I have been visiting the Wildwoods since the early 60's. My family started vacationing at the Binns Hotel
on Atlantic.Sitting on the front porch of the Binns was absolute magic for a kid from the mill towns of Pittsburgh.  
    I marveled at the Wildwood beach and the Boardwalk. I would save all winter each year, to ride every ride  
I could when I got to the Boardwalk each summer.  I have seen a lot over the decades here is a snap shot of my "Forrest Gump"  story:
 
(1) When I was 9-10 years old I clearly remember listening to Chubby Checker singing "The Twist" at the Rainbow Bar. I could hear him show after show just belting out this song. The place was packed and lines to get in were long. I would sit on the porch at the Binns at night and marvel at all of the excitement. Little did I know that as Chubby was singing his heart out and he was changing how the world would dance! Pacific Ave was packed with businesses and shoppers by day, and the biggest names in entertainment every night.
(2) I remember the protests during the 60's against racial descrimination.I also remember all of the black families coming into Wildwood and sitting under the boardwalk...just like the song! They were all so happy and having fun. One night there was a big protest at the Lincoln Hotel  and I was pretty scared that people could suddenly be angry...in a magical place like Wildwood.
(3) Later in the 60's there were the Hippie poster shops on the Boardwalk with the incense burning inside to add to the atmosphere. I was forbidden to go into those shops by my parents...Of course that made it even more exciting.
(4) The 70's hit and Disco Clubs were everywhere ..there was even a roller disco on the Boardwalk that was packed every night...it was big fun! I liked hang out at the Sundance  and Club Manhatten.
(5)  80's ..Hunts Pier was going full blast and all the rides were so terrific, BUT the Himalaya was the place to be if you were looking for fun. It was soooo magical to see thousands of  teen age kids dancing to the music on those hot summer nights.
(6) The late  90's were a low point for the Wildwoods as things seemed to be on a down turn. Things got a little edgy in a bad way for a while. Into the 2000s I saw the very sad demolition of many wonderful Doo Wop motels. The whole condo movement was a heart breaker for me. Even today there has been so much destroyed that it can be disorienting on streets like Surf Ave. in N Wildwood.
(7) I think the future of Wildwood will hinge on preservation of the remaining mid century archeticture.  
 
               I am very active in preservation and have worked on numerous projects across the US. I recently
battled to save a near 100 year old school in Pa. from demolition and won having the property named to the National Register of Historic places. I have written numerous times to the local WW /CM newspapers and have had interesting discussions with the WW leadership regarding direction of the community.
      I have travelled the world ,but my vacation is always in Wildwood NJ!  
 
                               "Save the Doo Wop.. to keep the magic in Wildwood!" 

Bob, welcome.
 
How were your discussions with leaders on the island?

welcome bob!!

Thanks for sharing those great memories. I remember the head shops
on the Boardwalk....from the inside and out  

To follow up regarding my discussion with Wildwood Leadership:
 
  This goes back a while (about 24-48 months or more) during the big dark days of the "Condo-ization" of the Wildwoods.
I wrote a number of letters to the editor of the Wildwood Leader and the Cape May County Herald, very critical of the bad ideas taking hold on the island, and how there needed to be  
a new vision,direction and leadership. I stated that the destruction of the Doo Wop Motels and properties had to stop. In addition I spoke with a number of motel/property owners regarding the tax increases,the convention center and the high rise condo-tels coming to the island.Much of the information I gathered was included in my letters
   Evidently my letters got under the skin of the public officials and I think I really rattled their cages.You can always tell when you are on the right track...the officials come looking for you. I did have a heated discussion(s) with the muckety mucks....they tracked me down(no easy task) and called me in Pittsburgh. They told me I was off base and, how they had many positive plans to make Wildwood better and that the High rise hotels were needed to cater to a more sofisticated clientel coming to WW and that the mom and pop motels would not satisfy the new type vacationer. Additionally they said that the Doo Wop motels were "just" cinder block buildings and that many had out lived their usefulness for the most part. I told them that they could not possibly stand idle, while Wildwoods history and legacy was being destroyed. There had to be a better way...
In addition I asked how they could tax the mom and pop Doo Wop Motel owners to build the new Convention Center and then build the high rise condotels to cater to these new vacationers (and take away the "new business created by the convention center from the motels who had paid higher taxes to build the center). This concept seemed to me to be an ethical conflict!
   To the officials credit, they did explain to me that  the dumping of Cape May county section 8 in Wildwood had been reversed, and additionally that the new Boardwalk renewal project was about to begin.They said that there were marginal motel operators that were catering to unsupervised trouble makers and they really needed to go....even if it was condos replacing them.
    It was agreed that we probably would not agree on much, but that we would meet when I was in Wildwood.
The meetings in Wildwood did not take place due to scheduling problems.To be fair it was a mutual problem.
    I have to say, I also had many discussions with the editorial staff at both the Leader and the Herald and they were absolutely terrific and very fair in their handling of my questions and my writing.
    I think the discussions were a big step in letting the leadership know that everyone(even a guy in Pittsburgh!) was catching on to their ... bad plan for the Wildwoods!  

Well said, Martin.
 
Quote from Bob_Mock on Jan 28^th, 2010, 12:43am:

  time to practice my transcendental meditation techniques... LOL. But seriously: Say what you will about the factual basis for those claims/complaints and their dubious validity as a rationale for letting developers run roughshod over the island, this is another case of don't-blame-the-building.
 
Thanks for the rewind, Bob. All that stinkin' thinkin' in high places is a story that unfortunately does not get better with age... The new economy will probably preclude any encore of the condomania follies, but I hope we don't have to depend on that alone.

Please don't forget, I am only the messenger regarding the WW leaderships alibis. I did not sit idle even though I live 450 miles away. I challenged the political steam roller that was driving the destruction of the legacy and heritage of the Wildwoods. What was scary is they firmly believed in what they were doing, and were determined to see it through.  
 
    I know that the recession has been a tough time for many, but the silver lining is.. it did play a big role in stopping the runaway,merciless destruction of the Wildwoods and the plans of a misguided leadership.. Hopefully we are now moving toward brighter,more positive,exciting future for coolest place on earth...Wildwood NJ!

Martin,no offense was taken. The logic displayed by the leadership in my conversations is as disturbing now in print as it was then in speaking to them. I just wanted to be as accurate as possible in my description. I probably shouldn't have used ... "to the officials credit"... in the text as it could easily have been misunderstood and just not a great choice of words.