The "Ocean City, NJ Boardwalk" Story

Ocean City Boardwalk as it appears this week.

It was an ordinary day.  Walking the Boardwalk about 7:30 AM to get a daily newspaper.  The Boardwalk is allegedly 2 1/2 miles long and marked with mile markers for people who use it for exercising while lanes are marked for pedestrians, bike riders and runners.  

1905 photo of the Public Music Pavilion on the Boardwalk.
I cannot document the destruction of this building in the
 fire of 1927, but it appears it is different than the
current Music Pier built in 1928.

The Boardwalk was first built in 1883 on the sand from 4th Street to 7th Street.  Four years later it was extended to 11th Street  when an amusement house was built at 11th Street.  The following year a Nor'easter destroyed the Boardwalk.  Shortly after another amusement park was built, but was destroyed by fire in 1893.  In 1927 a second fire claimed parts of the Boardwalk which finally led to the Boardwalk being built 300 feet closer to the ocean on concrete pilings and parking was provided in the space between where the Boardwalk first stood to where it now stands.  The Ocean City Music Pier opened on the Boardwalk in 1928.  

The original Moorlyn Theatre in 1929.

In the early 1900s the Moorlyn opened as a bowling alley.  In 1922 it became a movie house, also presenting vaudeville as well as silent movies and in 1929 the "talkies" came to the Moorlyn.  In 1965 an amusement park, now known as Gillian's Wonderland Pier, was opened at 6th Street.  Wonderland Pier has one major roller coaster while Playland's Castaway Cove at 10th Street has two additional roller coasters.  

Recent photo I took while on my way for a morning paper.
The Music Pier is shown in center-right.

From April through October the Boardwalk offers wholesome family fun and enter- tainment while from November through March the Boardwalk offers a much lower pace with some stores closing for the winter months.  Much of the entire length of the Boardwalk offers a variety of shopping with everything from brand name clothing to resort wear, jewelry, novelty items and just about anything imaginable to eat.  

The 1 Mile marker on the Boardwalk.

Special events fill the Boardwalk during summer months with things such as fireworks on July 4th to Thursday "Family Night" where live entertainment fills the Boardwalk in July and August.  The Ocean City Pops Orchestra plays at the Music Pier 35 times during the year.  The Miss New Jersey Pageant also is held in the Music Pier.  The traditional Easter Parade as well as the yearly Baby Parade, vintage auto parade, Doo Dah Parade and Miss New Jersey parade are held on the Boardwalk.  The yearly Boardwalk Art Show fills the boards as does the New Year's Eve celebration and New Year's Day Polar Bear Plunge.  Now, getting back to the idea that the Boardwalk is actually 2 1/2 miles long.  I recently read that many runners were recording great times for 2 1/2 mile runs until it was reported that the Boardwalk was slightly under that length.  

Bike riders travel across new boards that have recently been added.

In 2007 a controversity was created when it was said that the city was going to use a tropical wood known as ipe to make yearly repairs to the Boardwalk.  Using this tropical hardwood, which is lumbered from Brazilian rain forests, is said to be detrimental to the rain forests, so the current Mayor of Ocean City has vowed to use Southern yellow pine from tree farms in southern states which weathers better and is a domestic product.  My family has spent many a day roaming the boards in Ocean City, NJ and will hopefully continue the tradition for years to come.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - A few more old time photos follow to show what the Boardwalk used to look like.

Postcard from 1934 showing the Music Pier and the Moorlyn Theatre.  All of the postcards I have added have been hand colored before they were reproduced.  They all carry a copyright which has expired.

1929 black and white photo showing the Strand Theatre.  This theatre is still in operation and happens to be showing Jersey Boys at present.  The condo we are renting at present is a half block down 9th Street from the theatre.  

Postcard from 1929 showing Shrivers and the Moorlyn Theatre.  Shrivers is on the corner of Boardwalk and 9th Street.

This postcard is from 1934 and shows a general Boardwalk view with Simms Restaurant on the right.

A 1937 aerial view showing the Boardwalk. 

1986 aerial view showing much the same places on the Boardwalk.

This is the Music Pavilion and Casino.  Not sure of the date and not sure if this still exists or was burned to the ground in the fire of 1927.