Editing Wildwood Crest, New Jersey (section)

== History==
[[File:Caribbean Motel.jpeg|alt=|thumb|upright=1.1|The [[Caribbean Motel]], an architectural landmark of the "Doo Wop" era]]
The [[motel]]s of Wildwood Crest are characterized by a distinctive "Doo Wop" or [[Googie architecture|Googie]] style of [[architecture]]. Collectively, [[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]] and Wildwood Crest contain the nation's largest collection of mid-century "Doo Wop" resort architecture.<ref name=DooWop>[http://www.cresthistory.org/doowop.php The "Doo Wop" Architecture of Wildwood Crest], Wildwood Crest Historical Society. Accessed December 7, 2015. "The first motel to reflect this style in Wildwood Crest was the Ebb Tide Motel at 5711 Atlantic Avenue, built in 1957."</ref>

The term "Doo Wop" was coined by the Mid-Atlantic Center For The Arts in the early 1990s to describe the unique, space-age architectural style that was common in the 1950s and 1960s.<ref name=DooWop/> Post [[World War II]] America was an optimistic, confident, and enthusiastic society. The new age style of architecture evolved into a showcase of colorful, flashy, modernistic architecture that captured the spirit of the times; it incorporated modern, sweeping angles, bright colors, starbursts, boomerang shapes, plastic palm trees, and angular wall and roof styles. "Doo Wop" was a celebration of the architecture, design, music, and pop culture of the 1950s and 1960s. During the 1950s, the economy had grown to unprecedented levels. Americans achieved a level of prosperity they had never known before. In response to this unprecedented growth, hundreds of motels were constructed in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest with the distinct "Doo Wop" style of architecture.<ref>[http://www.doowopusa.org/pop-originsofdoowop.html "The Origins of Wildwood's Fabulous Doo Wop"], Doo Wop Preservation League. Accessed December 7, 2015.</ref> The first motel to reflect this style was the Ebb Tide Motel, constructed in 1957, which was designed and built by Will and Lou Morey, who specialized in such designs.<ref name=DooWop/>

Several "Doo Wop" motels, such as the [[Caribbean Motel]], are registered on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. In recent years, historic "Doo Wop" motels have been demolished to make way for the construction of [[condominium]]s, leading to organized efforts to preserve the remaining examples.<ref>Gilfillian, Trudi. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/once-in-jeopardy-wildwood-s-s-doo-wop-buildings-now/article_b1a58936-12a0-11e4-b80a-0019bb2963f4.html "Once in jeopardy, Wildwood's 1950s doo-wop buildings now imitated"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', July 24, 2014. Accessed December 7, 2015. "Tim Maher knew the doo-wop motels of the Wildwoods were in trouble. A booming real estate market meant the island's 1950s and 1960s-era properties were being torn down and replaced with rows of very un-doo-wop, very profitable condominiums."</ref>

Wildwood Crest and its neighboring towns of [[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]], [[North Wildwood, New Jersey|North Wildwood]], and [[West Wildwood, New Jersey|West Wildwood]] make up "[[The Wildwoods]]" resort, a popular vacation destination for those living in all parts of [[New Jersey]] as well as the [[Philadelphia]] and [[New York City]] metropolitan areas. Many vacationers and tourists have come from as far away as, [[New England]] and [[Canada]] and have made [[The Wildwoods]] a vacation hotspot, due to the area's mild summer climate. Unlike its sister communities of [[Wildwood, New Jersey|Wildwood]] and [[North Wildwood, New Jersey|North Wildwood]], Wildwood Crest is generally set apart from the all-hours excitement that the resort area is known for. Many vacationers will find some of the quietest and most undisturbed beach space.

In recent years, condominiums have replaced many of the motels the area was known for, such as The Grand, The Ocean Breeze, El Coronado, and The Arcadia. Some restaurants have been torn down and replaced with condominiums, including The Captain's Table, The Surfside, and Duffenetti's. These changes in housing have significantly changed the demographics of this area, from being a more family oriented one-vacation-per-summer place (for the middle class) to being a weekend retreat for wealthier families.