Asbury Park Named Second-Best Place To Live in New Jersey

Asbury Park snagged second place on Travel & Leisure magazine's list of top spots to live in New Jersey. This honor arrives two years after the publication crowned it the best small beach town across America in August 2025.

The boardwalk draws crowds. Restaurants pack tables. Bars pour drinks late into the night, and music spills from venues onto streets where people gather.

"Asbury Park has received accolades because the city is enjoying a controlled meteoric rise," said Big Joe Henry, according to National Today. "Things are working. The entertainment venues are bustling, and the outstanding restaurants and bars are thriving because they offer unique choices with well-prepared offerings."

The Stone Pony earned recognition as New Jersey's top music venue while Wonder Bar claimed the title for best bar. Both sit near each other in the town's main strip where visitors wander between shows and drinks. Bruce Springsteen once played these stages, cementing the area's musical legacy.

The See, Hear and Now music festival pulled over 70,000 people to the beach — one of the biggest crowds the town has seen in years.

Parking remains a problem. More visitors means fewer spots, and officials are scrambling to fix it as the town's popularity climbs.

Years ago, this was a struggling town with boarded-up windows and empty streets. Now it's a destination where people want to live and visit, proving that a community can turn itself around by using what it already has.

Travel & Leisure's ranking considers factors like community character, what there is to do, and how people live day to day. Asbury Park's placement among New Jersey's best shows how far it has come.