Customer Reviews

Asbury Park's Glory Days: The Story of an American Resort

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Helen Chantal Pike's latest creation, "Asbury Park's Glory Days," is a "must read" for those searching for the answers to how one of the greatest resorts in the world during the 19th century could collapse into urban decay in the 20th century. This 200-page book covers the ninety years from 1890 to 1980, with a 2002 epilogue. The political, economic, social, and cultural events are included in this century timeline. The pages are richly illustrated with vintage photographs, documents, excerpts from newspapers of the time, and dozens of first hand stories from people (still alive) who resided and worked in this "city by the sea." The architectural history of the theatres, hotels, public buildings, and the unique design of the city is remarkably researched and presented.
"Asbury Park's Glory Days" is a smooth and enjoyable trip to the boardwalk, and is densely packed with facts and details for Asbury Park historians everywhere.
I highly recommend it.

Bob Mataranglo - Artist

Not only is Ms. Pike an extraordinary writer and researcher, this book, filled with rich personal histories and vivid snapshots of a distinct moment in time - candy apples after a long Sunday stroll, the morning after a devastating race riot, the third hour of a guitar god's marathon four-hour late night jam session - is much like a window into the soul and psyche of this city. Here is Asbury Park's unbridled id, guilty conscience, wistful longing, crisis of confidence, repressed traumas and finally, its courageous conviction. Pick it up, and this book will become your constant companion.
--- July 2005, Christina Eliopoulos, Writer/Director, Greetings from Asbury Park, a documentary feature film

This book has great history features and includes personalized accounts of folks alive and not living, as well as photos and artifacts. What really irked me was the book would've been alot more enjoyable had it been written in chronological order. The stories with their timelines on the various features of Asbury Park are splattered all over. Although the 7 chapters are segmented by features, i.e., 'The Avenues,' 'Dining Out, Sleeping In,' it would've been more enjoyable to take these segments in their respective timeframe, and see the growth from the 1800's thru Y2002. Alot of photos and artifacts are NOT dated, which makes it disappointing as well. I got a headache trying to match places and dates with artifacts and photos. The effort is a good book that would've been even better if there was some order to it. P.S. The book is under the auspices of Rutgers Univ. Press about a NJ town and printed in SINGAPORE.....

Pike has combined a tremendous amount of archival material together with her insights and writing talent to create a charming, memorable book about the history of Asbury Park. The city by the sea is much more than the resting place of the Morro Castle and "Asbury Park's Glory Days" doesn't miss a beat. The book is full of surprises -- We know that Bruce Springtime got his start there, but Bud Abbot? Or that Tiny Tim had a "gay-friendly tearoom" there?
Sidebars from old newspapers are priceless: "...While Asbury park is fighting over the best means of advertising the town that it may live and flourish, Long Branch is looking for a hole in which to crawl and die to escape funeral expenses." (1890)
"Glory Days" includes stories of the old hotels, the vacationers who visited them, and the locals who serviced them; beauty contests, baby parades, architecture, Lorenzo Harris' spectacular sand sculpture... and the Stone Pony. "Glory Days" is a cornucopia of photos, stories and memoralbia in a beautifully designed format. It's a must for any shore lover.
Margaret T. Buchholz, author of "Great Storms of the Jersey Shore", "Shore Chronicles" and "New Jersey Shipwrecks: 350 years in the Graveyard of the Atlantic."

I picked up a copy of "Asbury Park's Glory Days" the other day, whilst on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, NJ.

What an interesting introspective on the history of Asbury Park and it's very storied history.

The book is a great read and includes much insight as to the founding, decline, and (hopeful) rebirth of the "City by the Sea."

It includes quotes from people who lived the history, as well as many photos. I could put this book down after I started reading it.

Freelance writer and photographer Helen-Chantal Pike has seen her work featured in many top publications: her interest in history and photography melds perfectly in her Asbury Park's Glory Days: The Story Of An American Resort. While recent years have not been good to Asbury Park, New Jersey, with many of the boardwalk thrill rides, exciting movie premiers, and resort attractions fallen into disarray, victims of political corruption, Asbury Park's Glory Days re-creates the region's heyday between 1890 and 1980, adding insights into the area's boom and recession cycles and explaining how these cycles linked to Asbury Park's attractions. Packed with vintage photos throughout, any New Jersey resident or fan will find Asbury Park's Glory Days to provide them with an intriguing glimpse of a colorful past.

For Helen... i know you dont really know me but i have to gush.....just finished Asbury Park Glory Days...couldnt put it down...grew up in ocean grove and spent my formative childhood and teen years in asbury coming out at the old m&k the boys called it milk and kookies....just wanted to let you know i'd love to read more and more and more

Bought this book as a gift for my father who spent the first 50 years of his life living in Asbury Park. This is a must have for anyone familiar with the area. Great pictures, great history, and full of interesting facts. There have been other books written about Asbury Park, but this one is by far the best. We both thoroughly enjoyed the reading and the stroll down memory lane.

This book felt like a trip back in time. It is well researched with great photographs and wonderful first person accounts. Highly recommended.

Asbury Park's Glory Days: The Story of An American Resort gave me a glimpse of what Asbury Park was and hopefully can be again. The history was fascinating and very complete. The illustrations also gave me a good feel as to the Asbury of the past and what was then a thriving city. The book was a bit choppy having to go back and forth between text and illustrations but was worth the trouble. When I visit Asbury Park today, I see hope and revival and tremendous possibilities for a new and exciting and vibrant city.