Ladies, Liquor, Law and the Lord: A Look at Ocean Grove, New Jersey

A Dry Town on Jersey Shore?

If you ever want to stretch your legs for the weekend and sit on a porch of a Victorian style bed and breakfast on beachfront property, I recommend Ocean Grove, New Jersey.

This summer I got to experience this quaint historical town just two hours outside New York City.  If you choose to take the NJ Transit train you can sit back and take in the sights of neighboring towns filled with seaside manors of Elberon, Allenhurst, and Deal before getting off the train at Asbury Park.

This jewel of town started out as a Victorian-era camp meeting site for the United Methodists of America in the 19th century.  The land itself is still owned by the church.  This means you can buy a house in Ocean Grove but you lease the land for 99 years before returning it to the town.  It's odd for me to comprehend but I suppose instead of property taxes to the government, you are pay a leasing fee to the city.  Don't quote me on that.

Everywhere you look is a Victorian style residence.  The town claims to be the largest neighborhood of Victorian style homes in the Northeast and I believe them.  You walk ten blocks in any direction and are inundated with Mansard roofs or Queen Anne style homes with some blend of pink or purple in the moldings.

This summer the Township of Ocean Historical Museum put on an exhibit that presented women of the Methodist Church that owned their own businesses and/or were leaders in the community.  Yes, before 20th century feminism ladies like Amanda Smith inspired both black and white women by being a preacher and traveling the world. She made her way through Ocean Grove to share her stories during summer camp with other Methodist women.  She started numerous charities to help disadvantaged children and left a legacy for those to follow in her footsteps.

There are many women who worked around the Ocean-township dry town. It seemed women had more power because of it.  They were were privately owned inn keepers and young professionals that took care of the people.

While most Ocean Grove Methodists lived elsewhere and gathered here only for the summer. It eventually became a year round residence for all kinds of folks.

The town itself is still dry.  This means you cannot buy alcohol ANYWHERE in town. OK, before you freak out, you can walk over to Asbury Park.  This is literally a two minute walk.  Then, make your way to the nearest wine store and Voila booze yourself sideways to your hearts content.

The rules are laxed when it comes to 'in town' wine tastings and, of course, having a gathering at one's home.  If you rent a house or even a room you needn't worry by sitting under the table with a flashlight and flask.

You can still see the remnants of the gate that used to surround Ocean Grove when you stroll to the outer parameter. These were efficient in stricter times.  Up until the 1970's the town used to lock up and have night watchman let "year round residents in." This was a century old way of protecting the town from outside "sinners."  My grandfather, a World War II vet from South Amboy, used to sit in his Buick with a Michelob and a cigar on the Asbury Park side making fun of them, classy guy.  Sigh. I miss him.

I must say though, this did come in handy when Asbury Park, a once seaside resort town for the wealthy, took a downward spiral in that same decade.  Now as the neighboring towns have come back in recent years with city folk buying up and rehabilitating once dilapidated houses. The town of Ocean Grove is attracting more and more visitors every year. Many of the old residences have been bought up and chopped into condos or bed and breakfasts.

There are plenty of inns to pick from. My favorite are the "Inns of Ocean Grove."  They are pretty cheap in the off season.  Having said that, there are not many places you can stay in luxury and pay under 200 a night for a weekend in peak season right across from the beach. So forget Cape May before the summer is gone. Check out this boozeless, hip town that supported broads to do something with themselves long before Friedan or Steinem.

Check out the history. Check out the beach!