Editing Wildwood, New Jersey (section)

==Economy==
===Commerce===
[[File:Wildwood Liquor Store.jpg|thumb|An iconic sign lights up a liquor store in Wildwood, which has more than 60 active liquor licenses]]
Portions of the city—together with areas in [[North Wildwood, New Jersey|North Wildwood]], [[West Wildwood, New Jersey|West Wildwood]] and [[Wildwood Crest, New Jersey|Wildwood Crest]]—are part of a joint [[Urban Enterprise Zone]] (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. The four municipalities in [[The Wildwoods]] were selected in 2002 as one of a group of three zones added to participate in the program as part of a joint zone with.<ref>[https://www.state.nj.us/dca/affiliates/uez/publications/pdf/tax_q&a_052709.pdf ''Urban Enterprise Zone Tax Questions and Answers''], [[New Jersey Department of Community Affairs]], May 2009. Accessed October 28, 2019. "The legislation was amended again in 2002 to include 3 more zones. They include Bayonne City, Roselle Borough, and a joint zone consisting of North Wildwood City, Wildwood City, Wildwood Crest Borough, and West Wildwood Borough."</ref> In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% [[sales tax]] rate (half of the {{frac|6|5|8}}% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants.<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/dca/affiliates/uez/about/ Urban Enterprise Zone Program], [[New Jersey Department of Community Affairs]]. Accessed October 27, 2019. "Businesses participating in the UEZ Program can charge half the standard sales tax rate on certain purchases, currently 3.3125% effective 1/1/2018"</ref> Established in September 2002, the city's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in December 2023.<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/dca/affiliates/uez/publications/pdf/ZONE%20EXPIRATION%20DATES%20-%202018.pdf Urban Enterprise Zone Effective and Expiration Dates], [[New Jersey Department of Community Affairs]]. Accessed January 8, 2018.</ref> The joint UEZ is overseen by the Enterprise Zone Development Corporation of the Wildwoods Board, which includes representatives from all four municipalities.<ref>[https://www.wildwoodnj.org/urbanentzone Urban Enterprise Zone Program], City of Wildwood. Accessed November 19, 2019. "The Enterprise Zone Development Corporation of the Wildwoods Board is comprised of business owners, elected officials and employees representing the City of Wildwood, City of North Wildwood, the Borough of West Wildwood, and the Borough of Wildwood Crest."</ref>

Wildwood has an unusually large number of liquor licenses for its population. [[Alcohol laws of New Jersey|State law]] normally provides for one consumption license (i.e., for a bar, restaurant) for every 3,000 residents, and one distribution license (i.e., for a liquor store) for every 7,500 residents.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/lps/abc/faqs.html#13 "ABC Frequently Asked Questions."], [[New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control]]. Accessed November 11, 2013. "Question #13: How many liquor stores and restaurants are allowed in each municipality?... A municipality may issue one consumption license for every 3,000 of its population. As to distribution licenses, which allow the sale of alcohol for off-premises consumption, a municipality may issue one license for every 7,500 of its population."</ref> Because of a state law allowing a municipality to [[grandfather clause|grandfather in]] liquor licenses that existed before 1948,<ref>Goldstein, Howard (liquor license broker). [http://newjerseyliquorlicensesareus.com/state-of-liquor-licenses-in-2012/ "State of liquor licenses in 2012"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526080928/http://newjerseyliquorlicensesareus.com/state-of-liquor-licenses-in-2012/ |date=May 26, 2013 }} (professional website) (January 3, 2013). Accessed February 8, 2013.</ref> Wildwood has a permanent population of 5,300, but has 61 active liquor licenses.<ref>Gilfillian, Trudy. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/wildwood-considers-beach-bars-among-ways-to-increase-revenue/article_3e1eecb8-56a1-11e1-9aed-0019bb2963f4.html "Wildwood considers beach bars among ways to increase revenue"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', February 14, 2012. Accessed March 5, 2013.</ref>

===Tourism===
[[File:View of Wildwood looking north.JPG|thumb|North facing view of Wildwood]]
[[File:Quebec DooWop WWNJ.jpg|thumb|The Quebec Motel, one of several hotels in Wildwood named to attract [[French Canadians|French Canadian]] tourists from [[Quebec]]]]
[[File:Jibreel23 Wildwood Beach Ball Sign.jpg|thumb|The iconic Wildwoods beach ball signs in 2023]]
Wildwood is a resort city that is very popular with vacationers and tourists mostly from [[New Jersey]], [[Delaware]], [[Maryland]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[New York (state)|New York]], and even nearby parts of [[Canada]] (particularly [[Ontario]] and [[Quebec]]) during the summer months. The year-round population of Wildwood of over 5,300 grows to as many as 250,000 or more during the peak tourist season during the summer.<ref>[http://wildwoodnj.org/wp/?page_id=841 "About Wildwood"]. City of Wildwood. Accessed February 4, 2014. "During the off season Wildwood has a population over 5,400 according to the 2000 census, but the number of people visiting increases that number to approximately 250,000 or more during peak vacation time."</ref> Its most notable features are its beach and {{convert|1.8|mi|km}} [[boardwalk (entertainment district)|boardwalk]], home to the [[Morey's Piers]] amusement complex and Raging Waters and Ocean Oasis [[waterparks]] owned by Morey's Piers. The boardwalk features a trolley called the "[[Tramcar (Wildwood)|Tramcar]]", which runs from end to end. In June 2006, its [[Googie architecture|Doo-Wop]]-style motels were placed on the [[National Trust for Historic Preservation]]'s annual Eleven Most Endangered List,<ref name="test">[https://www.americanheritage.com/wildwood "Wildwood,"]''American Heritage'', April/May 2007.</ref> described as "irreplaceable icons of popular culture."<ref>Staff. [http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/travel/story.html?id=1e5311ae-e554-444f-a78b-21690a58d55a "Doo Wop sings the blues; They twisted and shouted, and rocked around the clock in the southern tip of New Jersey before they did it anywhere else. And, once the sun slips below the horizon, there's enough neon to set your eyes ablaze if you stare at it too long."], ''[[Montreal Gazette]]'', October 21, 2006. Accessed November 11, 2013.</ref><ref name="Trust">[http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/11-most-endangered/locations/doo-wop-motels.html#.VQT5i5MXtc8 "11 Most Endangered Historic Places: Doo Wop Motels"], [[National Trust for Historic Preservation]]. Accessed March 14, 2015. "Families have been vacationing at the Jersey Shore for more than a century and the Wildwood Doo Wop motels have been a popular beach destination since their construction from 1956 to 1970."</ref> In June, thousands of recently graduated high school seniors come to Wildwood for [[Senior Week]]. During Senior Week, the graduates stay in hotels and rent beach houses in Wildwood where they party and participate in underage drinking.<ref>Via [[Associated Press]]. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=11IiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7aYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4823,3401797&dq=senior+week+wildwood+nj&hl=en "Wildwood to remain tough on rowdy visitors"], ''[[Reading Eagle]]'', May 25, 1986. Accessed March 14, 2015.</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Zoppo|first=Avalon R.|title=Senior Week in Wildwood: A money-making machine that residents love to hate|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=June 20, 2018|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/shore/wildwood-high-school-senior-week-new-jersey-20180620.html?cid=Philly.com+Twitter|access-date=June 20, 2018}}</ref>

Wildwood was ranked the best beach in New Jersey in the 2008 "Top 10 Beaches Contest" sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium.<ref>Urgo, Jacqueline L. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121012192118/http://articles.philly.com/2008-05-23/news/24990245_1_beach-erosion-safest-beach-towns "Triumph for South Jersey"], ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'', May 23, 2008. Accessed October 29, 2015. "Neighboring Wildwood Crest came in second, followed by Ocean City, North Wildwood, Cape May, Asbury Park in Monmouth County, Avalon, Point Pleasant Beach in northern Ocean County, Beach Haven in southern Ocean County and Stone Harbor."</ref> Wildwood is one of five municipalities in the state that offer free public access to oceanfront beaches monitored by lifeguards, joining [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]], [[North Wildwood, New Jersey|North Wildwood]], [[Wildwood Crest, New Jersey|Wildwood Crest]] and [[Upper Township, New Jersey|Upper Township]]'s [[Strathmere, New Jersey|Strathmere]] section.<ref>Spoto, MaryAnn. [http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2015/05/surfers_fighting_to_save_dwindling_free_beaches.html "Surfers fighting to save dwindling free beaches"], NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], May 20, 2015. Accessed October 30, 2015. "New Jersey has five free guarded ocean beaches – Atlantic City, Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and the Strathmere section of Upper Township."</ref><ref>DeCastro, Allie. [http://www.remax-nj.com/blog/ultimate-new-jersey-beach-guide-summer-2015/#free-beaches ''The Ultimate New Jersey Beach Guide – Summer 2015''], REMAX NJ. Accessed August 25, 2015.</ref><ref>[http://www.wildwoodsnj.com/wildwood-NJ-beaches.cfm The Beach], New Jersey Wildwoods. Accessed August 25, 2015. "The Wildwoods' free beaches offer plenty of room for a variety of summertime activities — everything from surfing to boogie-boarding to body surfing to tossing a Frisbee to reading in the shade."</ref>

Wildwood is home to the New Jersey Firefighter's Convention, held annually every September since the 1970s. Known for its parade featuring fire company apparatus from across the state, it moved from Atlantic City due in part to rising crime and the disallowing of the parade on city streets. Wildwood is also home to an annual co-ed beach [[Ultimate (sport)|Ultimate Frisbee]] tournament drawing teams from all over the country that attracted 430 teams and over 5,000 players to its 19th annual event in 2011.<ref>Suit, Lauren. [http://www.shorenewstoday.com/snt/news/index.php/wildwood-mainmenu/wildwood-leader/14300-wildwood-ultimate-returns-for-19th-beach-tournament-.html "Wildwood Ultimate returns for 19th beach tournament"], ''Shore News Today'', July 28, 2011. Accessed September 4, 2011. "Adlis said they started with 12 teams the first year, last year the count reached 400, this year they expect about 430 teams with approximately 5,000 participants from throughout the country and a few international teams."</ref>

[[French Canadian]] tourists from Quebec visit Wildwood during the summer. There are motels in the Wildwoods named to attract tourists from Quebec, including [[Chateau Bleu Motel|Chateau Bleu]], Fleur de Lis, Le Voyageur, Royal Canadian, and Quebec. Several hotels in Wildwood have signs in both English and French. The French Canadian tourists primarily vacation in Wildwood in July when Canada takes a two-week construction holiday.<ref>Di Ionno, Mark. [http://blog.nj.com/njv_mark_diionno/2010/08/quebec_tourists_continue_to_fl.html "Canadian tourists continue to flock to Wildwoods as vacation destination"]. ''[[The Star-Ledger]]''. August 3, 2010. Accessed September 9, 2017.</ref>