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Post by JerseyDigger29 on Aug 8, 2006 10:28:49 GMT -5
Hey, guys - As some of you might know by now, the historic Wildwood Diner on Atlantic Avenue is now gone. Although we knew this day was probably coming (1) because the area is slated to become part of the new Riviera Resort project, and (2) because the grand old lady was way, waaayyyy past her prime and could no longer be saved without a huge ground-up renovation. But the way the diner just got torn down so suddenly, apparently without any notice to the public, was really quite a shock. When one of our friends in another post mentioned that he had seen a bulldozer parked in the lot the other day, I figured it was probably the right time to grab the old camera while I still had a chance and went down the next day and took a few photos of the condemmed diner while it was still standing. Then, yesterday, it was suddenly almost gone. So I took a whole bunch of photos of the demo for posterity. Here are a few for you now, a lot more will be in next Monday's TWR. I'm posting them here in a new thread so people can respond to the demolition from scratch. Hope you like the photos, but I think they'll make you as sad as I am. Thom P.S. Think the Wildwood Diner depresses you? There was a meeting last night in which I learned that we are also going to lose another big time legend very soon. I had absolutely no idea until last night. You won't believe it! Details to come VERY SOON (as soon as I get a chance to post them). thom@thewildwoodsreporter.comTheWildwoodsReporter.com
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Post by Rob Ascough on Aug 8, 2006 10:30:56 GMT -5
I'm sad and now I'm worried about what else is going to be lost. Geez...
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Post by writhinganacondo on Aug 8, 2006 11:27:57 GMT -5
Keep worrying. Its green and has eight letters.
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Post by Rob Ascough on Aug 8, 2006 12:04:52 GMT -5
Caribbean has 9, so I'm not worried about that.
No one around here knows AND can tell us? For some reason my mind isn't in a "guessing" mood today!
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Post by thelastresort on Aug 8, 2006 13:07:44 GMT -5
classic writhing, he loves to play the cat and mouse "I know something you don't know" game, as with the Rio, etc. just spit it out, man, we can take it! ;D
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Post by fuzzyscorpio on Aug 8, 2006 14:03:05 GMT -5
Thanks, Thom So sad. It doesn't look to me like it was in all that bad shape, but you guys who are down there know better than obviously I can tell from a midrange photo. Do you know if the sign was destroyed? I would hope the neon might have been preserved. Or in a better world, someone could build a whole neoclassical diner around that neon signature, re-creating the jutting part of the structure that upheld it. Though I suppose the structural metals for a classic diner must be a zillion times more expensive now than they were in the mid-1900s. I have trouble talking about these things without whining... sorry about that... but you know, I think if you try too hard to be balanced and objective you can miss the mark completely. Much of the value of cultural icons such as the Wildwood landmarks that have been dropping like flies is in emotional currency. I am ashamed of my entire generation (boomers) for letting this stuff happen.
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Post by wildwood4life on Aug 8, 2006 14:22:11 GMT -5
I actually gasped when I saw these photos. My vacation begins Thursday night since I have Friday off from work, and was going to come to WW on Fri just to take photos....but seeing this I think I'll jkust come on Sunday now as originally planned. So sad and so worthless!
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Post by wildwood4life on Aug 8, 2006 14:22:56 GMT -5
Come on Thom you gotta tell us! I'm beginning to worry
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Post by Robert on Aug 8, 2006 14:43:09 GMT -5
In our society we place higher value on certain things than others. We do our best to preserve the Liberty Bell or the White House but things like old diners aren't important to some people. If every motel and restaurant would have gotten Registered National Historic Landmark status then it would have been more difficult to acquire the properties and tear them down in the name of land is more valuable than what's on it. But, what defines historic? Most of the motels only dated back to 1955 and up, not the Civil War or something. The government can't tell private property owners what or what they can't do with their property, including selling it to somebody who will tear it down for something else. In my area for example an old truck stop that was closed for a while was just torn down for a CVS/pharmacy. Apparently that truck stop/restaurant/motel had absolutely zero value to anyone. Obviously it would not have any value whatsoever to CVS, because the whole reason they bought it in the first place was to tear it down and build one of their copycat drugstores. There's already several others in my area. Eckerd is doing the same thing, building these big stand alone drugstores and moving out of shopping centers. I remember an Eckerd in WW, but it looked like it was an older building that Eckerd moved into. And Walgreens is building a new store near me on formerly empty field. My area now has the highest rate of development, housing in the entire state because we are conveniently located by the Turnpike and I-78, and midway between Philly and NYC. Alot of people from NY/NJ are moving to our area becaue of the cheaper housing.
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Post by Al Alven on Aug 8, 2006 14:54:48 GMT -5
You knew it was coming, but man… those pictures just broke my heart.
The WW Diner was a true landmark and icon. My parents have been staying for some time at the Skylark, right across the street. We’ll be there later this month, and it will be so weird looking at the empty lot nearby.
And, like everyone else, I’m cringing at the thought of what the other “landmark” Thom mentioned might be. Unfortunately, because of my crappy internet connection up here in Michigan, I might not be able to check the message board and my e-mail for a few days, so this is really going to bother me.
Oh well, I guess we’ll all find out soon enough…
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Post by Doowopper on Aug 8, 2006 15:08:45 GMT -5
Jeez someone tell us already.
Even though, I almost don't want to know what's coming down next.
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Post by thelastresort on Aug 8, 2006 15:18:34 GMT -5
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Post by Rob Ascough on Aug 8, 2006 15:19:52 GMT -5
Don't forget that it's green.
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Post by thelastresort on Aug 8, 2006 15:21:32 GMT -5
Perhaps "aquarius"?
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Post by Doowopper on Aug 8, 2006 15:26:20 GMT -5
That's the only one I could think of also. But was it really green? I can't remember for beans.
For goodness sake Thom hurry up!
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