The breathtaking view of the ocean from The Market’s first location.

I always find myself missing the Asbury Park boardwalk this time of year. I lived and went to college only a few miles away from this vibrant beach town in my home state (New Jersey), and I spent several summers working and going to the beach on this historical boardwalk.

I was going through some old pictures and decided to put together a little collection of photos from my time there. Boy, do I miss this place and the amazing people in it!

During college, I worked weekends and summers at The Market at Asbury Park, an incredible maker’s market on the boardwalk. The Market had two locations—one in Asbury’s historic Convention Hall, and one a just short walk further down the boardwalk. My coworkers and I worked in both locations and would walk down the bustling boardwalk between the two to switch throughout the day.

I worked with the best people at the Market—my sister, Skye, worked there with me, my cousin managed the store, and my coworkers were some of the kindest and most creative people I’ve ever met in my life.

Handmade hanging planters in the window of The Market (with the foggy ocean in the background—so dreamy!).

Since the shop was a maker’s market, our vendors (all from the local community) would stop by regularly to restock their sections of the store. Our vendors were incredibly talented and inspiring. We sold everything from handmade macrame planters and stationery to gorgeous clothes and locally-made beauty products.

One of our sweet vendors would always bring in bouquets of flowers from her garden to keep in the shop. Isn’t this arrangement so pretty?

A couple years ago, the shop had to close its doors permanently, and we were heartbroken. Developers were rapidly building up the boardwalk, replacing small shops like ours with corporate stores. However, I’m grateful that, since so many locations in Asbury are historical landmarks, a significant portion of the boardwalk can’t be touched.

If you ever get a chance to visit Asbury Park, I could not recommend it more! Even though the boardwalk is changing, as most places do over time, I don’t think anything could take the magic away from this place. The lively, colorful beach, charming downtown, and local businesses set this place apart from any other. The food is phenomenal, too—restaurants like Porta (the best pizza on the planet, in my opinion!) and Cardinal (my favorite brunch spot in AP) are enough of a reason to visit on their own!

I’ll always remember those busy, sunny summers on the boardwalk, and the people who made my time there unforgettable. I can’t wait to visit Asbury Park again as soon as I can!