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Post by Doowopper on Oct 5, 2006 14:44:44 GMT -5
Or maybe just diamonds that need some polishing. I was looking through some website that had a lot of the Wildwoods motels on it. I spent some time looking at and thinking about the more forgotten motels farther down in the crest such as the Blue Marlin, Biscayne etc. Somehow these smaller places down there have survived. Now this is my main point. One motel I saw on the website was the Beach Colony. Obviously kind of dated, stuck between some big cement condos. Now, Iv'e never thought about the Beach Colony much, but it is really a very detailed building. More than many other motels around that get so much recognition. The 3-D design on the side wall is spectacular, and nice detailing is even in the railings. Now i'm just curious. Do you think that if the Beach Colony was bought by entrepreneurs(sp) like those at the Caribbean, and it was given a face lift and a little TLC that it could be as or nearly as successful as the Caribbean? What about the motels like the Blue Marlin, and Biscayne? Do you think those places could have a bright future? Just trying to get some more thought brewing around here ;D
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Post by watchthetramcar on Oct 5, 2006 16:04:41 GMT -5
as far as the Caribbean Motel, George & Carolyn (the owners of the Motel) both have a Strong Passion for the "Doo-Wop" Era & for the Caribbean Motel. We are talking about alot of $$$ that they put into the Motel, just to get it up to Historical Par & to get it on the list of Historic Sites. I only wish that more Owners would want to "Preserve" what they have, so we could all enjoy the Doo-Wop Motels in the Future. I think as long as a Doo-Wop Property isn't in Shambles & not falling down, they should be kept & restored! That's my take on this topic.... But then again I have a really big attachment to the Caribbean and to All of the Doo-Wop Motels in The Wildwood's!
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Post by FlyinGN on Oct 5, 2006 16:22:06 GMT -5
I think it *may* do as well as the Carribean BUT they are not on the main strip like the carribean is.. Thats gotta help...
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Post by fuzzyscorpio on Oct 5, 2006 17:12:21 GMT -5
Being under the impression the Beach Colony was held in fairly high regard by doo-wop fans, I decided to stop by there on Sunday night of firemen’s weekend to look around. At night, at least, it appears to have a lot of charm. I especially liked the small decorative lights forming outlines of palm trees on the wall next to the office door, lending a brightly festive mood to the pool area. A group of firefighters were having an informal poolside gathering that looked like a good time. The two that I spoke with expressed sorrow that their whole company could no longer stay together at the Nomad as they used to, but praised the Beach Colony. During this quick visit I really just took the temperature of the place--didn’t assess its physical condition (hard to see much at night) or look at any of the rooms. Almost anything is possible with sufficient money thrown at it, but my guess would be that the BC faces a fairly stiff challenge down there in condoville. As others have noted, it looks a little out of place amid all those cold, sterile, anonymous structures. Then again, the Royal Hawaiian’s flamboyant presence is only a block away if memory serves, and that’s a flag in the dirt for tourism and doo-wop if ever there was one ... not that you can expect RH loyalists to view the BC as a fallback when they can’t get a reservation at the RH--they’re much too different in character--but the RH helps to sustain the feeling of a visitor district in this area. And fortunately it looks like the Oceanview’s contribution will also continue, perhaps even be strengthened by physical improvements soon. Nevertheless, anyone taking the plunge down there had better be a very clever marketer in addition to being financially prepared. For a place like the Beach Colony, sitting relatively far from the boardwalk and the convention center and now beginning to be lost amid the condos, it will take a lot of work, savvy and significant advertising and promotion expenditures to keep a high enough profile to survive. I was looking back at things that have been written about the BC, and saw that it was considered endangered for most of last year--in fact, Redeyejedi wrote in November that the owner had said it was slated for demolition in December. I wonder what exactly happened there? Glad it’s still with us, anyway.
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Post by hulk007 on Oct 5, 2006 19:58:45 GMT -5
Yes, the Beach Colony was supposed to come down last year but the deal fell through. It looks like it may hang in for a while after all. Even though all its neighboring motels(Bonanza, Hi Lili, Kona Kai )are gone.
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Post by Captain Phil on Oct 5, 2006 20:10:22 GMT -5
The only reason the Beach Colony is still around is because the old women that owns it, wanted double what everyone else got. Now that the market has slowed, it should be around for a long time.
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Post by MMM on Oct 5, 2006 21:00:42 GMT -5
The Biscayne is not exactly small. Very attractive Motel - looks well kept.
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Post by RedeyeJedi on Oct 6, 2006 10:14:28 GMT -5
When I spoke with the owner of the Beach Colony in Fall '05, she was selling---very reluctantly, it seemed to me. She even got a little bit choked up about it while we were speaking about her time there coming to an end. I then saw her in October '05 (at this point the motel was closed and had hazard tape around the perimeter). She said she was told by whomever she was dealing with that it would be demolished by December '05 at the latest. When I stopped by most recently in August '06, she seemed quite relieved and much happier---said that she decided to stay for at least 2 or 3 more years. It was nice to see her so happy about her place...
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Post by Robert on Oct 6, 2006 10:55:22 GMT -5
So the main thing that caused many motels to be lost is that the owners accepted the large sum that developers were offering thus sealing the deal and dooming the motel? The only "winner" in that situation is the motel owner, and the developer who pads their pockets but in the end WE lose because we lose a historic building plus formerly public property is converted for private use (condos). If we can save at least ONE motel or restaurant or persuade an owner not to sell then that will be a victory. The only thing is convincing the owners to stay in business for more than two or three more years. When you go to some of these motel and restaurant websites like the Satellite or Dufinetti's it's like a slap in the face to see a pic of the building and they say that it was razed and now the site of condominium units, thanks for your past patronage, or we are closing our doors after 57 years. The propietor of the Duffinetti's, Trish, took over the business in 1978 it says on the website. That's the year my brother was born. I hardly started kindergarten then. That's a long time, and all of a sudden now they pull the plug? How could a family owned business survive all that time including recessions, and what not? Remember the recessions of early 80's like 82, or the early 90s? What didn't exist in the 70's, 80's, and 90's but started to exist in the 2000's post 9-11 that caused mass sellings? The crazy real estate market? So there was never a time in the past in 50 years that there would have been an incentive for owners to sell for redevelopment?
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Post by MMM on Oct 6, 2006 17:19:13 GMT -5
I think the Beach Colony could begin to stand out better with different colors, and maybe a bolder sign that matches. As it is now, it kinda gets lost, even considering the wall pattern.
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JIMD
Full Member
Posts: 221
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Post by JIMD on Oct 6, 2006 17:33:28 GMT -5
So the main thing that caused many motels to be lost is that the owners accepted the large sum that developers were offering thus sealing the deal and dooming the motel? The only "winner" in that situation is the motel owner, and the developer who pads their pockets but in the end WE lose because we lose a historic building plus formerly public property is converted for private use (condos). If we can save at least ONE motel or restaurant or persuade an owner not to sell then that will be a victory. The only thing is convincing the owners to stay in business for more than two or three more years. When you go to some of these motel and restaurant websites like the Satellite or Dufinetti's it's like a slap in the face to see a pic of the building and they say that it was razed and now the site of condominium units, thanks for your past patronage, or we are closing our doors after 57 years. The propietor of the Duffinetti's, Trish, took over the business in 1978 it says on the website. That's the year my brother was born. I hardly started kindergarten then. That's a long time, and all of a sudden now they pull the plug? How could a family owned business survive all that time including recessions, and what not? Remember the recessions of early 80's like 82, or the early 90s? What didn't exist in the 70's, 80's, and 90's but started to exist in the 2000's post 9-11 that caused mass sellings? The crazy real estate market? So there was never a time in the past in 50 years that there would have been an incentive for owners to sell for redevelopment? It happened all over the country. What saved Wildwood for years was people thought it was trashy in the 80's and early 90's. I'm sure that image still keeps some people from buying in Wildwood
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Post by Doowopper on Oct 6, 2006 17:49:15 GMT -5
I think the Beach Colony could begin to stand out better with different colors, and maybe a bolder sign that matches. As it is now, it kinda gets lost, even considering the wall pattern. I agree. Though the orange/yellow combination screams 1960's more than Austin Powers, I think a light/dark blue or a white/aqua color scheme would help make it look like it's up to par with the giant things around it. Many of the new condos (the big ones anyway) look ok, granted they are still condos, and not motels or hotels, so I see no reason to really praise them. However, I find the one across the street from the BC extremely ugly. Gray with a fire engine red roof? Who chose those colors? I think the BC could make a statement for istelf if it looked modern and flashy at the same time, and actually was modern. True it is farther down in the strip, however I don't think it is to far down. I consider the Bal Harbour to be the end, though there is a great cluster of motels farther down the road. There still are many motels near the BC. The Sand Castle (which is a wonderfully preserved place, but for goodness sake get a new sign ;D), the Royal Hawaiin, The Bal Harbour, The Conca D'Or, and a couple others. I think it is still a viable tourist area, but the motel needs to be run right and look sharp. I just don't agree with the "there are big condos around it thus it should just be torn down" logic.
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Post by Doo Wop Mike D on Oct 6, 2006 19:46:09 GMT -5
The orange/yellow color scheme is the Beach Colony... take that away, and might as well tear it down... just my opinion... The sign and font also screams late '60s/early '70s and is what makes this place so cool... but I would admit, ultimately, if this motel was to undergo a major renovation and upgrade, a flashier sign might be in order, among other things... i don't believe the current motif is the original anyway, but it certainly freezes in time the last point this motel was renovated, most likely pre-1970s... and if I was doing this as a boutique hotel, that's the style and theme I would run with (think Caribbean, but a slightly different time period)... What a statement and contrast it would be on that block... you have the huge new condos where the Bonanza and Swan used to be, across and adjacent, plus the new condos opposite Atlantic where the Kona Kai and Hi-Lili used to be, and yet you'd have this really funky over-the-top orange retro motel smack in between... it would keep everyone honest about what the real history and identity of this town is supposed to be even amidst all the new development... it could be funky and at least a bit more upscale at the same time... Maybe its because I'm a child of the '80s/'90s, but its the great mix of equally funky colors and styles from the '50s, '60s, and early '70s that makes the collection of Wildwood motels so great... its not just about the '50s... what we call "Doo Wop" architecture is really a 15-20 year period of design & development (including some renovations and changes along the way and thereafter) that defined Wildwood from the 1950s all the way through the early 2000s and perfectly captured the spirit of the mid-century, middle-class American beach resort that started to deteriorate by the '80s around the country but carried on for another 20 years in Wildwood's unique case... P.S. Did anyone notice that the "Beach Colony" letters that used to be attached to the railings seem to have disappeared? and another P.S. I'm all for completely renovating, re-theming and re-imagining some of the less-distinctive motels that remain, but there are a handful that I think should be preserved in their original or current state (on the outside, that is) and the Beach Colony is one of them...
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mike
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Post by mike on Oct 6, 2006 22:11:52 GMT -5
the past two off season's it was for sale. you could not buy it and keep it as a hotel and pay the mortgage. if so i would sure try my best to get it
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Post by MMM on Oct 7, 2006 0:01:54 GMT -5
I know how you feel Mike, and a few years ago it seemed to have stood out enough as it is. But with all the "development", it seems swallowed up and gets buried, IMO. You might even be able to keep to a similar palette in what's there now, and make a nice improvement...
Anyway, the Beach Colony was originally called the Golden Nugget, and had different colors, so you're right - it's not original.
I could see a flashier neon sign following the style/font of the current sign, with some color to match.
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