Wildwood Crest is a borough in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough, and all of Cape May County, is part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, and is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area.New Jersey: 2020 Core Based Statistical Areas and Counties, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 22, 2022. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 3,101, a decrease of 169 (−5.2%) from the 2010 census count of 3,270, which in turn reflected a decline of 710 (−17.8%) from the 3,980 counted in the 2000 census.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
Wildwood Crest was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 6, 1910, from portions of Lower Township.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 116. Accessed May 30, 2024. The area of the borough was first developed by Philip Baker in the 1910s as a southern extension to the resort of Wildwood.Strauss, Robert. "Real Estate; Save Our Mansion", The New York Times, December 5, 2004. Accessed August 7, 2018. "So far, Wildwood Crest, founded and developed by Philip Baker in the 1910s, at the same time the house was built, has eluded much of the tear-down syndrome." The borough's name comes from Wildwood, which in turn was named for the area's wild flowers.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 29, 2015.
It is a dry town, where alcohol cannot be sold, affirmed by the results of a referendum held in 1940.New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. New Jersey ABC list of dry towns (May 1, 2013)Giordano, Rita. , The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 24, 2007. Accessed February 16, 2014. Wildwood Crest joins Cape May Point and Ocean City among municipalities in Cape May restricting the sale of alcohol.Schaad Jr., Jacob. "Bizarre History of Cape May - Wet or dry?", The Cape May Gazette, October 30, 2013. Accessed November 11, 2013. "Wildwood Crest, Ocean City, West Cape May and Cape May Point have opted to stay dry while the 12 other communities in the county still permit their people to lift a few." Adjoining Wildwood allows the sale of alcohol, including at bars on its boardwalk.Hart, Joe. "Boardwalk Alcohol Gets First Nod in Wildwood", Cape May County Herald, March 23, 2010. Accessed October 16, 2017. "Wildwood Crest is a dry town, thus no alcoholic beverages can be sold."
The borough was ranked the second-best beach in New Jersey in the 2008 "Top 10 Beaches Contest" sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium.Urgo, Jacqueline L. "Triumph for South Jersey", The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 23, 2008. Accessed October 29, 2015. "Neighboring Wildwood Crest came in second, followed by Ocean City, North Wildwood, Cape May, Asbury Park in Monmouth County, Avalon, Point Pleasant Beach in northern Ocean County, Beach Haven in southern Ocean County and Stone Harbor." Wildwood Crest is one of five municipalities in the state that offer free public access to oceanfront beaches monitored by lifeguards, joining Atlantic City, North Wildwood, Wildwood and Upper Township's Strathmere section.Spoto, MaryAnn. "Surfers fighting to save dwindling free beaches", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 20, 2015. Accessed October 30, 2015. "New Jersey has five free guarded ocean beaches – Atlantic City, Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and the Strathmere section of Upper Township."
History
The motels of Wildwood Crest are characterized by a distinctive "Doo Wop" or Googie style of architecture. Collectively, Wildwood and Wildwood Crest contain the nation's largest collection of mid-century "Doo Wop" resort architecture.The "Doo Wop" Architecture of Wildwood Crest, Wildwood Crest Historical Society. Accessed December 7, 2015. "The first motel to reflect this style in Wildwood Crest was the Ebb Tide Motel at 5711 Atlantic Avenue, built in 1957."
The term "Doo Wop" was coined by the Mid-Atlantic Center For The Arts in the early 1990s to describe the unique, space-age architectural style that was common in the 1950s and 1960s. Post World War II America was an optimistic, confident, and enthusiastic society. The new age style of architecture evolved into a showcase of colorful, flashy, modernistic architecture that captured the spirit of the times; it incorporated modern, sweeping angles, bright colors, starbursts, boomerang shapes, plastic palm trees, and angular wall and roof styles. "Doo Wop" was a celebration of the architecture, design, music, and pop culture of the 1950s and 1960s. During the 1950s, the economy had grown to unprecedented levels. Americans achieved a level of prosperity they had never known before. In response to this unprecedented growth, hundreds of motels were constructed in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest with the distinct "Doo Wop" style of architecture."The Origins of Wildwood's Fabulous Doo Wop", Doo Wop Preservation League. Accessed December 7, 2015. The first motel to reflect this style was the Ebb Tide Motel, constructed in 1957, which was designed and built by Will and Lou Morey, who specialized in such designs.
Several "Doo Wop" motels, such as the Caribbean Motel, are registered on the National Register of Historic Places. These properties are part of the Wildwoods Shore Resort Historic District, a district listed on the National Register of Historic Places that collectively recognizes Wildwood Crest's concentration of mid-20th century Doo-Wop resort architecture. In recent years, historic "Doo Wop" motels have been demolished to make way for the construction of condominiums, leading to organized efforts to preserve the remaining examples.Gilfillian, Trudi. "Once in jeopardy, Wildwood's 1950s doo-wop buildings now imitated", The Press of Atlantic City, July 24, 2014. Accessed December 7, 2015. "Tim Maher knew the doo-wop motels of the Wildwoods were in trouble. A booming real estate market meant the island's 1950s and 1960s-era properties were being torn down and replaced with rows of very un-doo-wop, very profitable condominiums."
Wildwood Crest and its neighboring towns of Wildwood, North Wildwood, and West Wildwood make up "The Wildwoods" resort, a popular vacation destination for those living in all parts of New Jersey as well as the Philadelphia and New York City metropolitan areas. Many vacationers and tourists have come from as far away as, New England and Canada and have made The Wildwoods a vacation hotspot, due to the area's mild summer climate. Unlike its sister communities of Wildwood and North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest does not have the all-hours excitement that the rest of the resort area is known for.
In recent years, condominiums have replaced many of the motels the area was known for, such as The Grand, The Ocean Breeze, El Coronado, and The Arcadia. Changes in housing have significantly changed the demographics of this area, from being a more family oriented one-vacation-per-summer place (for the middle class) to being a weekend retreat for wealthier families. It is a common vacation destination for New Jersey families.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.48 square miles (3.84 km2), including 1.30 square miles (3.36 km2) of land and 0.19 square miles (0.48 km2) of water (12.50%).
Part of the borough's beachfront has been closed off for the protection of native birds such as the piping plover. These small birds have this area all to themselves so that their eggs may be protected from beachgoers.Jacobs, Andrew. "Metro Briefing New Jersey: Wildwood Crest: Beach Off Limits To Humans", The New York Times, May 2, 2001. Accessed September 4, 2011. There is a nature trail one may take through the dunes to explore this sheltered area of the beach.
Wildwood Crest borders the Diamond Beach section of Lower Township to the south, the City of Wildwood to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean.Areas touching Wildwood Crest, MapIt. Accessed March 13, 2020.Cape May County , Coalition for a Healthy NJ. Accessed March 13, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Wildwood Crest had a population of 3,101.
The median age was 56.3 years. 13.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 32.0% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.7 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,473 households, of which 17.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.3% were married-couple households, 19.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 5,491 housing units, of which 73.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 19.5%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 2,788 89.9% Black or African American 42 1.4% American Indian and Alaska Native 12 0.4% Asian 26 0.8% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.0% Some other race 74 2.4% Two or more races 159 5.1% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 192 6.2%
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 3,270 people, 1,532 households, and 918 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 5,569 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 93.18% (3,047) White, 1.68% (55) Black or African American, 0.15% (5) Native American, 1.01% (33) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.80% (59) from other races, and 2.17% (71) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.63% (184) of the population.
Of the 1,532 households, 18.7% had children under the age of 18; 44.6% were married couples living together; 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 40.1% were non-families. Of all households, 35.4% were made up of individuals and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.73.
16.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 19.6% from 25 to 44, 30.7% from 45 to 64, and 26.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 96.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.9 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $46,111 (with a margin of error of +/− $13,652) and the median family income was $67,917 (+/− $15,113). Males had a median income of $49,567 (+/− $20,496) versus $54,250 (+/− $12,982) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $40,032 (+/− $8,687). About 8.1% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Wildwood Crest borough, Cape May County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 24, 2012.
2000 census