7/12/2006

July 4th was busy for merchants, but most obviously on the roads of OC
By Don Klein
 
July Fourth in Ocean City is always busy but when the holiday falls on a Tuesday and the weekend is extended to four days, the possibility of new records being broken – or at least business booming – is outstanding. Apparently that was the story this past Independence Day weekend.
 
“It was a great weekend,” said Stan Kahn, sales and marketing director of the Carousel Hotel at 117th Street. “Business was very strong, extremely good,” he added. The 345 combined hotel rooms  and condominiums were packed and the hotel was operating with a full staff.
 
“It was a four nighter for us,” Mr. Kahn explained noting that the well known hotel was full on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights, and nearly full on Friday as well. “July Fourth has always been our strongest weekend of the year.”
 
The same exuberance was echoed at Sea Quest Fashions on 76th Street. A spokesperson that asked not to be identified said, “We had long lines waiting to use the fitting rooms. Needless to say sales were very good.” Business was so brisk that it became a series of 15-hour working days with ever-eager buyers. “Last week was a blur,” she admitted with a sigh, referring to the heavy rush of business.
 
The active tourist weekend carried over to July 5, according to a customer at the Bank of America on 44th Street. “The bank was absolutely insane,” said a customer looking at the crowds that queued up at the seemingly endless serpentine line feeding the numerous teller stations.
 
 “It’s unbelievable, it’s been like this from opening every day,” one teller remarked.
 
The automobile drive-through was no better with cars lined up to the street at the two service lanes and even at the automatic teller machine line. Parking spots were practically non-existent as one car vacated a spot another immediately filled it with a vehicle driven by a patiently waiting motorist. 
 
“I can’t believe there are this many people here at one time,” the frustrated customer was overheard to say.
 
Ironically, special events for the weekend did not benefit all businesses. Steve Heller, who owns Mike Bikes on Division Street near the Boardwalk was unfavorably impacted by July Fourth festivities. “Parking on Division Street was restricted for two days to support the preparations for the fireworks and band music,” he said. This restricted access to his shop and cut back on potential business, especially those guests coming from the larger hotels uptown.
 
Lots of people avoided the downtown area in anticipation of large crowds and limited parking, he concluded. “Generally holidays like the Fourth are not good for us,” Mr. Heller said, “we do better on regular days.”  Bicycle riders flock to his shop on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday, when crowds on the Boardwalk are lighter. “Weekends and holidays are not as good,” he added, “and in very hot weather many people don’t want to ride anyway.” 
 
At the town’s main information center at the 40th Street Convention Center, Gertie Apple, an information receptionist, said she knew the beaches and the Boardwalk were busy, as well as heavy road traffic (“it took me 40 minutes to drive home, normally a 10 minute ride”), but the information center was quiet.
 
“People were too busy enjoying themselves to stop in here during the weekend,” she said. She acknowledged that the auxiliary information booth they run on the Boardwalk between Division and Caroline Streets, was busier then the main booth.
 
The ultimate measurement of how busy any weekend really is, is done by the ordinary resident who can contrast travel time on Coastal Highway during the summer months against the rest of the year. For example, a trip from the Delaware Line to the Inlet on non-vacation periods usually takes less than half and hour. In the summer if it only takes twice that long the locals consider it fortunate.
 
Residents are used to that, after all this is a resort area and heavy traffic is expected in season. That is the price they must pay to live near the ocean. However, many wish there were no accidents on Coastal Highway further entangling already discouraging traffic characteristics.


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