Perhaps you have seen photographs of the famous Coney Island “Elephant Colossus,” a 200-foot tall elephant structure with 31 rooms that once stood proudly and prominently on Surf Avenue. It was lost in a fire in 1896, so none of us would have had a chance to stay in it. Now, in New Jersey, you can experience something quite like it: Lucy the Elephant, which is now available on Airbnb located in Margate along the Jersey Shore.
Lucy is about half the height of its Coney Island counterpart, with six stories, but hails from around the same time period. In fact, was designed by the same man, a James V. Lafferty from Philadelphia who held the patent. Lucy, who was built in 1891, was originally also nearly suffered the same fate as its Coney Island relative after being struck by lightning on several occasions. Lucy’s current caretaker is Richard Helfant, director of the non-profit Save Lucy Committee, proclaimed to the New York Times that Lucy is “the oldest surviving example of zoomorphic architecture on Earth” and she has been designated a national landmark.
Photo courtesy Airbnb
You enter through a door in Lucy’s left foot. Inside, there’s a Victorian chic to the decor. You store your clothing and belongings in an antique trunk. Your bed has the backdrop of peacocks and is placed between a ornamented wooden split staircase. The furnishings are to the T: Oriental carpets, China, and more in rich, bold colors. There’s even a balcony on top with a view of the ocean and porthole windows, which are Lucy’s eyes.
Photo courtesy Airbnb
In a press release, Airbnb calls Lucy, “a tribute to the golden age of roadside Americana.” In addition to a hotel, Lucy has also had other lives as a summer home and a tavern, along with her original purpose: to attract people to the yet-to-be developed area of New Jersey. The decor, which was furnished by Airbnb for the stay, is a tribute to its one summer in 1902 serving as a vacation home for a family of six.
Photo courtesy Airbnb
Liz Debold Fusco, Northeast Press Secretary for Airbnb, tells Untapped New York, “Lucy will be one of the most unique listings ever to appear on our platform but she is far from alone. The trend of unique listings on Airbnb is increasingly growing – in fact, searches for these types of stays have increased by 70% over the past year.” The Airbnb team works to feature the unique properties available on the booking platform.
Interested in staying in Lucy? You can now join other famous prior guests like Henry Ford, President Woodrow Wilson and the Sultan of Brunei for just $138 a night. It’s a short-term proposition, as only three dates will be available on March 17, 18 and 19. Bookings will begin on March 5. Airbnb will be making a donation to the Save Lucy Committee, as part of this promotion.
Michelle is the founder of Untapped New York and the author of The Art Spy (HarperOne, forthcoming) Secret Brooklyn, Secret New York Hidden Bars & Restaurants, and Broadway. michelleyoungwriter.com
Photo courtesy Airbnb
