Ocean City:: Volume II

By Ph.D., Nan DeVincent-Hayes and John E. Jacob

Ocean City, Maryland's own seaside resort, has become so popular that it is almost too small--five square miles--to hold all its tourists. The last few decades have brought tremendous growth to the area in the form of both population and development. Bridges and tunnels have been built, high-rise hotels and condominiums have grown up, and amusements of all kinds have become available to the summertime crowds. In this second volume of Ocean City, images of beach life from the late 1940s to the present day capture the spirit of this popular vacation spot. From funnel cakes to Ferris wheels and deep-sea fishing to seasonal festivals, Ocean City, now a year-round retreat, has offered millions of visitors an endless variety of entertainment. Having survived destruction caused by storms, problems associated with the real estate boom, and the overwhelming surge of visitors who each summer crowd the boardwalk and Coastal Highway, this "small" town has matured over the last few decades into the jewel of Maryland's shore.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Sep 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781439626917

Ph.D., Nan DeVincent-Hayes

Authors Nan DeVincent-Hayes, Ph.D., and John E. Jacob have gathered vivid images from wonderful personal collections throughout the community for this volume, and each image provides a historical glimpse of a past that has quickly faded. This entertaining and educational retrospective will certainly delight longtime residents as well as summer sun-seekers.

Book preview

us.

INTRODUCTION

If popular Ocean City is too small to hold all its tourists, then it’s too big to accommodate all in one volume; hence, this is the second volume on the resort and it covers the era of 1947 to the present. We are grateful to all the photographers who have kindly given us permission to use their images. Those photos not credited are the work or collection of the authors.

In this volume, you’ll ride buses and boardwalk trains; sunbathe on widened beaches; smell popcorn popping, funnel cakes frying, ham smoking, and fries sizzling; see towering Ferris wheels spin, upside-down coasters roll, and the still-operational Trimper’s merry-go-round circle. You’ll hear the swish of elevators as they surge upward to the tops of high-rise buildings, taste the salt in the ocean spray as tides lash against jetties, and feel shoulders touching shoulders on the crowded boards. And when the sun rises over its mirrored reflection in the water, you’ll gasp at its glory, and when that same ball of fire sets over the bay, you’ll sigh at its magnificence.

Here, in this volume, you’ll read about how the resort’s growth exploded and endless hotels and condos were built at high prices, and then how the city became so saturated with lodging facilities that every high rise, except two, went under. Banks foreclosed. Those people with money were able to buy auctioned property for a third of the going price. The Carousel Hotel, built by indicted Bobby Baker of the Senate, was one of the first to be hit hard and has faced problems since it inception. It was bought, sold, then bought again, and again. Then in the mid-1990s, the Carousel faced more problems when electrical work was not up to code and condo owners were not getting paid. The current owner went bankrupt, and, on May 27, 1999, the Carousel was bought for about $7.5 million, much less than its value.

Also in this book, you’ll see how the town has sprouted into a mature resort with aging problems and, yet, has not only come into its own but has become even bigger and better. There are more things to do in this little town than all of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, from new amusement rides, to high-tech games, sport tournaments, kite flying, rollerblading, and, of course, swimming and sunbathing, among a host of other dazzling recreational activities. Golfing is big-time in and around the resort, as well as on the Eastern Shore as a whole. Some of the choicest golf courses and the most challenging mini-golf courses can be found here.

Events have also increased in number (festivals, parades, contests, performances) and each of these has attracted more and more people, so much so that Ocean City, once only a summer resort, has fast become a year-round retreat. Both Sunfest and Winterfest have become nationally known, pulling in crowds from all over the country. One could easily take hours strolling through the city’s museums, especially the old Life Saving Station, which is not only an enjoyable venture but also a fine learning experience. A lot of time and work has gone into making this museum a top-notch cultural center.

Dining, dancing, and nightlife have become an exciting staple of the town. Some of the country’s best and most unique restaurants can be found here, as well as specialty foods unequaled elsewhere. Themed dancing venues abound, and one is never at a loss for a place to have fun morning, noon, or night, or for a place to get a certain food or have the finest meal or a just quick bite to eat in swim trunks or bathing suit.

Boardwalk improvements have become the talk of the town, with the renovation of the 2.6-mile stretch (from the inlet going north) costing $3.5 million. This trademark of the resort is being torn up and re-done, concrete is being replaced, and the boardwalk is being widened in other places so that half the boards will serve pedestrians and the other half will allow the boardwalk train to travel uninhibited by strollers and without posing a danger to those more interested in window shopping and testing food at booths and stalls than listening to the clanging of the train’s bells.

There’s never a dull moment in the town, and people remain friendly and almost child-like in their wonder no matter how crowded the boardwalk is, how much traffic fills Coastal Highway, or how difficult lodging is to get at season’s peak. Ocean City is a place to visit and then return to again and again because every year the resort offers something innovative and exciting.

In this volume, Ocean City is at its height of maturity, at its moment of greatest growth (all for you to take in and enjoy as this resort welcomes its annual 8 million visitors). Be one of them by leafing through the pages of this book and sharing in this incomparable oceanside