We were just at Funtown pier last week. We went with the friend family- the family you pick, not the ones you're born with- and had a blast. Got the armbands and rode all day for $15. I was too nauseus for the Tower of Fear but (because?) I rode the loop roller coaster twice, and we had to practically drag my youngest off the Family Coaster. The bumper cars were a hit with young and old. We grabbed giant slices of pizza twenty steps down the boardwalk and headed right back afterward. At no time did we feel we didn't get our money's worth.
Kim Pascarella, manager of the Seaside Heights portion of the pier:
"It doesn't surprise me, really. In my opinion, within 10 years there will not be any small businesses left on the barrier island. Businessmen are being taxed out of business. This just seems to be the way things are going."
It'll all come down to finances. Seaside park has seriously high property taxes, just like every other town in Our Fair State. Replacing the amusement pier with condos is just a tentative plan right now, and there isn't even an official proposal on the table; but if there's a true chance of a substantial financial incentive for the town, and the APP article sure makes it sound like there is, Funtown is history.
It's old, it's small, and it's part of the incredible charm of Seaside Park. I will be sorry to see it go.
Expect to see me there on its last day of operations. I'll be watching my youngest go 'round and 'round on the Family coaster.
3 comments:
My generation, I suppose, measures amusement parks by simple mathematical equations involving the height and speed of the ride. When that is applied, Six Flags beats the pier.
Hey, I was wondering if I could get on your blogroll, for old times sake? Although I'm sorry that Jersey Perspective is obsolete now, I'm continuing on this new blog...
- BlueWaveNJ
I used to too, but now I have young kids who won't go on the Great American Scream Machine. They get tired after a few hours, so I won't shell out the big bucks for a day at GA until they're older. Plus, I worked at GA summers through high school and college, so I get an eye twitch just thinking about it...
You're on the blogroll- I corrected it to your current, active blog.
I've always accepted & even celebrated boardwalk hucksterism, but the blatant cynicism of The Wildwoods using "doo wop architecture" to promote their island even as wonderful motels are closed & razed really spun me around. Family businesses are the glue that holds boardwalks together. But it's a bit like the family farm issue: property is an investment. If potential development of the property overwhelms the profitability of its current usage, if the individual owners are no longer committed to their businesses, they feel they have the right to sell out to corporate interests, take the money & go. My sense is that Seaside Heights / Park have neither the resources nor the will to preserve Funtown.
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