Seaside Heights. 7/17/17—an auspicious number. Moe Demby, Blogfinger staff. New Ferris Wheel.
Jet Star rollercoaster in the Atlantic after Sandy hit Seaside Heights. Mel Evans photo, AP 2012 ©
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger. 2017 re-post.
Seaside Heights was blown apart by Sandy. (Oct. 29, 2012). You may have seen their roller coaster lying on its side in the ocean. They received a huge payout by FEMA, and finally the amusement pier is back. Go visit to see what they have now. The new “roller coaster” (“Hydrus”) is amazing—something to see (but, in my opinion, not to actually board.) And while you are there, get a slice, some raw clams “on the half shell”, and a classic sausage, pepper and onion sandwich, but make sure it is hot and has enough of that marvelous red sauce.
And, by the way, they have a fine collection of parking lots for the tourists.
Seaside is the place for Italian cuisine of a certain Jersey kind.
One summer, in college, my band was playing in a bar/restaurant in Lavalette. But we were staying in Seaside. Talk about titillation—- girls, barely in their summer clothes, bars with bands (we were too young,) sea breezes, the smell of the ocean and the food, and all in one place——-that was the Seaside Boardwalk and then , after a 1 am snack, it was back to our pad over a garage, one block to the ocean, and…oops, I forget the rest.
THE RONETTES:
Sally Ann: My article was not specific as to how Seaside Heights spent its FEMA money, but I guess it implied FEMA funds for the Casino Pier. I believe the FEMA payout in SH was for the boardwalk. The new ride (Ferris Wheel) shown in the picture is on Casino Pier, and I believe that is a private enterprise. It took them 5 years to be up and running.
FEMA had trouble with a number of Jersey Shore towns as to how their money was spent, and some of that might have involved Seaside Heights which received money in 2012 for the boardwalk and again after the 2013 fire which involved the Heights and Seaside Park.
Ocean Grove (i.e. CMA) had a struggle getting approval for FEMA boardwalk funds (well documented in BF archives), but the CMA was promised payment for the pier, but at the last minute, the Feds withdrew that promise, and the CMA didn’t have the heart to do battle over that decision.
Whatever reconstruction has already been done on the OG pier was paid for with volunteer generosity/sweat and CMA funds. The CMA has said that it would rebuild the pier at some time in the future when they had the money to do so.
So this New Jersey shore town got a new pier thanks to Sandy and FEMA.
Would that mean that Sandy bypassed the Grove? That is a relief.
No worries though. There Pier might have fancy amusements but our Pier has character.