The Empress Hotel, located in
Asbury ParkAsbury Park or sometimes called just "Asbury" is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, on the Jersey Shore and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city population was 17,930....
,
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
, is a popular
gayThe term gay was originally used, until well into the mid-20th century, primarily to refer to feelings of being "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy"; it had also come to acquire some connotations of "immorality" as early as 1637....
resortA resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company. Such a self-contained resort attempts to provide for most of a vacationer's wants while remaining on...
.
The Hotel opened as a luxury resort for vacationing families in the 1950s. It was a successful resort, attracting the likes of
Judy GarlandJudy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years, Garland attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage. Respected for her versatility, she received a Juvenile Academy...
.
In 1980, the Empress was featured on the picture sleeve of
Bruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American singer-songwriter. He records and tours with the E Street Band...
's hit single "
Hungry Heart"Hungry Heart" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen on his fifth album, The River. It was released as the album's first single in 1980 and became Springsteen's first big hit of his own on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.-History:...
", which depicts a photo of Springsteen standing near a phone booth on the Asbury Park boardwalk, with the hotel visible in the background.
By the summer of 1976, Asbury Park was in a state of decline, albeit the Empress Hotel remained a popular establishment. During a New York Times interview, the hotel's manager boasted: "all of our 101 rooms are taken!"
Unfortunately, by 1988 the hotel was struggling for business, and closed shortly after.
It was abandoned for nearly a decade when, in 1998,
Shep PettiboneRobert E. Pettibone, Jr. is a record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s. His earliest work known to the public was for one of New York City's top disco/dance radio stations, WRKS 98.7 "Kiss" FM, and later as remixer/producer for the disco label Salsoul...
bought the abandoned building and opened the
Paradise Nightclub inside.
The nightclub lured crowds of gay travelers away from
Fire IslandFire Island is both the name of an island and the name of a census-designated place .The island is one of Long Island's south shore outer barrier islands, approximately 31 miles long and varying between approximately 0.1 mile to 0.25 mile wide...
and instead to the beaches of Asbury Park. The hotel portion reopened in August 2004, and is very popular among
gayThe term gay was originally used, until well into the mid-20th century, primarily to refer to feelings of being "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy"; it had also come to acquire some connotations of "immorality" as early as 1637....
,
lesbianLesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, bisexual, and
transgenderTransgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to diverge from the normative gender roles....
travelers in New Jersey.
In 2008, a dining establishment, the
Ketchup Grill opened inside. A clothing store, Esphera, catering to gay beach-goers, was added to the ground level in 2008 and is open during the summer months.
The hotel features a restaurant, gift-shop, lounge, nightclub, and outdoor pool.
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