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52 OCNJMAGAZINE.COM
AUGUST 2020
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Inside Island Gypsy
the store. The environment was light, breathable, and controlled. “We have awesome customers, and they couldn’t wait for us to get back. It’s like we never skipped a beat,” says Linda from Island Gypsy. Island Gypsy offers shopping by private appointment during the time in the morning before the store opens in order to give all of her customers an experience suited to their comfort level.
After heading in and out of few shops, it’s time for a classic brunch moment. With its outdoor dining porch right on the avenue, Yianni’s Cafe is a great place to go to get a bagel, wrap, sandwich, or salad. “Everything is fresh delivered every day,” said owner Yianni Siganos. My favorite lunch at Yianni’s is their buffalo chicken wrap with a big pile of crispy, golden fries next to it and a sweet, cold glass of cranberry juice. Yianni’s has even transitioned their website to offer online ordering, so you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner from Yianni’s at your own house.
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Yianni (far right) and part of his team at Yianni’s Cafe
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T’S THERE for you on a hot day, it’s there for you on a cloudy day. It’s there when you’re hungry, thirsty, or too sunburnt to sit on the beach. It changes often, but the memories never leave. It’s often busy, sometimes crazy, but it’s a cute, homey community of its own. It’s Asbury Avenue, of course. There are over 100 stores, restaurants, and businesses on Asbury Avenue between 6th and 14th streets. You can spend an entire day on Asbury where you can keep a healthy distance and have a great time with friends, family, or even on your own. I like to start off my day trip with a large vanilla oat milk iced latte from the Ocean City Coffee Company at 917 Asbury. If parallel parking among the bikers and pedestrians isn’t your strongest skill, this location has a parking lot next to it with a three-hour parking limit. The harmonious combination of smooth milk, rich espresso, and sweet vanilla syrup keeps me feeling cool and energized for the rest of the day. An iced coffee in the summertime is truly the soft serve ice cream cone of the morning: can you drink it before it melts? Next up, I’m ready to hit the shops. Shore shopping is special, it’s near and dear to my heart, because many stores on Asbury cannot be found anywhere else. Many of them are small, locally owned, family businesses. The system at Island Gypsy at 760 Asbury was particularly efficient. Island Gypsy placed a maximum capacity on their store and closed their dressing rooms in order to keep their customers and employees safe, so I approached the store and waited in line for about five minutes until I was able to enter the store. I was ultimately grateful for the line outside because it made the store significantly less crowded. Racks of clothing were spaced out accordingly, and the staff left a large open space in the center of
City Hall at 861 Asbury Ave
Sylvie August spends the day Downtown on Asbury Avenue
