The Bradley Park section of Neptune represents a late 19th century building boom which echoed strong population growth in the neighboring seaside resorts of Ocean Grove and Asbury Park. Initially meadowlands, the property was filled in by developers Frank Appleby and H.C. Winsor and was named for Asbury Park’s founder, James A. Bradley, who also owned property-including a park- in Bradley Park. In 1900, Bradley Park was one of the most heavily populated areas of Neptune Township.
Store and shops dot the stretch of State Highway 35 which curves through present day Bradley Park, giving it a business corridor, but the neighborhood’s residential character remains predominant. Neat blocks of houses celebrate a variety of architectural styles there and its wide tree-lined streets invite beach breezes inland to cool and invigorate Bradley Park’s residents. The Bradley Park School site, built in 1897 but no longer in use, will soon make way for a neighborhood park under Green Acres funding.
