populuxe

Headin' down to the shore for 4th of July? I found out they don't "go to the beach" here in NY and NJ, they go "to the shore". I discovered this amazing place called Wildwood NJ a kitschy fun town, the southernmost island off the Jersey coast, half an hour from Atlantic City and three hours from Manhattan. It is loaded with fifties "Doo Wop" architecture, hotels, restaurants, boardwalk and amusement parks.

After WWII the town became a major tourist attraction, but in the 1980's it fell into decline. About a decade ago Jack Morey (son of Will Morey of Morey's Piers) and other residents founded the Doo Wop Preservation League. They raised money to restore the town to its original glory. It is now a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

The StarLux Hotel is where I want to stay with its soaring roofline and walls of glass. The feel is totally fifties "Doo Wop". The rooms are decorated retro style but have all the amenities of the 21st century. Or you can stay in a renovated Airstream trailer. The pool looks like it is heart shaped with a boomerang pattern. Wow!

If anyone has been to Wildwood or to the StarLux, please fill me in and let me know what it is like.