Wildwood Doo Wop.com

For decades, the starburst-shaped neon emblem of the 24th Street Motel served as a beacon to travelers and a familiar landmark to locals near the southern end of North Wildwood's Surf Avenue strip. After nearly a half-century of proud operation, the motel closed its doors for the final time in September of 2005. It was promptly demolished in favor of new condominiums.

The 24th Street Motel was located on the southeast corner of 24th & Surf, two blocks north of the Wildwood border at 26th Ave. and one long block west of the Boardwalk. It was bordered by the much smaller Palm Crest Motel & Apts to the east and by the Ocean East Motel property to the south and southeast. Across 24th Ave. to the north was the Thunderbird Inn, while the Hawaiian Rumble Pancake House & Mini Golf (recently demolished; also the former site of the Manor Hotel) sat directly across Surf Ave. to the west.

• The 24th Street Motel was designed and built by Lou Morey.
• The motel's original owners were Ed and Rose Schiavi, who came to the Wildwoods from Scranton, PA. The Schiavis were also the first owners of the Shalimar Resort Motel in the Crest, which opened in 1964.
• Other 'Doo Wop' entities that debuted in 1957 included: The Ebb Tide Motel and Markay Motel in the Crest.
• When it was first built, the 24th Street was a two-story structure. The motel's success (coupled with the booming popularity of the Wildwoods, in general) led to the addition of a third floor a few years later.
• An ad taken out by the Bethlehem Steel Company (Bethlehem, PA) in the August, 1958 issue of Architectural Record noted that 1,835 feet of Beth-Co-Weld steel pipe was used in the construction of the 24th Street Motel. By comparison, 1,625 feet of pipe was used to build the Carousel Motel in Wildwood Crest and 1,700 was used for the Fantasy Motel in Wildwood proper.
• Though the 24th Street's most visible and well-known symbol over the years was it's large roadside sign, the star-shaped version was not the first on the premises. The original sign was much smaller, but was located at the same spot as its replacement, at the northwest corner of the property. It featured the word "MOTEL," spelled out vertically in large neon block letters, with a smaller script "24th ST" next to the "O" near the top.
• Early additions to the original sign advertised the motel's pool and "TV" (all units had black and white sets in those days).
• Later added to the original sign was a box with neon lettering that read "OPEN ALL YEAR." For a time, the 24th Street was one of the few motels on the island that welcomed guests after the summer season ended.
• The original sign was replaced by the more recent starburst-shaped neon version at some point around the early 70s (the starburst sign appears in the 1973 motel guide).
• The motel's original wrought iron railings were painted bright yellow and followed the a zigzag triangular pattern that was common in the Wildwoods at the time. The Buccaneer Motel also featured this design, while the Bel Air Motel still sports the look.
• One of the motel's trademarks (particularly prominent over the second half of its lifespan) was its brownish-red color scheme, which was present in the base of the starbust-shaped sign, as well as on the horizontal wooden railings and room doors.
• The wooden railings were replaced by white vinyl versions in the 90s. Though this was done for as a safety code compliance, the bland new look took something away from the character of the motel for many longtime visitors.
• The 24th Street's room doors each featured a trio of white diamond-shaped wood patterns, descending diagonally from left to right.
• The 24th Street was demolished on October 15, 2005.
• Sadly, the motel's signature roadside sign was destroyed, along with the motel.
• The motel was one of a number of prominent businesses located on (or just off of) Surf Ave. to be demolished following the 2005 season. Others included the nearby Thunderbird Inn, Palm Crest Motel and Ocean East Motel, along with the Flame Inn, Lisa's Family Motel (formerly the Anchorage Motel) and Sans Souci Motel, a few blocks north.

Motels of the Wildwoods MPDF S.R. 1/16/2004

"Doo Wop Stuff" Profile Page:
http://www.doowopstuff.com/24thstreetmotel.html
WildwoodViews.com:
http://www.wildwoodviews.com/Motels/Wildwood/24th_street_motel.htm

Al Alven, WDW Staff
From a sentimental standpoint, the 24th Street is my all-time favorite Wildwoods motel. For years, we considered this place to be our 'home at our home away from home,' and we were very sad to learn of its fate after the 2005 season. The 24th Street may or may not have been a Doo Wop gem, based on your perspective; surely it was not in the architectural league of some of the others built around its time. But it was a classic in its own right, and an integral fabric in the neon tapestry that once made the Surf Avenue strip so special. We'll always have the memories, and for that I'll always be thankful...