The renovated Long Branch senior center on Second Avenue features the historic 1907 Coca Cola sign that was saved from demolition in 2023.
Long Branch opened the long-awaited Long Branch Senior Center with hundreds of attendees Fri., Aug. 2 The party included hundreds of Long Branch seniors in attendance, food, live music, and tours of the new building.
The Long Branch Senior Center has undergone a major renovation and expansion beginning about a year and a half ago. This renovation includes doubling the space, a total facelift of the exterior of the building, a new grand lobby area with a fireplace, health screening room, a fitness/community room, bigger classrooms, a brand-new state of the art bingo machine, more space for storage and other renovations that will allow the center to provide more programming. Overall, the center will be much more functional with ADA compliance, additional restrooms, and new interior designed spaces, officials said.
The renovations were long overdue, officials said, for the center that had an outdated building that dates back to the 1950s, clashing with a growing senior citizen program that serves over 900 members.
The center also features the historic 1907 Coca Cola sign that was saved from demolition in the early part of 2023. The vintage sign was uncovered last year during demolition of an adjoining building’s exterior on Third Avenue in downtown Long Branch. The city certified with a Coca-Cola archivist in Atlanta, that the sign most likely dates to around 1907. The slogans, “Delicious & Refreshing” and “Relieves Fatigue” along with the color scheme, were the main identifiers that helped pinpoint the date. According to the experts, there just aren’t that many signs around that are this old. Out of over 100 Coca-Cola ad campaigns that once dotted the Jersey Shore, only the one in Long Branch remains. The Coca-Cola sign is in good condition, having been protected by the adjoining building for a century. Fortunately, it was painted on original wooden planks and was able to be moved by the developer who meticulously numbered and removed the planks.
“We are very excited to unveil the new senior center to our community here in Long Branch. With an even larger space and the goal to serve even more members of our community, we are ready to hit the ground running with even more new and expanded programming,” Mayor John Pallone said.
“The space is beautiful,” Community Outreach Manager Michal Dimiceli said. “You have to see it in person, especially the salvaged Coca Cola sign and grand lobby entrance with a floor to ceiling library.”
The public is encouraged to call the Senior Center for more information 732-571-6542 and to join today.
