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Post by DooWopStuff on Aug 31, 2006 15:02:01 GMT -5
That's a very interesting strategy for marketing the motels. Makes a ton of sense. I hope this doesn't sound disrespectful to anyone in any way, but I think it's really difficult for someone from my generation or younger to even begin to conceptualize the notion of not owning a television. TV is just one of those things that has always been a given for me, but putting it in the proper perspective, I can see what a drawing point they might have been. Eric, there's one postcard (and I can't remember which one it is now) where your father captured a perfect image of Frankenstein on one of the motel televisions. It's really cool. I think it might have been a postcard for the Bel Air in the Crest, but I'm not sure. I'll have to go back and look tonight. How is this for service. It was the 24th Street Motel.
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Post by Al Alven on Aug 31, 2006 15:06:34 GMT -5
How is this for service. It was the 24th Street Motel. Bingo -- Now that is service! Thanks, Eric. It figures I would forget that the photo came from my all-time favorite, the 24th Street Motel. It's a great image. I think that was the one that caught my attention, and really got me paying attention as to the subtle nuances of your father's pictures. Great stuff.
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Post by fuzzyscorpio on Aug 31, 2006 17:52:51 GMT -5
This is such a wonderful thread. I can't get enough of this old motel stuff. Thanks everyone, especially Eric. Can anyone tell me where the Vogue Motel was? It's SO cool, and I'm wondering why I don't remember it despite being down there nearly every year since 1954. The most likely explanation is that it's another one from North Wildwood, which always got short shrift from us back in the day I swear, since I became active on this board, North Wildwood feels like a sister I never knew I had until I saw the obituary. Feeling good and sorry for myself and for everyone who loved the places there. Also--Eric, did you zoom in on that television shot from the Packard room? That wonderful "King" logo on the sink is teasing me... Not to be greedy or anything but I would love to see more of what the Packard rooms looked like--if you could post the whole image, that would be great!
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Post by Al Alven on Aug 31, 2006 22:34:05 GMT -5
Kathi, I think the Vogue was located in the Crest, actually. I'm not certain, but I believe it was down around where the Carousel, Siesta and others were years ago. I'm trying to dig up an exact address/location, but someone will likely beat me to it.
At any rate, I completely understand what you mean with regard to your feelings about the losses in North Wildwood. Because my family generally stayed in NWW and Wildwood proper, I have kind of always felt that way about the Crest.
I guess the Crest is fairly unique in that if you weren't/aren't staying there, you are probably less likely to venture in. Perhaps I'm underestimating the town, because there are some great attractions there (some great restaurants, Sunset Lake, etc.).
But, staying in the two northern towns, we rarely left, because the Boardwalk and all of the other "big" attractions were right there.
As I got older, my family started frequenting places like the Captain's Table more. Eventually, though only around 10 years ago, we started taking regular drives through the Crest just to look at all the great motels -- especially at night.
So, though I was always aware of what was down in the Crest, I never really gained a true appreciation for it until fairly recently in my life. I "grew up" in the Wildwoods, but the Crest was always the one area of the island that I was not as familiar with.
Unfortunately, my growing interest with the town kind of coincided with the era of rampant redevelopment that we have come to know and loathe. I'm glad I was able to experience the Crest in some semblance of its former glory before all the demolitions began, but I still wish I had gotten to know the area better at an earlier date.
It seems like you feel the same way about North Wildwood, in general.
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Post by writhinganacondo on Aug 31, 2006 22:43:04 GMT -5
Vogue was on Lavender where Gondolier is now.
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Post by nance on Sept 1, 2006 2:40:00 GMT -5
You are REALLY good, thelastresort! Fantastic! I've seen that movie a few times. Ah, but I can remember the days when you could only get 3, 6, and 10 on tv. What a variety! I can remember my daughter saying years ago that she'd never watch a movie in black and white. Now all of a sudden, you see photos coming out in black and white and everybody likes them! Funny.
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Post by thelastresort on Sept 1, 2006 8:46:28 GMT -5
You are REALLY good, thelastresort! Fantastic! I've seen that movie a few times. Ah, but I can remember the days when you could only get 3, 6, and 10 on tv. What a variety! I can remember my daughter saying years ago that she'd never watch a movie in black and white. Now all of a sudden, you see photos coming out in black and white and everybody likes them! Funny. yes, I have an incredible memory for useless information. And I do remember the days of getting 4 channels, which is probably why I know alot of old movies. Guys in their 30's never saw "Robin Hood" with Errol Flynn, but it was on all the time on any given Sunday in 1973.
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Post by thelastresort on Sept 1, 2006 8:47:00 GMT -5
You are REALLY good, thelastresort! Fantastic! I've seen that movie a few times. Ah, but I can remember the days when you could only get 3, 6, and 10 on tv. What a variety! I can remember my daughter saying years ago that she'd never watch a movie in black and white. Now all of a sudden, you see photos coming out in black and white and everybody likes them! Funny. yes, I have an incredible memory for useless information. And I do remember the days of getting 4 channels, which is probably why I know alot of old movies. Guys in their 30's never saw "Robin Hood" with Errol Flynn, but it was on all the time on any given Sunday in 1973.
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Post by DooWopStuff on Sept 1, 2006 9:24:32 GMT -5
This is such a wonderful thread. I can't get enough of this old motel stuff. Thanks everyone, especially Eric. Can anyone tell me where the Vogue Motel was? It's SO cool, and I'm wondering why I don't remember it despite being down there nearly every year since 1954. The most likely explanation is that it's another one from North Wildwood, which always got short shrift from us back in the day I swear, since I became active on this board, North Wildwood feels like a sister I never knew I had until I saw the obituary. Feeling good and sorry for myself and for everyone who loved the places there. Also--Eric, did you zoom in on that television shot from the Packard room? That wonderful "King" logo on the sink is teasing me... Not to be greedy or anything but I would love to see more of what the Packard rooms looked like--if you could post the whole image, that would be great! You're a demanding bunch. I had these pictures scanned to 75 megs.They are a lot of fun to blow up and look at the details.
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Post by FlyinGN on Sept 1, 2006 9:45:35 GMT -5
great pic 'stuff'.. A lot has changed at the hotels.....
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Post by fuzzyscorpio on Sept 1, 2006 17:27:22 GMT -5
I would love to see more of what the Packard rooms looked like--if you could post the whole image, that would be great! You're a demanding bunch. I had these pictures scanned to 75 megs.They are a lot of fun to blow up and look at the details. OMG, you can't get much more fifties than that. I can meditate on it and feel like I'm seven years old again. (Silly me, that nifty King logo was on the stove, not the sink...) Thanks Eric, so nice of you to share these! ;D
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Post by fuzzyscorpio on Sept 1, 2006 18:17:27 GMT -5
Thanks Al and writhinganacondo for locating the Vogue for me. I wonder how long ago the Gondolier replaced it? Or if there was even another motel there between those two? At any rate, now that you tell me it was on Ocean Ave, I guess I know why it's not a distinct memory in my head even though I'm a "crester." It's because the only thing Dad hated more than driving on Atlantic Ave was driving on Ocean Ave ... Even when we went up to the boardwalk we stayed on Atlantic and turned on Maple to park. I guess the Crest is fairly unique in that if you weren't/aren't staying there, you are probably less likely to venture in. Perhaps I'm underestimating the town, because there are some great attractions there (some great restaurants, Sunset Lake, etc.). Nah, I think that's true, Al. Not much down there other than a few conveniences for the homebodies. And no restaurants that ever really deserved the term "great," in my experience. We do seem to mirror each other's general perspective on the island (i.e., flopped), except with a few more dark spots on my mirror than yours In your case, there just wasn't enough time to catch up before the great sucking sound began to be heard up and down the Crest .... My lame excuse for being so clueless about North Wildwood is I didn't drive a car from approximately '74 to '98, so during that period I saw only what the family chose to see, or in later years, what I could walk to.
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Post by Al Alven on Sept 1, 2006 23:17:24 GMT -5
Great pic, Eric. I swear, I have an 89-year-old aunt whose living room still looks pretty much exactly like this. Too funny. ;D
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Post by Al Alven on Sept 1, 2006 23:27:20 GMT -5
Nah, I think that's true, Al. Not much down there other than a few conveniences for the homebodies. And no restaurants that ever really deserved the term "great" in my experience. Two come to mind for me -- the Captain's Table and Duffinetti's. Aside from driving down to check out the motels and all of the neon at night, these were probably the two biggest attractions for us in the Crest up until just a few years ago. But, yeah, overall we spent the vast, vast majority of our vacation time in the other two towns each summer. It is kind of cool how our experiences mirror each other in that way. I really wish I did get to "know" the Crest a little better before all the changes started to occur. But, I have to be thankful that I did get to enjoy what I did. Like you, Kathi (once again), I think my experiences have always been limited because I don't drive. I suffer from an inner-ear disorder that knocks my equilibrium out of whack, and generally have to rely on others for a ride or do a lot of walking when I'm in the Wildwoods. As lame as this may sound, one of my dreams has always been to get behind the wheel of a car and drive around and explore the Wildwoods that way. I know that's really simple, and something most everyone (understandably) takes for granted. But, it's something I hope to acheive one day.
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Post by fuzzyscorpio on Sept 2, 2006 0:34:56 GMT -5
Like you, Kathi (once again), I think my experiences have always been limited because I don't drive. I suffer from an inner-ear disorder that knocks my equilibrium out of whack, and generally have to rely on others for a ride or do a lot of walking when I'm in the Wildwoods. Oh wow, that sucks... Those inner ear disorders are horrible. I have a fortysomething colleague who works out every day, can toss office furniture around without breaking a sweat, drives sports cars and pickup trucks with gusto, and has an irrepressible personality with boundless energy--normally. Until a couple of months ago when he started having dizzy spells behind the wheel. He has been going through all kinds of evaluations for suspected inner-ear disease, and he is just not himself at all. It's obvious he suddenly feels much more vulnerable, in general. You will. Must be some good specialists in Philly for that, I'm glad you're situated there and not out in the sticks someplace.
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