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is a borough in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 3,980.
The area of the borough was first developed by Philip B. Baker in the 1900s as a southern addition to the resort of Wildwood, with the first houses going up in 1906.
Wildwood Crest was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 6, 1910, from portions of Lower Township.
It was ranked the second best beach in New Jersey in the 2008 Top 10 Beaches Contest sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km
Wildwood Crest borders Diamond Beach in Lower Township, the City of Wildwood, and the Atlantic Ocean.
Wildwood Crest and its neighboring towns of Wildwood, North Wildwood, and West Wildwood make up "The Wildwoods" resort, a popular vacation destination for those living in all parts of New Jersey as well as within the New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania metropolitan areas. Unlike its sister communities of Wildwood and North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest is generally set apart from the all-hours excitement that the resort area is known for. Many vacationers will find some of the quietest and most undisturbed beach space.
A place once filled with motels of every color imaginable, Wildwood Crest and the surrounding areas have recently undergone some changes in housing. More condominiums have replaced the motels, such as The Grand, The Ocean Breeze, El Coronado, and The Arcadia. Even some restaurants have been torn down and replaced with condominiums, including The Captain's Table and Duffenetti's. These changes in housing have significantly changed the demographics of this area, from being a more family oriented one-vacation-per-summer place (for the middle class) to being a weekend retreat for wealthier families.