At the beach

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As home buyers seek new spaces, especially with working from home becoming more common, many are looking for a way to break out of pandemic lockdown and are flocking to the Jersey Shore to claim a spot by the sea. “Everyone feels better at the beach,” said Jodi Stasse, senior managing director of sales for Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group, the exclusive sales and marketing firm for the Asbury Ocean Club in Asbury Park.

The Asbury Ocean Club, the oceanfront residential building in Asbury Park, is celebrating a record year in sales volume and a strong start to 2021. With more than $50 million in sales over the last seven months of 2020 and a dozen contracts already out for 2021, the sales team anticipates this year will be a busy one. Last year, the building drew a significant increase in interest in large residences, with two closing at record-breaking prices above $5 million.

Stasse said that with all that Asbury Park has to offer, the city has become an affordable option for buyers looking to escape, and that many of the first to buy into AOC were doing so as a second home. Now, she is seeing the shift in thinking and the dwellings are being sought as primary residences.

Over 50% of Asbury Ocean Club’s duplex penthouses are already sold. The continued sales momentum at the building can be attributed to a number of factors but one of the most important is the year-round value offered to buyers – residents can enjoy luxurious oceanfront living 365 days a year.

“As prospects thought about how to plan an escape over the past 12 months, our buyers were looking for something accessible by car. Whether it was a lifestyle change or a temporary fulltime relocation, Asbury Ocean Club became an obvious solution,” Stasse said.

“Asbury Ocean Club offers an unparalleled luxury, hospitality-style residential experience and we’re thrilled to have seen such an overwhelming response from buyers, especially in the current market,” added Brian Cheripka, senior vice president, Land & Development of developer iStar.

The collection of uniquely planned residential homes offers effortless living, a boutique hotel, and an unprecedented suite of amenities. Located at 1101 Ocean Ave. in Asbury Park, the property, designed by Handel Architects and Anda Andrei Design, rises 17 stories above the Atlantic and offers spectacular views. The tower’s curves allow residences to enjoy 180–270 degree ocean views, wraparound terraces, and private outdoor rooms.

One of Asbury Ocean Club’s most important amenity spaces today is the business center with private offices, a meeting room, and state-of-the-art video conference capabilities. This setup has become an invaluable tool, especially to those working from home during the pandemic.

“We didn’t realize at the time how important this feature would be for our residents,” Cheripka said. “Because of our hotel component, we were also able to design a complete business center that offers an appropriate environment to conduct Zoom calls and virtual presentations, or to simply enjoy a private office-like escape to accomplish a full day’s work.”

In Long Branch, just a few miles north of Asbury Park, national real estate firm Extell Development Co. has been steadily selling units in its first New Jersey project: The Lofts Pier Village – another set of oceanfront condominiums.

The Lofts Pier Village also offers the seaside lifestyle and oceanfront escape and brings the luxury, water views, and suite of indoor and outdoor amenities. Designed by Shore Point Architecture with interiors by The Childs Dreyfus Group, The Lofts Pier Village features 245 residences, each with floor-to-ceiling windows, open layouts, and private outdoor terraces, as well as custom finishes and high level of design. Many residences also include home office spaces.

Pier Village itself just completed a new phase of its retail offerings with a fresh increase of dining and shopping options and public recreational amenities, including an outdoor stage for live entertainment, a seasonal ice-skating rink, beachside shade structures, and complimentary bike racks. The development also features a one-of-a-kind custom handcrafted, wooden, indoor/outdoor carousel commissioned by Extell, which offers rides year-round. The attraction provides entertainment for families.

Only an hour’s drive from New York City and completely drivable from most New Jersey towns, Asbury Park and Long Branch are popular oceanfront escapes. Rail access is available via a shuttle service that takes residents directly to the nearby New Jersey Transit train station, offering an additional convenient travel option.