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).
Have feedback on this description? Let us knowDrag brunches, circuit nights & every party worth knowing in Asbury Park — in your inbox every week.
No upcoming events
Try checking a later date or browse events in the app
Get the full experience — check in, follow this venue, and connect with the community.
Everything for Asbury Park Beach Bear Invasion 2026 — the tea dances, Furball, the Plunge pool party, RAM, bears on the beach, and where to stay on the Jersey Shore.
Robbie S.
The men-only and gay-only hotels still open outside the US, from Gran Canaria's clothing-optional bungalows to Cambodia, Bali, Cape Town and New Zealand, and the famous names that have closed.
Robbie S.
The Grindr scams that actually happen, from sextortion and verification-code tricks to robbery set-ups abroad, plus the settings to change before you travel and what to do if you're targeted.
Robbie S.
The Village People were created by a gay producer as a set of gay fantasy characters and launched to gay disco audiences, but the members themselves differ. Here is what each has said on the record, and the two readings of YMCA.
Robbie S.
Atlantis Events charters whole ships for gay men. Here's who sails, what the parties are, what's included, what a 2027 Atlantis cruise really costs with fees, and how booking works, from Atlantis's own pages.
Robbie S.
Every bear cruise from late 2026 to early 2028 — BearCruise, Bears On Deck, Adventure Bears and Arno's Bear Cruises — with ships, ports, real fares and what each group includes, from the operators' own sites.
Robbie S.
