The Wildwoods, NJ: Much More Than a Beach Town

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Episode 148

What if the beach town you thought you knew was actually the birthplace of rock and roll?

The Wildwoods, New Jersey, have been a Jersey Shore staple for generations, but there's so much more to this five-mile island than boardwalk rides and saltwater taffy. In this episode, I sit down with Ben Rose, Director of Marketing and PR for the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Authority, to uncover the layers of history, culture, and architecture that make the Wildwoods truly one of a kind.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why the largest collection of mid-century Doo Wop architecture in the country calls the Wildwoods home, and why even new developers are voluntarily keeping the aesthetic alive
• How the Wildwoods became the birthplace of rock and roll, the Twist, and American Bandstand, and why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame agrees
• The surprising origin story of those iconic tram cars that have been rolling the boardwalk since 1949

The Wildwoods are more than a beach vacation; they're a living, breathing piece of American pop culture history. After this episode, you'll never look at a neon sign the same way again.

You ready? Let’s roam.

Learn more about what you can see and do in The Wildwoods at https://wildwoodsnj.com/

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