OCEAN CITY, N.J. (CBS) — Ocean City, New Jersey is home to many businesses, and in the heart of downtown – right between the beach and the bay – the Asbury Avenue shopping district is ready to usher in a new summer season.
If you need a break from walking the boards or the shore’s sandy beaches, there’s no shortage of stops along Asbury’s six blocks.
According to Michele Gillian, the executive director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, many of the avenue’s more than 110 stores are small, family owned businesses, which she calls the “heartbeat” of Ocean City.
Ocean City regulars will recognize plenty of the storefronts along Asbury Avenue, but several new spots are opening up for the season, including a boba tea café, new Shriver’s location and new retail stores between 6th and 7th streets.
Meanwhile, Boyar’s Food Market at 1340 Asbury Avenue is marking 100 years of dishing out cold subs and sandwiches to hot dishes like lasagna and ziti.
“I used to always tell our children, we live in one of the best places in the world,” Boyar’s owner Scott Ping said. “And every year for two months we open up the streets and let everybody come down to visit.”
And for 30 years, Johnny B Goode Ice Cream has been scooping up heaps of ice cream to help beachgoers cool down after a long day in the sun. “I love my job,” said owner Jane Davis. “I mean how many people get to to do this kind of fun stuff and be as creative as we get o be here and all of our customers are wonderful. They come here happy and we make sure they leave happier.”
