{"id":27948,"date":"2024-10-13T00:01:06","date_gmt":"2024-10-13T07:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/?p=27948"},"modified":"2024-10-12T06:13:18","modified_gmt":"2024-10-12T13:13:18","slug":"the-sopranos-asbury-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2024\/10\/13\/the-sopranos-asbury-park\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sopranos:  Asbury Park"},"content":{"rendered":"<h6>By Joe Berk<\/h6>\n<p>Asbury Park, New Jersey, is another <em>Sopranos<\/em> location.\u00a0 \u00a0In the series, several episodes depict Tony Soprano&#8217;s dreams.\u00a0 It&#8217;s a well-worn cinematic technique, but David Chase (<em>The Sopranos<\/em> writer) did it well.\u00a0 In the Asbury Park scene, Tony has been diagnosed with cancer and he pours gasoline over himself and self immolates in front of his minions.\u00a0 Tony&#8217;s a good guy, you see, and he wants to short circuit his suffering and spare his friends the hospital visits associated with his impending lengthy illness.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"The Sopranos - Tony's Fever Dreams\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Bcgr4xz1eqU\" width=\"1375\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In the video above, the building that spans the boardwalk is the Asbury Park Convention Center.\u00a0 \u00a0You can see it and the boardwalk, along with the beach (what we in New Jersey call &#8220;the shaw,&#8221; as in &#8220;Let&#8217;s go down the shaw&#8230;&#8221;) in the photo above this blog.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28030\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28030\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-28030 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5342-600-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"899\" srcset=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5342-600-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5342-600-1-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28030\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">On the Asbury Park boardwalk, approaching the Convention Center.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In a later scene during Tony&#8217;s dream, Tony shoots Pauly Walnuts inside the Convention Center during a card game.\u00a0 Throughout the series, Tony&#8217;s relationship with Pauly is complicated.\u00a0 Pauly is probably Tony&#8217;s most loyal minion (along with Silvio Dante), but Pauly is constantly getting on Tony&#8217;s nerves.\u00a0 The character development <em>The Sopranos<\/em> is very well done; it is one of many areas in which the show shines.\u00a0 \u00a0You probably can tell I am a <em>Sopranos<\/em> fanboy.\u00a0 I am what I am.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28024\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28024\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-28024 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5345-2-600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5345-2-600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5345-2-600-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28024\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Inside the Asbury Park Convention Center. The red arrow denotes where Tony (in his dream) shot Pauly.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The coin-operated binoculars you see in the video are no longer on the boardwalk, but they were there when I was a kid and I remember wishing I had the coins and the height to be able to see through them.\u00a0 The benches you see in the video (on the boardwalk, facing the Atlantic) are still there.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28026\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28026\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-28026 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5351-600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5351-600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5351-600-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28026\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Inside the Convention Center. It was built in 1929. I don&#8217;t think it is still used for conventions.\u00a0 It would be cool if it did.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28025\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28025\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-28025 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5349-600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5349-600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5349-600-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28025\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">On the south side of the Convention Center, looking east at the Atlantic Ocean. In <a href=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2022\/06\/27\/movie-review-the-many-saints-of-newark\/\">The Many Saints of Newark<\/a> (a recently released prequel to the Sopranos), Dickie Moltisante (Tony&#8217;s childhood hero), murdered his girlfriend (and former stepmother) in the Atlantic at this spot. It&#8217;s a complicated plot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28027\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28027\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-28027 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5362-600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5362-600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5362-600-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28027\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Looking north along the Asbury Park boardwalk (on the northern side of the Convention Center, which was just behind me when I took this photo).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On the day I visited Asbury Park, contractors were erecting a stage right on the beach for a Bruce Springsteen concert the next day.\u00a0 \u00a0 General admission tickets were $350; select seating tickets went as high as $4,000.\u00a0 These were not scalper prices; these are the prices that were published for the event.\u00a0 I learned this talking to a young lady inside the Convention Center.\u00a0 I still have my New Jersey accent, and just for grins, I told her I went to high school with Bruce.\u00a0 I didn&#8217;t, but I was having fun.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28029\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28029\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-28029 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5372-600-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5372-600-2.jpg 600w, https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5372-600-2-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28029\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">On the north side of the Convention Center, looking south. That stage to the left is where the Springsteen concert was going to be.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&#8220;Really?&#8221; she said.\u00a0 I am Bruce Springsteen&#8217;s age, and young people are easily fooled.\u00a0 I think she believed me.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;What was he like?&#8221; she asked, wide eyed.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Truth be told, he was a first-class pain in the ass,&#8221; I answered. &#8220;Even in those days, he wanted everyone to call him &#8216;The Boss.&#8217;\u00a0 It was weird, but we humored the guy.&#8221;\u00a0 Her mouth opened in amazement. She was buying my line, but it wasn&#8217;t true.\u00a0 There&#8217;s only one boss, and his name is Tony Soprano.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Never miss an ExNotes blog:<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<style>\r\n        .wpedon-container .wpedon-select,\r\n        .wpedon-container .wpedon-input {\r\n            width: 171px;\r\n            min-width: 171px;\r\n            max-width: 171px;\r\n        }\r\n    <\/style><div class='wpedon-container wpedon-align-center'><form target='_blank' action='https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/cgi-bin\/webscr' method='post' class='wpedon-form'><input type='hidden' name='cmd' value='_donations' \/><input type='hidden' name='business' value='ExNotes@ExhaustNotes.us' \/><input type='hidden' name='currency_code' value='USD' \/><input type='hidden' name='notify_url' value='https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-post.php?action=add_wpedon_button_ipn'><input type='hidden' name='lc' value='en_US'><input type='hidden' name='bn' value='WPPlugin_SP'><input type='hidden' name='return' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='cancel_return' value='' \/><input class='wpedon_paypalbuttonimage' type='image' src='https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/en_US\/i\/btn\/btn_donateCC_LG.gif' border='0' name='submit' alt='Make your payments with PayPal. It is free, secure, effective.' style='border: none;'><img alt='' border='0' style='border:none;display:none;' src='https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/en_US\/i\/scr\/pixel.gif' width='1' height='1'><input type='hidden' name='amount' id='amount_346aa5ba3665ff71bfa90247d0453988' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='price' id='price_346aa5ba3665ff71bfa90247d0453988' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='item_number' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='item_name' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='name' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='custom' value='23447'><input type='hidden' name='no_shipping' value='1'><input type='hidden' name='no_note' value='0'><input type='hidden' name='currency_code' value='USD'><\/form><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Don&#8217;t forget: Visit our advertisers!<\/span><\/h3>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.britishmotorcyclegear.com\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-23940 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BritishMotorcycleGear400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BritishMotorcycleGear400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BritishMotorcycleGear400-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BritishMotorcycleGear400-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 85vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Joe Berk Asbury Park, New Jersey, is another Sopranos location.\u00a0 \u00a0In the series, several episodes depict Tony Soprano&#8217;s dreams.\u00a0 It&#8217;s a well-worn cinematic technique, but David Chase (The Sopranos writer) did it well.\u00a0 In the Asbury Park scene, Tony has been diagnosed with cancer and he pours gasoline over himself and self immolates in &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2024\/10\/13\/the-sopranos-asbury-park\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;The Sopranos:  Asbury Park&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28035,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[392,96],"tags":[4335,4337,4336,4338,2799],"class_list":["post-27948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-back-in-the-day","category-feel-good-stuff","tag-asbury-park","tag-bruce-springsteen","tag-convention-center","tag-the-boos","tag-the-sopranos"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240912_5339-900-3.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27948"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27948\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28172,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27948\/revisions\/28172"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28035"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}