The photographs and videos of Seaside Heights, New Jersey being overtaken during Hurricane Sandy have become indelible images. The photographs after the storm tend to be gray and bleak, so it was a surprise to see these saturated images by photographer Jared Douglas Martin which I think captures the juxtaposition between the pop color of the rides and their current state. While most photographs have been taken from a distance, Martin’s provide a sense of immediacy, using the rides to frame the images.
Seaside Heights has become almost a ghost town, apart from FEMA and police officers monitoring the area–a far cry from the bustling boardwalk made iconic (for better or worse) on MTV’s Jersey Shore. The news yesterday that the Jet Star Roller Coaster on Casino Pier would be taken down is just the beginning of rebuilding for a town that relies on tourism for 75% of its budget.
On January 12th, Untapped New York is proud to partner with the Municipal Art Society with their series On the Road to Resilience: From the Ground Up. MAS will bring together community leaders, civic officials, innovative entrepreneurs, New York & New Jersey residents, and urban practitioners to spark a conversation about how places like Seaside Heights in the New York Metropolitan area can move forward from Hurricane Sandy into becoming a more resilient place to live.
We hope you can join us for these important discussions. The programs are free, but registration is required. Register now for the January 12th event.
Get in touch with the author @untappedmich.
