The Empress Hotel | |
---|---|
General information | |
Location | 101 Asbury Avenue, Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States 07712 |
Opening | 1961 |
Owner | Shep Pettibone |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 4 |
Other information | |
Number of rooms | 101 |
Number of restaurants | 1 |
Website | |
Official Website |
The Empress Hotel is a popular gay resort located in Asbury Park, New Jersey. [1]
The Hotel opened as a luxury resort for vacationing families in the 1960s. [2] It was a successful resort, attracting the likes of Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli. [3]
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. Bruce Springsteen was an early employee of the Empress, where he worked a busboy during the summer of 1962.
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!" [4] 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. [5]
In 1998, Shep Pettibone bought the abandoned building and opened the Paradise Nightclub inside. [6]
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, [7] and is very popular among gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender travelers in New Jersey. [8]
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 also features a gift shop, lounge, nightclub and outdoor pool.
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Paradise is a gay nightclub in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It is known for its fundraisers and drag shows, most notable of which is the annual Miss Paradise pageant. The club is integrated with the Empress Hotel; both are owned by record producer Shep Pettibone. Paradise's 1999 opening is credited as one factor that improved Asbury Park's struggling economy and drew the LGBT community back to the city after a period of local unrest. The venue is a popular Jersey Shore destination in the summer, and it has received praise for its welcoming atmosphere. After several months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Paradise reopened its outdoor pool and bar area in summer 2020.
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