it is. The bridge, sitting high over the marsh. The smell of the bay, the Ferris Wheel in the distance, Ocean to the left. Past the egret’s nest on the long road coming home to the shore. This one particular passing was special. I was alone. I could blare the radio loud with the perfect song and throw down both windows and sing at the top of my lungs until my ears were ringing. The future will bring with it baby car seats, lullabies and cars loaded with baggage and bicycles. Windows will be required to be in the full and upright position, air conditioning firmly in place. But not this time. This time, it was just me. A rental car. The perfect song and the smell of the bay. I slowed down to make it last forever. The smile from ear to ear continued as the rest of the hours were as good as the first. I rode my bike to the beach. Fell asleep while still conscious enough to hear the ocean. I stayed on the beach until 7:30 PM to see the lifeguard races and watch my beach chair throw long shadows from the setting sun. I laughed with my family until I cried. I found some old friends, made some new ones. Took some runs on the seawall and sat on the beach for hours. I come here every year to reconnect. To plug in and fill up. Wildwood is a special, special place. It is quite possibly my favorite place in the whole world (and I consider myself a fairly well-travelled person). This is not a place where you walk away feeling you are not enough, that you have to work harder and be more and have more. This
is not a place of haves and have nots. There are no McMansions built on the ocean, no private beach or ‘No Access’ signs. There are no expensive parking lots or reservations that you can’t get. There is plenty of time for pretentiousness in the city. Leave those on the Parkway. When you cross that bridge, just come as you are.
“Wildwood is a special, special place. It is quite possibly my favorite place in the whole world” All of our North Wildwood inhabitants enjoy the beach block on our bikes and the sea wall is our communal gathering place. You wave good morning to everyone as you sip your tea. And for that moment, we are all equals, all enjoying the same intoxicating magnetism of the shore regardless of what you have and where you came from. And as communal is our beach, it is the same for our homes. In true Jersey Shore style, we all live on top of one another. I know my neighbor wears striped underwear, the secret revealed by the clothesline. And I’ve had my full share of conver-
sations across the fence in the yard in my towel. We have a Boardwalk with rides that rival Six Flags, legit fireworks every Friday night and seagulls that will steal a bagel or ham and cheese sandwich right out of your hand mid-bite. We have the Soul Cruisers, the Chatterband, Westy’s, Keenan’s and Claude’s. We have Bob the bartender at Flip Flopz and so many stories to tell from Summer 2004, it would make a rock star blush. We now have a new generation in our house at 240 East 10th street. Our house with the donkey pulling the cart and a statue of St. Francis on the front lawn and the Blessed Mother (who replaced the praying hands) in the window. We have new additions to the family who will celebrate their birthdays in the backyard, come to crave the clanging sounds of the front gate, and who will cry every time they have to leave the shore. When my cousin was born 44 years ago, our Grandmom bought a shore house. She bought it so that the family would always be together. This morning was my birthday. I rode my bike on the Boardwalk with my dad all the way to the Crest and back. We grabbed a tea at WaWa and sat on the rocks at 2nd Street to see my mom. We walked on the beach to 10th street and on our way back to our bikes, I ran into that ocean with abandon, dove into a wave and I swear, I heard the angels singing. So thank you, Grandmom. And yes dad, I guess you were right. I was absolutely, posiprh tively, lit up...from the inside, with joy.
A. Criniti reAlty inC. For all your Real Estate Needs
1633 E. PASSYUNK AVENUE PHILADELPHIA, PA 19148 Phone: 215.465.4225 Fax: 215.462.4229 Anthony Criniti, Broker Theresa Criniti, Property Rental Manager
rowhome magazine
| 85