Crowds jam Asbury Avenue between Fifth and 14th streets in Ocean City (NJ) during the annual Spring Block Party on Saturday, May 3.
Downtown Ocean City has been named a finalist by the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association in the 2014 People's Choice Awards for outstanding downtowns in New Jersey.
The public is invited to vote online for the favorite downtown in three areas of New Jersey. Downtown Ocean City will compete with these Southern Area downtowns: Downtown Haddon Avenue in Collingswood and Glasstown Arts District in Millville.
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Vote for Ocean City now: njplanning.org/news/peoples-choice-awards
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"We are very excited Asbury Avenue in Downtown Ocean City has been nominated and selected as a finalist for the People's Choice award," Mayor Jay Gillian said. "Our downtown is a vibrant part of our community year-round. We have wonderful shops and shop owners, delicious restaurants and unique galleries that rival any shopping district. We encourage everyone who loves Ocean City, NJ to please take a minute to vote for Downtown Ocean City."
Ocean City's Asbury Avenue downtown shopping district serves as the heart of our island community. Lined with unique shops and restaurants, "the avenue" is the perfect spot for whiling away a lazy summer day, running important errands, or selecting perfect holiday gifts.
More than 100 mostly family-owned businesses feature both merchandise and ambiance unlike anything found in cookie-cutter malls. Shoppers are charmed by quaint, coastal boutiques; enlightened by art and music studios; pampered with one-of-a-kind salons, spa and fitness destinations; and treated to eclectic eats and sensational sweets.
The People's Choice Awards is part of APA-NJ's Great Places in New Jersey awards program. A panel of planning professionals selected Downtown Ocean City from nominations that APA-NJ received from the public throughout the month of July. When notifying Ocean City, APA-NJ officials indicated that the panel deliberated how well each downtown excels in the characteristics of a great downtown, including how well it functions as the centerpiece in the everyday life of the community; its reputation for excellence even beyond the community's boundaries; its vitality during the day, in the evening and on weekends; available options for transportation; and support from the community to attract, retain and grow businesses.
Be sure to vote before the online poll closes at midnight on September 26. Participants can vote only once. APA-NJ will announce the winners early in October. Each winner will receive a plaque at a local award ceremony, a place on the map of Great Places in New Jersey at njplanning.org, and, of course, bragging rights.
— News release from the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce
