Long Branch was the Jersey Shore destination for the Gilded Age — seven US presidents summered here, including Ulysses S. Grant and Woodrow Wilson. Pier Village eventually replaced all of that with condos and a boutique hotel strip, and AVA Beach Bar is the result: an oceanfront bar that took over from the old Surfside Beach Bar and now runs DJ nights, live music, and a summer party calendar that kicks off every Memorial Day Weekend. The ocean views are the same as they were when the presidents were here. The drinks are considerably more expensive.
