Probably the most recognizable and most photographed of these properties is the Caribbean Motel , (a

Located just north of the Victorian Cape May, these fun and futuristic buildings of the 1950s-1960s reflect an important era in our nation’s history -- the post-WWII decades luxury car rental houston when family luxury car rental houston vacations meant piling into the station wagon and heading to the shore on the newly constructed interstate highway system.
While this eye-catching enclave has a great many admirers -- from families who have vacationed here for decades to international travelers looking to experience the authentic history of America -- the threat of development still casts a shadow over the future of these boutique motels, despite their resurgence in popularity.
luxury car rental houston Though the style of these motels is called by many names -- Space Age, Populuxe, Midcentury Modern, Googie -- in Wildwood it’s known as Doo Wop . This label is a playful tribute to the music popular in the 1950s and evokes the fun of that era. But no matter what they may be called, they still need to be preserved for future generations to enjoy, like their ancestors before them.
The post-war baby boom and new highway system (including the Garden State Parkway, completed in 1957) enabled more people than ever to escape to the beach. These newly built beachside motels not only allowed families luxury car rental houston to have an affordable place to stay, but enabled them to park their car within reach of their room, unlike the more formal hotels of previous eras.
What better way to do this than to use bold architecture, dynamic lines, and bright neon signs that would catch the eye of the children in the back seat and appeal to the adults who wanted to stay in the most up-to-date place?
The architecture reflected the optimism and exuberance of the era. Plastic palm trees, swimming pools, and exotic names such as the Gondolier, Pink Champagne, Astronaut, and Shalimar added a layer of fantasy to the otherwise traditional family beach vacation.
Vacationing families were not the only ones making memories in Wildwood luxury car rental houston beginning in the 1950s. So were the the innovative builders of these fantastical destinations. The Morey family has left their lasting mark on the Wildwoods starting with brothers Lou and Will, who developed luxury car rental houston a number of the distinctive midcentury properties still seen in Wildwood. Current luxury car rental houston generation Jack Morey continues the legacy, both as the owner of the Pan American Motel and as a founder of the Doo Wop Preservation League .
The designs of many of the original Morey designed motels were inspired by their own family vacations to Miami Beach. There they saw the newly built modern hotels designed by Morris Lapidus, such as the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc. Taking sketches of what they liked, they brought this inspiration north to New Jersey and interpreted those ideas on a smaller motel scale.
Probably the most recognizable luxury car rental houston and most photographed of these properties is the Caribbean Motel , (a Historic Hotel of America ). Built by Lou Morey and opened in 1957, the swooping walkway is reminiscent of the grand floating “Staircase to Nowhere” of the Fontainebleau, and the recessed jewel-tone lights embedded in the soffits are seen in his designs as well.
In a case of reverse influence, the motels of the Wildwoods that were inspired by the hotels of Florida are now cited as inspirational for the Sunshine State. luxury car rental houston The recently constructed Cabana Bay Beach Resort in Orlando reinterprets the iconic Wildwood-style motel architecture to evoke fond memories of the vintage family luxury car rental houston vacations that originated in New Jersey.
The Wildwood motels also have an ever-growing international fan base. George Miller and Carolyn Emigh, owners of the Caribbean Motel, report that travelers from China, Japan, luxury car rental houston Australia, the United Kingdom, and beyond make Wildwood a destination when hitting luxury car rental houston the U.S., often roadtripping down from New York City in just two and a half hours.
“This is America luxury car rental houston to us,” proclaims a Caribbean Motel guest visiting from England. “We don’t have motels like this at home. These ‘50s and ‘60s buildings are what we think of when we think of the States.”
Much like the returning local families who have made Wildwood their traditional vacation spot for decades, when international travelers have the opportunity to return luxury car rental houston to the shore they bring their friends with them. Miller reports that a couple who visited from the UK one summer returned the following season, and brought six additional couples with them.
While the Wildwood motels have their fans and admirers, their small scale and aging ownership make them easy prey for developers looking to maximize the return on investment and land value, with history as an afterthought.
Even with the growing awareness luxury car rental houston of the importance of these motels as part of the nation’s history, from 2003 to 2006 over 50 of these distinctive properties were demolished to make way for generic condominium development.
This rapid demolition put the Doo Wop Motels on the National luxury car rental houston Trust’s list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2006 . The State of New Jersey also named the epicenter of these motels as the Wildwoods Shore Resort Historic District.
To that end, the Doo Wop Preservation League luxury car rental houston was created by local business owners and fans of the threatened architecture. According to president and former motel owner Dan MacElrevey, “our mission is to publicize what we have here, not only to visitors but to owners” who might not see the immediate value in maintaining their historic property, especially when the lure of a payout from a developer is at hand.
The fun of Doo Wop is key to its connection to preservation, and folks of all ages enjoy visiting the Doo Wop Experience , a museum dedicated to preserving the history of the Wildwood motels as well as artifacts luxury car rental houston from the 1950s and 1960s. Housed in the building luxury car rental houston that was once a Doo Wop restaurant (complete with soda fountain), the all-volunteer DWPL also runs bus tours to highlight many of the remaining vintage motels on the island.
While the historic designations are important for preserving these unique hotels, the most fun and easy way to ensure luxury car rental houston their legacy is simply to stay in them and enjoy a week or more at the shore. Not only will you be retracing the steps of the folks that put Wildwood on the map as a vacation destination, but you’ll enjoy stepping back in time, too.
Beth Lennon is the creator of the website RetroRoadmap.com. As "Mod Betty," she delights as the retro travel luxury car rental houston "hostess with the mostess," scouting out cool vintage places and sharing them with the world. More Posts (22)
Great post, Beth! Spending a long weekend at one of the Wildwood hotels is definitely on our bucket list. Not this Labor Day weekend, but perhaps next Someone recently told me about the Doo-Wop Experience, and I could barely sit down due to the excitement its existence engendered!
Great job, Mod Betty! What a fantastic Mid-Century Modern treasure chest we have, right in our backyard. As a Tiki fan, I love to see anything significant from this era preserved for our children and their children to enjoy. Your publicity for the cause is a big step towards keeping Doo Wop Wildwood alive. Mahalo!
In a few words, luxury car rental houston a great article that accurately describes all that the Wildwoods By-the-Sea have worked to be and the traditions of Americana that they strive to retain. This is right at the top of all that has been written on our Doo Wop properties and activities and what they mean to generations of visitors. Thanks luxury car rental houston for the great job.
The PreservationNation blog features stories, news, and notes from the National Trust for Historic Preservation as well as the wider preservation movement. Have a great story to share? Email us ! And visit PreservationNation.org to learn more about people saving places.
luxury car rental houston While the writers of the PreservationNation blog are on staff at the National Trust for Historic Preservation or affiliated organizations, their posts are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions luxury car rental houston of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.