The Hazlet News We're Not Just About Hazlet
Twice a year the Ocean Grove Chamber of Commerce hosts a fantastic Flea Market. One is the Saturday after Labor Day the other is the Saturday after Memorial Day. We attend both each year not because we are the bargain shoppers we used to be years ago when we were younger and all the children lived with us. Today in our semi-retired status, it is the time to get out in the sun, walk the many aisles in the market and maybe, just maybe find something we need.
There were 380 vendors in attendance which included all the great food trucks and vendors. Of course there were the traditional foods like hot dogs, sausage with onion and pepper sandwiches but also some tasty ethnic foods too.
I often watch the television show “Flea Market Flip” and see how they turn what one might consider junk into fresh and creative new household items. As we walked the market we couldn’t help to notice many items that we thought could be restored or repurposed into something new and exciting.
We took Georgie with us in his little red doggie cart and he was a show stopper as he always is. You can see how this little girl only wanted to give Georgie a kiss.
Ocean Grove is actually part of Neptune, NJ and many of the residents had their own wares for sale in front of their homes. The streets of course were packed with thousands of attendees and parking was not an easy task. As luck would have it, we did find parking a block away from the market and a block away from the beach. We seem to be lucky lately finding parking in New York City and back home.
I especially love to walk down the street on the side of the market that has the most beautiful restored or rebuilt Victorian homes. After a devastating fire some years ago that totally destroyed some of the home, they were rebuilt, staying true to the original designs.
After buying a chair cover for my leather lounge chair, my wife’s tie dyed top and a few other goodies for our grandchildren it was time to go for lunch. Unfortunately, all the local restaurants were packed and we didn’t want to wait an hour at the Starving Artist or at Nagle’s so we decided to head over to Asbury Park for lunch.
On our way to Asbury Park we drove through Allenhurst, Deal and Elberon, three shore towns for the rich and famous. You can see in our photo gallery how beautiful these homes are. Some were so large they looked like an office building. Based on the code in this area, it probably has to be a single family home, although it look as it it could have been a resort on the water.
Now it was time for lunch in Asbury Park and a drive through the town that not so long ago a worn out and dilapidated community. I must give credit to Asbury Park, new high end construction everywhere we looked.
Downtown that was full of empty stores not so long ago, is now thriving with hot new restaurants and shops. It shows how a community that had almost given up, came back to life even better and stronger than before.
This coming Fall we will look forward to another visit to the Ocean Grove Flea Market, hope to see you there too.
See our Photos By Visiting Our Flickr Album Here….Click Photo
