The Melancholy Magic of Abandoned Amusements
Lisa Lamb’s web site Side ‘o Lamb is dedicated to her urban exploration exploits, particularly to the decaying seaside resort of Asbury Park. She offers the following intro to her photo essay:
Founded in 1887, Asbury Park was once one of the Northeast’s most popular seaside resorts. Over her 100-plus year history, Asbury Park has been resilient, surviving devastating fires and hurricanes. Today, Asbury Park’s beachfront is in the grip of a decline that began with race riots in 1970, and continued into the 80s and 90s with corrupt politicians and improper land deals.
Although it has a population of approximately 17,000, Asbury Park has the outward appearance of being a ghost town. Even in the summer the boardwalk is quiet. There are no ice cream or pizza stands, no arcades, no games of chance and no souvenir shops. Only the Howard Johnson’s is open occasionally. Strange banging and creaking noises come from the skeleton of a condo tower left unfinished when money ran out in 1994. Though boarded up or falling apart, many of the picturesque structures from Asbury Park’s long history remain standing, giving visitors a hint at her once grand past.
The photos of the casino in the snow are almost magical, and there’s a nice melancholy to the empty spaces where the Palace and casino carousels used to be.
Also worth visiting are Lisa’s pictures of Eastern State Penitentiary. The photos of Al Capone’s cell and of the tin of Civil Defense All-Purpose Survival Crackers are my favorites.
(Props: Cool Site of the Day)
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