new blood new ideas

[edishotnj]

i have said before i hate the motel coming down and the condo craze but at the same time new development is not bad if its done right, i think chains wouldnt be so bad, mixed in with the uniquness of wildwood just to attract more people but to keep with the doo wop style and preservation, we have to get younger people in and i asked around to my friends, from md, va, pa,de,ny,ca, what could wildwood do to make it better they said get new things like better stores on boardwalk stuff like that they said they wouldnt mind a chain because where can u go on a boardwalk like that to get good shopping done? hopefully wildwood but too keep some of the tackiness but keep it clean too so it doesnt look run down also i think they should make downtown wildwood restaurant row with restaurants, clubs, bars then shops nice ones connecting the boardwalk then boom the boardwalk, maybe they could build a doo wop style baseball stadium on the beach too that would add some more for sports fans

[Doo Wop Mike D]

Ed,

Your ideas are very consistent with mine and I think alot of what the DWPL would like to see...

My personal feeling on this is I would hate to see chains start popping up all over the boardwalk. The boardwalk is the most "real" attraction in the Wildwoods and maybe the most "real" boardwalk left anywhere in this country... there's nothing else like it, its managed to maintain its great authenticity after all these years, and it ought to be preserved that way if for no other reason. But when it comes to the downtown area and Rio Grande Ave, and the hotel/motel area in general, I don't think we need to fight the presence of chains. You have to pick your battles, and a battle against all chains is not likely to succeed. Rather, we should embrace their willingness to play by our rules in adopting the Doo Wop motif, which is more than we can say for the condo developers in the Crest... chains can be a positive addition as long as they remain as supplements to all the great individually-owned businesses in the Wildwoods, and don't become the rule...

I guess this question gets to the heart of the issue: Would you rather have a Doo Wop-style Mariott or a block full of boring vinyl-sided condos?

And I'm a big supporter of the idea that downtown Pacific Avenue can be revitalized as a "hip" shopping, dining and entertainment district, which Wildwood could certainly benefit from having in reaching out to a wider range of tourists. Before we go ahead and try to "upscale" the boardwalk (which would be a shame and a mistake in my opinion) we should think about creating a balance... Pacific Avenue can be the resort's more "upscale" strip of restaurants, shops, bars and clubs (of course with a Doo Wop-inspired ambiance of neon and retro-futuristic imagery) while the boardwalk remains as a completely different animal...

Things are inevitably going to change in the Wildwoods... the question is how much we can harness that change in a way that pays tribute to our history and makes Wildwood unique from any other resort...

-Mike

[Al Alven]

Mike,

I tend to agree with your way of thinking as well.

In the end, it all comes down to protecting the cultural history and “uniqueness” of the Wildwoods, while keeping one eye focused on the evolution and continued growth of the island.

An outright refusal to accept chains and other corporate establishments, merely to do so, would be a matter of cutting off our collective noses to spite our collective faces. If these businesses can help the resort by serving as supplements to the great individually-owned business on the island (while, as you mentioned, adopting Doo Wop motifs of their own), then everyone wins. Plain and simple.

Having said chains overrun the Boardwalk would be a bad thing, of course. But, out on Pacific Ave., or over in Rio Grande, these establishments could prove to be goal mines (well, actually, they already have; the McDonald’s locations out on Rio Grande and up in North Wildwood have been there for quite some time, and have always done well for themselves and their respective towns).

As Mike noted, the Boardwalk is an entirely different animal. This is something that anyone with any kind of interest in the Wildwoods – residents, vacationers, business owners, politicians, etc. – MUST understand. It is, has and always will be in the very best interests of the island to preserve the Boardwalk as the wonderfully authentic institution that it is. To significantly alter its landscape would be to significantly alter the Wildwoods.

And, there is no need to alter a great thing. It works, don’t break it. Rather, use its kitschy quirkiness to the island’s advantage. Build off of what is already there.

Pacific Ave., on the other hand, is an area in dire need of a makeover and an identity. Unlike the Boardwalk, it has not enjoyed great success as a desired attraction over the years. How many failed “shopping area” experiments has this area gone through? Nothing has worked. “Downtown” Wildwood has been virtually dead for years now.

So, if there is any opportunity to transform this area, to finally bring it to life and allow it to function in some form as an entity that can benefit the Wildwoods, it should be jumped upon. I would be more than thrilled to see Pacific Ave. attract chains or “upscale” establishments or whatever, as long as they are in the Doo Wop mold, and as long as they can help in the continued growth of the island.

[wildre]

Chains have there place here, I think, as long as these additions can adapt to the needs of our community.
A Boardwalk full of chains wouldn't benefit it's tradition and history. Yes, there are a few, Dairy Queen, Subway, McDonalds, fast food.
Look at the "feel" of the AC Boardwalk, with it's chain restaurants and it's tall casinos/hotels...totally different feel than what I think the Wildwood boards has had over the year.
Now look again at AC, this time their new shopping area The Walk, that seems to be working out well for them.

I really don't think we need to reinvent ourselves, just fine tune what we already have going for us. But this time, continue updating and upgrading so we don't find ourselves in this position 20-30 years from now.
A hip, trendy destination shopping/entertainment area on Pacific would only highlight the culture and history of our Boardwalk. Giving folks a diversity unmatched anywhere else.

In order to bring "top" headliners and large conventions to the convention center, we have to have high end accommodations to attract them. Without chain Hotels I don't think we can accomplish this? So far Corporate America has embraced the Doo Wop style, I'm sure they will continue to, if approached in the right way.
The Wildwoods is a unique place, in some ways lost in time, we need to make sure we don't loose this happy feeling we all know and love. It's what keeps us returning year after year to celebrate our Paradise.

re

[MMM]

Al said:

Pacific Ave., on the other hand, is an area in dire need of a makeover and an identity. Unlike the Boardwalk, it has not enjoyed great success as a desired attraction over the years. How many failed “shopping area” experiments has this area gone through? Nothing has worked. “Downtown” Wildwood has been virtually dead for years now.

One of the reasons the "Holly Beach" pedestrian mall didn't do so well were the hours of the stores. I can rememeber walking through that place at night years ago and most everything was closed, except for the nightclubs and the Dragon House, and maybe a few other things. They needed these stores to be open later into the night IMO (maybe at least 'til around 11:00-12:00?), at the least during the "on" season. Anything new built around there with the hope of revitalization for that area had better not keep the "early to bed" hours the old Holly Beach Mall stores did - it will fail again if they do so, IMO.

[FlyinGN]

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