We did a few things we hadn't yet experienced in Asbury Park, and it was a great day.

When I found out about the Steve Jobs documentary "Man in the Machine" by Alex Gibney (who also did the Scientology documentary "Going Clear"), and realized that it was playing for just a few days longer in Asbury Park, we jumped in the car and decided to make a day of it.

I had never been to The Showroom, although I have passed this little movie theater on Cookman Avenue a bunch of times. And oh, what a nice change from the giant movie theater chains!

We got to the box office when they opened (an hour before the movie) to get our tickets, then walked across the street to the Shoppes at the Arcade, an enclosed 'mini-mall' of awesomely cool shops, surrounded by dim lighting and red brick, including Kill Screen Games (Christopher's favorite store for buying and selling pre-owned and classic video games), stores with beautiful furniture, costumes, a photography studio (Salt) that we have been to when the boys were working on a photo exhibit, and a really awesome store called Flying Saucersthat has treasures from the '70s like this red boot cup.

cowboy boot cup
(photo by liz jeressi)
loading...

When I saw this small cowboy cup, my 7-year-old self came rushing right back to me. Such memories!

Then it was time to see our documentary at The Showroom. At the movie theater, which has movies showing in three different theater rooms all intimate and adorable, the women behind the counter couldn't have been nicer or friendlier. The boys got a kick out of talking to them, and they had all kinds of wonderful, gluten-free and healthy items to munch on during the movie, as well as coffee and tea for purchase. Of course you could get popcorn, too, but the selection was much better than the junk food at other theaters. The bathrooms were clean and individual/private, the theater seats were comfy, and the sound quality was great! Loved, loved, loved this theater and will be going back to see some of the other great movies and documentaries here.

The parking is easy in Asbury, with plenty of spaces on the street and in lots around Cookman Ave. the lake, and near the beach and boardwalk, and the fee is small when you pay the meter.

After our show (which, by the way, if you are an Apple fan, Steve Jobs fan, and a history of technology fan you should DEFINITELY see) we decided on going to Brickwall Tavern and dining room on Cookman Avenue for dinner. It was our first time there and we had THE BEST food! The atmosphere was upbeat, the wait staff was super friendly, and my shrimp and grits was among the best meals I have ever had. Christopher LOVED his friend chicken, biscuits, and corn on the cob and Benj got a real kick out of a Spam and Cheese sandwich, lol.

What a fun day full of new experiences so close to home!

More From 94.3 The Point