Community Corner

When the 'Funtown' of Your Youth Disappears

The tragic fire in New Jersey brings to mind other bygone family destinations.

This article was written by Patch's Catherine Crawford.

Thursday night brought the heartbreaking news that Seaside Heights, the Jersey shore town that’s worked heroically to come back from Superstorm Sandy, was again suffering. A 10-alarm fire broke on the boardwalk, taking out dozens of businesses, the Funtown Park & Arcade and abeloved carousel that locals are already mourning.

Americans across the country know the feeling. Residents of Berkeley, Calif. could only watch as an angry fire destroyed 91-year-oldTuolumne Family Camp in the Sierras last month. The famous image from last year in Seaside Heights, of an entire roller coaster sitting in the ocean, has a parallel in the water-wrecked rides at Six Flags New Orleans.

Find out what's happening in Kirkwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The march of progress and the demands of the market have always threatened the cotton candy and marshmallow-flavored destinations many of us remember. But now those that can survive as businesses often have to contend with increasingly erratic weather systems bringing floods, fires, or worse to their doors.

When a childhood fantasyland is gone, memories will have to suffice. As a commenter on their New Jersey Patch recalls: “I grew up on that boardwalk! My family owned most of Funtown in the 1950's ... Funtown pier, the Red Top Bar ... the concessionaires they rented to ... lost everything. Let’s remember tonight that there are people who will lose a lot, if not everything. Say a prayer for them and Seaside, a place of wonderful childhood memories.”

Find out what's happening in Kirkwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If you have a memory of a bygone family destination, whether it’s down the block or across the country, we’d love to hear about it in the comments.

(To help with Seaside relief efforts, check out Helping Hands of New Jersey.)


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Kirkwood