One of the resources for the Jersey Shore’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community is on the move.
QSpot LGBT Community Center, previously housed in the Jersey Shore Arts Center in the Ocean Grove section of Neptune, will relocate to 1601 Asbury Ave., Asbury Park, this summer.
Founded in Asbury Park in 2005, QSpot will host a Grand HOPEning celebration at its new home Saturday, July 31.
There will be a ribbon cutting for event sponsors, host committee members and ambassadors at 5 p.m., and the public is welcome to attend from 6 to 8 p.m.
“Really, coming back to Asbury is like coming home for us,” said QSpot executive director John Mikutuck.
QSpot has been at work at extensive renovations for its new location since late 2019, and moved out of its Ocean Grove site in early 2020, just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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During the pandemic, the organization moved its programming — including support groups, its book club and a social club for older adults — to Zoom.
“All of them have been still holding their meetings, really embraced the technology and now are beginning the conversations about coming back in person after our Grand HOPEning,” said Mikytuck.
QSpot’s new location will also feature a cafe, with sales supporting the organization’s efforts.
Mikytuck described the move to a stand-alone home as “such a leap forward,” explaining it was always the goal of the organization’s founders.
The Asbury Avenue site, Mikytuck said, has been vacant since 2007 or so. It had previously housed a car rental business, a bank and a service station.
For more information on QSpot, and for the latest updates on its new location, visit qspot.org.
Alex Biese has been writing about art, entertainment, culture and news on a local and national level for more than 15 years.
