Walking around Asbury Park during several unseasonably warm autumn days recently, I passed doorframes and archways that were steeped in LGBTQ history, Whether it was The Owl & The Pussy Cat (where Brando’s Citi Cucina now is), The M&K (originally on Cookman Avenue) or the luxurious condos in the very location where Down The Street used to sit, one thing is certain; there is a plethora of LGBTQ history surrounding us in Asbury Park, even if you have to look a little bit hard to find it. As I strolled the streets, I couldn’t help but wonder; how many of us today are paying homage to the LGBTQ community of the past in Asbury Park?
For me, the words I wrote in a piece for The Huffington Post a few years ago still ring true about my own history with Asbury Park, Whether it was my parents’ romance and subsequent marriage in Asbury Park or my own countless moments with my LGBTQ brothers and sisters throughout the years, one thing remains certain-“my love affair with this town was almost predetermined”. I vividly remember driving through darkened streets towards a night at Down The Street or for a bite at The Talking Bird. And for those that remember, walking through the doors of Paradise twenty five years ago on opening night was like walking out of Dorothy’s tornado-transported house after it landed in Oz. The vibrancy and the color the establishment added to our community is still as wonderfully vivid today as it was then.
One thing that has shifted the LGBTQ landscape in Asbury Park, specifically for nightlife, has been quite simply, equality and a long-overdue shifting mindsets. The community used to see “gay bars” as their sanctuaries and their safe spaces and to an extent, they still are. Now however, we are sharing them with our non-queer brothers and sisters. Now, the lack of exclusive queer spaces is a conversation for another time but the fact remains; we are now sharing our spaces with our non-queer brothers and sisters and hopefully opening their minds (and wallets). This also expands the reach of who will be able to participate in and be a part of our community’s history.
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As we shift to a more expansive community and a broadening of our LGBTQ tent, some longtime residents of Asbury Park are working to commemorate the history of our LGBTQ community. Community activist and Asbury Park legend Sal Susino is working behind the scenes on Asbury Park Rainbow Walk which (as the Facebook page states) is a “community driven project dedicated to documenting and commemorating the historic locations of LGBTQ establishments that once thrived in the city of Asbury Park”. This committee is working to commemorate our community in unique ways and I can personally attest to the passion and the dedication of this group towards paying homage to Asbury Park that it is crucial that we commemorate. (Special shout out to Mark McDonald, Asbury Park LGBTQ historian and fellow Riprap writer, who was one of the earliest chroniclers of our community online)!
One of our local citizens is also showcasing so many aspects of our community and city at large in a way that has captured the attention of many. Asbury Park historian Mike Arvelo has started the Instagram page This Week In Asbury (which boasts over 14K followers since its inception not even six months ago). A thrifting maven and a self-proclaimed storyteller, Arvelo makes it his almost daily mission to showcase every corner of Asbury Park, whether it’s the Fresh Face Pageant (showcasing the newest faces in drag in Asbury Park), small businesses like Rebel Supply, Chris Turk Swim, and Unwind Records all get some shine courtesy of This Week In Asbury’s regularly viral posts. Arvelo’s passion for storytelling is only matched by his passion to preserve what the LGBTQ built decades ago in Asbury Park.
While some of the buildings may be long gone, their impact and legacy are being preserved. Honoring that legacy is, at its core, is what Asbury Park is truly about.
