Though Danny DeVito has lived in Los Angeles for decades, he’s always called Asbury Park home. The proud Jersey native still prefers watching sunrises on the Shore rather than in California. And the love is reciprocal: In 2018, Asbury Park declared Nov. 17 (the actor’s birthday) as Danny DeVito Day.

Before his unforgettable roles in Taxi, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and other blockbusters, the 79-year-old actor and director grew up with his mom, dad, and two older sisters on Second Avenue in the center of Asbury Park, where he biked, fished, snuck onto the beach, soaped windows on Mischief Night, and ate cones of french fries on the boardwalk (with malt vinegar and salt, of course).