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Visitors to Asbury Park who don’t travel in by train will soon find it easier to navigate the city as the Chamber of Commerce adds additional way-finding signage in the downtown business district and along the waterfront.

The chamber got the city’s OK to place the same map signage that give guidance to passengers who exit NJ Transit trains [shown above] in downtown Press Plaza and at the intersection of Ocean and Fifth avenues in Bradley Park.

The two new signs, which come at no cost to city taxpayers, should be up around Memorial Day if not the first week in June, according to Jackie Pappas, executive director of the Asbury Park chamber [shown above, with Board Trustee Kenneth Roth.]

The signs provide an accurate street grid of the entire city with a map that points out iconic tourist destinations, among them Convention Hall, the carousel house, and casino structure. The Stephen Crane House and Springwood Avenue Center are also on the map’s legend, said Pappas.

“Way-finding is one of the key factors for economic development as we look to establish the city as a destination,” Pappas said.

The new signage gives visitors who set the GPS in their cars to locations along the waterfront and downtown business districts the chance to take a look at what the whole city has to offer, she said.

Additionally, waterfront redevelopers Asbury Partners have agreed to provide funds to put two additional, identical signs along the boardwalk, possibly within the green spaces, Pappas said.

“I really love that we are drawing all of the parts of the city together,” said Pappas.

All of the maps come equipped with a kiosk for the Chamber of Commerce to place their annual city guides in for visitors to take.

The city guide lists places in the city where visitors can eat, shop, stay overnight, and partake in various activities throughout the summer season.

Production of the 25,000 city guides — which are also made available in chamber-affiliated businesses in the city, rest stops along the Garden State Parkway, in the information center in the Jersey Shore Premium Outlets, and mailed to individual homes — are  funded through the city’s Urban Enterprise Zone funds. The chamber provides in-house sponsorship for the design of the maps.

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