Post by Gary L. Edelson

Former Sections of the Township of Ocean - Asbury Park The Township of Ocean was formed in 1849, when the Township of Shrewsbury was split and the section along the coast was named Ocean. Many of our neighboring towns were once part of Ocean, but broke off to form their own towns over time (which is why the Township of Ocean today has no oceanfront). Named for the owner's Hometown of Monterey, California, the Montery Hotel opened for business in June, 1912. Open from May 1 to October 1, the hotel had seven stories tall with 364 hotel rooms. There was a ballroom with tall white pillars that formed the central aisle. The dining room on Kingsley Avenue could seat 500 people. The hotel was a favorite of opera star tenor Enrico Caruso, who brought his own chef and required a gran piano in his suite. Other guests included Al Smith, the Duke of Windsor and Winston Churchill. In June, 1925, the hotel was opened for year-round guests. Bankruptcy in the 1950s and 1960s forced the hotel to closed. In 1963, the building was condemned and demolished. Today, it is the site of the North Beach Condominiums.