The house where Bruce Springsteen wrote Born To Run is up for sale

Ask Bruce Springsteen where he was born and he’ll loudly roar, “The USA”.

Ask Springsteen where he penned all the tracks to Born to Run, and he’ll tell you to hop on the Downbound Train, take Thunder Road, avoiding any cars Racing in the Street and that you’ll eventually stumble upon it.

OK, we're lying; he’d probably point to the modest 828-square-ft two bedroom house at 71/2 West End Court in Long Branch, Jersey Shore, where he lived from 1974 to 1975, right on the cusp of early fame. And judging by its unfussy exterior, large US flag and blue collar feel, the place is Springsteen personified.

A world away from the $60m Hollywood mansion the Boss put on the market in June, the good news for fans who aren’t filthy rich is that this old shack is now up for sale too, allowing fans to own a piece of Boss history for the affordable price of $299,000, working out to £193,000.

Fans have been known to make Jersey pilgrimages to the home, and the current owners have always given them a good welcome. Bought by Jerry Ferrara, his sister, Kim McDermott and their friend Ryan DeCarolis in 2009, the three had originally wanted to turn it into a museum for The Boss, but never quite got the plan off the ground.

“To me, the house is better than that stuff. It’s the place where he wrote Born to Run,” said Ferrara. 

After paying $280,000 for it six years ago, he admitted that “we probably paid more than it was worth when we bought it”.

The sellers want to find a buyer who has similar values to their own: “I hope it doesn’t just become some house on West End Court. We would hope someone would keep ‘the Bruce factor’ in it,” said McDermott.

Adding, “In a dream world, Bruce would show up and say ‘I think I should own this still.’ But I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

There’s nothing wrong with having High Hopes.