Wildwood

A popular oceanfront vacation destination, Wildwood and neighboring Wildwood Crest to
the south and North Wildwood to the north draw vacationers from not only New Jersey
but around the world. Top spots from which those visitors come include Delaware,
Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and parts of Canada. Among the community’s most
notable attractions is its almost two­-mile long boardwalk and a number of popular
amusements that include Morey’s Amusement Park, home to an assortment of classic
rides. The Ocean Oasis and Raging Waters waterparks are also nearby. Home to more
than 200 motels from the Doo-­Wop Era of the 1950s and 60s, Wildwood also offers a
taste of classic beach towns from days gone by. Since the motels were placed on the
National Trust for Historic Preservation’s most endangered list for 2006, there’s been a
concerted effort to preserve many what the National Trust calls “irreplaceable icons of
popular culture.” Unique in appearance, the hotels feature great architecture and neon
signs like those found in Las Vegas. The Wildwood Doo Wop Preservation League was
formed to help save and restore many of the historic buildings, some now listed on the
National Register. Wildwood is also home to a Doo Wop museum.

While the year round population of Wildwood is just about 5,300, the population swells to
as many as 250,000 during the height of the tourist season. The area first began
developing as a vacation destination in the 1890s and experienced a boom in the 1950s,
due in part to construction on the nearby Golden State Parkway. It was also during the
50s that the community cemented itself in rock ‘n’ roll history with a 1954 performance of
“Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and his Comets. That gave rise to the Doo Wop era
and the community’s claim of being the birthplace of rock and roll. The town’s residents
are distinctly white collar with about 90 percent employed in white­-collar jobs. Just under
40 percent of homes are owner occupied and the community is popular among those
looking for a second home and investors looking for vacation rentals. Median home price
here is $223,000, with about 40 percent of the community’s homes built before 1939 and
22% built since 2000.