Following and entering the raffle

A fan just suggested that I move the 'Follow" box on the left of the page to the very top so it is visible.
Good idea and I just figured out how to do it.

If you have not joined as a follower please do and join the raffle for the Replica Monopoly game that I will raffle off when we hit 1000 Followers. We are at 540 today

Emil

Young's Pier - Atlantic City

Before Captain John Lake Young ( he gave himself the rank of Captain )  built his massive Million Dollar Pier in 1906 in Atlantic City he began with Young and McShea's Pier.  John Lake Young and his financial backer, Stewart McShea, bought the old Applegate's Pier and turned it into the Ocean Pier ( later Young's Pier.) The successful showman enticed Sarah Bernhardt to debut when the pier opened.

It burned in 1912 but by then he had opened his Million Dollar Pier.

The Blog and Facebook

If you are reading this you are visiting my blog via Facebook.

THANKS  ( you see I could not do that on Facebook :) )
While I have lost some fans because people do not want to click the links I am posting to take you to this blog it is worth it to have interested readers.

Facebook is a social media site that I was trying to use as a blog. It had many limitations regarding size, quality, number of images, type styles ( see above, ) and was wide open to hated SPAMMERS.

This blog has the same stories written by me so there is no down side. Just a matter of clicking the link to the blog when I post on Facebook.

While it is not a requirement to read the blog if you register to follow it on the left hand side of the page   ( not the follow me on Twiter icon ) you get to enroll in the raffle for the Replica Monopoly Set once we hit 1,000 registered followers. All you need to register is a gmail, yahoo, twitter, AIM email address, etc

It is the "Follow" icon over the pictures of the 500 plus registered followers.

Mini Jerusalem - Ocean Grove

When Ocean Grove was first established as a Methodist Camp Meeting ground- an " Eden by the Sea," a large attraction was the model of Jerusalem built by a local member of the community.
It was later covered with a protective roofed structure but eventually was lost to age and Jersey Shore weather.
This was an illustrator's depiction of mini Jerusalem in the late 1880s.

Emil

Hydrangeas in Atlantic City

Hard to believe that there were once beautiful Hydrangeas along the Atlantic City boardwalk.

Don't forget to register as a Follower on the left hand of the page
We have 500 plus and as soon as we hit 1000 I will raffles off the Replica Monopoly Game

Emil

Riding on the Beach

Back in the day you could rent ponies and ride along the surf in Atlantic City.

The massive Traymore Hotel is in the background.

Bradley Beach Tennis

Oceanside tennis at Bradley Beach, NJ  circa 1950

Enjoy.

Don't forget to sign up to follow the blog the enter the contest for the Replica Monopoly Set
As soon as we hit 1,000 we will have the raffle. 

Wildwood back in the day

A wonderful image of Kiddie Land at Night, Casino Arcade, Wildwood -by-the-Sea, NJ

Double click to see some great detail.

Monopoly and the Jersey Shore

Since I am raffling off a 1st Edition 1935 replica Monopoly set with wooden houses and original style pieces when we hit 1,000 followers on this blog I thought I would re-post this story on Monopoly that I ran back in 2009.
Hope you enjoy it.
Emil

The inventor of Monopoly was Charles Darrow an unemployed salesman from Germantown section of Philadelphia.

Considering our current economic crisis I thought I would share the story of the game we all grew up with. I remember marathons that lasted days.

Darrow was struggling trying to support a wife and child. He visited Atlantic City as a child and later as an adult and knew the resort well. One day during the depths of the Great Depression Charles Darrow sat down at his kitchen table and decided to invent a game about buying and selling real estate. He made the decision to name his properties after the streets he knew from the time he enjoyed in America's Playground.  Darrow chose streets that met Boardwalk from Park Place to the inlet.

When he came up one street short he just borrowed the name of a small, Margate community; Marven Gardens, and changed the name to Marvin Gardens. He also needed another railroad as the area was serviced by only three. Darrow took a local bus line; the Short Line and converted it to a railroad and made it famous. Hey it was his game :)

According to legend his first game was painted on an old oil cloth and he shopped it to the large game manufacturers including Parker Brothers. They seemed to like Darrow's game but felt it violated the rules of family games in that it violated the 45 minutes or under rule ( who thought of that one.)  As we Jersey Shore types know a classic game of Monopoly can go on for days.

They also believed that his real estate transaction rules were too complicated for us amateurs. In 1934 they turned it down with no yes votes.

Darrow would not be deterred, borrowed money and manufactured several thousands sets and shopped them in the large departments stores of Philadelphia.  The stores could not keep them on the shelf as word spread of the new "Jersey Shore" game.

Parker Brothers realized the blunder they had made and approached Darrow with a deal as long as he agreed to a few minor rule changes. The out of work salesman agreed and retired to a life of wealth.

That's the story of Monopoly.  Break out the game and have some fun.

Emil

Ocean City -NJ The good and the bad.

A sunny day on the boardwalk in 1923. This view is just west of Doughty's Pier

A completely different day 21 years later. The Great Atlantic Storm of 1944 turned the resort into piles of kindling.  Depicted here the boardwalk at 12 Street.

Love the image quality. Remember to double-click to enlarge and please register to follow the blog.

A NYC Food Guy with deep Jersey Shore roots

You know I enjoy promoting folks with a love of the Jersey Shore.

My wife and I had the pleasure of meeting and breaking bread with Mike Colameco - star of Colameco's Food Show on PBS. You can catch it on WNYC in New York and North Jersey and WNJN in South Jersey and Philly area.

Not only is Mike one of the knowledgeable people I have ever met in the world of food and wine he and his wonderful wife are Jersey Shore folks, and Mike loves to "represent" the Shore on air especially with his vintage tee shirt collection.

My kids watch all the time and still talk about his Steger's Beach shirt from Cape May. Mike says it is a 1970s classic.

Here is a link to find out more about Mike and his show and I hope all 21,000 of you will check it out:

 http://www.colameco.com/foodshow.php

Emil

Monopoly Game Raffle

Here is the actual game I will be raffling off as soon as we hit 1,000 registered followers on this blog.
We are almost half way there.
I have noticed that some of you are hitting the Follow Me on the Twitter icon near the bluebird which is great but that is not the same as Following the blog.

That button is right over the photos of the 400 plus people that have signed on.

Thanks
Emil

PS "Following" just means I can see who my fans on the blog are. That's all. No commitment from you. No SPAM. I don't release your email address.

While we have 460 followers Google sends me daily reports and thousands of people a day are reading the posts. Thanks

The Original Convention Hall Atlantic City

This brochure was published a year before the "new" Convention Hall was opened which is why there are illustrations used.

Wonderful piece of history and possible to post because of the new blog format.
Don't forget to double-click on the pages to enlarge.
Cheers,

Emil

Asbury Park - the Carousel Casino and Palace Ferris Wheel

Many of my FB fans asked for a high res image of this amazing piece of history.

It is the long gone Asbury Park Casino Carousel with a reflection of the Palace Amusement - also long gone - Ferris Wheel.
Classic Asbury.
Enjoy

Emil

Test Comment

To those who have tried to comment with no luck please try to add a comment here

I think I corrected the setting

Emil

Some high quality Cape May images

For those of you who are new to my blog you can see I am having fun with the high res photo capabilities it permits.
Much better than FB images.
Double click to enlarge
These are Cape May taken by me but I have more shore points and stories to follow

Emil

PS  Please sign up on this blog to follow so we can hit 1000 and raffle the replica Monopoly set

EXCITING CONTEST

While thousands of people are reading the new blog only 400 plus have registered.
There is no cost and it is nice for your author. 

Once we hit 1,000 registered followers on the blog we will have a great raffle. All names go in a hat and the winner gets a First Edition 1935 Replica Monopoly Game with wooden houses and original pieces.
This was the year the game was introduced and the replica set includes a heavyweight game board with the original artwork along with wooden houses and hotels. Also included is a 16 page trivia book on Monopoly and naturally the tokens are sliver-toned looking liked the originals.
A great gift for lovers of the Jersey Shore.

Emil

Wesley Lake - Asbury Park - Ocean Grove

This wonderful picture of Wesley Lake is one of the reasons I have switched to posting on a blog. The quality is 1000% better than Facebook.
I can write more copy, include more images and by double-clicking on the image you can really see the detail.
Color type available in all sizes and styles.
Check out the amusements that Ocean Grove once had. Shooting galleries, bowling, skee-ball, a movie theatre and a large merry-go-round.
The Moorish looking tower on the upper left is the Asbury Park power plant.

How many people remember that motorboat alley and the paddle boats?
While only 422 of you have signed on to follow the sites Google has reported that there have been thousands of views this week.
Please sign on as an official follower.
Once we hit 1,000 followers there will be a great prize raffled off.