Boardwalk
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- For the record label, see Boardwalk Records
A boardwalk is a wooden path for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles. Boardwalks are often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments. Although boardwalks can be found around the world, they are especially common along the East Coast of the United States in North America, where they have many of the functions of a city street and are often tourist attractions themselves. The first boardwalk was designed in New Jersey and opened June 26, 1870, in Atlantic City. [1]
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[edit] Famous boardwalks
- Atlantic City, New Jersey — The Boardwalk starts at Absecon Inlet and runs along the beach for four miles (six kilometers) to the city limit. An additional one and one half miles (two kilometers) of the Boardwalk extend into Ventnor City. Casino/hotels front the boardwalk, as well as retail stores, restaurants, and amusements. Several piers extend the boardwalk over the Atlantic Ocean. Garden Pier houses the Atlantic City Historical Museum and the Atlantic City Art Center. The four story "Pier at Caesars" entertainment complex opened in July 2006. This boardwalk gained notoriety due to the board game Monopoly, which was based upon the trading and dealing of real estate in Atlantic City; in the game, Boardwalk is the most expensive property to purchase and develop, but also yields the greatest rent payoffs to its owner.
- Wildwood, New Jersey — The 2 mile (3 kilometer) long boardwalk has a total of five amusement piers plus a myriad of other carnival games, souvenir shops, food stands, waterparks, and world-class roller coasters. The Boardwalk started out as a mere 150 feet (45 meters). It has actually been moved closer to the ocean twice. Today, the boardwalk stretches from 16th Ave in North Wildwood to Cresse Ave in Wildwood Crest. The Wildwood Boardwalk is said to have more rides than Disneyland.[citation needed] Kiddie rides include a convoy of airplanes, trucks, dune buggies, boats, and trains. Flying elephants, teacups, bouncing giraffes, mini-erris wheels, and a traditional carousel round out the mix. Children are said to line up for their chance to sit in the driver's seat of the bumper car ride.[citation needed]
- Ocean City, New Jersey — The 2.5 mile (4 kilometers) boardwalk in Ocean City has classic attractions and many newer additions. The 140-foot (42 meter) Ferris Wheel can be seen from miles around, with views of Ocean City and the surrounding communities from the top. Other rides include rollercoasters, bumper cars, water rides, and tens of miniature golf courses. Shops sell souvenirs and snacks, such as cotton candy, popcorn, pizza, and ice cream. Other boardwalk activities include enjoying the sunrise with a leisurely walk, a brisk jog, a bike tour, a ride on a surrey cart, or a meal at one of the many ocean front cafes.
- Seaside Heights, New Jersey- This 1 mile long, action-packed boardwalk in one of the most famous in the world and probably the third most visited in New Jersey. The promenade is full of game stands, pizzerias, souvenir shops, beach gear stores, arcades and ice cream parlors drawing families, teenages and adults alike. The Seaside Heights boardwalk is bookended by two 300-foot long piers that feature amusement rides, carousels, log flumes, roller coasters, ferris wheels and more. One of these piers is the world-famous Casino Pier, home to a 1913 circa merry-go-round, the Niagara Falls log flume and the Star Jet roller coaster. The other is the Funtown Amusement Pier home to the Tower of Fear, Seaside's tallest ferris wheel and a go-kart track. Across from Casino Pier is the redeveloped Jenkinson's Breakwater Beach waterpark (formerly WaterWorks). Many of the businesses are still family-owned and operated and have been almost as long as the boardwalk has been around.
- Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey- About 7 miles from Seaside Heights, the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk (frequently known as Jenkinson's Boardwalk) is similar to the boardwalk found in Seaside Heights, but is a bit more subdued. The promenade extends from the Manasquan Inlet in the northern end of the borough to the border with Bay Head in the south. Right in the middle is the Jenkinson's Amusements/Jenkinson's Boardwalk area brimming with rides, games, carnival food, miniature golf, fun houses, souvenir shops, and the excellent Jenkinson's Aquarium. The Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk is the first "real" boardwalk (with rides, food, games, entertainment) on the Jersey Shore coming from the north and attracts many weekenders from North Jersey and New York City.
- Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York — Riegelmann Boardwalk, located along the southern shore of Brooklyn along the Atlantic Ocean, Coney Island is known for the amusement parks along the boardwalk. Many of its most famous parks no longer exist, but the boardwalk still hosts the Cyclone roller coaster and the Wonder Wheel ferris wheel, as well as the New York Aquarium. A recent addition to the boardwalk is KeySpan Park, home of the minor-league Brooklyn Cyclones baseball team.
- Asbury Park's boardwalk is in the process of revitalization and has recently been connected to the neighboring town of Ocean Grove, New Jersey.
- Hampton Beach, New Hampshire — This boardwalk is largely a tourist attraction. In fact, it is widely used for common shops where it is possible for tourists to purchase souvenirs and trinkets to remember their trip.
- Sandwich, Massachusetts — This boardwalk does not, strictly speaking, lead along the beach. Instead, it begins in a parking lot and leads through the salt marshes and out to the beach. It was destroyed in a powerful storm and was then rebuilt through donations made by the townspeople. In turn, family names were carved into the planks of the boardwalk, and it is still used to this day.
- Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, California — This boardwalk is the oldest amusement park in California and is the home to two national historic landmarks — the Looff Carousel and the Giant Dipper roller coaster. The boardwalk was opened in 1907.
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada — The Beaches neighbourhood has a boardwalk along its scenic Lake Ontario shoreline. It runs 3 kilometers from Ashbridge's Bay in the west to the R.C. Harris Filtration Plant in the east. [2]
- Venice Beach, California — This 2.5 kilometer boardwalk has a bike path, rollerskaters and skateboard ramps, restaurants, sunglasses, and plenty of tourists. Venice beach is famous for muscle beach, where body builders work out. California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger worked out on Muscle Beach and made Gold's Gym famous in the 1980s.
- Keansburg, New Jersey's boardwalk houses one of America's oldest amusement parks, which houses vintage rides dating back to the 1920s.
- Virginia Beach, Virginia's 3-mile boardwalk features restaurants, entertainment, and many sporting events.
[edit] Other boardwalks
- Eskimo villages of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska — Today, 10 foot (3 meter) wide heavy-duty boardwalks are common in villages throughout this part of Bush Alaska. Tuntutuliak was the first village to receive them in the mid 1990s by way of a government funded program to determine whether they would be a worthwhile investment elsewhere. Before the existence of these boardwalks, a much narrower, lower, and less extensive system of boards and boardwalks served delta villages. [3]
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