Wildwood, NJ

[can'twait]

Can anybody give me some info on Wildwood? We are thinking about renting a house for a week this summer. What's there for the kids (5 & 8) to do, besides the beach?

 

[ducklite]

In all honesty, not much. There's a Boardwalk with some rides and games, but truly, Wildwood is the beach, and that's about it.

Anne

 

[Blondie]

Wildwood has a very long boardwalk with several "piers" of amusements/rides. What are the ages of your kids?

Back when I was younger, Wildwood was the place to be in the summer. Beach during the day, boardwalk at night! I loved it!

 

[poohbears5]

There is the Cape May zoo that is small but very nice , sight seeing boats, Cape May Ferry to delware for the day for outlet shopping, minature golf , can go over to Cape May for the day nice shops, Ride bikes , there is 3 piers of rides on the Wldwood boardwalk . Every weekend there is a scheduled event going on.

 

[TeresaNJ]

I grew up going to Wildwood every summer. My uncle had a house in the "Wildwood Villas", which is now called just Villas, and we loved going to the beach and the boardwalk. When I had children we always stayed in North Wildwood for a few weeks every summer. We preferred that section as it was at the end of the boardwalk, less congested, but still within walking distance of everything. We rented a nice little apartment on 18th street between Surf and Atlantic Avenues. It was a short two-block walk to the boardwalk and beach. Beware though, Wildwood's beach is huge!! Once you hit the boardwalk, it is quite a hike to the water, but it is FREE!!!, unlike other NJ beaches.

Over the years though, Wildwood seems to have been taken over by teens. I hadn't gone in years, and last summer we went for the day with my brother's family so the "teens" could go on the rides. As we walked the boards, I felt that it had become quite trashy, literally and visually. There were tons of stores with tshirts hanging out front with very nasty messages on them, there was trash everywhere on the boardwalk, and I was soooo disappointed. I hated to see the place I loved as a child look this way.

There is a huge push right now to clean Wildwood up, new "expensive" condos are being built, there is a huge new convention center at the south end of the boardwalk, there are all different kinds of festivals planned for every weekend, and all in all, it is still a fun place to go. Many more rides on the boards for the kids as opposed to say, Ocean City or Sea Isle City. It has a more laid back atmosphere than OC or SIC, which seems more "uppity" if you know what I mean. It is also less expensive to rent a room there.

Wildwood is close to Cape May in driving distance, so you can go see the historical district there, go visit some lighthouses, they have great shopping in Cape May, and also have a nice, FREE beach. If I were to stay in Wildwood I would definitely stay either in the North end or Wildwood Crest, but the Crest will also be more expensive. Hope that helps a little.

 

[buddy&wooz]

The rides are above average. The boardwalk is huge. You can people-watch like crazy, and "watch the tramcar, please." The beach itself is ginormous- if you have to lug lots of stuff be sure to bring a cart or wagon.

Typical shore activities- if that's what you want, it's a good place to go. Personally it's enough for our family- hanging out on the beach in the day, hitting the boardwalk in the evening. Beyond that- no, not much else to do.

 

[can'twait]

Thanks everyone! After Disney this fall, we need a "relaxing" vacation, that doesn't require airfare! I definitely want to check out Cape May also.

 

[Blondie]

I heard they are trying to upscale Wildwood, building more condos, etc.

I haven't been to WW since 1996 and I noticed a decline even back then. It wasn't the same boardwalk I was used to in the late 1970's. Hopefully they'll be able to turn it around!

 

[ducklite]

There is the Cape May zoo that is small but very nice , sight seeing boats, Cape May Ferry to delware for the day for outlet shopping, minature golf , can go over to Cape May for the day nice shops, Ride bikes , there is 3 piers of rides on the Wldwood boardwalk . Every weekend there is a scheduled event going on.

One of my best friends is a zookeeper at Cape May Zoo!

Anne

 

[poohbears5]

One of my best friends is a zookeeper at Cape May Zoo!

Anne

I love visting the Zoo every summer its just a nice relaxing day and they keep it very nice.

 

[dani0622]

My DH and I go to Cape May every year several times a year (heck, we even got married there). We ventured into Wildwood a few years ago for the first time since I was a child. The Crest is definitely cleaner and more quiet. The beach is HUGE and so are the boardswalks, but we definitely said we would not venture out of Cape May again. There were hoards of unsupervised rowdy teens and very shady looking characters. Not so family oriented though they try to be. I fully recommend Cape May, it's much cleaner and absolutely beautiful. I see tons of families there as well. There is the gorgeous beach where dolphins are often seen, several small game arcades, a movie theater, tons of shopping (for the adults), the Cape May lighthouse, the Cape May zoo, tons of great restaurants that are family friendly, and several tours that the kids may enjoy (such as trolley rides and the Haunted Cape May tour), bike rentals, a nature center with kids activities, dolphin and whale watching boats and there is always something going on such as fairs and events. I suggest viewing www.capemay. com, it is jam packed with info.

 

[dani0622]

Just a side note, unless things have changed for 2006, Cape May's beaches are not free.

 

[TeresaNJ]

Thanks Dani, I did not know that. Geesh, you'd think with all the taxes we pay they would be.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I grew up going to Wildwood every summer. My uncle had a house in the "Wildwood Villas", which is now called just Villas

Small world my DGM lives in Villas and my mom was born and raised there. I was born in Cape May Courthouse. We go back to Villas every year for either spring break or a week in June.

OP,
We love going to Wildwood. The boardwalk is 5 miles long with several piers that jut out with amusement rides. Moreys pier is one of our favorites. There is a lot to do in the Cape May area, beaches, shopping, etc. We also like to do Lighthouse tours. The coolest thing was the fact that they have really cleaned up the ocean and beaches and for the first time we saw dolphins off the coast at Cape May beach. There is Cold Spring Village in Cape May which is a living history museum but I believe you have to pay to get in. The Cape May Zoo is a must. It is a beautiful zoo and park. They have a huge playscape there as well.

If you can find her Lucy the Elephant is up on exit 36 off the parkway in Margate. She used to be a private home but I think she is open to the public now. I was at WDW with my mom in August and we were walking through Beach Club and they have a photo of Lucy on the wall and a replica over the fireplace. A man and he family were walking by and said out loud that he remembered her as a kid and asked if she was still around and mom told him she was. He was pleased to know she still stands.

Have fun in Jersey!!!

 

[Tiggeroo]

i'd make a strong plug for ocean city nj. Only a few miles further then wildwood and so much more for little kids to do. Cleaner, more family friendly. Plus you can always take a day trip to wildwood.

 

[Dopey Sharon]

In all honesty, not much. There's a Boardwalk with some rides and games, but truly, Wildwood is the beach, and that's about it.

Anne

You can't be serious! Yes, there's the beach and boardwalk, which could occupy you for a week, but there's so much more to do!

The boardwalk has loads of rides and games, not some. I think Wildwood's boardwalk is over 2 miles long! There's at least five amusement piers. There are many miniature golf courses. There's several boat tours. There's charter fishing. You can rent jet skis.

I perfer Wildwood Crest for the beach, over Wildwood, simply because it's a lot shorter. And I perfer North Wildwood over Wildwood, because it's a little quieter and nicer.

can't wait...you will have a great time and will find something to keep you occupied. I would look for a house in North Wildwood, though. Something around 24th street.

 

[Teacher03]

We went to Wildwood several summers ago. My kids loved it, I hated it. We had an oceanfront hotel, but the beach seemed like a mile away. Everything was overpriced and it was so crowded. But...as I said, my kids had a blast. They loved the Boardwalk, the Amusement Parks, etc. We did drive to Cape May for a day, and it was very nice there.

 

[Jennifer S]

i'd make a strong plug for ocean city nj. Only a few miles further then wildwood and so much more for little kids to do. Cleaner, more family friendly. Plus you can always take a day trip to wildwood.

I was just going to say this. I love OC so much more than Wildwood. Dry town which is why it is more family friendly but if you like alcohol there are plenty of places w/in 5 min to get it- right over the bridge - restaurants too. Def. look into. I wouldn't stay anywhere else.

 

[micki7337]

It's been years since I stayed in Wildwood. I just can't figure out why so many people are willing to pay a ton of money to stay in WW. As a kid it was okay; a little freaky because you couldn't see your feet in the water and we always swam in a pool at home. But as an adult and after a few trips to Florida beaches and the islands, the thought of going in that water totally freaks me out. I haven't been to the jersey shore in the past 7 or 8 years so maybe the water is cleaner....

I still have family and friends than go down to WW every year. They spend more money for rental, food and boardwalk than it costs me to take my family of 5 to Disney for the week.

 

[jenks0718]

We go to Wildwood with the kids for a long weekend every year. It wouldnt be summer to us without it. It has way more then beaches! My ds is 7, sds 12, dd2. We have been going for years. We love the water parks and the rides and games, we rent a boat to go out on the bay, take in a movie, shop. Lots of fun