New Jersey has a nude beach in a remote corner of Sandy Hook, but no 'topless' beach anywhere else along its roughly 140 mile coastline. Asbury Park may be about to change that.
"I sit topless at my house so I don't have a problem with it," said Nicole White, 35, as she laid on the beach in Asbury Park with her bra strap undone, while showing she has no tan line back there.
"Why not?" asked Deputy Mayor and City Councilman John Loffredo, who asked the City Manager and City Attorney to come back with a full report in time for its July 7th meeting.
"It's a person's prerogative if they want to go topless," said Loffredo, who noted that it is common not just in Europe, but on Miami Beach as well.
The nude beach on Sandy Hook, called Gunnison, is sanctioned by the U.S. Park Service, as is an even more remote nude beach on Fire Island in New York, both part of the Gateway National Recreation Area.
But no municipality in New Jersey officially sanctions 'topless' sections, and some, like Belmar according to Loffredo, actually ban topless sunbathing.
And that suits beach goer Courtney Phillips, 29 of Ocean Township just fine.
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"Some things need to be saved for intimate moments with their significant other in the bedroom," said Phillips, who added "Not for everybody to see."
John Boon of Matawan, who was at the beach with his children Kayla and Madison, admitted he personally has no problem with topless beaches. But watching his two young daughters he quickly added "I don't want them to be exposed to that."
But the proposal being considered by the city council would authorize a 'topless optional' section only at the far northern end of Asbury Park's long beachfront, away from any homes, or even the boardwalk.
Still, men could walk up there just to ogle.
White's response was dismissive. "I could care less, honestly."
As to the chance that if they go topless they might as well go all the way, Deputy Mayor Loffredo said "I don't think that's gonna happen."
Follow Brian Thompson on Twitter @brian4NY.
