Part of the Gay Asbury Park Guide — bars, events & things to do.
Asbury Park, New Jersey
Gay nightclub in the Art Deco Empress Hotel with pool deck and dance floors
Gay nightclub inside an Art Deco building shared with the Empress Hotel, opened in 1999 by Grammy-winning producer Shep Pettibone (Madonna, Janet Jackson). The complex includes two dance rooms, a martini lounge, two tiki bars, and an outdoor pool deck with late-night poolside service. Hurricane Sandy blew the roof off in 2012; Pettibone rebuilt with a new dance floor, video displays, and laser lighting. Paradise helped restart Asbury Park's queer nightlife after decades of decline. The weekly Fierce Fridays drag show runs at 11:30 PM, and the annual Miss Paradise pageant has produced multiple RuPaul's Drag Race contestants — Honey Davenport (Season 11), Olivia Lux (Season 13), and Sapphira Cristál (Season 16).
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