Broadwalk, Red Bank's Summer Centerpiece, Opens On Monday

RED BANK, NJ — It's that time of year again in the borough - Broadwalk is back Monday, May 15.

A stretch of Broad Street gets closed off to cars and opened up to pedestrians, restaurant dining, music, yoga and kids' activities to bolster this inland city's summer destination status.

After input from the Borough Council, residents and business owners, the Broadwalk season of May 15 to Oct. 1 was agreed to earlier this spring.

The Broadwalk came into being in 2020, as a response to COVID restrictions on indoor dining.

The concept is popular and has become an anticipated part of the summer scene ever since, he has said.

Plans to enhance the 2023 Broadwalk experience in downtown Red Bank were presented to the Red Bank Council by RiverCenter Executive Director Zuckerman on March 8.

Last summer, the opening was delayed until late July when a major reconstruction project was completed on Broad Street.

This year, businesses can look forward to a more complete season - along with some improvements that may address some community concerns.

Zuckerman gave a report to the council in March about how the organization plans to build on the positives of Broadwalk and mitigate some of the negatives.

Briefly, it would involve better litter control, more oversight of loading zone violations and providing more afternoon community activities.

He said a survey of restaurant owners showed two-thirds like the idea of the Broadwalk, which runs on Broad Street from Front Street south to White Street and is cordoned off by retractable, protective bollards at either end.

The outdoor concept is a festive way to attract visitors to Red Bank in the summer when tourists often set their sights on beach towns like Long Branch and Sea Bright, Zuckerman said.