It's where The Situation fist-pumped like a champ, and where JWoww and Snooki had all their (sometimes drunken) antics displayed on camera.
Now, a Jersey Shore resort town is trying to remake its image from a party place to a more family-friendly destination.
The Borough Council for Seaside Heights unanimously passed a zoning change ordinance Wednesday night that places new restrictions on the businesses that operate along part of its boardwalk, as they try to leave behind a legacy forever made part of the cultural lexicon thanks to MTV's "Jersey Shore" reality show.
The switch now bans nightclubs and bars, plus most amusement rides, along a seven-block stretch of the northern end of the boardwalk, as officials try to promote a place that is more geared toward family fun. Alcohol can still be sold at restaurants, however.
“Yes, you can have a liquor license but you must be food-driven not liquor driven,” said Seaside Heights Mayor Tony Vaz. "I don’t want rooftop decks. I don’t want music to be blasting at 2 o’clock in the morning.”
The move, which Vaz said is aimed at "ditching Snooki, ditching the nightclub crowd, the wet t-shirt contestants," has earned praise from some, but other local store and shop owners fear it could stifle business.
Patricia Hershey, who owns the Shake Shoppe Arcade, called it "completely unfair." She has a currently unused liquor license, and believes the zoning change could hinder future opportunities for development.
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"I understand what they’re trying to achieve but I think the ordinance is way too restrictive," Hershey said. "It’s going to devalue all the properties up here."
Mayor Vaz disagreed, saying the plan has widespread community support and they won't change what the town wants "just because they have a vested interest.”
In the meantime, two closed-down clubs off the boardwalk are set to go up for bids in a bankruptcy auction on March 26. Karma and Bamboo, both former hot spots for the cast of "Jersey Shore," have minimum opening bids of $1.2 million.
Vaz said he doesn't expect those kind of scenes to come back. "I’m hoping to see retail and housing quarters" take over the vacant areas, he said
