That Asbury Park is the most gay-friendly Shore town comes as no surprise to anyone.
There are about a dozen bars and hotels that cater to gays and lesbians; the Empress Hotel, for example, bills itself as “Asbury Park’s LGBT friendly hotel,” with a ’50s style “that radiates sophistication.”
Sand Blast Weekend, the biggest summer gay and lesbian beach party on the East Coast, moved to Atlantic City last summer after 11 years in Asbury Park, but no matter.