A Brief Gay History Chronology
of Asbury Park, NJ
Asbury Park, the city by the sea, has had a long and exciting history. Yet the one constant throughout it all has been the presence of a gay community.
This post is a very brief and high level overview of some of that history. For the sake of brevity, many people, stories and establishments are not included.
During WWII, British soldiers were billeted at the Berkeley Cartet Hotel on Sunset Ave. Some of those soldiers were gay, and they frequented establishments along with locals and men from New York and Philly such places as Fox's and The Plantation. The Plantation was a straight bar that was 'gay', one night a week. Both located in the area of Summerfield and Lake. At that time, Summerfield ran all the way to Lake Ave, and did not stop at Cookman.
During the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's, if you were gay, Asbury Park was a place that you come to to "be yourself", It was a place were people could feel relaxed and not 'intimidated'. In the 40's and 50's, here men were able to dress casually in the bars, and not wear the suit, tie and hat that they did in the bars in New York City and Philadelphia, This is that story.
The Blue Note was one of the most popular establishments in Asbury Park during the 60's. Lines outside and down the street were not at all unusual. Originally a straight Jazz club, the owners soon made it a very successful gay bar. Located on the east side of Bangs, between Bond and Monroe, it had a piano bar and a lounge. The old police station use to be just down the street. The Blue Note was closed for 6 months in 1965-66 by the State of NJ Alchohol Beverage Control (ABC) for "catering to homosexuals". After it re-opened, the doorman was responsible for circulating through the crowd to make sure men were not touching or kissing each other.
The Owl & The Pussy Cat opened as a lesbian bar on the corner of Main and Cookman. The building where Brando's Citi Cucina restaurant is today. In 1981, it moved to The Albion Hotel on Kingsley. The Albion was a lesbian hotel with 4 bars, a restaurnt, 65 rooms, and a pool. It operated until 1989. The Rainbow Room neon sign that hung at The Albion during it's hay day (pre-gay) now hangs at the Asbury Park transportation center.
The Colony Baths were located at 500 Summerfield or the southwest corner of Summerfield and Grand. It burned down on Halloween in 1980. Another bath house operated for 1 year in an old hotel on Kingsley.
The Loading Dock was a lounge and dance bar located on south side of Cookman Ave, between Main and Bond, in the middle of the block. The front door was on Cookman, however, many men didn't feel comfortable walking inside from such a visible location as Cookman Ave. So they walked down the alley and entered through the back door. Management and patrons, found this much more discreet.
The Bond St. Bar was a lesbian bar on Bond St. that operated between the 70's and 80's.
Chez Elle (french for "her house"), opened around 1965 at the corner of Summerfield and Cookman. It was owned and operated by one of Asbury Park's most legendary women, Margaret Hogan. In 1967, Manny's Den, (later The Den in New Brunswick) and Val's in Atlantic City went to the State Supreme Court to challenge the states ability to to deny and/or revoke a bars liquor license for serving "apparent homosexuals". They were victorious. Court documents showed that ABC agents testified that they could identify "fruits" "by the clothes they wore". "Such as tight jeans, turtleneck sweaters, gaily printed pants, very casual shirts, sneakers, moccasins, and boots".
It was not the local police who raided bars or harassed it's patrons. Instead it was agents from the State of New Jersey Alcohol Beverage Control. In fact, locals, including the police and politicians - for years - had a live and let live attitude. Pretty much responding only to complaints of lewd or rowdy behavior.
Danny's was located across the street from Chez Elle, on the south side of Cookman Ave. Danny's was always rumored to have been mob owned. The straight owners owners also owned several bars in New York, pre-Stonewall. It was only open 1 - 2 years. Danny's had a bouncer named "Murphy". He was one of the original "Stonewall 9" from New York City.
The Moroccan Room was on the corner of Kingsley and 1st. It was a large straight club, but it had 2 rooms for 'gay dancing' and shows.
The Atlantis was a totally upscale bar and restaurant that featured performers such as Eartha Kitt. Fire destroyed the interior in the early '80's,and it re-opened as Visions, and later as Down The Street.
The Empress Hotel on Ocean Ave was built in the '50's as a family hotel, and was a favorite of Judy Garland when she would perform at The Paramount, or the Garden State Arts Center (now PNC Arts Center). Shepp Pettibone bought the hotel in 1988 after it had been abandoned for many years, opening the dance club Paradise, and in 2004 opened the hotel.
I'll be adding to this over the course of the next couple of weeks. Adding hotels, bars, and restaurants. I would welcome any and all comments and personal memories you may have, or like to add.
A huge thank you to Mario DeStefano and John Loffredo for your help and input. It's greatly appreciated!
Mark McDonald is a Realtor here in Asbury Park, and is intimately familiar with the area, it's people and all this community has to offer. He can be reached at 908-489-1268
