The Jersey Shore Girl Team 
We are living for these gorgeous summer days, when the season has begun, but the big crowds haven’t materialized yet. It’s been another busy week DTS, and we’ve got all the headlines to get you up to speed. Among the highlights: a popular coffee + gelato truck has put down roots in Asbury Park; bars + restaurants are gearing up for World Cup watch parties; and a local fishing charter made a major assist in a sunset proposal. AND: both Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen were spotted in the area.
You can read more at the links below, and always feel free to submit any news tips to [email protected]. Our twice-weekly newsletter also shares more, and you can sign up for it here (it’s so great, promise)!
– Just in time for summer, 12 new coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques, and other businesses are opening at the Jersey Shore for the 2026 summer season (The Jersey Shore Girl).
– Did someone say sand and stretching? Beach yoga classes are happening up and down the Jersey Shore this summer, giving locals and visitors plenty of ways to stretch by the ocean (The Jersey Shore Girl).
– Jersey Pride returned to Asbury Park for 2026 with a parade, festival, live entertainment, vendors, community programming, and celebrations throughout the city (The Jersey Shore Girl).
– A boat to the beach! SeaStreak is launching a new ferry route connecting Point Pleasant Beach and New York City, giving Jersey Shore travelers another way to get between the coast and Manhattan (The Jersey Shore Girl).
– It’s almost game time (we’re equal parts excited and anxious), and plenty of Jersey Shore bars and restaurants are hosting 2026 World Cup watch parties (The Jersey Shore Girl).
– Affogato, anyone? Java + Gelato, a New York-based coffee and gelato truck, opened a brick-and-mortar location in Asbury Park (The Jersey Shore Girl).
– Pass the popcorn, because Asbury Park’s “Movies by the Sea” series is returning to The Showroom Cinema with free family-friendly screenings for city residents (City of Asbury Park).
– Speaking of new, Aoko Matcha — a store dedicated entirely to matcha — has opened in Tom’s River (Aoko Matcha via Instagram).
– Actor Tina Fey shouted out Jenkinson’s Boardwalk Pier during a red carpet interview, citing the experience as a childhood dream come true (USA Today via TikTok).
– That doesn’t go there: Donuts Plus in Lavalette reopened after being closed for three days after a car crashed into the shop early last week (there were no serious injuries) (Donuts Plus via Instagram).
– Not shaken, nor stirred, but sprinkled. The popular dot cake has been interpreted as a martini at Homesick in Asbury Park (Homesick via TikTok).
– Guy’s gotta eat! Musician and NJ native Jon Bon Jovi dined at Max’s Bar + Grill in Long Branch (Max’s Bar + Grill via Facebook).
– Asbury Park opened new public bathrooms and beach shower stations for the 2026 season, replacing older facilities and adding accessibility upgrades along the waterfront (City of Asbury Park).
– Announcing: Canada’s Shane Hollander and New Jersey’s Nicole Polizzi. Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi of Jersey Shore fame and Hudson Williams, one of the stars of the runaway hit Heated Rivalry, were snapped together at a media event in Toronto (The Cut via Instagram).
– Slow your roll. Berkeley residents are calling for a traffic light at Jamaica Boulevard and Nostrand Drive after continued concerns about crashes and safety at the intersection (Jersey Shore Online).
– The Army Corps of Engineers signed a $35 million deal to rebuild battered Jersey Shore beaches in Cape May County following recent storm damage and ongoing erosion concerns (NJ.com).
– We’ll take two!! Jellycat claw machines were spotted DTS, with Lucky Leo Arcade in Seaside getting a shoutout for its real Jellycat plushies (@nessssc via TikTok).
– She said yes! Couple Connor + Christina got engaged at sunset on a pier in Avalon with the help of the Miss Avalon (@captbhurd98 via TikTok).
– On the subject of weddings, Jersey Shore-born content creator Eli Rallo also tied the knot in MOCO this weekend – and TikTok users (read: us) are anxiously awaiting the content (Eli Rallo via TikTok).
– Welcome back, Boss! Bruce Springsteen joined Monmouth University to cut the ribbon on the newly expanded Bruce Springsteen Archives + Center for American Music (Asbury Park Press).
– Can we borrow a cup of sugar? Two side-by-side single-family homes are listed for sale in Stone Harbor, with a total of 12 bedrooms between them (NJ.com).
– Local sing-alongs. Dozens of local musicians turned out for Porch Fest in Freehold (JerseyShoreOnline).
Have a tip? Please email us at [email protected] to share
Follow @thejerseyshoregirl_ on Instagram for the latest Jersey Shore updates, sign up for our weekly newsletter here that shares everything you missed each week, and check out our events calendar, which has over 40+ events weekly to peruse.
