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Hello
Jan 28, 2005 22:00:09 GMT -5
Post by Doowopper on Jan 28, 2005 22:00:09 GMT -5
Well, I plan to major in hotel/motel manegment in college, one day I hope to buy a motel in Wildwood and renovate it (of course keeping it's Doo Wop character) and bring it back to it's prime. I just hope there some left by that time. Well, I still enjoy visiting the Crest every year with my family but we are all very upset to see so many condo clones going up, I can't see how anyone can find them attractive at all. Well, I always hope for the best so hopefully this drastic construction of condos will slow soon before it's to late.
About me, I enjoy paintball, manage a large paintball forum, and am a huge baseball fan. The beach is my absolute favorite place to be.
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Hello
Jan 29, 2005 2:35:52 GMT -5
Post by Al Alven on Jan 29, 2005 2:35:52 GMT -5
I don't like to make a habit of conversing with Mets fans , but anyone with a passion for Doo Wop and the Wildwoods in general is a friend of mine! I completely agree with you about the condos in the Crest. In most cases, there is no variety whatsoever. Just a bunch of grey, cookie cutter buildings with no originality, no character and nothing to set them apart from the rest. What an unfortunate and drastic change this is from the very nature of the flamboyant, colorful Doo Wop motels that are quickly disappearing from the island's landscape. You would think, in the very least, that more of these new highrise developments would adapt some sort of Doo Wop theme. From a pure marketing standpoint, that would seem to make sense to me. Things are a bit different up in Wildwood, where building restrictions are more strongly enforced and some current builders seem to understand the value and importance of keeping with the mid-century spirit of the resort. Anyway, as a longtime Crest visitor myself, I feel your pain. Where does your family usually stay? Also, good luck with finishing up high school (just enjoy it while you are still there) and with your eventual hotel/motel management major in college!
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Hello
Jan 29, 2005 23:13:19 GMT -5
Post by AnthonyV on Jan 29, 2005 23:13:19 GMT -5
Sorry Al, but I'm another avid Met fan... No offense but I watched them when they used to win and I watch them when they lose - which is more often than I'd like to admit over the last three nightmarish years - going back to 1972. Unlike so many of my friends who only became Yankee fans when they started winning beginning back around the mid-1990s (But, oddly enough, used to beg me for Mets tickets in the 1980s) I can say that suffering with a team builds character, thick skin, and demonstrates integrity as far as I'm concerned, or at least as I would like to believe - not to mention ulcers and hypertension caused by jealously and resentment mostly towards the evil empire over in the Bronx!!!! who've made life for Mets fans unbearable. At least I can rattle off every Met opening day line-up from 1972 up to 2004 (some I'd rather forget), while most of my so-called die-hard Yankee fan friends don't even know who Ralph Houk, Ron Bloomberg, or Roy White were! In fact, I know more about the NY Yankee history than most of todays Yankee 'fans" I meet and have come to pretty much dislike . What's sad is that the greatness of the Yankee dynasty over these last ten years has to be wasted on some of these type of bandwagon "fans." As for myself, as much as I dislike the Yankees (not sure if you're a Bombers fan or not) they knew how to play the game of baseball better than almost any team I've seen - except for perhaps the Reds and A's teams of the 1970s. I hate that team so much that I refused to accept tickets for the 1996 World Series game in the Bronx because I will never step foot in Yankee Stadium. I'd sell my soul to Satan before I even touch a Yankee hat or even allow one to enter my home. And yes...I have sought professional counseling for my anger. Turns out the counselor was a HUGE Yankee fan herself (I kid you not). Our session lasted five minutes... Nothing though will EVER replace the look on Yankee fans faces during that last game against Boston in the Bronx as the few thousand who actually stayed until the final out was made, watched in horror as the the biggest and most historic collapse in all sports history took place right before their eyes on the hallowed ground in Mr. Ruth's fabled home...Unfortunately I'm not a Red Sox fan so that dazed look of shock on Yankee fans never fully registered as I thought it would. So the entire series was bitter sweet and very much like watching with morbid excitement and curiosity two school yard bullies tear into each other! Other than my sociopathic resentment and neurotic jealousy of the Yankees, I like to think I'm pretty much an alright person. All joking aside, at least fans of all teams regardless who we like or dislike can become friends for a better cause dedicated to doing something to preserve the Wildwoods and promote Doo Wop, even if by recalling our memories and offering our own personal input. And hopefully some true friendhips will be forged here out of our love for The Wildwoods andwe'll not become rivals because of the teams we like - or, in my case, dislike! PS: Years ago, my family helped "finance" (for a fellow named Hogan, a boookie who ran numbers maybe back in the '50s and early '60s if I recall correctly) a pizza and hoagie place called the GIZMO. Today, I believe it's called Mr. D's located on New Jersey Ave where the old Andrew Avenue train station was once located. Anyone know the place?
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Hello
Jan 30, 2005 3:53:45 GMT -5
Post by Al Alven on Jan 30, 2005 3:53:45 GMT -5
Anthony, that was truly a great post!
I laughed, I cried, I sympathized... seriously, I know where you’re coming from...
Actually, I also know a thing or two about suffering through the tough times... I’M A PHILLIES FAN!
(Don’t laugh... ... ... OK, you can laugh.)
With the exception of 1993 – ONE great year in which we went to (but still didn’t win) the World Series – I haven’t had much to cheer about in nearly a quarter of a century as a baseball fan. When the team won its first and only championship in 1980 (after 97 years of futility), I was only two-years-old and, thus, have no memories of the occasion.
But, I have stuck with the team because, well, they’re my team. I have friends who have actually switched over to rooting for the “Evil Empire.” Actually, I have one friend who is so shallow, he mysteriously and miraculously went from being raised as a Phillies fan to becoming a Yankee fan in the mid/late 90s to all of a sudden becoming a Red Sox fan this October.
Hmm... can you say “frontrunner?” That’s really sad. It’s easy to simply identify a winner and say “that’s my team.” But, it has to be a hollow feeling to be a sports fan like that, because there is virtually nothing at the core of your allegiance. The “flavor of the week” mentality is corrupt by nature.
You’re completely right... suffering with your team does build character and thick skin, and it does demonstrate integrity and a true sense of loyalty. And, yeah, there are also the ulcers, the frustrations, the depressive states, the fits of anger and rage brought on by your inability to cope with your own team’s yearly failures, while watching over teams win on a consistent (or even semi-consistent) basis.
At any rate, when you deal with adversity, and suffer through the tough times, you learn to truly appreciate things more. That is the case with Philadelphia right now, with the Eagles finally making it to the Super Bowl after so many near misses. The city is going insane for the team, with pent-up frustrations finally transformed into adulation after years and years of failure and frustration.
I often look at the Wildwoods in the same light. I grew up during the resort’s “decline” era in the 1980s. By the time I was in my early teens, I had seen so many of my favorite childhood institutions fall by the wayside. For me (and so many others, I’m sure), Hunt’s Pier was my childhood paradise. It was the pinnacle, the greatest place on earth as far as I was concerned at the time.
It saddened me to great lengths when they systematically tore that mecca apart. One by one, the great rides fell – the Flyers roller coaster, the Jungle Ride, the Pirate Ship “SKUA,” the Log Flume, the Wacky Shack, Keystone Kops...
Man, just thinking about it still elicits some incredible emotions within me to this day. My favorite ride was the Golden Nugget, which has remained on the pier (and, hopefully, will still be resurrected one day), but merely tantalize and teased me in its inactive, neglected state.
At any rate, the loss of those great icons of my childhood (can’t forget the Castle Dracula fire a few years back, either) hardened me in a way. They made me realize that many of the great things in life do not last forever, and that you have to move on and make the best of tough situations and appreciate what you do have.
The Phillies have been a terrible baseball team for pretty much my entire life, but I still love them. I have always felt the same way about the Wildwoods, with or without Hunt’s Pier, with or without the many great Doo Wop motels that are also responsible for so many great childhood memories.
I can tell that you feel the same way, by the passion in your writing. This is a frustrating time in the Wildwoods, but we will see our way out of it. And, we will be better “fans” for it, our loyalty and caring rightly justified.
As you mentioned, it is indeed great that we can all come together and unite for the cause of working to preserve Doo Wop in the Wildwoods. I already consider you a friend for that reason alone, regardless of something as ultimately inconsequential (at least in this respect) as pro sports allegiances.
**************
Oh, and regarding Mr. D’s, I absolutely know the place! They serve up pretty much the best (and probably only) cheese steaks you can get in the Wildwoods at 3:30 a.m., after a hearty night of clubbing.
Actually, Mr. D’s is an excellent (albeit overlooked) example of Doo Wop architecture itself, with its slanted rooftop pattern and neon lighting. That’s really neat that your family helped finance the place!
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going to miss the swan
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Hello
Jan 30, 2005 13:05:08 GMT -5
Post by going to miss the swan on Jan 30, 2005 13:05:08 GMT -5
not sure if it's true the golden nugget is going to be moved and reopened on one of the piers if you have msn you can search the nugget. that's how i saw it
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Hello
Jan 30, 2005 15:38:56 GMT -5
Post by AnthonyV on Jan 30, 2005 15:38:56 GMT -5
You can go to a great Wildwoods boardwalk site and get great information and vintage photos of the many rides - past and present - on www.mrboardwalk.netAs for myself, the one thing I've missed over the years is never being able to visit and enjoy SKYLINE GOLF which was located near Hunt's Pier. I also recall a great big billboard sign along the boardwalk promoting (in blinking neon) TANFASTIC suntan lotion for the "World's Fastest Tan" located just a block or two north of SKYLINE GOLF and the SHORE PLAZA MOTEL on the boardwalk almost where the entrance to Hunts Pier was located.
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Hello
Jan 30, 2005 15:41:05 GMT -5
Post by AnthonyV on Jan 30, 2005 15:41:05 GMT -5
Also check out www.funchase.com for more Wildwood memories and some more really great photos of how things used to look along the Wildwoods boardwalk.
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Hello
Jan 30, 2005 17:48:38 GMT -5
Post by Flyingn on Jan 30, 2005 17:48:38 GMT -5
wow Al, I remember all those locations and rides too. They were my favs.. The Flyer will always be one of my favorite roller coasters ..All those brought back great memiries! *sniff* Its really touching my heart..
Anthony, I too never go to visit the skytop all those years.. I sure miss it now..
For us it was Macks, douglass gudge and Hunts pier.. My familys favorite places as I grew up. Oh and groffs restaurant. And it is still the same today! What a great old restaurant..
Anyway we are from NE Philly and visit WW every summer.. It a "part' of us.. and we are passing this part of us to our 11 year Son.. without a doubt.. Can't wait to go back this summer too.. I'm 44 this summer, work for a majot University in the Philly area.. My wife works for a school in Phila as the principals assistant. My other hobbies are racing and showing my 87 Buick Grand National, target shooting my guns and of course spending time at th ebeachs of Wildwood in the summers! BTW- we have been going to WW's car shows every year too since it started years ago..
Frank, Terry and Frankie
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Hello
Jan 30, 2005 19:49:02 GMT -5
Post by Al Alven on Jan 30, 2005 19:49:02 GMT -5
not sure if it's true the golden nugget is going to be moved and reopened on one of the piers if you have msn you can search the nugget. that's how i saw it The Morey Organization purchased what was left of Hunt's Pier (including the Golden Nugget) a few years back, and have been exploring the possibility of moving and re-opening the ride for a few while now. I spoke to a Morey employee a few months ago, and was told that the original plan to move the Nugget to the Schellenger Ave. Pier (Mariner's Landing) for the 2005 season was scrapped. There is still a very good chance that the move will be made for 2006, but the organization is still surveying the old ride, checking on its condition and the feasibility of the move across the beach. Keep your fingers crossed.
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Hello
Jan 30, 2005 19:50:41 GMT -5
Post by Al Alven on Jan 30, 2005 19:50:41 GMT -5
Also check out www.funchase.com for more Wildwood memories and some more really great photos of how things used to look along the Wildwoods boardwalk. As Anthony pointed out, both mrboardwalk.net and funchase.com are excellent sites, filled with an abundance of Wildwood information, history and pictures. Both are run by great guys (Anthony Canzano and Ralph Grassi, respectively), gentlemen whose love for the Wildwoods is immediately evident in their work. I am currently developing a Wildwood-related website of my own. The project is being designed to showcase many of the great institutions on the island, both past and present (with a special focus on Doo Wop motels and amusement rides). June 1st is my anticipated launch date at this point, though I'm still holding out hope that I can be up and running by as early as Memorial Day weekend.
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Hello
Jan 30, 2005 19:51:44 GMT -5
Post by Al Alven on Jan 30, 2005 19:51:44 GMT -5
wow Al, I remember all those locations and rides too. They were my favs.. The Flyer will always be one of my favorite roller coasters ..All those brought back great memiries! *sniff* Its really touching my heart.. Anthony, I too never go to visit the skytop all those years.. I sure miss it now.. For us it was Macks, douglass gudge and Hunts pier.. My familys favorite places as I grew up. Oh and groffs restaurant. And it is still the same today! What a great old restaurant.. Anyway we are from NE Philly and visit WW every summer.. It a "part' of us.. and we are passing this part of us to our 11 year Son.. without a doubt.. Can't wait to go back this summer too.. I'm 44 this summer, work for a majot University in the Philly area.. My wife works for a school in Phila as the principals assistant. My other hobbies are racing and showing my 87 Buick Grand National, target shooting my guns and of course spending time at th ebeachs of Wildwood in the summers! BTW- we have been going to WW's car shows every year too since it started years ago.. Frank, Terry and Frankie I am from NE Philly as well, FlyinGN, and I also work for a major university in the area. The Wildwoods have provided me with so many unbelievably great memories, as both a kid and an adult. The Flyer was my first roller coaster, and I remember crying when I heard that it was going to be torn down. Hunt’s Pier was simply amazing, a magical place the likes of which will never be duplicated anywhere. I so wish I could take my son back in a time machine, just for one summer night! There are so many iconic institutions in the Wildwoods, from the great rides of Hunt's and Morey's Piers to legendary establishments like Macks and Groff's to all of the great old Doo Wop motels. All of these places -- past and present -- have contributed in defining the Wildwoods experience for so many of us. P.S. -- I absolutely hate to be the bearer of potentially bad news, but Groff's Restaurant is for sale. I do not know the family's reasoning behind wanting to get out now, but I can only hope that the eventual new owners respect and preserve the restaurant. It is truly a special place (four-star quality food, atmosphere and service) and an institution that I would hate to see altered in any way, whatsoever. Groff's is listed as being for sale on the website of Oceanside Reality. Use the link below, then click on "Team Listings." The restaurant appears in the #8 listing... www.teamoceanside.com/index.php
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Hello
Feb 1, 2005 13:27:19 GMT -5
Post by squeezix on Feb 1, 2005 13:27:19 GMT -5
Oh no, I see the Singapore motel listed there along with Groff's.
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Hello
Feb 1, 2005 14:16:53 GMT -5
Post by Al Alven on Feb 1, 2005 14:16:53 GMT -5
Got a spare 5 mil, squeezix? I'll gladly go half with you. For what it's worth, I have noticed constant work and construction going on at the Singapore since the end of the summer. It looks like the motel is getting some upgrades and/or, at the very least, refurbishments. Perhaps this is an old, outdated listing... I will let you know if I hear anything. The Singapore is, for sure, one of the most unique buildings in the Wildwoods. It is also located, of course, in the area of the Crest where old motels are most endangered. I'm kind of surprised it has lasted this long, but, hopefully that's a good sign for its future.
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Hello
Feb 1, 2005 19:35:36 GMT -5
Post by wildre on Feb 1, 2005 19:35:36 GMT -5
I've found that most of the Island is for sale in the winter. However I think it's more so in recent years. The website is still up but that doesn't say much. Didn't they have a few problems this past summer, with unhappy guests like the Grand did the year before? Seem to recall a Philly TV station doing a story or 2 on it? www.singaporemotel.com/
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Hello
Feb 1, 2005 19:50:59 GMT -5
Post by FlyinGN on Feb 1, 2005 19:50:59 GMT -5
yea Al I have known that Groffs has been for sale for a few years now.. I hope it stays preserved with the new owners.. BTW- what University do you work at Al?? PSU is the initials of the one i call home:) Frank
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