I have said before that I believe the C-8 site to be the heart of Asbury
Park and I still believe that. What I mean by heart is that C-8 is the
symbol of all the bad that has happened and all the great things that
can happen. Only C-8 is symbolic to the outsiders, to those who only
know Asbury from their pre-riot youth and from what they read in the APP
and TCN. They don't walk the streets, shop the stores, or drink the
water; rather they drive through, lament the circuit and get out of
dodge before the shooting starts. To those of us who toil daily in
Asbury Park it is the west side that controls the destiny of the cities
future. The west side ensured the future of the resort that Mr. Bradley
built when he realized that someone would have to clean up after the day
trippers and vacationing boarders who flocked to Asbury by the thousands
when he first built it. And Asbury thrived for many up to the 4th of
July riots. Since then, with Springwood Avenue in ashes, Asbury Park has
thrived for only the connected corrupt few and the scum bag slum lords
who collect their rent from afar and could care less if AP lives or
dies. Until the city rolls up their collective sleeves and pours all her
resources into revitalizing the other side of the tracks, Asbury will
continue to fluctuate between looking like it's back and looking like
it's on crack.
We can postulate from now until forever about all the things we would
like to see and should be done on the West Side. A "redevelopment" plan
is in the works. These redevelopment plans suck. They stifle creativity,
they put all the controls in the hands of very few people who act on
what is best for them and not best for the city. Take the "SHACKLES" off
the west side, blow off any redevelopment plans. Use strict zoning
enforcement to get every property on the west side within the law and
allow private developers to use their own money to develop all the
vacant and vacated properties on the west side. Let capitalism work.
Drive around the west side, for every shit hole property there is a
beautiful house that needs a dedicated owner to fix it up. The influx of
"newbies" who over the past 6 years, or since Shep opened up Paradise,
who bought all those illustrious Victorian houses and restored them is
what got Asbury back on track. The exact same thing can happen on the
west side.
Surely it will take much more to kick off the west side revival than
opening a dance club. Ridding the streets of these gangs is a nationwide
problem that seemingly is getting worse rather than better. Today,
driving Broadway in Long Branch after dark is no longer as scary as it
was 5 years ago. Somehow the gangs aren't walking Broadway and
controlling that turf as they once did. So it is possible. A concerted
effort by everyone from the city council and Police Department to the
tenants who live on the west side and worriedly see their kids off to
school every morning have to band together. Once our gang is more
powerful than their gang, our gang will win. When stores are built and
open on Springwood ave again that anyone would go to shop, then we can
truly say that Asbury is back. As long as Springwood and the surrounding
area are not even safe for the fine people who live there, Asbury will
continue to be a city in turmoil.
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