If you grew up in New Jersey, listening to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” or “Glory Days” on your way down the shore is a way of life (we’ll talk about Bon Jovi when his biopic comes out). “The Boss” is as synonymous with Jersey’s coast as suntan lotion and saltwater taffy on the boardwalk. With the release of Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere on October 24, this stretch of New Jersey is having its moment more than ever. There are so many spectacular spots to see for those who are interested in tracing Springsteen’s footsteps along the beach towns that have defined his journey as a musician. His songs, like “Atlantic City” and “4th of July, Asbury Park,” are so location-specific, conjuring images of seedy casinos and dusty arcades, that it’s almost impossible to separate the artist from his seaside haunts. Below, read on for tips on what to see and where to stay in five different towns on the Jersey Shore for a Springsteen-inspired pilgrimage, including places that are spotlighted in his music, where Springsteen can currently be found hanging around, and historic hotspots he used to enjoy.
Long Branch
When Springsteen was 25, he moved back to Long Branch—the town in which he was born—and wrote the bulk of Born to Run in a cottage on 7 1/2 West End Court. It’s a blink-and-you-might-miss-it humble abode—the artist’s first private residence as a young man. According to Fortune, it’s where he found refuge after his second album, The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, did not receive the initial desired response. Springsteen lived in this West End bungalow with the intent of crafting an album that would signal a turning point in his career, and it was in the cottage’s living room that he wrote hits like “Thunder Road” and “Backstreets” on an Aeolian piano. Drive by the house, then pop into the Long Branch Arts & Cultural Center for an exhibit celebrating the 50th anniversary of Born to Run, where you can sift through archives highlighting Springsteen’s early days in Long Branch (through November 15).
Where to stay in Long Branch:
