The “New” New Jersey Shore
By Jodi Kovacs
LONG BRANCH – At Pier Village in Long Branch, visitors won’t find boardwalk rides or greasy funnel cakes. It’s a new kind of “Jersey Shore” experience; one that is more upscale and exclusive and less like the backdrop for a raucous reality TV show.
Pier Village is a $400 million development of spacious ocean front condos, gourmet restaurants, and luxury boutiques. Brothers David and Michael Barry, owners of Ironstate Development, built it in 2005 after a fire destroyed the historic boardwalk and water park at the site in 1987.
Pier Village is built to look like a picture-perfect resort town. It features culinary hotspots like Avenue, a French restaurant offering cuisine that might be served at exotic locations like Saint-Tropez, and Sirena, an Italian restaurant that serves veal saltimbocca and an award-winning white Sangria. There is also a Hawaiian café called Shaka, which serves only organic food and uses 100 percent recyclable products.
“It’s strikingly stylish and beach chic,” said Megan Oliveira, the director of marketing and events at Pier Village. “That’s what the goal of Pier Village really was.”
Shopping is also a major draw. Stores like The Bee and Nirvana carry brands such as Free People and True Religion. There’s also a culinary shop, a crystal and glass shop, a high-end children‘s clothing boutique, and Paws N’ Pose, a store for those who bring their posh pups to Pier Village.
Marissa Rossi spends her summers at Pier Village. “We stay at the Bungalow [hotel] for a few weekends every summer,” said Rossi. “I can shop, suntan, sip cocktails by the beach. Ya know, who wouldn‘t love this place?”
While Pier Village may be one of the first beach towns of its kind in New Jersey, others towns like Asbury and Belmar are following the trend by opening similar high-end beachfront bars, restaurants, and specialty boutiques.
In the future, developers plan to expand Pier Village, which includes another luxury restaurant called Red Orange, which features a nightclub with a rooftop swimming pool.
“We’ve been coming here since it opened,” said Allison Carlone, who was visiting Pier Village for a day of martinis and shopping with her girlfriends. “The restaurants and stores remind you of Manhattan, but you’re at the beach. It’s lovely.”
