We are an online historical catalog of hundreds of motels and other “Doo Wop Spots” around The Wildwoods. Inside, you will find information and photos from hundreds of locations along the 5-Mile Beach, the Southern-most barrier island on the Jersey Shore. We invite you to read more about the site on our about page. Do you have something to contribute? Register to contribute your knowledge to our Doo Wop Spots database.
Avanti Motel 
While the Crest lost many high-profile motels during the 'condo boom' of the early 2000s, several others disappeared very quietly and with little fanfare. The diminutive Avanti, unfortunately, was one of the latter.
Pan American Hotel 
Featuring the space-age Sputnik-inspired sign (rotating ball with spikes), the Pan Am was built and owned by the Morey family and was likely a family favorite. Reportedly, some of the Morey family made the Pan … Continue reading
Surfside Restaurant
A staple on the Crest's Ocean Avenue strip for years, the Surfside closed after the 2002 season. Though it was scheduled for demolition, the Doo Wop Preservation League raised the funds to have the structure … Continue reading
HofBrau Hotel 
Today, on the former location of the HofBrau, stands the Beach Terrace Motor Inn. The HofBrau holds a special place in Wildwood and American pop culture history. It was there on April 12, 1954 that … Continue reading
Cool Scoops 
Owned and operated by Paul Russo, Cool Scoops is a retro-50s ice cream parlor, and one of the island's best examples of Neo-Doo Wop architecture. The existing structure once operated as the Golden Way Motel, … Continue reading
Cape Cod Inn 
The Cape Cod, renowned for its classic spinning lighthouse rooftop sign, has long been regarded as one of the premiere motels in the Crest. Located in the Doo Wop Historic District. The motel is owned … Continue reading
Sea Gull Motel 
Kidney-shaped pool. Upper story additions completed in 1969. The west wing is three stories high with a butterfly roof. The first bay of the first floor is open and used for parking under the rooms … Continue reading
Satellite Motel
An architectural expression of the creativity, exuberance and optimism of the nation at the dawn of the Space Age, the Satellite was arguably Will Morey’s masterpiece, and one of the Wildwoods’ signature “Doo Wop” landmarks. … Continue reading
We strive to be a comprehensive online source of history pertaining to these kitschy treasures as well as the “Neo-Doo Wop” architecture–today’s tributes to the original treasures. In doing so, we hope to promote awareness of Doo Wop Preservation. Our hope is to provide a means to protect and preserve some of the better aspects of character and style of the Wildwoods. We do not promote, nor are we affiliated with any motel, restaurant or business. We do not sell listings or advertisement space, nor do we refer people to patronize any of the listed “Doo Wop Spots”.
Many of these vintage locations still stand as reminders of their heyday, but many have been lost. Pressure from the ‘real-estate boom’ in the late 1990′s and early 2000′s claimed a number of classic buildings, many of which were re-developed as ‘cookie-cutter’ condominiums.
WildwoodDooWop.com is more than just “Doo Wop History.” We have a photo gallery with photos of Doo Wop Spots found on this island resort, and an interactive map of the Wildwoods.
In order to gather as much information as possible, we have decided to make this site interactive. We allow registered users to add photos and information for any of the “spots” here on WildwoodDooWop.com. This will keep the site ‘fresh’. It also allows us to catalog more of the places that you want to see.
What’s there to do:
We tweaked the set of Styles we use to define Doo Wop on Wildwood Doo Wop.com. Read all about them on our About page.- Want to see who’s on board here at wildwooddoowop.com? Check out our new Users, Ratings, and Bios page!
- Soar over the Wildwoods with our new Google Earth version of the interactive Doo Wop Map. Download this WildwoodDooWop.kml file to your computer, then open it with Google Earth. It’s free! It’s fun! It’s amazing!
- The Doo Wop Spots and Doo Wop Map are our main pages. Here you can browse through our growing collection of Locations, or map them on our interactive map. We are collecting all the information we can for every Spot.
- Hundreds of images have already been uploaded, you can see them in detail in our photo gallery. We also display the associated photos for each spot when you view the Details. The Starlux Hotel is an example of a spot with various high quality images.
- We also feature a page of Doo Wop related articles and web-links. They are a collection of Doo Wop we have found on the internet.
Wildwood Days
From the late 1940s through the 1960s, the “Five-Mile Beach” prospered in the Post-World-War-II economic boom. The middle class was growing and they loved their vacations at the Jersey Shore. Tourists flocked to the sprawling beaches and amusement piers that made this island famous.
Even more famous was the night life. The Wildwoods’ entertainment scene earned it the nickname the “Las Vegas of the East”. It is the birthplace of Bill Haley and The Comets’ “Rock Around the Clock” and Chubby Checker’s “The Twist.” Places like the Riptide Club, The HofBrau and The Bolero hosted many of the era’s great performers. Dick Clark spun records for American Bandstand at The Starlight Ballroom. As one author imagined:
Dazzling lights draw charmed tourists down the strip, past garish hotels and plastic palms swaying against a star-filled night. Caravans of Bel Airs and Thunderbirds, Packards and Chevy Townsman take to the streets. Marquees flash big names: Louis Armstrong, Sammy Davis, Jr., Johnny Mathis, The Drifters, and Fabian. The sidewalk pulsates as the music captivates. It could be Sunday or Tuesday, but it feels like Saturday, as crowds with Coppertone tans and money in their pockets, drift along the avenue.
…And in the background was an island full of ‘motor-hotels;’ their rooms brimming with stories and full of mid-century character and charm.