Acme in Manasquan to Close in December

This is a huge change (or, some would say, loss) for the town of Manasquan.

With a bigger, nicer Acme just a couple of miles down the road in Wall Township on Rt. 35, this small, old, tired Acme just can't sustain.

This place is usually extra busy in the summer because it's right down the street from the beach and it gets all of the tourists grabbing groceries for their rental homes.

So, now that the lease is coming to an end, it will close. What will take its place?

Well, the rumors and gossip always make me laugh. Everyone thinks they know....but the truth is that the property is being shopped and there is no one officially signed to take that space yet.

But on social media, everyone seems to think that the Manasquan CVS may move across the street and take over the spot where Acme sits (corner of Main St. and Rt. 71). Others say it should become a Lidl orTrader Joe's. Other's have thrown out names like Steinbach's (which is closing in Ocean Township)....then you get the crazy folks who want an FAO Schwarz or Woolworths, lol.

It is sad, though, to see a grocery store that has been in this small beach town for around 80 years close on Dec. 4th.

Some speculate that if CVS were to move across the street, they would probably have to tear down the Acme building to create the specs that all the new CVS stores now have. I think that moving the CVS into a nice, big, new storefront would make sense. The current CVS is in a strip mall across the street and is too small, without enough parking.

But I also think that whatever takes the place of this litttle Acme will change the landscape and the hometown feel of Manasquan...so we can only hope for the best.