pristine for so long. Let's work together to preserve the priceless heritage that belongs to all of us.
I heard about your town and your web site from a friend of mine at work. I am going to visit your town next week and I am looking forward to it. Your web site is very informative and laid out well. Thanks for all the useful info.
I have been going to Ocean Grove since i was a baby.....now i am 14. its my favorite beach because it is so quiet and so old fashioned. places like favorite things and nagles are great!
I've been coming to Ocean Grove since 1976. It's like "coming home" each time I visit; I just love it!
I lived in a foster home on Broadway for 8 years. I still love going for rides through my old home town and when I feel homesick for the area I will take the virtual tour. Thank you for the many memories. I enjoyed it and will visit often.
I had lived here after I graduated from high school at the tender age of 19. Now, I am 48. At that time I fell "in love with Ocean Grove." I have returned in 1991 and once again in 1994. I love it so much up there I would love to live there permanently. I have always adored the "Great Auditorium."
I was recently told that there is a Biathalon on Saturday July 28. Is this so? And if so, I would like some details. Thanks.
Area Residents live in FEAR and ANGER - This is further evidence of the TRUE state of our area... Not the garbage the realtors are feeding the suckers buying dilapidated wrecks with pretty paint -
ASBURY PARK (100 yards north of Ocean Grove)-- Fear and anger
Those were the feelings many townspeople expressed yesterday in the aftermath of Sunday night's violence carried out by marauding teen-agers on downtown streets.
Gunfire, robberies, assaults, molestations -- these were the frightful scenes people said they witnessed as the late hours of the the city's annual but unofficial "summer festival" turned violent. Some people, new to the city, said they contemplate moving out. Others voiced anger.
Many of those interviewed did not want their names published for fear of possible retaliation by gangs of out-of-control teen-agers who were responsible for much of the damage, crime and mayhem associated with the festival's end, they said.
Here is what Ocean Grove has to offer NOW... Our neighbors in Asbury, literally 100 yards north is a crime wave in action as excerpts from reports about July 15th, 2001 show... -- Three men were shot and hundreds of young people ran from the sounds of gunfire as riots erupted Sunday night after the annual Greekfest. -- By early yesterday, police officers were collecting hundreds of bullet casings strewn across several city blocks. Blood stained the sidewalk outside a downtown supermarket where a 24-year-old city man was shot three times by an off-duty narcotics detective. The man fired his .357 Magnum into a crowd and then pointed it at the detective, Barry Graves, authorities said. -- At least five people were robbed at gunpoint Sunday night along Asbury Avenue, and two brothers in a vehicle with Hawaii license plates were carjacked. Because the entire area was paralyzed by vehicular and pedestrian gridlock, the carjackers could not escape and instead drove around in circles in the SuperXtra supermarket parking lot, causing "mass hysteria," Kaye said. -- Area residents said they witnessed a group of teen-age boys strip the clothes from a 13-year-old girl. Several women reported that they had been groped or molested, Kaye said.
I grew up in Ocean Grove in the fifties. Graduated from the old High School in '56. Was a lifeguard at the South End (with Dave Shotwell). Many fond memories of my growing up there. Was down for the day last week, walked around many sections of the town, brought back memories. Good luck.
Dear reader I liked the pictures it looks promising. Hope to visit next year. Why not visiting our beach at the hague - Scheveningen? See you next year. Kind regards
Shhhh.....don't advertise Ocean Grove too much. It was my secret shore spot for years and now it seems as if it's been "found". More vacationers to contend with and higher room prices trouble getting into the eateries within walking distance. Great for you, but bad for me!
I very much enjoy the live web cam from the top of the Shawmont and check it out often, even in winter. Including the water temperature on a dail basis would be not only interesting, but helpful to me in making the decision to say the heck with work and head to the shore.
Thanks!
I love coming to ocean grove to relax and think. This year I will be bringing my young neice and nephew to enjoy the town.
My grandmother lived in Ocean Grove and I did too until 8th grade. I have many found memories of my time there. My high school graduation (Neptune) was in the auditorium. My cousins and I hope to visit soon
Hello Fellow Campmeeting Enthusiasts!
I greet all of you "Grovers" as a "Hilltopper". A "Hilltopper" is a cottage owner at the Lancaster Campmeeting and Assembly located at Lancaster, Ohio.
The Lancaster Camp Ground has very similar roots to Ocean Grove and a similar history. We began in 1872 as a campmeeting and have continued as such, without interruption, ever since. However, as we are in Central Ohio, we have no ocean front view. We are located in a grove of lovely old trees on a ridge along the Hock-Hocking River and it is a lovely location, indeed.
I encourage you all to visit our campmeeting when you are in the Central Ohio area. I think you will see many similarities to Ocean Grove but on a much smaller, much slower-paced, and more peaceful scale. We even have some folks from Ocean Grove who have cottages at our campmeeting, as well as at Ocean Grove.
As president of the Lancaster Camp Ground Historical Society I invite you to browse our Society's website: http://www.accn.org/~cdehaan
Thank you for your informative site. I hope to visit your campmeeting in the future. And, I trust, many of you will include the Lancaster Campmeeting and Assembly on your travel itinerary if you are ever in the Central Ohio area.
Mark S. Curtis
Lancaster Campmeeting And Assembly 2151 West Fair Avenue Lancaster, OH 43130
My husband and I made our first home in Shark River Hills in the early 60's. Moved around a lot since then, but have fond memories of Ocean Grove. Will be visiting, and staying in the Cordova this weekend (July 7-9). Oh how I miss the Ocean! I remember Ocean Grove way back when they put a chain across the street on Sundays, so there would be no traffic. Bet they wish they could do it again!
A former resident: Oct '49 - Jan '55. A member of Eagle H&L, O.G. Lodge #238, F&AM. Last worked in Asbury Park. Lived 81 Heck Ave.
My Dad, Bill Guyet, "Pappy", was a volunteer fireman in So. Belmar N.J. from the 1940's til his death in the 1960's. I would love to hear from any one who knew him or our family! Especially any of the firemen or their kids who knew us.
Ocean Grove is basically a friendly town... a blessing to be there. In recent years, however, if you do not know the right people, you do not get a reservation. Why was Peter, Paul and Mary not booked for Choir Festival Weekend? The older crowd are not THAT old !
The Ocean Plaza caters to their friends...the rich people. So don't bother to ask for a reservation unless you are one of them. They are nice people and may not even realize they do this. Maybe they merely have so many friends that they cannot hope to accommodate them all? This could be.
I do not think the shops will close all that quickly. Some have been there for a LONG time. Do not judge the future of OG by Asbury, please.
I guess the best part is that the younger people seem to be going there.After all...they are the future and the more wholesome activities that the younger people find interest in...the better we all will be in the future.
I could have said only the good things.
Your town is the best - but your webcams are a real turnoff. The view of decrepit Asbury would deter anyone from visiting OG, and the one from the Shawmont looks like the beach is always in the dark! (It would be nice if it showed some boardwalk too.)
Thanks to my lovely mother-in-law who work as a maid at the Lillegard in the 1920's I was introduced to Ocean Grove 7 years ago. Upon hearing the Choir Festival for the first time I decided I had to be a part of this wonderful program and returned the next year as a participant.
My Son knows no other place during the summer except the Grove and the Green family has watched him grow from the time that my wife was 8 1/2 pregnant to the wonderful little boy that he is now. Were else can you go in the world and have the proprietors of a B&B remember your childs birthday, and have babysitters scheduled before you even get there and ask. Thank you Greens and Ocean Plaza.
The Beaches are beautiful, no boomboxes, no distractions that other beaches on the Jersey coast has. It doesn't get any better than that....God, Family and nature.
I grew up spending every summer in Ocean Grove! It was the most wonderful place in the world....and if you have not been there, you should make sure you don't miss it. Hello to the beach brats that shared my love of this terrific place..... Roller, are you out there?
I grew up spending every summer in Ocean Grove! It was the most wonderful place in the world....and if you have not been there, you should make sure you don't miss it.
i visited ocean grove for the first time and had a wonderful time. my friends and i went to a doo-wop concert at the great auditorium. the town was great ,inviting, clean ,wholesome. angela
I grew up in Kingston, NY and spent my summer at the Jersey shore with my grandparents in Loch Arbour.I walked to the beach down the street and fed the ducks with my grandfather in Spring Lake. We only ventured to Ocean Grove during the week occassionally. You see when I was little the gates of Ocean Grove were closed from sundown Saturday until sundown Sunday. As an adult, I still stay at the house although my grandparents died in 1977. When my family and I visit the shore, we always go to the beaches, shops (antiques are my favorite) and various events that Ocean Grove offers. It is a peaceful victorian village that soothes the soul. When we visit, I feel as though I have stepped back in time and feel closer to my departed family members, yet share with my children something exciting and new. If you visit Ocean Grove, I'd like to recommend you treat yourself to an ice cream from DAYS, take a walk and listen to the wonderful sounds from the Great Auditorium that fill the night air on Saturday nights. Although I am saddened to see commercialism growing in Ocean Grove, it still remains a true treasure! Don't ever let that change.
<b>Amen to Crystal's comments below.</b>
Ocean Grove is indeed a unique and charming town. It's charm and quaintness, however, seem to be quickly fading and giving way to personal gain and greed. The cute and well dressed little gift shops offer highly overpriced merchandise, with items that are identical at bargain rate dollar stores. A local pizzera serving up a very small size "personal pie" for over $5.00. These are just a few factual examples which show there is too much focus on the REAL worship of Ocean Grove. $$$. It also becomes reasonable to question some of the religious ethnics of the town when there is an obvious conflict to the faith it professes. Do you take offense to this? Then please explain why on Sunday mornings the town beach forbids public access and remains closed, YET, the gift shops are open for business and cashing away their profits! Also, wouldn't it be logical and fair to charge half price for beach access on Sunday since the beach is closed half a day??? Such practices are hypocritical to the faith which Ocean Grove claims. Yes, a charmingly quaint little town...but, behind the rose colored glasses there is an underlying element which is clearly visible.
I just love to visit Ocean Grove several times a year. Am coming to Ocean Grove for the rehearsals for the Choir Concert on July 8th. My husband and I have done this for several years and enjoy it so much. Hope to maybe stay in Ocean Grove next year prior to the concert.
You know, I have read just about all of the comments in the guest book and there is no doubt that O.G. is a unique place, that, I like to believe, is blessed by God because the land is blessed by the people who have lived there and, in turn, it blesses the people who visit.
I couldn't help but feel sad when I read the few emails about it becoming overrun with investment buyers and the like....i guess it is a fact....but I am ever hopeful that it will not see such a ruin...let's pray that it doesn't...really....If God can bless such a place and people as this for sooooo many years and generations so far......can't He maintain it if we ask Him to?
I fell in love with the town the very first time I drove in about 4 or 5 years ago and I still get that "chill and peace" at the same time each time I enter Ocean Grove. I was most impressed and glad there was such a thorough pleasant and historical site with so much information.....I was wondering how I was going to "sample" all the different inns without physically going down there!! You did it for me.....I just hope I can get reservations for Big Splash so late in the game ! And I pray it remains blessed and holy ground for years to come! thanks
My daughter and I visited O.G. last week and found it charming and relaxed, in spite of he cool weather.
We liked it so much hat my husband and I plan to revisit for our Silver Wedding anniversary.
My daughter and I visited O.G. last week and found it charming and relaxed, in spite of he cool weather.
We liked it so much hat my husband and I plan to revisit for our Silver Wedding anniversary.
Sadly, Ocean Grove is becoming an example of what happens when the market has been dramatically over inflated. Investment buyers are grabbing every open sale property they can in the hopes of cashing in on the towns "charm". Rents are going through the roof, greater and greater numbers of the population are becoming week-enders and summer residents. Ocean Grove is turning into a Cape May or New Hope. The only thing missing at this point is daily organized walking tours and a center of town mini-mall built to resemble a by-gone era. I, for one, can't wait to leave now... Soon, the town will no longer be child or family friendly as most of the people living there will either be childless or will only habitate the area during the summer months. Ocean grove has fallen victim to its own charm. It may not be obvious now but in two to three years, when the "Fad" passes and all the kitche' restaraunts lose their appeal and the cute little over-priced antique shops have sold out their inventory to the tourists, it will be evident.
I am interested in attending the Peter, Paul and Mary concert, but couldn't find any information about ordering tickets. Can you please send me information about who to call or e-mail for tickets? Thank you much. -Gail
I lived in Ocean Grove every summer in the 1950's. We had a hotel on Embury Ave. Unfortunatly, the last time we were there it was going to be torn down. Many, many, fond memories of OG. Right now I am reminising and missing OG.
I have enjoyed visiting your web page and reading the comments in the guest book. Ocean Grove appears to be an amazing place. I am trying to find information about a lady named HARRIET BRAIMBRIDGE who was born in 1893 and died in October 1974 and her last place of residence was Ocean Grove. Any information would be welcome. I have visited all the Ocean Grove links and find myself fascinated with the history attached to your town. As a suggestion, a list of clubs and organisations would be useful. Keep up the good work. Perhaps one day I'll come to the USA and visit Ocean Grove. Kind regards, Jennifer MacPherson.
Hello, Ocean Grove! The first time I wandered into your beautiful town was on a ride home after anniversary dinner in Spring Lake... saw the lit tents in the evening and the narrow roads and reminents of gates leading in and thought: "What is this wonderous place". Looked up Ocean Grove when I got home and was Hooked! Bought the book, studied the history, return again and again. Beautiful beaches, architecture, towns people. Anyone who had ever heard the hundreds singing from outside the auditorium on a balmy summer night could never have Ocean Grove out of their heart again...
Hi everybody,
I spend summer 1997 in OC and I have to say that it was one of the greatest. If yuo're seeking nice place,this is it. Hey, you're regognising me, you're free to send me some e-mail.I'll be back.
Mika from Finland
I have a photo of my mother dated 1911 Ocean Grove. There is also a photo with Beaufort St. Was there a Beaufort st. in Ocean Grove in 1911?
I just love your town! I look forward to going to Spash for the second year!!!! God Bless!! Cleo
We're thinking about a weekend getaway. We have never been to Ocean Grove before, but my girlfriend has and recommended it.
Keep Ocean Grove as nice as it has always been. It really is a special place in New Jersey. It is one of the gems of the fabulous New Jersey shore.
the grove
the summers in the grove are the best in the world gk
OCEAN GROVE IS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. CLEAN BEACHES, GOD FOCUSED COMMUNITY WITH A KISS OF HEAVEN. SWEET BLOOMS IN RANDOM GARDENS, MUSIC FOR ALL FLOWING FROM THE GREAT AUDITORIUM AS FAMILY PLAY IN THE SAND, SWIM IN COOL WATER AS CHILDREN CLENCH FIST AROUND STRING AS BRIGHTLY COLORED KITES REACH TOWARD THE HEAVENS. OCEAN GROVE HAS EVEN BECKONED TO MY SON AND HIS FIANCE BECOMING THIER FAVORITE PLACE TO SPEND LEISURE TIME. I HAVE BROUGHT MANY FRIENDS TO THE TOWN WHO CONTINUE TO VISIT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO ANOTHER SEASON, GOD WILLING, OF GREAT ENJOYMENT. ANNE
I love Ocean Grove. When I was a little girl, I use to spend weekends with my Great-Grandmother who lived on Asbury Avenue. We would walk over one of the Wesley Lake bridges and ride the first area escalator at Newberry's 5 & 10, then visit Steinbach's Dept. Store. I thought it was the most beautiful store. At night I would ride the Swan Boat on Wesley Lake. It was magic. Last week I drove along the ocean from Spring Lake to Ocean Grove. It brought back all the memories of childhood. I rediscovered a treasure so close to home. I drove up your Main Street just after dark. It was so charming to see all the pretty lights lit in the trees, and to discover all the great shops you have. I'll be back to shop, visit the Great Auditorium, and try the beach out this summer. Please put a web cam on your main street so people can see how lovely it is. Thanks, Claire Waltsak
Hi:
I love your website. It's fantastic. And needless to say I love your town. Discovered it about 2 years ago and it is definitely the best kept secret in NJ but not for long!
Mary
This is quite a town and I bet its very good to live there. Is there any Ranger from class 11/64 reading this give me a e-mail. Ranger Stewart
I stayed in Ocean Grove in the 1960s and will be returning on 25th June, for 4 days. If any of the Ramsland family, or the Arnott family, read this, please e-mail me.
Looking forward to a car-free Sunday an the glorious Ocean.
I have been visiting Ocean Grove for the past 10 years. I enjoy the solitude of your beach, and your town. The people that I have met, are truly sincere and kind.
It was 1972, and I had only been out of high school for 3 days. My sister and myself worked at the Homestead Restaurant on the Boardwalk. Well, I really fell in love with Ocean Grove, and have been