Asbury Park has opened new public restrooms and shower facilities for the 2026 beach season as part of a series of waterfront improvements funded through New Jersey's Boardwalk Preservation Fund.

The new permanent bathroom facilities at First Avenue and Fourth Avenue replace shipping container restrooms that had been used on the beach for years, city officials said. The structures feature tiled interiors, natural light, water bottle filling stations and entrances accessible from both the north and south sides.

New shower stations have also been installed at each major beach entrance. Each entrance now includes two stations equipped with three showers and a foot-washing station. One station at every entrance is step-free accessible and connected to a handicap ramp by a mat pathway extending onto the beach.

"They look great! It's very clean. I'm very happy because I bring my family here and stuff, so I'm happy that all the bathrooms are brand new and big and clean," said LeAnn Manochio of Belleville.

The improvements were funded through the state's Boardwalk Preservation Fund, which allocated $100 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to shore communities.

"These new bathrooms are a long time coming. We went from shipping containers to facilities that actually feel like they belong here. That's the kind of improvement that makes a real difference for families spending a day at the beach," Mayor John Moor said in a statement.

Last year, Asbury Park was named Best Small Beach Town by Travel + Leisure.