Down the Shore

We’re seeing the Shore in a new light this week as we emerge from the winter doldrums into April, our surroundings full of new beginnings. Since moving here last summer, it’s our first time seeing things like the white blossoms on the tree in our front yard, or the daffodils popping up next door.

We’re super excited for this week’s feature: a local spotlight on Coasst, a space for locals with entrepreneurial mindsets to meet, share ideas, and build something new. It especially resonated with us as we continue building our newsletter and find community in our home of Monmouth County.

Local Business Spotlight: Coasst

Founder Meg McAleer is a Monmouth County resident and mom of three with a passion for building community and connecting people. Down the Shore spoke with Meg about the inspiration behind her IRL community, Coasst, the meaning behind the shore-inspired name, and the Residency pop-up launching this week at Anderson Market.

Read on to learn more, and be sure to check out the events section for all the exciting opening week programming.

1. What inspired you to start an IRL community for connection and collaboration in Monmouth County?

I have always been in the business of connecting with people. I started my career in finance in client-facing roles, and later transitioned to the wellness startup world, where I loved having a platform to bring people together.

I have also always deeply admired entrepreneurs and genuinely want to support anyone building something. All of that led me to Coasst, and I am so happy this community has found a home at Anderson Market.

The idea to evolve into a physical space was inspired by communities in NYC like Luminary and Fabrik, and I wanted to bring something like that to Monmouth County.

2. How did you choose Anderson Market as your location for The Residency?

I’ve always loved the Anderson Building, and when I heard that Culture Collective was transforming it into a shared space, I pitched my community concept to the founder, Chris Viola. He loved it, and here we are. 

3. What are some of your favorite spots down the Shore?

My husband and I moved here in 2014 and had all three of our kids here, so we have our routines. We start a lot of our mornings at Rook Coffee. 

The kids and I love the beach, and we belong to Ship Ahoy Beach Club. Thompson Park in Lincroft is a favorite for walks. 

Friday nights are for pizza, and we rotate between The Sauce in Oceanport and Uncle Giuseppe's (two pies for $22, no gatekeeping). Sweet treats and birthday ice cream cakes always come from Nicholas Creamery.

4. How did you come up with the name for your business?

The name Coasst comes from the three “co” pillars at the heart of the brand: connection, community, and collaboration. I also wanted to build something that could assist (“asst”) people and businesses in whatever way they need. Pair all of that with a love for the beach and the name Coasst was born. 

The Residency name came together while ideating with the team at Anderson Market and it stuck.

5. The Coasst Residency officially opens today, Monday April 13th. What should we know?

There are still coworking spots available for the three-month pilot, and daily drop-ins are always welcome. If you want to get a feel for the community, the AI IRL Coffee Meetup on Wednesday, April 15 is a great place to start. It is the kind of gathering that is less about the technology and more about the people in the room. 

Everything you need, from coworking details to upcoming events, lives at coasst.co, and you can follow along on Instagram at @coasst.co.

If you have a business you’d like us to feature, let us know by responding to this email!

Shore Points

Here are a few headlines that caught our eye this week:

Rallo Plans Eatery for Former Gas Station - The owner of Birravino, Undici, and River Pointe Inn plans on transforming a former gas station into a pizza joint in Red Bank. We were also surprised to learn that the location has a connection to a Cary Grant and Doris Day film — you can learn more in this piece by the Two River Times.

Why Living at the Jersey Shore is Good for Your Health - Ever wonder why all those Jane Austen novels mention the benefits of sea air in curing any given ailment? Turns out there is some scientific-backed research behind it. The Jersey Shore Girl did a deep dive as Asbury Park was dubbed New Jersey’s “Healthiest Town” for 2025.

Weekly Forecast

Spring is finally here with 6 out of 7 days projected to crack 70! And yes, we’ll be fully transitioning to iced coffees (and have our eye on Rook’s Banana Toffee Cold Brew).

Monday 4/13 - 75°/52° Cloudy

Tuesday 4/14- 76°/59° Partly Sunny

Wednesday 4/15 - 74°/61° Light Rain

Thursday 4/16 - 71°/61° Cloudy

Friday 4/17 - 73°/55° Mostly Sunny

Saturday 4/18 - 63°/55° Partly Sunny

Sunday 4/19 - 70°/43° Light Rain

And for the surfers out there, here are the weekly surf conditions in Belmar courtesy of Surf Captain:

Farmer’s Market Roundup

We’re less than a month away from our local farmer’s market’s opening day in Fair Haven, but are lucky to have Bell Works offering two farmers markets opportunities this week:

• Holmdel: 4/15 Bell Works FRESH Wednesday Farmers and Makers Market

• Holmdel: 4/18 Bell Works FRESH Saturday Farmers and Makers Market

And if we are missing any other markets, let us know!

Happenings Down the Shore

Below is a curated list of events happening this week. For business, we’re looking forward to the AI IRL Coffee Meetup at The Residency in Anderson Market. And for pleasure, we’ll be humming along to live music at Beach Bee Meadery’s Springfest.

Lastly, if there’s an upcoming event you’d like us to cover, feel free to pass it along!

Monday 4/13

Oceanport - Weekly Trivia at Skinny Flowers Brewing (6:30 pm)

Red Bank - The Residency Opening Day at Anderson Market (9 am)

Red Bank - Jazz Arts Jam Sessions at Triumph Brewing (6 pm - live music)

Tuesday 4/14

Long Branch - Book Club by Renegade Book Club at Beach Bee Meadery (6 pm)

Wednesday 4/15

Red Bank - AI IRL Coffee Meetup at The Residency, Anderson Market (9 am)

Red Bank - Jazz Café – Mariel Bildsten at Triumph Brewing (6 pm - live music)

Spring Lake - Storytime and Author Event with author Cristina Ergunay: Central Park Adventures Through the Seasons at Thunder Road Books (10 am - learn more)

Spring Lake Out of the Loop: Book Club + Author Event with Katie Siegel at Thunder Road Books (6 pm - learn more)

Thursday 4/16

Asbury Park - Quincy Mumford and Michael Ghegan at Harry’s in the St. Laurent Hotel (8 pm - live music)

Asbury Park - The Friends of Fern at Low Dive (8 pm - live music)

Long Branch - Pasta Making Workshop by Bee's Pasta & Co at Beach Bee Meadery (6 pm - learn more)

Red Bank - Spring Macaron Night with Mielou at Anderson Market (5:30 pm)

Red Bank - Open Mic Comedy Night at the Basie Center Cinema House (7 pm)

Red Bank - Connor Quigley at The Molly Pitcher Inn (6 pm - live music)

Red Bank - Justin Garcia Band at Triumph Brewing (8 pm - live music)

Friday 4/17

Belmar - Two Acoustic Dudes at Beach Haus (7 pm - live music)

Belmar - E-Boro Bandits at Marina Grille (8 pm - live music)

Holmdel - I Am Curbie at Fox Hollow Vineyard (6 pm - live music)

Oceanport - Chris Brown at Skinny Flowers Brewing (7 pm - live music)

Red Bank - Lego Serious Play Workshop at The Residency, Anderson Market (11 am)

Red Bank - Project Write Now’s CringeFest 2026 at The Vogel, Count Basie Center for the Arts (7 pm - get tickets)

Red Bank - Jukebox Criminals with DJ MIke at Jamian’s (9 pm - live music)

Red Bank - Marty Hoski at The Molly Pitcher Inn (6 pm - live music)

Red Bank - Chuck Lambert at Triumph Brewery (9 pm - live music)

Saturday 4/18

Asbury Park - Asbury Park Record Show in the Grand Arcade at Convention Hall (12 pm)

Belmar - Next Wave at Marina Grille (8 pm - live music)

Holmdel - Georgia Owen at Fox Hollow Vineyard (2 pm - live music)

Holmdel - Sundown Sessions feat. DJ Ayotay at Bar Bella in BellWorks (4 pm - live music)

Long Branch - Springfest with live music featuring Chris Morrisy at Beach Bee Meadery (6 pm)

Oceanport - Cranston Dean at Skinny Flowers Brewing (6 pm - live music)

Red Bank - Frank Rainey at The Molly Pitcher Inn (6 pm - live music)

Red Bank - Moroccan Sheepherders at Jamians (9 pm - live music)

Red Bank - DeLaVida at Triumph Brewery (9 pm - live music)

Sunday 4/19

Belmar - Michael Cappetto at Beach Haus (2 pm - live music)

Holmdel - Joy Soltys at Fox Hollow Vineyard (2 pm - live music)

Red Bank - Keith Chasin Trio at Triumph Brewing (1 pm - live music)

Did we miss an event? Let us know.

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