Love of Jersey landmarks unites fans on Facebook

They’re not just surfing the Web or catching up on email. They’re getting ready to discuss the nightly topic posted on the recently created Facebook page, “Down the Shore: things that arenot there anymore” — which has amassed nearly 11,800 members since July 25.

In that time, there have been more than 30,000 posts from people sharing and reliving their Jersey Shore memories and waxing nostalgic about old businesses, landmarks and past activities, mainly in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

The page’s creator, Steve Eccles of Lavallette, never expected it to become so popular. Comparing it to Frankenstein, he called the page “a monster that has taken on a life of its own.”

“It started out as a joke,” Eccles said. “A couple of friends and I were only going to do it for 10 minutes — a half-hour, tops. Then, within a half-hour, we had 200 people. I just had to see what would happen.”

When Eccles woke up the next morning, almost 1,000 people had joined the group. After a week, the number increased to 10,000.

“It just came out of nowhere — it was like a computer of mouth,” he said.

He had the idea from a friend who created a similar page, “Things that aren’t there anymore: Central NJ Edition.”

However, the name Eccles created — with “arenot” as one word — was a mistake. He said he was unable to go back and correct it once the group became official on Facebook.

Eccles, 51, said the page has become an outlet for people to reconnect, not just over the Shore, but other memories as well. Members have reached out to people who were in their weddings, or were classmates or roommates. Locals have been rekindling friendships and even planning reunions, according to Eccles.

The group’s demographic is wide — Eccles said there are members in their teens and up to 75 years old. “It’s really become a family on there — it’s like watching a balloon fill up.”

The nightly topics are announced at 7 p.m., but Eccles made some stipulations. Members are not allowed to comment on the topic discussion before 7:30 or after 8 p.m. If any topics were repeated, their comments will be deleted.

He leaves the topic on for people to read until 8:15 p.m.

“I would even threaten to take them off,” Eccles joked, “but really, if you didn’t read the night’s discussion within that 45 minutes, you missed what we were talking about that day.”

Topics range from favorite places to get ice cream to bands that locals would go watch.

The group is open on Facebook, meaning anyone can view posts, not just the group’s members. During the first night, Eccles said he had to kick two members off for using foul language.

“I told them, ‘Any abusive stuff like that, and I’ll kick you off.’ I’ve had to block about 50 people from the site so far, because Facebook blocks people who have been racist or abusive on group pages in the past.”

Throughout the rest of the day, members post photos and share memories of what used to be in their Shore towns. They discuss bars, restaurants, boardwalks, favorite hangouts. Blue Grotto in Seaside, the drive-in movie theater in Brick and the commercial blimp at Robert J. Miller Airpark in Berkeley are only a few landmarks among thousands remembered by locals.

Leslie Buchanan Gross of Los Angeles, originally from Neptune, came across the site and was hooked from the first post she read.

“This group is as popular as it is fascinating, for this little place, our group. We are all connected,” Gross said, “we all share with enthusiasm — the memories, a melting pot of emotions, of good times, of recounting our earliest part of life, our childhood and our foundation.”

Spinoffs have been created since Eccles debuted his page in late July, such as “Jersey Shore — People in Florida from the Jersey Shore.”

“They wrote to me and asked ‘Is it OK if we steal your idea?’ It’s not my idea. Yes, I created the page, but these 11,000 people have kept it going, not me.”

Nevertheless, the site’s creator has his own recollections of things no longer at the Shore. He fondly remembered the Drawbridge and Casablanca in Brielle, Ryan’s Pub in Belmar and the Neptune City movie theater on Route 35.

“I remember even sneaking into The Stone Pony when I was 14,” Eccles laughed.

Eccles grew up in Neptune and reminisced about working at Pete Elda’s bar (still there) as a teenager. Never really a fan of Facebook, he admits his four children got him into social networking.

Undoubtedly, he’s seen changes in New Jersey over the past 10 years, and commented that “kids don’t appreciate what they have in front of them these days.”

As for future plans, Eccles thought of selling the page to the highest bidder once it had 10,000 members. He said that still rings true, but insisted he was never in it for money.

Yet, he doesn’t expect the craze to last forever.

“If I deleted the page now, I would have a firing squad after me,” Eccles said. “I’ve had people tell me, ‘Look what you’ve started, you can’t stop now.’ “

Gross thanked Eccles for resurrecting her Shore memories.

“If I had one thing to say to Steve Eccles about what he has done for our community and myself, it would be, ‘Sometimes, life gets in the way. You have allowed me to go back over a bridge not burned, and finally stop and smell the roses.’ “

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