Asbury Lanes "Sensitive Refresh" Underway

Fans of TGA and many of the "other bands" mentioned on the site may have heard tell of Asbury Lanes, the trashtastic retro bowling alley in Asbury Park that also hosts concerts.  It closed in the fall of 2015 for what its owners called a "sensitive refresh".  There was much concern among fans that it would--like much of the city--get sanitized and target a different audience, thus becoming inaccessible to the likes of us.  These fears were amplified when the same owners started renovating the adjacent Salvation Army Home into a luxury hotel set to open this summer (friends checked rates and it will be about $300 in season).  There were rumors that the Lanes would be demolished for parking, etc.

But the "Save the Asbury Lanes" Facebook group shared a somewhat optimistic article from the Asbury Park Sun claiming the developers are doing exactly what they promised, storing and cataloging everything that makes the Lanes great, from the murals on the walls to the vintage Brunswick bowling equipment while they replace the roof, shore up the walls, and install first-world bathrooms.  Hopefully the finished product will again be home to bands we love and be a place we can enjoy (and afford)!

Renovation of Asbury Lanes Underway
Asbury Park Sun

Well that's really nice to hear. But all I care about is if they will still sell tater tots...jkjk This is good. I don't mind things that liven up the area a bit but I hated seeing the lanes close. Hopefully the renovations will be for the better. That place really was falling apart.

StitchesOnTheRadio wrote:

Well that's really nice to hear. But all I care about is if they will still sell tater tots...jkjk This is good. I don't mind things that liven up the area a bit but I hated seeing the lanes close. Hopefully the renovations will be for the better. That place really was falling apart.

I'm just afraid the Tater Tots will be $9.

shiftynj wrote:

StitchesOnTheRadio wrote:

Well that's really nice to hear. But all I care about is if they will still sell tater tots...jkjk This is good. I don't mind things that liven up the area a bit but I hated seeing the lanes close. Hopefully the renovations will be for the better. That place really was falling apart.

I'm just afraid the Tater Tots will be $9.  

Hah, yeah that wouldn't be good. Although I'm pretty sure they charged me $4 or $5 for a bag of microwave popcorn once so being ripped off wouldn't be new.

We spent the night last month at "The Asbury" the new hotel in the former Salvation Army nursing home behind the Lanes. It is really cool but INSANELY expensive (I'm very grateful for some awesome friends who treated us for my birthday). The owners are the same people that are redeveloping the Lanes. The building looks better from the outside... new roof is on, new loading dock door installed, parking lot where the Baronet used to be (and the Baronet logo has been restored and is now on the roof of the hotel where they screen movies outside). I'm guardedly hopeful that the new venue will be what they're promising.