The Jersey Shore's Bad Luck

Happy Friday the 13th everyone!

Today is to be wary of black cats, avoid shattering mirrors, and to stray away from bad luck.

Speaking of bad luck, the Jersey Shore has once again been struck with an unfortunate event.  Last year the Garden State’s shoreline was attacked by Hurricane Sandy. This horrific super storm tore through beach towns, scattered sand, swallowed homes, and flooded streets. To this day, there people living in disaster sections because of her.

However, New Jersey refused to admit defeat to this powerful hurricane. In a matter of months, campaigns were launched, claiming that we were "stronger than the storm." Boardwalks were rebuilt, businesses were reconstructed, houses were repaired, and hope started to surface along the Jersey Shore.

By summer of 2013, most of the locations hit by Sandy were restored. The Ocean City boardwalk was running and even receiving new rides, the Barnegat docks were able to host their annual 4^th of July fireworks spectacular, and even Long Beach Island’s Fantasy Island was working properly.  As for Seaside Heights and Park, their boardwalk, shops, arcades, and food stands were back and better than ever. However, they were still in the process of replacing rides lost in the super storm.

Beneath the scorching summer sun, the boardwalks thrived greatly. No sooner the summer season was completed did bad luck strike one of the newly constructed tourist attractions.

On September 12^th, 2013 Seaside Heights and Park, New Jersey fell victim to a fire started at the Kohrs ice cream stand.  The blazing wall of flames started at 2:30 pm and was considered a six (now ten) alarm fire. Within hours, the boardwalk from North Ocean Ave to Ocean Terrace was destroyed.

abcnews.com

Famous places like The Sawmill, The Beach Bar, and others were turned to ash. Even the Carousel Arcade which housed a historic merry-go-round didn't survive the destruction. Thankfully, no lives were taken in the ruin of Seaside’s boardwalk and the fire was contained. However, fire fighters and other officials have been injured. So far, no one knows the cause of the flames.

For many, watching the Funtown Pier slowly being consumed by the roaring blazes was heartbreaking. With every rumor of what was being exterminated, my heart sank lower and lower until it reached the soles of my feet.

Last summer Seaside Heights embraced me in its Jersey Shore boards and unveiled fantastic memories.  It was a great privilege to walk this almost endless stretch of beach and boards before the storm and fire.

I remember everything about this place; the scents of deep fried deliciousness, the chime of the carousel, the music tumbling out of stores, and arcades. It was a place that combined the old traditions and appearances with modern day culture.

I have only ventured to Seaside Heights four to five times. I regret not roaming there more as I have done with Long Beach Island and Ocean City. But the times I have visited there I was greeted with a special ambiance that couldn't be found at other locations. Seaside had its own unique flare of the past that seeped through the Kayne West raps and I Mustache You a Question shirts. The present seemed to house the past, like Carousel Arcade – astounding wondering eyes with modern video games while holding a 100 year old carousel.

Through the rebuilding process, the present even seemed to hold the future. On my last trip there, workers were putting up rides like a whale version of the Swashbuckler and a few others. This pier held the future of entertainment and enjoyment. However, no one could foretell the tragedy Seaside would suffer.

While the Seaside I have come to know and love rests in ashes, there is still hope for the burned down boardwalk. Like a phoenix rising from the debris, New Jersey's Governor Chris Christie vows to rebuild Seaside and make it better than it ever was.

How long the second rebuilding of Seaside will take no one knows but it can be estimated in about a year or more. Christie believes that we are more ferocious than the fire and refuses to let Seaside Heights and Park fade away.

                                                                  

Do You Believe in Magic?

Aloha everyone and welcome to this week’s Magical Mystery Blog. This week’s entry is a bit magical and focuses on one of my favorite beach towns of the Garden State. Today’s entry is about a magical perspective of Ocean City, New Jersey.

rivertonhistory.com

When I was a child, I discovered summer magic at Ocean City, NJ. 

Ocean City is a beach town full of summer winds and sea salt kisses. Located in Cape May County, it’s a seaside town that sparks summer magic when the night awakens and turns on the boardwalk’s lights. Since I was a child, my dad would load up the Buick and take us on a day trip to this beach town. I often shared the back seat with an umbrella, a beach bag, and a few foldable chairs. My excitement overwhelmed the space stealing silent passengers. We’d often visit during the most popular times of the year: Spring Break and the summer. These two specific times were the most crowded but I heavily enjoyed them.

Tourists usually flock to this beach town for the uniqueness of the Jersey Shore. I admit there’s some magic in the rides’ lights at dusk and the ferris wheel peaking over the bridge as though welcoming you to Ocean City. It’s what widens the eyes and smiles of children and adults who visit this place and breathe in the salty air. Some people can’t sense the wonder of this boardwalk for reasons I’ll never understand. Yet at the age of twenty two, I still see the mysticism, and have discovered a new type of magic.

Last July was the first time I had shown someone my nostalgic Ocean City and what I received in return was something far from what I expected.  In the summer winds down by the sea, I introduced my boyfriend to my nostalgic grounds. The sun did not burn the boardwalk which made it the perfect day for exploration. Even the humidity wasn't irritating or sweat inducing, like an unneeded layer of clothing.

With every step, he took in the sights as the shops burst before him like kernels of caramel popcorn. Each shop advertised some specialty like the best smoothie or henna art which drew curious eyes to their storefronts. However, the refreshing idea of Dippin Dots attracted our sun kissed bodies. The cooling sensation of frozen ice cream turned our gums to ice and numbed our brains. It was perfect for a day like this.

After spending a few hours at Jilly’s Arcade and Three Brothers’ Pizza, we strolled down the boardwalk. The smells of Johnson’s caramel popcorn and funnel cake give our senses a brief vacation. Breathing in the nostalgia, I had hoped he would enjoy this place as much as I did. From how it appeared he seemed to like it, but I could have been fooled by his smile.

When the twilight emerged, the lights of the boardwalk slowly came on. One by one they illuminated the wooden planks and revealed a new side to Ocean City. The warm wind was replaced by a cool breeze that came and left every so often like a passerby in the shadows. Even the sea grew darker with the setting sun. The carnival music seemed to grow louder as the groups of tourists, locals, and visitors combined and grew rapidly.

By nightfall Ocean City had transformed into a new world that often captivated me as a child. The dazzling lights made the store fronts shimmer like diamond constructed houses. In the distance, Gillian’s and Playland’s ferris wheels popped with color and pierced the sky with their luminescence.  The tinkling organ music of carousels seemed to harmonize and spark the inner child. Sounds of joyful screams and cheers rose from the glowing amusement parks.

The moon danced above the ocean as my boyfriend and I walked side by side on the sand. The waves seemed to slow time and overwhelm the scent of chocolate covered bacon. Sea foam caressed my bare toes as the sand massaged my soles, gradually pulling them into the world below. While this calmed me some, I couldn't help but to wonder what was on my boyfriend’s mind.

“So, what do you think,” I asked, anxiety jiggling my vocal chords.

 “I like it,” content filled his voice which eased my nervousness, as well as a moonlight kiss.

“I've never been here before and I definitely like it.”

That was all I needed. I could be at ease now, knowing that someone I had grown close to enjoyed my nostalgic seaside town.

“I missed the magic of summer and there’s just somethin bout this place. The lights go on, everything’s all color and light, there’s just something magical about it.”

That made my night even better and even shocked me a bit. I did not expect him to see the magic I could and understand the beauty of this beach town. No sooner those words left his mouth, my heart turned into a thousand super novas. Each one exploding with elation and enjoyment, knowing that he could understand why I loved this place so much. It was my second home, my home away from home, my home by the sea.  

Then it appeared before me like the moon. There was another magic in the air that had been given life by his words. It was the magic of love. It was the ignition that made my heart burn for him more than what it already had. How he could understand the magic of summer and the mysticism of Ocean City meant everything to me and made me love him more than what I already did.

Leaving that night with wind tousled hair and a bag of Shriver’s treats, I held my boyfriend's hand as he drove.  With the dancing lights of ferris wheels behind us, we knew we would return to Ocean City. There was summer magic to be experienced on that boardwalk with every smile, every heartbeat, and every kiss.