Asbury Park, NJ ~ Rising Up

Asbury Park, NJ is attempting a Renaissance. The city, once a jewel on the Atlantic Ocean, has been in a steady decline since the riots in the 70's and the wide spread corruption of the local government. This is a tribute to the efforts to regain its former glory without forgetting its past. Although he may not have intended the song to mirror the revival, I find it fitting.

My City of Ruins Lyrics :There is a blood red circle
On the cold dark ground
And the rain is falling down
The church door's thrown open
I can hear the organ's song
But the congregation's gone
My city of ruins
My city of ruins

Now the sweet bells of mercy
Drift through the evening trees
Young men on the corner
Like scattered leaves,
The boarded up windows,
The empty streets
While my brother's down on his knees
My city of ruins
My city of ruins

Come on, rise up! Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up! Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up! Come on, rise up!

Now's there's tears on the pillow
Darlin' where we slept
And you took my heart when you left
Without your sweet kiss
My soul is lost, my friend
Tell me how do I begin again?
My city's in ruins
My city's in ruins

Now with these hands,
With these hands,
With these hands,
I pray Lord
With these hands,
With these hands,
I pray for the strength, Lord
With these hands,
With these hands,
I pray for the faith, Lord
We pray for your love, Lord
We pray for the lost, Lord
We pray for this world, Lord
We pray for the strength, Lord
We pray for the strength, Lord

Come on
Come on
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RgH_WoS56g

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Asbury
• Park
• New
• Jersey
• IXGertXI
• Minniver
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• Zipster08
• rock
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• roll

[fredreiss]

Years ago, I went to Asbury Park and I was close to tears when I saw how dilapidated the Boardwalk became. I had an aunt who lived there, and I'd walk down to the beach every other day. In the late sixties, White flight after the riots led to its demise. And there were so many wonderful days down there, playing skeeball, body surfing, and playing miniature golf. CHeck out my vid on growing up in Freehold, NJ.

[IXGertXI]

@fredreiss Thanks for stopping by. You should stop by AP if you're back on the right coast ;) I doubt Asbury Park will ever be back to it's glory, but valuable ocean front property tends to hang in there. My boys love to go to the pinball museum on the boardwalk now and we all had a blast at the Zombie Walk this year. Theatre is back, shops on Cookman and the good restaurants are spreading West. There's hope and I love it.

[DowntheJerseyShore]

Three years later we are all witnesses to Asbury Park's Renaissance. If Asbury can come back, ANYTHING is possible.

[IXGertXI]

@DowntheJerseyShore Thanks for the comment! Bit by bit. Gotta love the growth, but there's a Long way to go.

[go2class]

def nothing like nyc...nyc related nj towns are places like englewood/ teaneck/ hackensack and the neighborhoods of jersey city/ asbury park is country and more like philly and camden county..nothing like NYC at all

[IXGertXI]

@go2class Nooo, we were just saying that when the city comes "down the shore" NYC tends to stick to the line above Seaside and the Philly crowd does LBI and south... as a rule. Maybe that's switching.

[DAS603]

I was a young child when the 1970 riot happened, I still have vivid memories of that.

[bluegangstar]

asbury park, live there for 18 years ,my childhood and my teen's all in asbury. i live in the south now but from what i hear now my city has a fight on your hands..i love my city for showin me to be a man ,and letting me live with you for 18years i love you more then words can tell are show

[sleepingowl1]

this place is in tatters, the only focus was cookman ave! the boardwalk is a shell of what it used to be and those retail stores in 18 wheelers is cheesey to say the least-try taking a walk downtown and you feel like your in Juarez Mexico And on the other side of the tracks-Well its bad you know

[SDSOverfiend]

I was interested in Asbury Park after watching "City by the Sea." The film took place in Long beach but Asbury park was the filming location. The place looked so Dilapidated that i could'nt believe the boardwalk really looks like that in 2001. Did they really fix it up again?

[metfanal]

is there a more over rated musician than springsteen?......nope....asbu­ry is a great music town.....and bruce had nothing to do with it!!!