These "gargoyles" are from "The Casino" at the "start" of The Circuit
“World’s Largest Pool”Memories by Mary Fiorillo
Every summer, when I was young enough not to care who saw me in a bathing suit, my mother took me and my three sisters swimming at the Asbury Park Beach. We had a Cabana at what was then called the “Monte Carlo”, the world’s largest pool. We would all pile in our small Chevy Nova, at which time there would be an argument as to who sat where. The oldest sister always won. We’d then make a stop at my father’s small Mom and Pop grocery store, where we would pick up our daily supply of junk food for the day. Our cabana was huge (so I thought). Here we could change, take a shower, leave an extra set of clothes, and all but cook a meal. We shared this cabana with two other families. Once at the pool we would head off to the same spot that we occupied all summer near the Baby Pool. My mother was allergic to the sun and this spot was under the shade. The Monte Carlo consisted of three pools: The Baby Pool, the Diving Pool, and the Main Pool. The Diving pool was set off in the corner near the snack bar. The pool was ten feet deep and had three diving boards. The high dive was so high you could see all of Asbury Park once on top. The other two diving boards were much lower and this pool also had its own special lifeguard. The main pool was enormous. It took up an entire city block. Set in the middle of the pool were two large fountains that squirted water from their tops. This pool started out shallow and gradually got deeper as I worked my way around. It had a total of four lifeguard stations. The stations were tall stands where the guards would sit and keep an eye on the swimmers. They also had to make sure that all the pool’s rules, one which as no diving off the sides, were being enforced. If you were a member of the Monte Carlo Beach Club you also had the privilege of using the beach, which was just across the street. A small tunnel which ran under the street would get you access to the beach. It was dark and stinky with a wet mucky floor but it would get you to the sand and sea. The Monte Carol has since been torn down. The world’s largest pool to date is the Orthlieb Pool in Casablanca, Morocco( it was anyway). In place of the Monte Carlo there now stands a fifteen-story senior citizens home. All traces of the summer resort have been wiped away from Asbury Park, but its warm memory will stay with my family and me always.
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Here's an old map of Asbury Park as designed by James A. Bradley
Back in the day when horse and buggies "ran the circuit"!
Click on pic for more about Asbury Park
New Jersey
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GUITAR STUFF:
OUTDOOR STUFF:
JERSEY STUFF:
ASBURY PARK MODEL INSTRUMENTS,
ASBURY PARK GUITARS,
SPRINGSTEEN COPY,
MAIN INSTRUMENT PAGE,
LAP STEEL GUITARS,
MANDOLINS,
VINTAGE GUITAR,
OUTDOORS PAGE,
ZOAR VALLEY NY,
ASBURY PARK MAP,
"THE CIRCUIT",
ASBURY PARK NEW JERSEY STUFF,