ASBURY PARK: a perfect stop for shopping, sipping, and staying cozy indoors with your pup. Convention Hall is part of the boardwalk, so it follows the same seasonal rules, leashed and friendly dogs are welcome from 9/15-5/15. Inside you will find a mix of unique shops offering clothing, accessories, home decor, gifts, plus spots to grab coffee, desserts, snacks, and drinks. The open space also hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including the Asbury Park Bazaar that highlight local makers and small businesses. One note to know before you go: the main sit-down restaurants no longer allow dogs due to the landlord's rules, but there is still plenty to explore and enjoy with your four-legged friend. read more

Convention Hall - Cinema Near Me - Asbury Park, New Jersey

One of the coolest parts of Asbury Park is the historic architecture, and Convention Hall is a a great example. It's home to the Paramount Theater along with a mix of shops and restaurants. It's a unique space, great for getting out of the summer sun (or winter wind), but it can also be a bit disorienting as the sound bounces all over the place and many of the shops have different hours. Still, it's a unique building, great for browsing, shopping for knick-knacks, or a decent meal. It's not my go-to area for shopping or food, but if you're by the beach, it's not bad at all! read more

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This is an iconic building in the area, clearly visible from the beach. It is an old architectural building with lots of windows and open spaces; It does show signs of aging as the window frames have rusts and some walls have paint falling off. But there are lots of shops, restaurants and local artisan stores inside. Lots of guests walk in for food, shopping or just to take a break from the heat. Anyone visiting Asbury Park beach should by this landmark. read more

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Convention Hall is a 3,600 seat arena in Asbury Park and in the Fall of 2010  I Ran Away to Join the BERZERKUS!! and never looked back. Zakk Wylde had returned home to Jersey and brought his band Black Label Society with him. Clutch was also on the lineup that night to provide support and they most certainly did that and then some. Also in appearance were 2 cents, and Children of Bodom but we arrived late just in time to see Clutch. You could tell they immediately meant business and their shearing one-of-a kind sound was totally on point. Every song was masterful in every possible way and their sound was excellent with one of the smallest sets of musical gear I think I've ever seen anybody Rock Out that hard with. Incredible. Just Incredible.    Behind Clutch's small but super powerful presentation sat 12 double stacks of Marshall Amplifiers and were a clear reminder of what the rest of this magical night would have in store for us. The Hall was already exploding with the unmistakably unique sound that Clutch brought with literally "50,000 Unstoppable Watts"!!     As soon as intermission ended we rushed down to the pit in front of the stage. We were all loaded with extreme anticipation and prolly some other stuff. Lol. The crowd was charged up man, you could feel it. Freakin Electrified. Then Black Label Society hit the stage with such punishing volume and force that it actually went right through us and left our bones rattling and our teeth chattering. Lol. The percussion was incredibly thunderous, the bass bins were pounding and concussive. With our heads banging up and down we moshed and stomped as if our lives depended on it. Wild and uncontrolled sheer energy pulsed through each and every one of us like a pack of rabid Mad Dogs. "Hold on Son cause this is gonna be one hell of a ride"  I barked.     Always thought Zakk to be one of the best living Metal Guitar Gods, I mean he was Ozzy's Guitarist for over thirty years so ah yeah. And that night he proved his legendary status again and again and again to everyone lucky enough to witness that show with every sustained screeching, shredding, powerful note. Welcome Home Brother. Convention Hall will never be the same. Thanks for the memories from this "Blessed Hellride". [ My ears are still ringing from that one, Lol ] Come And Get Your Mosh On!! read more

Convention Hall - The Ringmaster of The BERZERKUS Zakk Wylde!! - Cinema Near Me - Asbury Park, New Jersey

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This building has definitely evolved and changed over the years in terms of shops, but I love walking through it. There's really nothing like it on the Jersey Shore. If you're looking for a scenic, fun beach walk, start here! read more

Convention Hall - Cinema Near Me - Asbury Park, New Jersey

Had a great time exploring the 2025 Holiday Bazaar which was packed! Lots of folks selling clothing, candles, souvenirs and giftable items. Fun! read more

Enjoyed a bunch of great events there. Including beer fests, concerts and opening night parties for film fests.

Bottom line: Asbury Park's historic Convention Hall is a great landmark, adding more than just the current shops, bars, and restaurants on your boardwalk stroll. It's a weathered piece of AP's past that makes it that much more special. I am a fan! The Deets: I am going to start out 2021 with a review of one of the landmarks I've visited many times in my trips to Asbury Park, the Convention Hall. Straddling the boardwalk along the northern part of Asbury Park, it's a structure hard to miss if you are near the beach there. This building was constructed in the late 1920's in the Beaux-Arts style to attract the conventions of the time as a convention center as well as shows using the Paramount Theatre inside. Heat back then was provided by steam pipes coming from the still visible remains of the steam plant on the other side of the boardwalk near the remnants of the old casino. I love that Asbury Park has so much of its history still visible today and the Convention Hall is definitely part of that history. It's even near the site of the beaching of the SS Morro Castle ocean liner after its disaster off the Jersey Shore in 1934 (look that one up if you don't know that story). The Grand Arcade walkway today may not be filled with the same type of shops as it was a century ago but still a great destination to check out the current stores, shops, restaurants, and bars. I've loved the coffees I've enjoyed sitting there watching the surf in the morning, the beverages I've gotten on the side bars, the nice meals at the seafood restaurants, and of course the shopping in the stores set up along the way. Summer around that area of the boardwalk is not the same until hearing the "thumpa thumpa" of the music coming from the bar on the south end of the hall. That's just summer in AP. Sure, the bathrooms need a little work and the structure itself is showing signs of age, wear-n-tear, but I love this building and what it brings to Asbury Park. It would not be the same without it. read more

Convention Hall - Cinema Near Me - Asbury Park, New Jersey

PROS: Nice shopping area to visit. It was a restaurant, clothing stores, convenience stores, and a gelato store. The place is very clean and they allow dogs in too. You can even walk your bike through the place. CONS: The bathrooms are behind an unmarked door and there's really no place to sit inside OVERALL: Great historic location to at least see and to take a break from the hot temperatures and just go shopping! read more

Nice hall. 1) It is a good spot to get some shade. 2) They have a restroom, which is very clean. 3) When it rains, very useful. read more

OK we almost always hit Convention Hall during an Asbury Park trip. Things to note: It has a fairly clean public restroom, good unique shops, 2 bars (Aqua & Beach Bar) on either side of the building which offer great views of the ocean and beach, and you can buy tickets at the Box Office to all Asbury Park venues without surcharges. Convention Hall also hosts its own shows, from Bruce's rehearsal shows to tattoo conventions. I love that AP is coming back strong! read more

At the turn of the 20th Century, ocean side convention centers were a very big thing. Atlantic City had one, and Asbury Park as its main Jersey Shore competition (along with Cape May) wanted one, too. After all, New York was already operating its third Madison Square Garden. They were economic engines that brought people into town and spread dollars in every direction. Still, Asbury Park got a very late start on its building due to city politics and property ownership. It wasn't until 1925 that a second design for a convention hall attached to the large Paramount Theater via a Grand Arcade which enclosed the boardwalk that ran between the two entities was opened. What remains today is not as grandiose as it was back in the day. Then, the Hall booked conventions all year long, and the Theater was a Vaudeville and off-Broadway destination. The Arcade was full of shops, vendors and pickpockets that families kept their kids away from. It even played its part in making history. In 1934 a cruise ship returning from Cuba caught fire off the coast and was attempted to be towed to a birth in Sea Girt to the north. The cable broke and the still burning SS Morro Castle almost crashed into Convention Hall, but was stopped by a sandbar in the nick of time. More recently, Bruce Springsteen used the Hall for rehearsals before going out on tour. Walking in through the southern doors on the Asbury Park Boardwalk, the deep shadows within make it easy to imagine what it was like. There isn't as much going on now as seventy years ago, but given that in the late 20th Century it was in near ruin due to neglect, it has come a long way. Gratitude to the city fathers, and some entrepreneurs for saving this historic building and bringing it back to life. Today, you can get a break from the sun, go to a concert, grab a cup of locally roasted coffee, and sit at bars overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and beaches that Jimmy Buffet would like to call his own. It's laid back timeless ethos is just a great place to hang out. A lot of Asbury Park is gone either from fire, flood, urban renewal, or just disinterest. All those parking lots off Ocean Avenue used to be arcades and honkytonks. Bright lights, loud music and games by day, prostitution and drunks in the street by night. We can debate whether the city and New Jersey are better for these changes. But, that they had the insight and resources to save Convention Hall and put it to good use again, is beyond dispute. read more

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Great location for local events including concerts, conventions, community events, shopping etc. The convention center has a storied history and I don't know the half of it. There is a theater there and from what I understand many famous acts have performed there, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, The Who,Van Halen and most famously Led Zeppelin....as a matter of fact Led Zeppelin turned down Woodstock to play Asbury Park. The Asbury Park theater was NJ's version of Madison Square Garden. Today it has a restaurant and bar, serves as a concert venue for smaller acts. I attended the holiday bazaar this past Saturday night which included local vendors selling their wares and the annual Christmas tree lighting. A beach boys cover band played a set, Santa Claus made an appearance which kicked off the holiday season. There is a ton of metered parking available and on a nice night a walk down the adjacent boardwalk will bring you to a handful of shops, restaurants and bars. Full disclosure, the stores are closed during the Beach off season but during the summer you will find many boutiques, food vendors etc. If you have not checked out Asbury Park recently, this gritty beach town is quickly changing. Hotels are being constructed, homes renovated and restaurants opening. It may be worth a day trip during the summer at the very least if not a long weekend. Asbury Park is a quick ride to several beach towns along the Atlantic Ocean. read more

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Located right on the Asbury Park boardwalk and Ocean. I like to stroll thru here. There are murals outside on one side. Inside - there are several small vendors and stores that sell cute things. The oyster bar is in there that is great for drinks and snacks . Anchors bend is also located in there as well but as much as it looks cute and busy- I am not fond of the drinks or food there. read more

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It's all very confusing if you're not a regular to Asbury Park so let me help you understand what's going on. There is this beautiful old historic building right on the beach. There are plenty of pictures here. This building is reviewed by three different Yelp sites and that's the way it should be! Read on. 1. One side of the building contains The Paramount Theater of Asbury Park perhaps made most famous by Bruce Springsteen. Click this link to read about or review this legendary theater. http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-paramount-theater-of-asbury-park-asbury-park?hrid=elmlvmpsPkg2CSQDe-usKw#src:self 2. Running through the building, that's right through the building, is the Asbury Park Boardwalk. Read about or review that here. http://www.yelp.com/biz/asbury-park-beach-and-boardwalk-asbury-park 3. Finally, the other side of this beautiful building contains a convention hall and that is what is reviewed here. So what about the convention hall? Its claim to fame is the old historic site right on the beach. There are no fancy electronic boards and technological gizmos. It's just a straightforward hall that great for setting up exhibit booths. The bonus is you have access to the beach. It's easily a three star exhibit location and maybe four if you like historic sites. read more

Came here for a Yelp event: Indian Summer Bazaar and Music. It was a good time, mostly because of the weather being sunny and warm. This hall looks unique and old (not modern). It's located right on the boardwalk and is in the center of a prime location. I would have been more enthusiastic about it if was renovated. read more

I attended the Holiday Baazar last weekend at Convention Hall. Whenever I'm in the building, I always think about how much history has been under this roof over the years. These days as Asbury Park really starts to come into its own, Convention Hall is always filled with such awesomeness. This time of year you'll find the Holiday Bazaar. Lots of local artisans and cool gifts for the holidays. Along the outskirts of the building are the the stores that are open year-round such as restaurants, coffee shop, Asbury Park souvenirs, clothing/jewelry shops, a candy shop and more! Now you'll find a whole bunch of local vendors with great gifts for the holidays. They even had musicians on stage playing holiday music which was a really nice touch. If you're looking for a fun thing to do in Asbury leading up to the Holidays, definitely check this out. There's a coat drop too if you want to make a donation. We brought a bunch of coats to help those in need this holiday. You can also get your picture taken with Santa... or just watch the parents try to get their kids to sit on Santa's lap without freaking out. I think that part was the most entertaining of all. :) read more

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What a great historical hall in Asbury Park! Whether it be summer or winter, this architectural icon is filled with seasonal cheer and I mean, it's part of our New Jersey history, so c'mon! I think a better array of businesses located in the Hall could definitely boost it - think cocktail speakeasies and high quality restaurants vs the quick-make-a-buck tourist spots, but hey, maybe one day! *** Quick lesson: In 1927, Hetrick, the then mayor of Asbury Park commissioned architects Warren and Wetmore, who also designed New York City's Grand Central Terminal to create what is now Convention Hall to keep up with both Manhattan's Madison Square Garden and Atlantic City's Convention Hall. Between 1965 and 1975, promoter Moe Septee "booked Black Sabbath, The Beach Boys, James Brown, The Byrds, Ray Charles, The Dave Clark Five, The Doors, The J. Geils Band, Herman's Hermits, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, KISS, The Rolling Stones, The Temptations, Pink Floyd and The Who, among many others. Led Zeppelin played Convention Hall the evening of August 16, 1969, after their manager, Peter Grant, rejected an invitation to Woodstock. Joe Cocker opened for Led Zeppelin that night, before riding up to Bethel, New York for his opening slot on the festival's third and final (scheduled) day. The hall was also the setting for one of the last few concerts played by the original Lynyrd Skynyrd lineup on July 13, 1977, before their tour plane's fatal crash on October 20, 1977." *** This information hails from Wikipedia. Pretty damn cool if you ask me. read more

Lots of fun shops and it's a historical landmark. They put up the tree but haven't decorated it as if yet. It's a fun place to spend an hour and they do have a oyster bar inside. read more

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Convention hall is a wonderful venue. I've seen bands play here (used to be home of the famous skate and surf festival, RIP) and they host a roller derby which, if you haven't ever experienced, is actually awesome. The place just emits a unique charm from another time, a time when the bustling Jersey Shore scene drew in families from all over the nation. Walking through the hollowed out structure, you can still feel all that energy. And it's a good energy. Also, walking through, you can spot such delights as buff, tan white dudes walking (yes, with a leash) oiled up, fully waxed muscular black dudes in a pleather s&m outfits and not even blink at it. Because this is the Asbury Park Boardwalk. And they sell bitchin' Cuban Sandwiches here. Inside Convention Hall, now, are some grills that serve up boardwalk style food, a few bars, a bakery, and several shops. The beautiful and super fun Asbury Park boardwalk runs right through the building which just adds to the boardwalk's supreme greatness over all other central Jersey Shore boardwalks. How many more times can I say boardwalk? boardwalkboardwalkboardwalkboardwalkboardwalkboardwalkboardwalkboardwalkboardwalkboardwalk. read more

I have been coming here since I was in high school. This is one of the NJ staples for concert halls. My favorite part is how small it is, you really get to be up close to the artist. The food here is cheap compare to most venues, $3 hot dogs and pretzels, but it is nothing amazing, just basic food. I like coming here in the summer since it is right on the water. They also have a couple of bars and restaurants inside before you enter actual concert hall which is cool. If you have never been here, try to get here for a concert. read more

Aged halls hosting fun and active events. Adventured down for the Asbury Park Beerfest (February 21st & 22nd, 2015...Late January in 2013 & 2014) hosted inside the Conventional Hall and indoor Boardwalk area. Certainly one of the better setups I've been to for a beer festival with a great flow of traffic, setting up tables in a beer/vendor/beer/vendor method allowed for you to get a beer and ENJOY your time drinking it as you moved along to the next table. Parking nearby wasn't too bad. You can either go for the valet lots ($8 and up) or do the metered street parking ($1 per hour or $10 day) which was easy enough as they accept card and cash. It's a bit of a walk if you try to go general street parking, but that's also an option if you get down there early. Take note of the weather as the convention hall doesn't offer much heat options (or cooling option come summer) and the boardwalk area only has limited space heaters floating around. There is a smoking area, so you don't have to go far to light up if need be. Also, in wet weather, they have a tendency to flood a bit. There often very good with clearing it out, but just something you might want to keep in mind. They host events year round, some big and some small. The beerfest is one of their best events. You also have a bar & restaurant inside the boardwalk area to grab a brew on weekends they aren't offering a beerfest. The restaurant has great bar far (sometimes a bit pricey) but certainly more options including a highly recommended clam chowder. read more

The five stars are for what this place USED to be, not what it is now. Past: slightly grimey hall used for shows and festivals. the upstairs was where merch usually was, "vip" and the beer gardens. the floors were always sticky, it was hard to walk because of the large amount of people and alcohol was abundant and readily available from the person standing next to you. the paramount theatre was for smaller bands, intimate sets and movie screenings/festivals. Now: it's a skeleton. inside, asbury/nj pride shops, small art gallery, lame ass bars/restaurants, a weird lounge that blasts their music and has frilly curtains and neon lights you can hear/see when you are walking on the boardwalk and a makeshift thrift store. I miss the old you, convention hall! Having blackout weekends and just photographs to remind you of what went on and who you met. read more

Very old, very rustic but I do love the place. There is a nice concert hall but just outside there, which is inside the building, there are some stores and a watering hole for some delicious food and beer. They also have one of those photo machines, although not the original old fashioned one, for five bucks you can take a photo with your loved on - 3 different pics and a "greetings from asbury park" logo for the 4th. . read more

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Asbury Park Convention Hall is a 3,600-seat indoor hall located on in Asbury Park, New Jersey on the boardwalk and beach of the Atlantic Ocean. It was built in 1923 and is used for sports, concerts and other special events. Neat venue with old world charm... get very hot here at concerts, bad ventilation. Also,,,,Cool bar to the right of the hall...Beach Bar. Wicker seating and beds to lounge on. read more

I love the convention hall for the stores inside - especially Asbury Park toastery and Criterion candy store. It's nice to have a breather from the heat on hot summer days. There are two bars on both sides of the building that sometimes have life music. And of course the view of the ocean is unbeatable! read more

Today was my first time coming to Mcloone's Asbury Park and I had an amazing time with my Mom and Aunt. Everyone was very nice and welcoming, the food was excellent I had the portobello mushroom burger my Mom had a turkey burger and my aunt had the buffalo chicken salad. Reggie even took our picture to mark the occasion!! Mccloones is a new favorite of mine if you want to be treated nice and enjoy good food Mccloones is the place I hope to spend a lot time here in the future read more

Asbury Holiday Bazaar-Festive atmosphere. Many talented vendors. Great spot to have a spiked apple cider and do some shopping. Santa dances while he waits for the kids. They will email you a photo with Santa for a cash or toy donation. No lines. Good jazz bands inside the convention center. Many vendors are cash only. read more

i love this place! i love all the stores that they have. i went to this ice cream shop and they sell hammonds chocolate bars. i love that brand! i usually go to the home decor store thats there (forgot name) and this other store that sells very artsy things not to far from it. i love the art murals around there too. i know its outside of it but its still pretty awesome to look at. read more

My fiance and I just attended the Cat Convention held here yesterday. It was a really nice event with a lot of vendors. We purchased the regular admission tickets off of Groupon. There were options to also purchase tickets to the cat lounge where you can adopt a cat as well as to meet and greets. We left with a few things for ourselves and for our cat. Some vendors were selling items at very decent prices. The Paw Project raises awareness against declawing and was selling really cute t-shirts for just $5 as well as Nala tote bags for $10. We also purchased spiral toys for our cat from another vendor as well as a coffee mug at very decent prices. There were also Pusheen items sold throughout at different stands and also a Meowington stand. We also bought coffee from Kitty Town Coffee for a promo price of 3 for $25 (originally $10 each). It was interesting to talk to a vet and a behavior specialist on site. Some companies were raffling off items such as a basket with a bunch of goodies as well as the high tech auto-cleaning litter box. We also got to take a few brochures about various topics. There were a couple of small bites available for purchase. The Convention Hall is also conveniently located with many restaurants nearby. read more

This place is great. It's historic and amazing. There's a theater here, which I haven't seen a show at, but it looks cool. There are a bunch of great little shops inside, including a restaurant/bar. They hold events and markets here throughout the year. There's a lot of potential with this spot, but I give it 5 stars for location and architecture. read more

We came this evening for the tree lighting and it was fantastic. They had multiple places to get food and drink, as well as the incredible ships that stayed open from the day bazaar. We will definitely return for the holiday market that is reminiscent of pop up markets in Europe. read more

I have watched Conventional Hall come back from the dead. The arena is still a little outdated, but it has made great strides. As a member of the JSRC, we have used Convention Hall for various events over the past several years. Each time the place a little bit better than the last. We can't wait to see how things look next spring for our Jersey Shore Relay Event in April of 2009!! The Kids and I enjoyed aTNA Wrestling event a few weeks back that was OUTSTANDING. We had ringside seats and had various wrestling personalities sign our shirts and take pictures with us. The kids had a blast. With new shops opening inside the Grand Arcade things are looking up for Convention Hall and the Paramount Theater. read more

As my other reviews will say, i love asbury park. convention hall is the enclosed section of the boardwalk with shops, eateries and the paramount theatre. i saw Bob Dylan play here 2 years ago. It's a great venue for an act even as popular as him. a nice little break from the sun, strolling thro here. be sure to get a pastry from the baker boys. local artists at bird boutique/vintage. various shops selling local souvenirs. read more

This review is for the Convention Hall music venue and shopping area, excluding the Paramount Theater, which I have reviewed separately. I was here for All Tomorrow's Parties festival, which put most of its biggest acts in the Convention Hall venue. The good things about the Convention Hall venue were that (a) it was big enough to hold virtually everybody who'd bought a ticket to ATP Fest, so if you wanted to see a band in there you didn't have to worry about not getting in, and (b) it has quite a lot of seating, so if you don't like to stand up on a sticky concrete floor for the duration of a band set or if you get tired after 6 hours of watching bands all day at the fest but still want to see the headliner, you will have somewhere to rest your weary bones and probably still be able to see and hear pretty good. Oh and (c), the stage is nice and high so if you're a short person who still wants to stand in the crowd you will probably be able to see at least the torsos and heads of whoever is playing. There is also a big upstairs with lots of room for merch sales. (There's a nice looking bar up there too, but it didn't seem to be in operation.) That is pretty much it for the good things about this venue. It is clearly old and compared to most large band venues or sports arenas, it's like a throwback to another era. I half expected Led Zep to come out and plug in their guitars, that's how ancient this joint seemed. It seriously reminded me of some of the 1950s and 60s sports stadiums that have since been demolished and replaced with cleaner, newer, more modern stadiums. Or, if the seats were taken out, it would be like one of those DIY punk show warehouses where kids are skateboarding through the crowd or starting oil drum bonfires indoors while the band plays. It is dark, it is grubby, and it is chilly. The seats are hard and not comfortable. The floor, the steps, everything is made of cement. The lighting and sound for the bands is not great. Basically I would say this venue needs a major overhaul to bring it into the 2000s. It also seemed to have way, way too many staff and while the staff did not seem to be looking for fights or hassling people, you definitely had a sense of being watched, just in case you might at some moment do something verboten. There is beer and food of the hot dog and pretzel variety available. I had a beer and a pretzel, a combo with which you usually can't go wrong, but in this case the pretzel was too salty and the beer tasted kind of like it had gone bad, so that was the last I ate or drank here as it was overpriced anyway. Outside the venue there are a few little touristy shops selling stuff with a heavily Bruce Springsteen/ rock n' roll theme, and a concierge stand giving information about the local area. I get the impression this place is just in the early stages of being fixed up and brought back to life from its crumbling dormancy, but they need to do a lot more. read more

It was cute, some of the stuff I'd actually consider buying. Great setting and there was music and a big ass Christmas tree.

The Convention Center in Asbury Park houses the Paramount Theater. The Paramount Theater is old with seats that are old and very uncomfortable so much so I will never go back. read more

Convention Hall (the building/promenade) is great. I've had food from the bakery a few times and was never disappointed. The burger joint next door is also decent. I'm hardly an architecture expert but this place seems to meld the Art Deco and Victorian into something uniquely Jersey Shore circa 1928. The boardwalk just south of Convention Hall also has a lot of interesting/useful/delicious shops and eateries although, if you go November-March a lot of that stuff will be closed. The first two times I had been to Convention Hall (to see a show inside the auditorium) I had tickets for the floor. This past time I had tickets for seats. The acoustics were actually better than I expected for such a large, concrete box. The sight lines were good. The ushers all seemed really friendly and, in general, for such an old building there's not much to complain about. The only thing I can gripe about is the "security" staff checking tickets and roaming the mezzanine. I didn't have any problems with them personally but I watched their interactions with a few other people in front of me (and with some drunk chick lost on the mezzanine) and to say that the staff's tone, demeanor and actions were unprofessional would be doing the word a disservice. Just as one example, most of the parking along the boardwalk is located south of Convention Hall so, if one wants to get into the venue one has to walk up to the entrance the venue, then walk a block past it, exit Convention Hall then turn back to come down a cattle chute. There aren't any signs to tell you this, there's a confusing gap in the metal bars where a normal person would think the entrance is and then there's a surly staff behind it to threaten you for trying to walk through it. read more

Last night was my first and LAST concert at the AP Convention Hall. The acoustics were horrible and did a great injustice to the two legendary performers - Leon Russell and Bob Dylan. The sound crews seemed to think that volume might make up for the poor sound quality. My ears are still ringing. So disappointing! read more

This is an awesome place to see a show..............there is no comparison in seeing someone here and then seeing an arena show. Unless you are RIGHT next to the stage (and they usually don't sell these) there is not a bad seat in the house. We were lucky enough to get tickets for the Springsteen rehearsal shows and we were so close, we could see the faces of all members of the band, it's amazing! This holds about 3000, smaller than most any other place, you are lucky if you can score tickets here. I'm not too tall (5'3") so instead of looking at everyone's backs I would rather have a real seat. There is general admission for standing room only if you think you can get real close. Sound is very good here. It's right on the beach, beautiful views from the upstairs windows. The arcade shops are open, a few gift shops, bars & restaurants to go to before and after the show all right in the same building-very convenient. Baker boys bake shop has delicious cupcakes. Plenty of on street parking and there are lots right across the street. read more