Men boasted linen suits. Hardly appropriate dress for the sandy beach. Pine planks provided a decent landing for properly adorned feet. And as the Jersey Shore became famous for its string of boardwalk towns, Ocean City blossomed into a cherished summer destination for people from Baltimore, Washington and farther afield. Velcro-fastened sandals and shorts predominate today.
Microwaves supplement fryolators.
Pinball arrived, then video games, and now virtual reality booths. The boardwalk remains at the center of the Ocean City experience. Now it is sprucing up its convention center. There is talk of an I-Max theater, discussions about an aquarium. In that context, Mathias figures the extra cost of maintaining a wooden boardwalk is paltry.