The Empress Hotel (New Jersey)
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| The Empress Hotel | |
|---|---|
| Location | 101 Asbury Avenue, Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA 07712 |
| Opening date | 1961 |
| Owner | Shep Pettibone |
| Rooms | 101 |
| Restaurants | 1 |
| Floors | 4 |
| Website | Official Website |
The Empress Hotel, located in Asbury Park, New Jersey, is a popular gay resort.[1]
The Hotel opened as a luxury resort for vacationing families in the 1960s. It was a successful resort, attracting the likes of Judy Garland.[2]
In 1980, the Empress was featured on the picture sleeve of Bruce Springsteen's hit single "Hungry Heart", 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!"[3] Unfortunately, by 1988 the hotel was struggling for business, and closed shortly after.
A strip club, Extreme Fahrenheit, opened in the building in 1993. It became notorious for drugs and prostitution, and was eventually closed because of lewd conduct.[4]
In 1998, Shep Pettibone bought the abandoned building and opened the Paradise Nightclub inside.[5]
The nightclub lured crowds of gay travelers away from Fire Island and instead to the beaches of Asbury Park.[citation needed] The hotel portion reopened in August 2004,[6] and is very popular among gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender travelers in New Jersey.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
The hotel features a restaurant, gift-shop, lounge, nightclub, and outdoor pool.
[edit] References
- ^ "EMPRESS HOTEL". gay-destinations.com. http://www.gay-destinations.com/newjersey.html. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
- ^ http://www.newyorkqnews.com/2008/12/600w_santaSaturday/_w600.html
- ^ JOE SHARKEY. "The Past Is Dead in Asbury Park, but the Future Is Arriving." New York Times
- ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20010817121714/http://www.betterwaterfront.com/news/00372000.shtml
- ^ Gay Asbury Park
- ^ Gay Asbury Park
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 40°13′06″N 74°00′06″W / 40.21838°N 74.00180°W
