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Machines date back to the fifties at the Silverball Pinball Museum.
(Photo: Silverball Pinball Museum) |
Take New Jersey transit three stops north to Asbury Park—a place immortalized by the title of Bruce Springsteen's inaugural 1973 album—for the true Jersey Shore experience. The gentrifying, diverse town is home to a slew of beachfront bars, newly renovated restaurants, and live-music venues. Start your day with spicy pork-and-egg Cuban breakfast sandwiches from La Plaza Cubana's new breakfast menu, introduced in April. Then stake out a spot on the beach with the orange-hued throngs near the buzzing mile-long boardwalk, renovated last year. Take a break from the sun midday for enchiladas and chilaquiles at Langosta Lounge, a seaside spot that becomes a party hub at night. (Animal lovers should check out the dog-friendly Wonder Bar a few blocks north). Then stroll along the boardwalk to the Silverball Pinball Museum, where you can play unlimited games on over 200 pinball machines from the fifties to the present ($10 per hour). Afterward, browse Ouiji boards and esoteric books at Paranormal Books and Curiosities, owned by Kathy Kelly, who also heads up Haunted New Jersey ghost tours along the shore. Unwind with dinner at Stella Marina, an upscale Italian joint known for its fig-topped pizza and affordable wine selection—bottles are grouped by price: $25, $35, or $45. Then head over to Asbury Lanes, a bowling alley and concert venue where acts ranging from punk rockers to burlesque dancers perform five nights a week on a stage surrounded by active lanes. End with a nightcap at Watermark, a swanky, ocean-view lounge known for its specialty cocktails. Try one of the house-infused liquors—Bartlett pear vodka, jalapeño tequila, pineapple rum—mixed with small-batch ginger beer for $9.